that’s a simple equation, 7 > 1 so yes you need the hub
as i eluded to in the last post, usb 2.0 use practically useless in 2026
my loose research shows the am6 only offers usb 2.0 so you would be correct
if usb 2.0 “almost” handles it ok then usb 3.0 should be no problem
assumptions made: bitrate is relatively medium (bluray ish), causes of 3 frame stutter actually due to usb transfer rate, hard drives in good condition without errors, stutter not caused by bitrate spikes in VBR which in turn cause CPU spikes … and others
short version:
usb 3.0 is at least as-fast-as a mechanical magnetic drive (*in spec) so try to keep everything 3.0+, single usb 3.0 port means hub required