Image: Mark Hachman / IDG
A Thunderbolt dock is now almost vital accent, offering I/O entry for legacy mice, keyboards, exterior drives, and extra. It’s a key ingredient for a productive workplace, whether or not at work or residence.
Thunderbolt docks or docking stations assist fill the gaps as laptop computer makers slim down, minimize prices, and remove a number of ports in favor of a do-it-all Thunderbolt port as a substitute. That might look like they’re pushing these prices on to you (which they’re) but it surely additionally means you may decide and select a dock with precisely the ports you want.
Why purchase a Thunderbolt dock? Because of the bandwidth it supplies: 40Gbps, versus the 10Gbps a primary USB-C port affords. (You’ll see a small lightning bolt printed on your laptop computer, the cable, and the dock to suggest that they’re Thunderbolt succesful.) This affords sufficient bandwidth to attach as much as two 4K shows at a cushty, customary 60Hz refresh charge, plus all of the peripherals you want like a printer, mouse, keyboard, and storage. Good Thunderbolt docks may cost your smartphone.
This roundup begins with the easiest Thunderbolt docks, together with funds choices. We’ll shut by recommending our greatest DisplayHyperlink USB-C docks—easier, cheaper options which have just lately emerged. Our greatest USB-C hubs and dongles are lined in a separate story. Confused? Don’t be. We’ll clarify the variations within the FAQ that follows our suggestions, clarifying the terminology that can assist you perceive what to purchase and the way to avoid wasting cash, too.
Best Thunderbolt docks
IOGear Quantum Dual Mode Thunderbolt 3 Dock Pro (GTD737) – Best funds Thunderbolt dock
Pros
- Great mixture of options
- Budget worth
- 60W of passthrough charging energy
Cons
- Two DisplayPort ports restrict show I/O choices
- Might be tough to search out in shops
About the one knock towards IOgear’s GTD737 is its use of two DisplayPort 1.2 ports on the rear of the dock, which function the one devoted show outputs. (We suspect HDMI is extra fashionable.)
Otherwise, this dock is superb, offering virtually all of the options you’ll need at an reasonably priced worth: a 10Gbps USB-A port on the entrance for 7.5W smartphone charging; on the rear, two 5Gbps USB-A ports for legacy mice and keyboards and two 10Gbps USB-C ports for additional growth. There’s additionally a gigabit ethernet port and a headphone jack. The 2.3-foot Thunderbolt 3 cable provides 60W for your laptop computer by way of the related 135W energy brick. Performance particulars may be present in our overview.
Note that this dock is actually an identical to the Kensington SD5500T (overview), which at press time was priced barely larger. Double-check our overview to verify.
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IOGear Quantum Dual Mode Thunderbolt 3 Dock Pro (GTD737) overview
Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core – Best funds Thunderbolt dock runner-up
Pros
- Compact
- HDMI 2.0 + DisplayPort 1.4 port covers two shows
Cons
- Unlabeled USB-A ports look an identical
- Bus-powered
Belkin’s Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core is a well designed “powered” Thunderbolt 3 journey dock, and an affordable one as nicely.
At an almost sq. 5.2 x 6.5 x 1.5 inches, the Thunderbolt Dock Core black doesn’t take up a lot room, and the included 8-inch Thunderbolt 3 twine supplies ample size for flexibility. Ports are adequately spaced across the flat, black plastic dice, with HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 ports offering a secure 4K/60Hz expertise to each of my 4K shows. There’s gigabit ethernet and a 3.5mm audio jack, however good luck telling the USB 3.1 and USB 2.0 Type A ports aside—they’re not labeled.
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Belkin Connect Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core overview
Plugable TBT3-UDZ Thunderbolt 3 Docking Station – Best general Thunderbolt dock
Pros
- Tons of ports
- Space-saving vertical stand
Cons
- Heavy (4.1 lb)
- Expensive
Plugable’s TBT3-UDZ is solely among the best Thunderbolt 3 docks we’ve examined, with a boatload of ports. It’s costly, nonetheless.
