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CalDigit's New Thunderbolt 4 Dock for MacBook Pro Features 18 Ports
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can someone help me answer:
1.) Does this Dock work with a Windows Laptop that has USB-C?
2.) I don't understand what the difference is between using this dock (runs dual displays natively) versus using a dock that utilizes DisplayLink on my new macbook pro 14inch. Can someone help me understand the benefits?
I have a windows work laptop and mac personal laptop and trying to use a dock that is optimal for both!
1.) Does this Dock work with a Windows Laptop that has USB-C?
2.) I don't understand what the difference is between using this dock (runs dual displays natively) versus using a dock that utilizes DisplayLink on my new macbook pro 14inch. Can someone help me understand the benefits?
I have a windows work laptop and mac personal laptop and trying to use a dock that is optimal for both!
The dock works with USB-C Windows laptops.
Displaylink uses way more CPU over a native GPU. What it means is it has a huge performance hit for things like games or intensive compute tasks. It should be avoided for workstations but it can be used for office tasks or basic home use.
thank you. so I assume there is no way to use my current dock without display link right? these are the two that I currently have:
Targus Dv4k
USB-C Universal Docking Station with Power | Targus US
The Targus USB-C Universal DV4K Docking Station seamlessly combines performance with power to help you get the most out of your workstation. Order yours today!
Dell WD15
Dell WD15 Monitor Dock 4K with 180W Adapter, USB-C, (450-AEUO, 7FJ4J, 4W2HW),Black,Dual Display
The Dell Dock provides a common docking experience for both Dell and non-Dell platforms via Display Port over USB Type-C, ensuring a reliable connection and crisp display. Featuring a powerful DisplayPort over USB Type-C cable, with the Dell Dock you can quickly connect your laptop or tablet to a...
www.amazon.com
thank you. so I assume there is no way to use my current dock without display link right? these are the two that I currently have:
Targus Dv4k
USB-C Universal Docking Station with Power | Targus US
The Targus USB-C Universal DV4K Docking Station seamlessly combines performance with power to help you get the most out of your workstation. Order yours today!us.targus.com
Dell WD15
Dell WD15 Monitor Dock 4K with 180W Adapter, USB-C, (450-AEUO, 7FJ4J, 4W2HW),Black,Dual Display
The Dell Dock provides a common docking experience for both Dell and non-Dell platforms via Display Port over USB Type-C, ensuring a reliable connection and crisp display. Featuring a powerful DisplayPort over USB Type-C cable, with the Dell Dock you can quickly connect your laptop or tablet to a...www.amazon.com
Those docks are built for universal compatibility. They can use Displaylink or DisplayPort alt mode I think. If you plug in a USB-A for instance, it would have to use Displaylink. If you plug in a USB-C with DP alt mode support, it will use DP alt mode (in other words, use the system’s GPU, as compared to Displaylink which is using up CPU for rendering). It’s better to use DP alt mode when you can, but if you can’t then Displaylink is an option for non-USB-C hosts. This is dependent on the laptop as to what it supports. Usually computers with a type-C port have DP alt even when they’re not Thunderbolt (Thunderbolt 3/4 always has DP alt capability).
Thunderbolt docks (like the Caldigit here) aren’t wired up with Displaylink, instead it’s all DP alt mode or bust. So if your laptop does not support DP alt mode at all then the video out part will not work at best. Note that with this new generation of Thunderbolt docks they don’t need to be Thunderbolt at the host end, they can be USB-C only, but Thunderbolt enhances the functionality with much higher bandwidth available. Also note, sometimes docks do work without video support, my Belkin for instance can plug type-A hosts, but they only get USB and Ethernet ports working, video ports don’t work.
it should work with USB-C windows laptop but with limited display support and the 2.5GbE should not work since TS4 is using PCIe ethernet that is only compatible with Thunderbolt computers clearly mentioned on their product page.
however, you can get an Ethernet to USB dongle easily with few bucks and plug in to the dock to get wired network if you want.
very interesting. i am learning a lot from you, so THANK YOU!
Last question (i think, ha) - is there a way to know whether your computer is using DP alt mode or is using Displaylink?
If a computer has Thunderbolt 3/4 then it has DP Alt mode. If it has USB-C I’d give it a 99+% chance it has DP alt, there’d be no reason to have USB-C data-only on a laptop, they usually use USB-A for data-only ports (USB-A has no option for DP alt). There might be odd exceptions, but certainly for major brand machines (Surface, HP, Lenovo, etc) when they are USB-C but not Thunderbolt 3 they still have DP alt. The only USB-C non-Thunderbolt 3/4 Mac was the 12 inch MacBook and it had DP alt.
