It's hard to imagine a day these days without juggling multiple devices: a smartphone in your pocket, a laptop on your desk, a tablet for reading or creating, and sometimes even a console or drone within reach. All of this increasingly powerful equipment has one thing in common: it requires fast, stable power... and, above all, a power supply that can keep up. It's in this context that GaN (gallium nitride) technology has emerged in recent years as an essential development in the world of charging. UGREEN, already well established in this market, is now pushing this logic to its paroxysm with an exceptional product: the Nexode 500W. Presented as the world's first 500W GaN desktop charger, this massive unit promises to charge up to six devices simultaneously, but such a spec sheet isn't everything. We therefore took the time to test this charger in real-life conditions, confronting it with intensive use. The UGREEN Nexode 500W is available now on Amazon. Its generous dimensions (146 x 60.6 x 114.6 mm) and its weight of approximately 1.8 kg will not make it easy to move. Unlike the less powerful 200W and 100W versions, the compromise is assumed because to achieve such high power while ensuring efficient thermal management, UGREEN had to increase the dimensions because the dimensions are close to a PC tower power supply!
The design is sober and professional, without artifice and that's a good thing. The metallic matte finish is modern and limits fingerprints which should greatly please the most manic. It really feels like you're holding a premium product in your hands that won't stand out on a tidy desk. The port layout on the front is clear and well thought out: five USB-C ports, one USB-A port, which are sufficiently spaced to allow easy handling of connected peripherals.
Performance of the UGREEN Nexode 500W
The UGREEN Nexode 500W shines with its raw power and versatility. Its main USB-C1 port can deliver up to 240W. It is therefore capable of charging even the most power-hungry laptops, such as gaming PCs and the latest 16-inch MacBook Pros.
In a multi-device scenario, the Nexode can power up to six devices simultaneously, including five laptops. Several configurations are possible: for example, a laptop in fast charging at 240W, and the others will be able to share the still available energy (260W) between 60W and 100W per port in USB-C, and a smartphone or accessory via the USB-A port which will however cap at around 20W. In reality, you must therefore be careful what you connect to each port for maximum efficiency. The Nexode 500W is not capable of deciding to supply 240W on a port other than the USB-C1 port. On the other hand, we would have appreciated a little more information with a screen specifying for example in real time the available power and the power consumed per port.
In terms of compatibility, the Nexode 500W supports a very wide range of fast charging protocols: USB-PD 3.1/3.0/2.0, PPS, Quick Charge 4+/3.0/2.0, SCP, AFC, FCP, Apple 5V2.4A, BC1.2. This very broad compatibility means that it will be compatible with almost all devices on the market.
Under the hood, there are six latest-generation GaN chips, combined with a sophisticated conversion architecture (Active Bridge, interleaved PFC, AHB), allowing an efficiency greater than 95%. Heat is well controlled and the 11 integrated safety protections (overvoltage, overcurrent, overheating, overpower, short circuit, static electricity, protection against lightning, interference, transient overvoltages and the fireproof case) guarantee safe use, even at full load.
Conclusion
With the Nexode 500W, UGREEN has created an exceptional product, designed to meet the needs of the most demanding users: content creators, professionals, multi-equipped techies, or simply those who want to centralize their power without compromise. This charger is not only powerful on paper, it also delivers in real-life use, with impressive simultaneous charging capacity, extensive compatibility, and an internal architecture designed for performance and safety. Of course, its size and weight make it a device intended for desktop installation only. And its power distribution logic, while robust and well thought out, lacks adaptive intelligence to dynamically optimize charging based on connected devices. However, with its enormous 500W capacity, the UGREEN Nexode 500W currently has no direct competitor. We can obviously praise the manufacturing quality, the very good stability, the good temperature management and the safety offered by UGREEN.
Pros
- Impressive total power of 500W
- USB-C1 port capable of delivering 240W (USB-PD 3.1 compatible)
- Simultaneous charging of 6 devices, including several laptops
- Wide compatibility with fast charging protocols (PD, QC, PPS, etc.)
- Premium manufacturing quality, sober and professional design
- 240W USB-C cable included in the box
- Excellent thermal management and safety (11 integrated protections)
- High energy efficiency (>95%) thanks to GaN technology
Cons
- Bulky and heavy (1.8 kg), exclusively sedentary use
- Fixed power distribution: no intelligent adaptive management
- A single port capable of delivering 240 W, the others capped at 100 W
- No screen or visual indicator of active power
Availability and offers for the UGREEN Nexode 500W
The most powerful and scalable charger on the market, the UGREEN Nexode 500W, is available now on Amazon for less than €199.74 currently and on the official website of UGREEN for €199.99 thanks to the promo code 500W.
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