On the entrance, the TBT3-UDZ features a 10Gbps USB-C and a 10Gbps USB-A (USB 3.1) port, microSD and SD card slots, plus a headphone jack. On the rear, 5 USB-A (USB 3.0 ports) and gigabit ethernet complement a pair of DisplayPort 1.4 ports and HDMI 2.0 ports. (It’s all based mostly on Intel’s Titan Ridge chipset.) A 29-inch 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 cable connects the dock to your laptop computer, and is able to delivering 96W of energy. Naturally, it is a powered dock, with a hefty 170W (!) charger.
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Plugable TBT3-UDZ overview
Plugable TBT3-UDC3 Thunderbolt Dock – Best general Thunderbolt dock runner-up
Pros
- A cheaper model of the Plugable TBT3-UDZ
- Supplies 96W of energy
Cons
- Just two show ports, however an adapter dongle is included
Plugable’s TBT3-UDC3 is a smaller, less-expensive model of the TBT3-UDZ, with much less I/O flexibility however extra focus. The dock features a pair of USB-A 5Gbps ports on the entrance for a mouse and keyboard, after which a second USB-A (10Gbps) port on the again. A pair of two 10Gbps USB-C ports sit alongside it for additional growth. There’s gigabit ethernet, too. Smartly, Plugable contains one HDMI 2.0 port and a DisplayPort 1.4 port for show connections, plus an HDMI-to-DisplayPort dongle within the field in case you personal two HDMI shows.
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Plugable TBT3-UDC3 Thunderbolt Dock overview
HP Thunderbolt Dock 120W G4 (4J0A2AA) – Best Thunderbolt dock for enterprise
Pros
- Ports aplenty, plus charging
- Solid efficiency
- No thermal considerations
This squat little Thunderbolt 4 dock feels much more stable than its rated 1.68 kilos would point out, and sprouts ports to all sides: a 10Gbps USB-C port able to 15W charging on the entrance, a 5Gbps USB-A port on both facet, plus two extra on the again, all able to 7.5W out. The again additionally homes two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, ethernet, and a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port designed for video. We solely examined this dock with two 4K/60 exterior shows, but it surely’s able to driving three 4K/60 shows offered you have got a DisplayPort 1.4-capable laptop computer with Display Stream Compression, or DSC.
The 4J0A2AA provides as much as 100W to the host laptop computer by way of the Thunderbolt cable—nonetheless among the many highest we’ve seen. Even then, there have been no thermal points in any respect.
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HP Thunderbolt Dock 120W G4 (4J0A2AA) overview
Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station – Best Thunderbolt 4 dock
Pros
- Solid efficiency
- 96W (rated) of downstream laptop computer energy
- Pretty stable mixture of ports, together with downstream Thunderbolt 4
Cons
- One of the costliest docks we have examined
- Rear USB-A ports ship much less energy than anticipated
- One show port, requiring a further dongle for 2 shows
The Kensington SD5780T replaces the Kensington SD5700T as our decide for one of the best premium Thunderbolt 4 docking station proper now, however the worth can be extravagantly excessive. The SD5780T improves on its predecessor by including a devoted HDMI 2.1 port and extra laptop computer charging energy. The dock carried out excellently in our exams, although the exterior energy was a bit decrease in locations than we’d hoped. (It counts the place it issues, nonetheless, which incorporates charging a smartphone.)
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Kensington Thunderbolt 4 Dual 4K Dock (SD5780T) overview
Plugable 5-in-1 Thunderbolt Hub (USB4-HUB3A) – Best Thunderbolt 4 hub
Pros
- Incredibly compact
- USB-C to HDMI adapter included
- 15W/60W of charging energy to telephones/PCs
Cons
- Limited ports
- Best for Thunderbolt-attached shows
The Mac world tends to emphasise Thunderbolt-connected shows excess of the Windows world does, so this is likely to be a distinct segment product for many of you. But this factor is tiny (4.75 x 2.88 x 0.5 inches) even when, sadly, the related energy brick isn’t. It will ship 15W of energy by way of the Thunderbolt/USB-C connections to cost smartphones, and 60W to the host PC.
