Dock for 3 computers: Mac Pro 2013, Mac mini M4, Windows USB-C (2 monitors)

[Freeble]

Hi all,

I’m looking for a dock/hub I can use with three computers:

- Mac Pro 2013 (Thunderbolt 2)
- Mac mini M4 (USB-C/Thunderbolt)
- Windows laptop with USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 + DP Alt Mode (NOT Thunderbolt)

What I need:

Ideally, as many dock features working as possible on all three machines, but minimum requirements are:

2 extended displays (dual monitors in extended mode)

at least 1 USB-A port

I don’t want to change the dock’s display cabling depending on the host.

I want both monitors to stay connected the same way all the time (no “HDMI1+HDMI2 on Windows but different ports/adapters on macOS” kind of setup).

No DisplayLink.

For the Mac Pro 2013: if I need the Apple TB2↔TB3 (USB-C) adapter, the dock may not have a fixed host cable. It should have a female USB-C/TB port so I can plug the Apple adapter’s USB-C male end into it.

Is there any dock (or dock + adapter combo) that fits this and can do 2 extended monitors on all three systems without DisplayLink and without swapping cables? Any specific model recommendations or confirmed working setups would be great.

Any help would be appreciated
Thanks a lot in advance !

 

[Bigwaff]

You don’t mention the resolution of your displays, which might be the limiting factor when you consider TB2 bandwidth.

 

[Freeble]

You don’t mention the resolution of your displays, which might be the limiting factor when you consider TB2 bandwidth.

That’s a good point,
I got 1 Asus (1440@240) and 1 Samsung (1080@240) Obviously that won’t work with TB2 bandwidth, so I’ll drop them to 60 Hz.
So it’ll be 1440@60 + 1080@60 (seems to be fair with TB2)

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Sounds like you're actually looking for a KVM switch, not a "dock" as such.

I "suspect" that's going to be a tall order, as the Windows computer and the Macs handle multiple displays in different ways. Macs can allow multiple displays via Thunderbolt; your Windows supports alt-DP.

Perhaps there's something out there - I'd suggest changing the title to KVM so people more familiar than me with those might see the post.

 

[PaulD-UK]

@Freeble A 'dock' can only have one input port, unless it is something like the Ivanky dual input docks designed to match a MacBook Pro's port arrangement.

So as @FreakinEurekan has said, the only way to attach several computers to a 'dock' is to put a KVM before the dock. However TB2 docks/KVMs are ancient history, and TB3+ KVMs are rare and very fussy, and as far as I know only the Cable Matters USB-C KVM is a possibility for MacOS and Windows?

But a USB-C KVM can't have any sort of dock between it and the USB-C monitors it needs...

I can only see the problems, and have no idea if any collection of solutions could be made to work... 😕

 

[Bigwaff]

I suspect the OP isn't expecting to attach multiple systems simultaneously but rather attach each system independently as needed. OP just wants a dock that works with each system w/out compromising on OP stated minimum requirements.

 

[PaulD-UK]

In that case a Thunderbolt 3 Titan Ridge dock (made after 2018) should work fed from either a TB2↔TB3 adapter from the 2013 Mac Pro, or with a TB3 cable from the M4 mini.
Both should support two monitors, the M4 mini at 4K/60.
Using a good USB-C video cable from the Windows laptop will (theoretically) work, at 10Gbps for video data, which may allow two 1080p/60 monitors.

The dock will have had to be designed, and marketed, as allowing the full use of a USB 3.x input (not just TB3), and will only have one DP 1.4 or HDMI 2.0 port. If it has two of these ports in any arrangement, under MacOS only one will work.

The second monitor will need to be connected to the downstream TB3 port of the dock.
An adapter cable to DP (preferable) or HDMI (possibly more problematic) can be used.

With two dissimilar monitors there may well be mounting, or wake from sleep problems.
This is fairly niche territory. I don't know if any specific recommendations will be forthcoming? 😕

 

[Freeble]

Sounds like you're actually looking for a KVM switch, not a "dock" as such.

I "suspect" that's going to be a tall order, as the Windows computer and the Macs handle multiple displays in different ways. Macs can allow multiple displays via Thunderbolt; your Windows supports alt-DP.

Perhaps there's something out there - I'd suggest changing the title to KVM so people more familiar than me with those might see the post.

I understand that there may be some ambiguity, but I don’t want a KVM
I want a dock, basically, my goal is to switch the host port and keep all the cables (HDMI, USB, etc.) connected.

 

[Freeble]

I suspect the OP isn't expecting to attach multiple systems simultaneously but rather attach each system independently as needed. OP just wants a dock that works with each system w/out compromising on OP stated minimum requirements.

That’s exactly my goal !

 

[Freeble]

In that case a Thunderbolt 3 Titan Ridge dock (made after 2018) should work fed from either a TB2↔TB3 adapter from the 2013 Mac Pro, or with a TB3 cable from the M4 mini.
Both should support two monitors, the M4 mini at 4K/60.
Using a good USB-C video cable from the Windows laptop will (theoretically) work, at 10Gbps for video data, which may allow two 1080p/60 monitors.

The dock will have had to be designed, and marketed, as allowing the full use of a USB 3.x input (not just TB3), and will only have one DP 1.4 or HDMI 2.0 port. If it has two of these ports in any arrangement, under MacOS only one will work.

The second monitor will need to be connected to the downstream TB3 port of the dock.
An adapter cable to DP (preferable) or HDMI (possibly more problematic) can be used.

With two dissimilar monitors there may well be mounting, or wake from sleep problems.
This is fairly niche territory. I don't know if any specific recommendations will be forthcoming? 😕

Thanks for your reply. Indeed, I tried with a StarTech.com Titan Ridge dock, and unfortunately I can only get mirrored display on the Mac Pro 2013. I’d need to get a dock that has a downstream Thunderbolt port (the StarTech one doesn’t).

Also, I need to find a dock that can output a DisplayPort Alt Mode signal through the downstream Thunderbolt port when my Windows laptop (which has not Thunderbolt) is connected, to meet my requirement of keeping the same cabling. Do you think that’s possible? Do you have a model in mind?

Edit : My Mac mini M4 and my non-Thunderbolt laptop work perfectly with the StarTech dock, which is already a good point. The reference of the test dock is : TB3CDK2DHUE.