Terence Eden’s Blog<p>Gadget Review: Benfei Laptop Riser with Built-In USB-C Dock</p><p><a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/04/gadget-review-benfei-laptop-riser-with-built-in-usb-c-dock/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/04/gadge</span><span class="invisible">t-review-benfei-laptop-riser-with-built-in-usb-c-dock/</span></a></p><p>The good folks at Benfei have sent me a laptop stand to review. You know the drill, a few pieces of metal, some hinges, and rubber feet. But this stand holds a little more interest for the gadget lover - a built in USB-C hub!</p><p></p><p>What do you get for your £35?</p><p>USB-C power input - capable of taking 100W of PowerDelivery.<br>A built-in USB-C cable to connect to your laptop.<br>HDMI port which supports 4k @ 60Hz.<br>Four USB-A ports.</p><p>And that's it! There isn't any DisplayPort, no Ethernet, no sound, no extra USB-C ports. It is, I have to say, a little bare-bones.</p><p>The smarts are powered by a <a href="http://www.bridgesil.com.cn/upload/20240815145503.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bridgesil USB 3.2 chip</a>. For Linux nerds, it shows up as 35d6:3510 Bridgesil USB3.2 Hub and 35d6:2510 Bridgesil USB2.1 Hub.</p><p>Putting it through its paces</p><p>The 4K HDMI worked flawlessly. As you'd expect from HDMI, the picture clarity was perfectly reproduced. My 60Hz videos played without tearing or juddering.</p><p>Similarly, it's hard to go wrong with basic USB ports. Everything I plugged into them worked. USB disk speeds seemed fine. Read speeds were around 40MB/s and write speeds about the same. Pretty much what you'd expect - although I suspect this is more geared towards keyboard, mice, printers, and other office devices.</p><p>Power was OK. I took measurements with <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2023/10/gadget-review-plugable-usb-c-voltage-amperage-meter-240w/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">my Plugable power meter</a>. I used a 65W charger, but the maximum I could get it to deliver to the hub was 50W (19.77v, 2.53A). Output to the laptop stuck at around 48W. There's usually a little drop off between the two as the hub itself requires some power. How much juice does your laptop need while you're doom-scrolling?</p><p>Verdict</p><p>As a laptop stand, it is brilliant. Easily adjustable, good range of movement, and some hefty rubber cushions to prevent slipping.</p><p>The USB features on it work - charging is fast enough, HDMI is crisp, and the USB-A ports are decent - but I just wish it had a bit more. Personally, I didn't like the USB ports being at the front - it meant that the cables kept getting in my way. I didn't need an extra HDMI port - but some extra USB-C ports would have been useful, as would Ethernet and sound.</p><p>If you're happy with a single HDMI and four A ports, this is fine. But if your needs are more complex or you require more power, you might want to buy a more fully-featured dock.</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/tag/gadget/" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/tag/review/" target="_blank">#review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/tag/usb-c/" target="_blank">#usbC</a></p>