We lack Thunderbolt-connected shows amongst our take a look at mattress, so we will’t totally take a look at this. But the field does embody a USB-C to HDMI adapter, so you may definitely join one show natively out of the field, then connect a USB-C hub to attach one other.
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Plugable 5-in-1 Thunderbolt Hub (USB4-HUB3A) overview
Anker Apex 12-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 Dock – Best Thunderbolt dock for HDMI shows
Pros
- Two HDMI ports
- An additional 40Gbps downstream Thunderbolt 4 port
- Power button
The Apex Thunderbolt 4 Dock options one 40Gbps upstream TB4 port (that connects to the pc with the included Thunderbolt 4 cable) and one 40Gbps downstream TB4 port for different units, similar to a quick SSD storage drive. The upstream Thunderbolt port can provide as much as 90W of energy to your laptop computer, whereas the downstream port can cost different units at 15W.
Anker’s inclusion of two HDMI ports means you don’t want any adapters to attach shows, offered you personal two with HDMI connections. In complete, the dock helps the 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports (10Gbps, 4.5W of energy), one other two USB-A ports (480Mbps, 4.5W), and a USB-C port (10Gbps, 20W) alongside gigabit ethernet, a UHS-II SD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The dock is powered, with a 120W energy provide.
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Anker Apex 12-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 Dock overview
CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 3 Plus (CalDigit TS3 Plus) – Most versatile Thunderbolt dock for I/O
Pros
- Ports, ports, ports
- Vertical orientation, no stand vital
Cons
- Only a single DisplayPort port
CalDigit’s Thunderbolt Station 3 Plus is among the hottest Thunderbolt 3 docks out there, and it’s straightforward to see why: a space-saving vertical orientation, 87W charging, gobs of obtainable ports, and even niceties like a S/PDIF optical connection and an exterior Thunderbolt jack for daisy-chaining units.
Port choice contains: two Thunderbolt 3 ports (one from the laptop computer, and one for an exterior connection), and a single DisplayPort 1.2 port. That’s ideally suited for a single 4K show, however awkward for 2. The TS3 Plus contains one full-sized SD (SD 4.0 UHS-II) card reader, the S/PDIF port, gigabit ethernet, and two 3.5mm audio jacks—one in, one out. Five USB Type A ports are additionally included (all 5Gbps USB 3.1 Gen 1) and two USB-C ports (one 5Gbps port, and one 10Gbps port).
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CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 3 Plus (CalDigit TS3 Plus) overview
CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 4 (TS4) – Best for Apple Mac customers
Pros
- Thunderbolt 4
- A whopping 18 ports
- 98W energy supply to your Mac
- 2.5 gigabit ethernet
- 230W energy provide
Cons
- Only two downstream TB4 ports
- Pricey
Price When Reviewed:
€410
This suggestion comes courtesy of our colleagues at Macworld, who’ve compiled their very own record of greatest Thunderbolt docking stations for the Apple Mac market. “All the ports you could want coupled with high-wattage charging justify the price of this full-featured dock,” and who’re we to argue? We can personally vouch for its progenitor, the TS3 Plus, which we ranked favorably amongst different Thunderbolt docks.
While we now have but to overview the TS4 ourselves, a easy gander on the worth re-affirms our certainty that it is a product for the Mac market.
Best DisplayHyperlink USB-C dock
DisplayHyperlink USB-C docks, which we talk about in additional element in our separate article, don’t provide sufficient bandwidth for high-refresh charge displays or gaming, however they work admirably nicely for on a regular basis workplace work, together with watching motion pictures. Anecdotally, they’ve typically additionally been extra secure than a Thunderbolt dock on older {hardware}, as typically Thunderbolt docks have points “waking up” when the host laptop computer wakes up from standby.
What we’d prefer to see in a DisplayHyperlink USB-C docking station is a characteristic set that approaches a full-fledged Thunderbolt dock, however that’s priced beneath what you’d pay for Thunderbolt efficiency. Our present decide does simply that.
