

It’s important to read the dock’s specifications carefully before you buy. Some feature HDMI connections, others feature DisplayPort, DVI/VGA connections, or a combination of the three. If you have existing peripherals like a display or audio setup, you’ll also want to make sure the dock has the right kind of ports available. Make sure the dock will work with your computer’s operating system (both the type and version) and its version of Thunderbolt. When shopping for a Thunderbolt dock, the primary concern is compatibility. A Thunderbolt dock is the hub that contains all these ports, allowing you to set up monitors, connect an Ethernet cable, and even charge your computer and phone straight from the device. It allows you to connect multiple peripherals to your computer via a single cable, delivering ultra-fast data transfers to your other devices. That’s where the Thunderbolt port comes in. But as ultralight, ultrathin machines have become more popular, the number of built-in connection options has dwindled. Once upon a time, laptops featured multiple ports directly on the device. This dock provides 85W to the Mac and up to 15W to connected devices.All Mac computers and several models of Dell, Acer, and Intel laptops feature a Thunderbolt port.
Best thunderbolt dock for mac mini pro#
The Elgato Pro dock has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, four USB 3.0 Type-A ports, an SD and Micro SD Card Reader, one Audio I/O, and a Gigabit Ethernet port. The dock can output 85W to the connected Mac. The Belkin Express dock has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, three USB 3.0 Type-A ports, one Displayport, one Audio in/out port, one Audio out port, and one Gigabit Ethernet port. This dock features a Thunderbolt 3 port, DisplayPort, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port with 18W PD, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, three USB 2.0 ports, an RJ45 port with Gigabit Ethernet, coaxial connection, optical TOSLINK port, 3.5mm mic/headphone port, an SD and microSD card slot, and the 180W DC power port. The HyperDrive 16-in-1 Thunderbolt 3 dock is a monster of a dock, turning one port in your Mac into 16 while also providing 180W of total power to everything connected. The dock features 14 ports, which include a micro SD and SD card reader, a USB-C 10 Gbps port, a USB 3.2 type A 10Gbps port, five USB 3.0 Type A ports, an audio in/out port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, two DisplayPorts, two HDMI ports, and a Thunderbolt 3 port that supports 96W of charging and up to 40Gbps transfer speeds. The dock provides 87W output to connected devices, with the secondary Thunderbolt 3 port able to provide 15W too. The Caldigit dock has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, one DisplayPort 1.2, five USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports, one USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C ports, one USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port, one Gigabit Ethernet port, an UHS-II SD Card Slot, Optical Audio (S/PDIF), and 3.5mm Stereo Audio In & Out. Ships with an 180W power adapter and Thunderbolt 3 cable. It can charge your device up to 85W and simultaneously supply 18W to your iPhone. This expansive Anker dock is equipped with an 85W laptop-charging Thunderbolt 3 port, a 15W Thunderbolt 3 port, an 18W Power Delivery USB-C port, a USB-C data port, 3 USB-A ports, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, SD/TF card slots, a 3.5 mm AUX port, and a DC input. It has an integrated Thunderbolt 3 cable and can power your Mac up to 60W. The Belkin Core dock has one USB Type-C port, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, one USB 2.0 Type-A port, one HDMI 2.0 port, one DisplayPort 1.4, one 3.5mm Audio in/out, and one Gigabit Ethernet port. This dock also has a USB 3.2 Type-A port. They all support the 40GBps transfer rate, and M1 Macs can connect the single monitor and two additional peripherals. It has the single Thunderbolt 3 input port that connects to your Mac and three Thunderbolt 3 ports for output. The OWC Thunderbolt 3 Hub is unique in that it offers multiple Thunderbolt 3 ports. It can charge your device up to 45W, unless every port is in use, then it only outputs 36W. This compact Anker dock is equipped with a Thunderbolt 3 USB-C port, USB-C and USB-A data ports, an HDMI port, Ethernet port, and SD card/microSD card slots. It connects to your Mac via an integrated Thunderbolt 3 cable. While you'll only be using one of the HDMI ports, it can output 4K video and connect two more devices. The OWC mini dock has two HDMI ports, one USB 3 Type-A port, one USB 2 Type-A port, and a Gigabit Ethernet port. It has a Displayport, HDMI, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, and a Gigabit Ethernet port. The Elgato Mini Dock has four basic ports for your convenience and an integrated cable for improved portability.
