Advice for best TB docks in 2020 for a new MacMini

[bossanova]

It seems there are new TB3 expansion docks introduced for the Mac market almost every week. What to buy?
My newly arrived Mini is still boxed up and before I start using it in my small business I'd appreciate some advice please on which is the best TB3 dock as of today to get for this desktop (use with laptop not needed).

So far my needs to expand the 2018 MacMini's existing ports are:

• two HDMI ports.
• support for one 5000K display.
• support for two 4000K displays.
• one DisplayPort or MiniDisplayPort.
• at least three add'l TB3 ports.
• at least two USB-A 3.0 ports.
• one Gigabit Ethernet Port.
• one built-in SD card slot.
• headphone out jack.
• speaker(s) out jack(s).
• plug-and-play MacOS setup.

Plusses but not strictly necessary:
• one pass-thru power port for up to a MacBookPro's charging needs.
• support for two 5000K displays.
• MacMini form factor (for a base or top fit).
• add'l SD slots (cards store clients' files coming from my work MacAir used on-site).

Ar first glance I found three TB3 "docks" (somewhat of a generous term for all of them) online at the Apple Store and they're not at bargain prices:
CalDigit TS3 Plus Dock $249.95
CalDigit Thunderbolt 3 Mini Dock $129.95
Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Express Dock HD $299.95

As I haven't been following new TB products too closely, are there better, more-featured docks that fit the needs I described?
TIA

 

[nicho]

It seems there are new TB3 expansion docks introduced for the Mac market almost every week. What to buy?
My newly arrived Mini is still boxed up and before I start using it in my small business I'd appreciate some advice please on which is the best TB3 dock as of today to get for this desktop (use with laptop not needed).

So far my needs to expand the 2018 MacMini's existing ports are:

• two HDMI ports.
• support for one 5000K display.
• support for two 4000K displays.
• one DisplayPort or MiniDisplayPort.
• at least three add'l TB3 ports.
• at least two USB-A 3.0 ports.
• one Gigabit Ethernet Port.
• one built-in SD card slot.
• headphone out jack.
• speaker(s) out jack(s).
• plug-and-play MacOS setup.

Plusses but not strictly necessary:
• one pass-thru power port for up to a MacBookPro's charging needs.
• support for two 5000K displays.
• MacMini form factor (for a base or top fit).
• add'l SD slots (cards store clients' files coming from my work MacAir used on-site).

Ar first glance I found three TB3 "docks" (somewhat of a generous term for all of them) online at the Apple Store and they're not at bargain prices:
CalDigit TS3 Plus Dock $249.95
CalDigit Thunderbolt 3 Mini Dock $129.95
Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Express Dock HD $299.95

As I haven't been following new TB products too closely, are there better, more-featured docks that fit the needs I described?
TIA

I can't comment on which one to get because when I abandoned my MBP and rethought my computer setup I didn't bother to get a new dock for my mac mini - instead I got an older mac mini and housed it elsewhere in my house, along with some of the storage etc. I used to have connected to my laptop at home. I formerly had a caldigit TS2 which was reliable.

That aside - I just want to clear up/clarify some things that might help others to help you.

In total you have three displays, and want to be able to run them from a combination of your MM and the dock (ideally 2 connected to the dock and one to the MM's HDMI port?)? That's doable, I believe in theory - the only question I'm not sure about is whether running a 5k and 2 4k displays is possible without an EGPU. I don't think it is.

"at least three add'l TB3 ports" - Do you mean USB-C? If you actually mean TB3, this won't happen. There's never been any such thing as a TB hub. It works with daisy chaining, but there's never been a peripheral made with more than 2 TB ports and there won't be either.

"at least two USB-A 3.0 ports" - that won't be an issue.

"one Gigabit Ethernet Port" - there's one built into the mac mini. regardless, that's something every desktop dock seems to have.

for the SD issue - consider dongles... they're not usually large and you're not going to get any dock with 2 SD slots, so you might end up with one anyway. I'd put accessible USB ports way higher than SD slots.

"one pass-thru power port for up to a MacBookPro's charging needs." - would you disconnect it from the mac mini and connect it to your MBP in order to enable this?

"support for two 5000K displays." definitely not happening without an eGPU solution

"MacMini form factor (for a base or top fit)." not aware of any in existence, i'm afraid. I'd caution against it too, many docks are fanless but that means they're hot to the touch.

 

[satcomer]

Right now the CalDigit TS3 Plus because it has a high speed USBC 2 port on the back of it! Also you can stand it up horizontal too!

 

[theluggage]

• support for one 5000K display.
• support for two 4000K displays.

• support for two 5000K displays.

As @nicho said, the Mini probably can't hack that many displays - Apple specs say the max is 1x5k + 1x4k or 3 x 4k - and even with those I'd be worried about whether the integrated GPU can push that many pixels smoothly. So you're looking at external GPUs, some of which add extra USB ports etc. too.

Frankly, though, if you wanted that many high-def displays, you should have got an iMac (or even an iMac Pro).

Yes, folks, this is why we need a more affordable Mac Pro with more than 0 and less than 8 PCIe slots...

 

[bossanova]

Thanks for the great FB. That helps me narrow down my needs to something doable, not James Bond gear. BTW I've pretty much maxed out my new 2018 Mini: 3.2GHz 6-core i7, 64GB RAM, and 1TB SSD, so on that end I'm bringing as much to the table (i.e. desktop) as possible ("only" $2429). I get the need for the eGPU but that won't be right away. I want to see how my 4000K and TB display work for my application needs.

Funny: on the end of that 5K+5K bullet point right before posting yesterday I had written " (is that actually possible?) " but deleted it at the last minute. I now know more. Thanks.

When the time comes for a neeed for an eGPU, does anybody recommend the one Apple sells or should I look off-campus?