1. Plugable USB-C Dual 4K Display Horizontal Docking Station (UD-6950PDH)
Pros
- Terrific worth for workplace employees
- Great show flexibility
- Plenty of USB-A ports
- SD/microSD card slots, too
- 100W of charging energy
Cons
- No USB-C ports
- No devoted charging ports
- DisplayHyperlink doesn’t enable for full Thunderbolt bandwidth
Plugable’s UD-6950PDH doesn’t enable the bandwidth for the newest HDMI or DisplayPort interfaces. But the dock preserves what we like about Plugable’s docks: two pairs of non-compulsory DisplayPort and HDMI connections to select from, in addition to 100W of charging energy to your laptop computer. One omission, nonetheless, is a devoted charging port for powering a smartphone, or any USB-C port in any respect.
At about $199 MSRP, nonetheless, the worth is totally proper. Just don’t overlook your smartphone charger.
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Plugable USB-C Dual 4K Display Horizontal Docking Station (UD-6950PDH) overview
FAQ
1.
How do I do know if my laptop computer has Thunderbolt?
The brief reply: Look on the laptop’s printed specs to make sure. A Thunderbolt port might look indistinguishable from a USB-C port, since they each use the identical bodily USB-C connection. Put one other method, all Thunderbolt ports are USB-C, however not all USB-C ports are Thunderbolt-equipped.
Thunderbolt ports are supposed to have a small lightning-bolt icon to establish them. But some laptop computer makers use an identical lightning-bolt icon to point {that a} USB-C port can be utilized for charging your cellphone, and not for Thunderbolt. Laptop makers typically don’t need to muddle the clear strains of their merchandise by including further logos, it appears.
Adding to the confusion, you may additionally see USB-C hubs marketed as “Thunderbolt compatible.” That’s true. You can plug a Thunderbolt dock right into a non-Thunderbolt, generic USB-C port. But it is going to be restricted by the out there bandwidth that the port supplies, so it’s considerably misleading in that regard.
IDG
2.
I already personal a USB-C dongle. Can I take advantage of it with Thunderbolt?
A USB-C dongle received’t exchange a Thunderbolt dock, as there’s circuitry inside the dock that permits it to work your laptop’s high-speed Thunderbolt port. However, there’s nothing saying that you would be able to’t join the dongle to an out there USB-C port on the Thunderbolt dock itself so as to add much more ports.
That resolution will add extra muddle to your desk, but it surely would possibly help you purchase a less expensive, funds dock, too. It’s as much as you!
3.
How quick is Thunderbolt?
Most USB-C ports are constructed on the second-generation USB 3.1 data-transfer customary, which transfers information at 10Gbps. Thunderbolt 3 and 4 ports, the most typical customary, switch information at as much as 40Gbps. Thunderbolt 4 differs very barely in that it helps a theoretical most of 32Gbps for exterior storage units, however you most likely received’t discover the distinction.
There are very uncommon exceptions: A brand new USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 spec can pair two 10Gbps channels collectively, creating an mixture 20Gbps hub. And whereas the overwhelming majority of Thunderbolt 3-equipped laptops are designed with 4 PCIe lanes for a complete of 40Gbps, some laptops solely ship with two PCIe lanes for a complete of 20Gbps. (A Dell assist web page, for instance, particulars its four-lane and two-lane laptops.) Essentially, a 20Gbps connection ought to be sufficient for a single 4K monitor operating at 60Hz, with a bit of additional bandwidth for different information transfers amongst linked peripherals.
4.
What’s the distinction between Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, and USB4?
The brief reply: Not that a lot, and we contemplate Thunderbolt 3 docks and Thunderbolt 4 docks to be functionally equal for many customers. The longer reply, which we’ll describe beneath, is that there are variations, and parsing the nuances may be complicated. Think of Thunderbolt 4 because the extra restrictive model of Thunderbolt 3, with little room for any gotchas.
Essentially, Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 enable as much as 40Gbps most bandwidth, sufficient for 2 4K/60 shows. “Up to” is the important thing phrase: Thunderbolt 3 is just required to assist a 10Gbps connection, permitting for a single exterior 4K show (a 16Gbps PCIe connection, paired with USB 3.2). Most producers transcend this, nonetheless, and our really helpful docks assist the complete specification (and two 4K shows) except famous. Thunderbolt 3 additionally helps a slower (16Gbps) PCIe connection for connecting to exterior storage.