Sometimes tablet devices or even phones have USB-C but no video/DP alt mode. Especially earlier ones. First USB-C device in the world was a Nokia tablet thing in China with USB-C but only USB 2.0 and no video, the C port was used for the better charging capabilities and that was it.
If you have a computer without USB-C or Thunderbolt 3/4 entirely then it can’t do DP alt. USB-A doesn’t have alternate modes. So a USB-A computer can only use Displaylink over USB, but it’s better to use dedicated video ports so it doesn’t tax the CPU.
EDIT: I'm wrong, the TS3+ only does up to 87W
Last edited:
With 44.1 (the latest) you can go to 87W, but not 98W. Unless there is some secret firmware somewhere not on the site.
Looks pretty good, though right now I'm perfectly happy with my CalDigit TS3+, especially since right now I use an M1 MacBook Air with Thunderbolt/USB4 ports...
![1400BDD4-4A14-492F-989E-4FBA99B7BE5D_1_105_c.jpeg]( "1400BDD4-4A14-492F-989E-4FBA99B7BE5D_1_105_c.jpeg")
Besides, should the impending higher-end Mac Mini include Thunderbolt 4 ports, I still largely use Thunderbolt 1-3 and USB-C devices anyways, so the TS3+ will still suit me fine.
Besides, should the impending higher-end Mac Mini include Thunderbolt 4 ports, I still largely use Thunderbolt 1-3 and USB-C devices anyways, so the TS3+ will still suit me fine.
A Thunderbolt port doesn't just do DP Alt Mode. If you're connecting a Thunderbolt device/hub/dock to a Thunderbolt port then it does tunnelled DisplayPort to the Thunderbolt device/hub/dock.
DP Alt Mode is only two lanes of DisplayPort (when the USB-C dock is supporting USB 3.x; if the dock only supports USB 2.0 then it can do 4 lanes). That's up to 12.96 Gbps (for two lanes).
Thunderbolt can have two connections of tunnelled DisplayPort up to 4 lanes each. That's up to 34.56 Gbps total (the XDR has a 39 Gbps mode but that doesn't work with a Thunderbolt dock). Thunderbolt has a 40 Gbps limit so of course it can't do 8 lanes of HBR3 which would be 51.84 Gbps).
A Thunderbolt device/hub/dock can pass along the tunnelled DisplayPort to downstream Thunderbolt devices. Or it can convert the tunnelled DisplayPort to DisplayPort for a DisplayPort port or DisplayPort Alt Mode for a USB-C port (such as the Thunderbolt port). None of the USB-C ports of the TS4 supports DisplayPort Alt Mode except the Thunderbolt ports. The HP Thunderbolt Dock G2 is the only Thunderbolt dock that I can recall that has a USB-C (not Thunderbolt) DisplayPort Alt Mode port.
DP Alt Mode is only two lanes of DisplayPort (when the USB-C dock is supporting USB 3.x; if the dock only supports USB 2.0 then it can do 4 lanes). That's up to 12.96 Gbps (for two lanes).
Thunderbolt can have two connections of tunnelled DisplayPort up to 4 lanes each. That's up to 34.56 Gbps total (the XDR has a 39 Gbps mode but that doesn't work with a Thunderbolt dock). Thunderbolt has a 40 Gbps limit so of course it can't do 8 lanes of HBR3 which would be 51.84 Gbps).
A Thunderbolt device/hub/dock can pass along the tunnelled DisplayPort to downstream Thunderbolt devices. Or it can convert the tunnelled DisplayPort to DisplayPort for a DisplayPort port or DisplayPort Alt Mode for a USB-C port (such as the Thunderbolt port). None of the USB-C ports of the TS4 supports DisplayPort Alt Mode except the Thunderbolt ports. The HP Thunderbolt Dock G2 is the only Thunderbolt dock that I can recall that has a USB-C (not Thunderbolt) DisplayPort Alt Mode port.
thanks, this is why i should not forum before breakfast.
would be cool if Thunderbolt could have some built-in KVM capability! (and bring back target display mode alongside it.)
I feel like this happens a lot in the "world of Mac peripherals", really. Companies seem to justify it as, "Oh... these Mac owners have the money to be able to afford new gear every year or two anyway!"
I bought several "J5 Create" products where I found the same thing; they just stopped releasing decent drivers for them and the products wound up working better on Windows PCs than any newer Macs.
I know I saw a post somewhere from CalDigit where they said you could chain a TS3+ with an Element Hub (they recommended putting the TS3+ first for the higher charging wattage), so if I had to guess, I'd say a TS4 and TS3+ wouldn't be a problem.
Because HDMI is garbage and most savvy computer users don't want anything to do with it. Just my guess.
Yeah, that made me do a double-take as well. Most of these hubs are limited to 60W charging with a few that reach 85W.