My external SSD was running at a fraction of its speed, and the USB hub between it and my PC was the reason

Published Nov 8, 2026, 12:00 PM EST Abid covers consumer hardware, gaming, and platform updates with an emphasis on accuracy, clarity, and reader-first context. He holds a BSc in Computer Science and Engineering, and his work can be found in multiple publications, including Notebookcheck. Outside of work, he enjoys exploring new gaming hardware, testing system performance, and keeping up with developments across the broader tech landscape. The two M.2 slots in my PC were already occupied, and my home media server was taking up a good chunk of the storage space. Since I already had fast USB-C ports, I thought I'd give my system the storage expansion it needed with an external SSD. The external SSD I picked was more than capable of handling my home media server needs. However, it wasn't delivering anywhere close to the transfer speeds it's rated for. After investigating the usual suspects, I realized the problem wasn't the drive itself, but the USB hub connecting it to my PC. Connecting the SSD directly to my PC gave away the suspect My USB hub was holding the external SSD back While my first instinct was to blame the external SSD, I didn't do that right away. After all, I had a USB hub in between my PC and most of the other accessories that connect to it. So, I connected the drive directly to my computer, and it was functioning as it should. A quick test on CrystalDiskMark showed that the external SSD is reaching the advertised sequential read and write speeds. I also did a practical benchmark by transferring large files and reading them from there, and as expected, I saw no notable issues. These tests were enough to rule out the SSD as the primary culprit, and they also ruled out the drive's cable, which could have been the issue. This made me realize that the USB hubs aren't simply pass-through accessories. USB hubs can slow down external SSDs Not all USB hubs offer the same transfer speeds All USB hubs have their own hardware limitations, and these limitations significantly affect connected devices. In my case with the external SSD, support for the high-speed USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 standard didn't help because a USB 3.2 Gen 1 hub sat between it and the PC. The hub itself was connected to a USB4 port, meaning the PC's port still had plenty of headroom. Of course, it's not like there aren't speedy hubs available. It's just that the hub I was relying on wasn't cutting it. Multiple devices were competing for the hub's bandwidth The SSD wasn't the only device that was connected to the hub A further dive into the specifications and bandwidth made me realize that even if I got a hub that matched the speed of the external SSD, I would still lose some performance. After all, it wasn't just the storage drive that was competing for the hub's bandwidth. My hub also handled the USB dongles for the wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, and controller, and occasionally my phone. So, to get the speed my SSD is capable of, I would need a USB4 hub with fast downstream ports. An underpowered USB hub can also cause problems External SSDs need sufficient power to operate reliably The thing is, USB hubs don't just handle data-transfer bandwidth. They also provide connected devices with the power they need to operate, and this can become another limitation. An external SSD might work perfectly fine when it's connected directly to the PC, but slow down when connected to a dock or a hub, even when there's enough bandwidth headroom. In those cases, the hub may not provide enough power, and the drive may even risk data errors due to unexpected disconnects. This is another reason why it's not a good idea to pick an USB hub solely based on the data transfer speeds. You should also consider the power delivery capabilities and check whether the devices you plan to connect will get enough juice out of it. Don't overlook the USB hub when using high-speed peripherals The accessories might not be the problem These days, storage is expensive, and the last thing I want is to replace a perfectly capable external SSD because it didn't meet my expectations. SoI was glad the drive wasn't the problem, and I could keep the SSD connected to the PC's speedy USB4 portall the time. However, I like to keep the external SSD disconnected when not in use. So, the solution for my case was simply to replace the USB hub, which didn't cost as much as it would to replace the 2TB external drive. WD Black P50 Portable SSD This portable SSD is one of the best for games, as it is compatible with both consoles and PC.