Thunderbolt 3 can be the one specification (not Thunderbolt 4) that we’ve seen connecting to exterior GPUs, in case you’d prefer to attempt that method.
Thunderbolt 4 doesn’t enable for any leeway—you’re getting a full-fledged 40Gbps connection (32Gbps PCIe + USB 3.2), no questions requested. For exterior storage, Thunderbolt 4 helps 32Gbps of knowledge switch—this actually solely issues for video, exterior GPU connections, or presumably video games. Thunderbolt 4 helps “wake on sleep” from an exterior keyboard or mouse, which lets you faucet your exterior keyboard or wiggle your mouse to get up your PC, which is useful. Thunderbolt 4 permits for longer cables and extra Thunderbolt ports on laptops, too.
USB4 is actually a subset of Thunderbolt 4, primarily designed as an an I/O specification. USB4 can solely assist one show, and producers can select whether or not it helps a 20Gbps connection or a 40Gbps connection, based on Thunderbolt dock designer Plugable. As a subset of Thunderbolt 4, a USB4 machine will run simply advantageous plugged right into a Thunderbolt 4 port. But a Thunderbolt 4 machine might not work as anticipated when plugged into what’s particularly a USB4 port. Don’t fear about this an excessive amount of, because it’s uncommon to see a USB4 hub. Instead, most hubs and docks are marketed as Thunderbolt 4, whereas most units (like an exterior SSD) are designed round USB4.
USB4 Version 2 is an upcoming customary that can propel USB4 to 80Gbps, which is the one 80Gbps customary but introduced. The first merchandise will debut (as a guess) in early 2023.
Note that Thunderbolt 3 and 4 require at the least 15W to energy units plugged into the Thunderbolt port, similar to a bus-powered exhausting drive. USB4 requires simply half that.
Device maker Anker has a pleasant abstract of the entire technical options related to Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, and USB4, in case you actually need to get into the advantageous distinctions (beneath).
Anker
5.
What cable ought to I take advantage of with a Thunderbolt dock?
Virtually each Thunderbolt dock will ship with its personal cable. We’d advocate that you simply use Thunderbolt 3 cables with Thunderbolt 3 merchandise, and Thunderbolt 4 cables with Thunderbolt 4 merchandise.
6.
What differentiates a DisplayHyperlink USB-C docking station from a Thunderbolt dock?
A DisplayHyperlink USB-C docking station is a brand new class of docking station. They’re typically marketed simply as a USB-C docking station, sadly, although the DisplayHyperlink brand options prominently on the field. The key right here is that the DisplayHyperlink know-how (now owned by Synaptics) makes use of software program information compression between your PC and the dock to approximate a Thunderbolt expertise (a pair of 4K shows at 60Hz, plus further peripherals) throughout the narrower, slower USB-C bus. You’ll want to put in a software program driver to make it work.
The benefit right here is twofold. First, DisplayHyperlink lets you “cheat” and get a Thunderbolt dock expertise on an older laptop computer. Alternatively, even in case you do personal a laptop computer with a Thunderbolt port, you could possibly discover a DisplayHyperlink USB-C dock for a less expensive worth than Thunderbolt. This is a viable resolution, particularly in case you don’t thoughts taking part in PC video games.
Our separate story on DisplayHyperlink docks has extra.
7.
Are there some other applied sciences that I must find out about?
We’re beginning to see some USB-C docking stations reap the benefits of one other know-how: HBR3 (High Bit Rate 3) with DSC (Display Stream Compression). Think of it because the industry-standard, manufacturer-agnostic model of DisplayHyperlink. It works over the USB-C port, and once more supplies a twin 4K60 show expertise.
The drawback? It’s wonky. We’ve discovered that assist for the know-how was very iffy in Eleventh-gen {hardware}, and actually appears to work constantly in Twelfth-gen or Thirteenth-gen Core laptops (and above, once they ship). While we will’t actually advocate it proper now, we’re keeping track of it.
IDG
Buying Guide: what to search for in a Thunderbolt dock
Ports, cables, peripherals: Those are the three main issues when shopping for a Thunderbolt dock.
