Enlarge / GaN desktop chargers in their native habitat. From left: Ugreen Nexode 200W, Hyper 245W GaN Desktop Charger, and Anker 727 Power Station. (credit: Kevin Purdy / Ars Technica)

USB-C has made it easier to plug things in and connect them. Charging, though? Charging is still complicated. You get a different amount of power based on the device, the port, the battery level, and whatever else is drawing current. It can make you wish for a few ports that power whatever you plug in, whatever the size.

You used to need a big surge protector, packed with charging bricks crowding each other out, to get that kind of juice. But these days, gallium nitride-based chargers can put out serious power from a small space. We've scanned the marketplace, tried out a few of them, and have some recommendations for different power needs.

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Enlarge / Hyper says its new 140 W wall charger is 24 percent smaller than Apple's original, while also charging two other USB devices (though that drops the fastest charger to 100 W). (credit: Hyper)

Fast-charging the 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro at 140 W isn't something most people need to do that often, but it stands out as a kind of horsepower test among charging accessory brands. Entering into this drag race is Hyper, which is touting a new 140 W wall charger the company claims is 24 percent smaller than Apple's own charger while also sporting two more ports.

Hyper, a sub-brand of Targus that has been making hubs, docks, and charging gear for more than seven years, sometimes through crowdfunding , is using gallium nitride (GaN) technology to achieve improved heat, power, and size characteristics. Apple's original 140 W charger was also built on gallium nitride, has one port, measures 3.78×2.95×1.1 inches (96×75×28 millimeters), and weighs 8.01 ounces (277 grams). Hyper's three-port, 140 W charger measures 2.87×2.92×1.14 inches (73×74.1×29 mm) and weighs 9.03 oz (256 g), according to Hyper.

Hyper's 140 W stacked up against Apple's original 140 W charger. (credit: Hyper)

From that smaller package, you can draw 140 W through a USB Type-C Power Delivery (PD) 3.1 port, 100 W at a USB-C PD port, and 30 W from a Type-A Quick Charge (QC) port. Those are not simultaneous limits; Hyper's product page shows that the full-speed MacBook charging port (which requires Apple's USB-C-to-MagSafe cable) requires solitary operation but can provide 100 W when the other ports are in use.