The world may not have asked for a 500-watt desktop charger, but Ugreen made one anyway. TheUgreen Nexode 500W 6-Port GaN Desktop Fast Chargermay be overkill for most, but it’s the power brick you want for fast-charging multiple go-to tech devices.
Ugreen 500W 6-Port GaN Desktop Fast Charger
The Ugreen 500W 6-Port GaN Desktop Fast Charger delivers up to 240W on a single port and 500W total, ideal for gaming laptops and power-hungry devices.
Price and Availability
The Ugreen Nexode 500W sells for $250 and can be purchased at Amazon or directly through the manufacturer. It also looks like you’ll be able to catch sales on the charger now and then, as it was marked down to $220 when I was writing this review.
Bigger Than Your Average Charger
The Nexode 500W is not the kind of charger you’re going to want to carry from A to B. Due to its overall size and bulk, this GaN hub is best used as a stationary accessory that never leaves your workstation or communal spot in the office where everyone goes to charge their tech. Measuring 4.75 inches tall, 2.4 inches wide, 5.75 inches from front to back, and coming in at a whopping 4.8 pounds, the Nexode 500W definitely trades portability for permanence.
All six of the Nexode’s USB-C charging ports (and single USB-A) are located on the front of the unit. The charger’s AC input is on the back, and Ugreen provides a decent-sized power lead to plug into a wall outlet. I was also glad to see two rubber feet on the bottom of the Nexode to prevent it from scratching and scuffing furniture while ensuring it doesn’t slide off of whatever desk or table it ends up living on.
It’s bigger than a lot of desktop chargers, but Ugreen still managed to pull off a pretty minimalist aesthetic. The chrome chassis blends nicely with most workstation tech and office decor, and the embossed “Ugreen” and “500W” labels share the same darker trim as the front-facing USB part.
You also won’t find any LED indicators or LCDs for monitoring the charge status of your device (similar to theNexode 300WI reviewed two years ago).
Power Delivery to the Max
Five of the Nexode 500W’s six charging ports are PD 3.1-certified. Should you need to, that means you’ll be able to fast-charge up to five laptops.
When using only one port at a time, the top USB-C (labeled C1) maxes out at 240 watts. C2, C3, C4, and C5 each deliver up to 100 watts, and the USB-A pushes 20 watts. The most demanding workhorse laptops may not need or even support 240-watt charging, but it’s nice to know it’s there.
Do keep in mind that when connecting more than three devices, the 100-watt USB ports will begin to lose power. When you have six devices connected, the top USB-C (C1) still delivers up to 240 watts and the single USB-A stays maxed at 20 watts. The other four USB-C ports each drop to 60 watts.
The Nexode 500W contains six GaNInfinity™ chips, allowing the charger to deliver efficient heat dissipation and fast charge times. It also has an 11-tier defense system that protects the Nexode and your connected devices from things like over-voltage, over-current, high temperatures, short-circuiting, surges, and more.
Time to Test
Ugreen claims the Nexode 500W could charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro from zero to 60% battery in just 30 minutes.
For solo-testing purposes, I used a 13-inch M2 MacBook Air. With the provided MagSafe 3 cable connected to USB C1 on the Nexode 500W, I was able to fast-charge the laptop from 10% battery to 95% in just over an hour (an hour and nine minutes, to be exact).
I wanted to put every single port to work. I connected a 13-inch MacBook Pro at 37% battery to C1, a MacBook Air (9% battery) to C2, an iPhone 12 (75%) to C3, an iPad to C4 (39%), a Raycon portable charger (70%) to C5, and a Kindle Paperwhite (76%) to the USB-A port. I set a timer for half an hour and returned to some great results:
The Raycon charger didn’t start charging at all, which I was half expecting. Even when connected to a wall outlet, it takes about an hour (or longer) for the 5-in-1 power bank to start recouping the battery. I removed it from the test setup, set another half-hour timer, and returned to the following:
When charging my gear, the Nexode 500W was quiet as could be. And while the desktop charger was warm to the touch, it never became hot enough to warrant concern on my part.
The Competition Is Limited
When it comes to 500-watt desktop chargers, Ugreen doesn’t have much to worry about in terms of foes. But like I said earlier, most folks aren’t going to need 500 watts to begin with, let alone 240 watts for a single laptop. So, what viable alternatives do we recommend?
Not long ago, we reviewed theAnker Prime Charger 250W—which also scored an 8 out of 10—and we were more than satisfied with its charging capabilities. Plus, it has a customizable display that even shows off your device’s charging status! Yes, it’s half the power of the Nexode 500W, but at $170, it’s a bit more affordable (it’s also been on sale for as little as $120).
If you care more about the number of ports than how much wattage each one dishes out, thePlugable PS-10CCis a great choice. While you’ll need to provide your own USB-C power supply, the PS-10CC delivers up to 100 watts from a single port. It’s also portable, and features LED indicators for real-time device monitoring.
Should You Buy the Ugreen 500W 6-Port GaN Desktop Fast Charger?
I’ve been a big Ugreen fan for the last few years, and theUgreen 500W 6-Port GaN Desktop Fast Chargeris one of my favorite products the company has dropped. If you’re working with a lot of power-hungry USB-C hardware, the Nexode 500W is the desktop demigod for you.