We’re starting to see the Thunderbolt dock market break down in just a few alternative ways. First, there’s the funds versus full-featured docks we’ve highlighted above. But you additionally might even see one thing much like the USB hubs of outdated: Devices that take Thunderbolt in after which present a number of USB-C (together with Thunderbolt) ports out. There are a small variety of shows with Thunderbolt inputs, which may be plugged straight into these hubs. Do you have got an present low cost USB-C dongle? You can definitely plug that in right into a Thunderbolt dock and add much more I/O performance.
Basically, contemplate what you’ll need to plug into the dock as a information for purchasing one. We want units with ports in-built (similar to HDMI, USB-A, and so forth) because the USB-C machine ecosystem remains to be in its infancy. But ask your self some questions. Do you need a primary Thunderbolt dock, with only a pair of HDMI ports for connecting two shows? Does an SD card slot matter? How many USB Type A peripherals do you propose to connect? Do you need to use the Thunderbolt cable to cost your laptop computer, too?
Cables may be an unexpectedly vital consideration, too. Virtually each dock ships with a Thunderbolt cable. But contemplate the shows you personal (usually HDMI or DisplayPort) and contemplate whether or not the dock will accommodate them.
Check your laptop’s energy provide. Does it plug into your laptop computer by way of USB-C? If so, a Thunderbolt dock will doubtless energy it. You’ll want to grasp how the dock provides energy, although. Check your laptop’s charger to find out how a lot energy it provides, and the way a lot the dock might want to provide to exchange it. If your laptop computer or units aren’t receiving sufficient energy, you may even see a warning pop up.
A “bus-powered” dock received’t include an exterior charger within the bundle, saving some price, house, and energy considerations. A dock with “power delivery” will provide its personal energy and cost your laptop computer and/or a cellphone by way of your laptop’s present USB-C charger. (Chances are that it received’t provide the quick-charging capabilities premium smartphones provide, although.) The extra energy your dock provides, the larger the flexibility to cost your laptop computer and any bus-powered units. This is a gotcha most individuals don’t take into consideration, so in case you plan to attach a number of bus-powered exhausting drives or SSDs, purchase a dock with a hefty energy provide. (USB keys, however, require tiny quantities of energy. Don’t fear about these.)
Mark Hachman / IDG
There’s another consideration: the size of the Thunderbolt cable between your laptop computer and the dock itself. You might have seen or heard about USB-C ports carrying out on smartphones; a unfastened or wobbly connector on a Thunderbolt dock may cause a monitor to unexpectedly flicker or lose connection. Consider how a lot pressure might be placed on a cable. A Thunderbolt dock that’s dangling from a Thunderbolt port will stress the bodily connector. You don’t need that!
If you’re a Mac consumer who has stumbled throughout this text, welcome. But please bear in mind that early Apple MacGuide Pros powered by Intel silicon supported as much as two 4K shows. The first MacGuide Pros powered by the Apple M1 chip solely assist a single 4K show. Many Mac customers have just lately left damaging critiques on Thunderbolt docks on buying websites due to this. Buy a PC!
How we take a look at Thunderbolt docks
We’re working from the premise that you simply’re shopping for a Thunderbolt dock for its distinctive capacity to connect with two 4K displays at 60Hz. Lower resolutions ought to be a lot simpler to run efficiently. Our first take a look at merely linked every dock to a pair of 4K/60Hz shows, every of which may settle for DisplayPort and HDMI cabling, and made positive there have been no visible artifacts at 60Hz decision.
Second, we checked to see whether or not the out there ports delivered the bandwidth we’d count on, connecting them to an exterior SSD and transferring a set of take a look at recordsdata over the Thunderbolt cable and port. We additionally used AJA’s System Test device to double-check our numbers and take a look at whether or not learn and write speeds have been constant.
Finally, we spot-checked the out there energy draw of the hubs and ports with a USB energy meter, in addition to merely connecting them to bus-powered units to see if they may ship sufficient energy to permit them to function.
This story was up to date on Feb. 17, 2023 with further info and suggestions.
…. to be continued
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