Good option for people who want to link up multiple 1080p monitors. Move along if you use 4k. 30hz is unbearable.
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Anker's Latest USB-C Docking Station Brings Triple-Display Support to M1 Macs
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Price should be lower than $249, especially when it has 4K at 30Hz support.
No 10Gb Ethernet? I just got a generic usb-c dongle with all of these connections for about $60 on Amazon.
That's why I waited for an M1 Mac that could natively support multiple displays.
I have never paid attention to refresh rate on my monitors, I only do productivity (Email, PowerPoint, Confluence, Browser, etc.) so it hasn't been an issue for me. Wondering if I can lower the refresh rate of my current monitor just to see what 30Hz looks like while I am working. My current monitor at work is a 3840x1600 widescreen, at home I only have 1440p monitors, so I think I would get better than 30Hz. Not really sure though.
I think this is only a 10gb downstream connection so the two USB ports already are not going to get a full 5gb/s each. If you want 10Gb ethernet, It's better use a dedicated dongle on its own port or use a thunderbolt hub that has bandwidth to spare.
Why would you find it surprising? USB-C offers no advantage over USB-A for many low-speed devices. Printers, scanners, mice, headsets, keyboards, webcams - none of those things would greatly benefit from moving to USB-C.
This isn't like the "old port exodus" where USB replaced Serial, Parallel, and SCSI for these devices. USB was an incredible step-up for most of those things.
You would likely find it very irritating, even just with typical office work. You would see your mouse lagging as you move it around.
I figured out how to reduce my work monitor to 30Hz, going to run this way for the next few days, then I will bump it back up to 60Hz. See if I can get a feel for how annoying it would be. However, because I am not running any 4K monitors, 30Hz would be worst case scenario for me and likely wouldn't be the case for a few years.
I don't think you will need "days" to make that determination. Usually I realize in a matter of moments that 30Hz is frustrating. The disconnect between the screen refresh and UI input / interaction makes me feel like my mouse is tracking poorly.
So I have an iMac 8 core / 8 core GPU , currently running 1 external screen.
I'd like to add a 2nd external screen - is this the best solution?
I still want to use the iMac built in screen and 2 external. Refresh rate does not bother me too much since its mainly for working from home use, multiple spreadsheets etc. No fancy moving graphics etc.
thank you.
I'd like to add a 2nd external screen - is this the best solution?
I still want to use the iMac built in screen and 2 external. Refresh rate does not bother me too much since its mainly for working from home use, multiple spreadsheets etc. No fancy moving graphics etc.
thank you.
No. Look for Thunderbolt docks with integrated DisplayLink technology. You can start here:
DisplayLink Products list | Synaptics
www.synaptics.com
There are some with better resolution and Hz.
Used 30Hz all day yesterday, I noticed a difference right when I switched it but I got used to it quick and it hasn't really bothered me. I guess I am in the minority where a super low refresh rate doesn't affect my day-to-day usage. Still not sure if I am going to purchase this hub, but I think it would be an option for me.
Due to the sheer number of brand new electronics manufactured with them. Every new iPhone comes with a usb-c cord. Every new Apple Watch comes with a usb-c cord. Every new android based device comes with a new usb-c cord. If someone is purchasing this type of device they are probably not terribly out of date with other technology. I think it’s obvious and not farfetched why I would find it surprising.
It's def not as sharp at 30Hz on multiple monitors I experimented 30Hz with. I know the resolution is the same, but it's def not as sharp. I don't know what it is. Not blurry like unusable, but not as sharp.
The new Kindle I bought a few months ago had a USB-C socket... and came with a USB-C to USB-A cable...
This is a case of "your mileage may vary" depending on what you buy. I've bought plenty of products in the last 2 years that have USB A/B cables, and even USB-C stuff often comes with a C-to-A cable or adapter (esp. if t isn't from Apple or a company specialising in Mac stuff). There are USB-A sockets in hotels, planes, cars etc. Last I looked, Logitech still hadn't made a USB-C version of their Unifying Receiver (and USB-C mouse dongles are horrible because they stick out 3/4" from the computer - unlike type A ones where the 'works' fit into the blade of the USB plug so they can be low-profile).
That said, I do wonder why the Mac Studio and Mini still have USB-A sockets. They're desktops, so it's not a major problem to leave USB-C-to-A adapters plugged in if that's what you need - I'm going to have a 10 port USB A hub plugged into one of my USB C sockets for the forseeable. The hassle with USB-C only laptops is having to carry around adapters that you can't leave plugged in so they get forgotten, lost etc. Now we're getting machines like the Studio with 8 USB ports and separate ethernet and HDMI there's less issue with "wasting" a whole TB4 port on a USB 2 device...
Can you recommend with a link the dock you suggest? I've got a 2019 Mac (pre-M1) and 2 4K 60hz monitors. Right now I'm just plugging the different HDMI/USBc cords from back of monitor to ports on side of computer but would love an adapter.
Can you recommend with a link the dock you suggest? I've got a 2019 Mac (pre-M1) and 2 Acer Nitro 28" Class UHD IPS Gaming Monitor trying to run 4K 60hz on both. Right now I'm just plugging the different HDMI/USBc cords from back of monitor to ports on side of computer but would love an adapter.
Most Thunderbolt 3 or 4 docks will support two displays.
For USB-C, a Thunderbolt 4 hub is probably least expensive, such as the CalDigit Element Hub.
There also exists Thunderbolt 3 to Dual DisplayPort Adapters, such as OWC Thunderbolt Dual DisplayPort Adapter.
I can't give a personal recommendation - but if you don't need a random assortment of card readers and ethernet interfaces, the Caldigit Element hub should do it.
OWC Thunderbolt Hub: More Ports, More Power, More Creativity
Enhance your setup with 3 Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) and 1 USB 3.2 port. Perfect for creatives needing seamless access to storage, displays, and accessories.
www.owcdigital.com
or
OWC Thunderbolt mini Dock
The 5-in-1 Thunderbolt 3 port expansion solution that connects two 4K displays, two USB devices, and a Gigabit Ethernet network via one integrated cable.
www.owcdigital.com
I think this is the one I was seeing.
HDMI 2.0 has lower bandwidth than DisplayPort 1.2. HDMI 2.0 limits you to 4K60 8bpc RGB or 4K60 10bpc 4:2:2 (or 4:2:0) instead of 4K60 10bpc RGB. 10bpc is required for HDR modes.OWC Thunderbolt mini Dock
The 5-in-1 Thunderbolt 3 port expansion solution that connects two 4K displays, two USB devices, and a Gigabit Ethernet network via one integrated cable.
I think this is the one I was seeing.
the Anker is targeting a different audience. The Anker is mainly for the M1 13.3" Macbook Air and Macbook Pro that has a limitation in place from Apple for only Supporting 1x external monitor. it is actually a limitation of 2x monitors but 1x is eaten up by the built in display. The Anker dock gets around it by using Display over USB through a solution called DisplayLink which brings up the total to 3x external monitors but puts greater overhead on the CPU and introduces its own limitation.
You are running it on a 14"/16"MacBook Pro that has an M1 Pro or greater chip that can support more monitors depending on it if it the M1 Pro/Max/Ultra.
It’s pretty interesting what this video claims - that the Satechi and 2 others are reskinned triplets.
Alogic, Satechi, and OWC: