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Dock Wars: OWC Usb C dock vs Thunderbolt 3 dock

J

joejoejoe

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 13, 2006
1,428
110
Hey guys,

I'm having trouble deciphering why the thunderbolt 3 dock is so much more expensive than the usb c dock, and am trying to judge which is the best solution for my new 13 MBP Touch bar.

Here's the USB C dock

Here's the Thunderbolt 3 dock

I'm in need of a dock that will give me:
  • Power for my MBP
  • 4k display support via HDMI 2 or Minidisplay port
  • Ethernet
  • USB 3 with fast charging for my devices (the more the merrier, I constantly need to charge and plug in Samsung Phones, my iPhone, Apple Watch, charge my bluetooth devices...)
Will the USB C dock (which is half the price) cover what I need? What would I be missing from the thunderbolt 3 dock?

Is there a solution out there that I'm not considering? (Other than the belkin which is wildly expensive).

Thanks!
[doublepost=1480909579][/doublepost]Well I did a little more google searching and apparently the OWC USB C dock is crap

https://www.amazon.com/Computing-11...UTF8&qid=1480909497&sr=8-1&keywords=owc+usb-c

And the thuderbolt 3 is preorder only

Are there seriously ZERO solutions out there that will give me 4k @ 60hz, ethernet, usb 3.0, etc?
 
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With a MBP, you'll want the TB3 version coming. The old one was designed for the 12" MacBook which, at the time, only supported 4k at 30. The dock isn't crap is used with the 12".
 
MB does not have Thunderbolt.

Thunderbolt docks have always been pricy.
Only a few windows pc's have had Thunderbolt 3 ports until the recent MBP introduction. Very few out there, compatibility issues associated with early production.
 
protoxx said:
MB does not have Thunderbolt.

Thunderbolt docks have always been pricy.
Only a few windows pc's have had Thunderbolt 3 ports until the recent MBP introduction. Very few out there, compatibility issues associated with early production.
Click to expand...

I'll take a USB C or TB3 dock that can properly power my 15 MBP, give me 60hz on HDMI or DP, has Ethernet and some USB 3 ports. A card reader would be nice as well.
 
protoxx said:
MB does not have Thunderbolt.

Thunderbolt docks have always been pricy.
Only a few windows pc's have had Thunderbolt 3 ports until the recent MBP introduction. Very few out there, compatibility issues associated with early production.
Click to expand...

Actually it does have TB.....TB3

(Taken from the Apple website)
Thunderbolt 3 combines ultra-high bandwidth with the ultra-versatility of the USB-C industry standard to create one revved-up universal port. It integrates data transfer, charging, and video output in a single connector, delivering up to 40 Gbps of throughput for twice the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 2. And both sizes of MacBook Pro are available with four ports, so you can do all that from either side. Existing devices are easily connected with a cable or adapter. And Thunderbolt 3 is reversible, so no matter how you plug in, it’s always right side up.
 
The Martian said:
Actually it does have TB.....TB3

(Taken from the Apple website)
Thunderbolt 3 combines ultra-high bandwidth with the ultra-versatility of the USB-C industry standard to create one revved-up universal port. It integrates data transfer, charging, and video output in a single connector, delivering up to 40 Gbps of throughput for twice the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 2. And both sizes of MacBook Pro are available with four ports, so you can do all that from either side. Existing devices are easily connected with a cable or adapter. And Thunderbolt 3 is reversible, so no matter how you plug in, it’s always right side up.
Click to expand...
MB = MacBook - MBP = MacBook Pro.

2015/16 MB does NOT have TB3, it has a single USB-C port that supports a maximum USB 3.1 Gen 1 bandwidth of 5 Gb/s.
 
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I'm actually looking at OWC's TB3 doc for a few reasons...it's one stop shopping & more importantly it includes support for optical output. Although it's a tough call between spending the $ on the dock or just biting the bullet and replacing my receiver with one that supports AirPlay. lol
 
kwandrews said:
I don't think it would be good for anyone wanting a 4k monitor via the dock, it's limited to 30hz. Additionally, it will charge the 12" and the 13", but not the 15" (power is too low).
Click to expand...

It does 4K at 60 Hz. As for power, it says 90W, however I'm not sure if that's how much power it requires or how much it will output to the computer.
 
vipergts2207 said:
It does 4K at 60 Hz. As for power, it says 90W, however I'm not sure if that's how much power it requires or how much it will output to the computer.
Click to expand...
Nope it says it does 4k at 30, 2k at 30 or 60, and 1080p at 30 or 60. Also it clearly supports a maximum of USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gb/s) speeds. It will charge a 15" MBP, but more slowly than the native charger.

This is a decent rMB dock, but not a good option for the money for a 2016 TB3 MBP.
 
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The OWC USB-C dock is flakey like the Amazon reviews say. I used it with my previous computer, the 12 inch MB and now with my 13 TB. Every single time I plug it in, it is not recognized and I have to unplug it and plug it in again. The ethernet driver was causing issues (the OWC site says it is not needed or recommended for Sierra), so I have a belkin usb-c to ethernet plugged into the dock's 2nd USB-C port. I have my Dell 4k display plugged in separately to the rMBP using a separate cable to obtain 60hz support. So really, I'm just using it as a USB hub!

Pre 12 inch macbook, I had their Thunderbolt 2 dock. That thing was rock solid reliable, so maybe this is just a USB-C thing. I'm deciding between getting their Thunderbolt 3 dock or just going all in on the LG 5k when that becomes available.
 
MyopicPaideia said:
MB = MacBook - MBP = MacBook Pro.

2015/16 MB does NOT have TB3, it has a single USB-C port that supports a maximum USB 3.1 Gen 1 bandwidth of 10Gb/s.
Click to expand...
Nitpicking but it doesn't support that. It is a normal USB 3.1 Gen 1 port that is using the USB-C connector. USB 3.1 Gen 1 is better known as USB3.0 and is limited at 5Gb/s.

The MBP does have Thunderbolt 3 which also happens to be using the USB-C connector and to some that makes things a bit difficult. What you need to do is look at the specs. If it says something like USB3.1 Type-C or that the link to the computer is USB3.1 then the dock is USB-only. If it clearly says Thunderbolt 3 then it is an actual Thunderbolt dock. The latter seems to be more common than the former so rule of thumb would be: if it doesn't say Thunderbolt then it is USB, else it is Thunderbolt.

I think the choice between a USB or a TB dock is very simple:
- do you want speed or do you need to connect a 4k display? -> TB
- is the answer "no" -> USB
 
vipergts2207 said:
It does 4K at 60 Hz. As for power, it says 90W, however I'm not sure if that's how much power it requires or how much it will output to the computer.
Click to expand...

It's only 60W to the computer.

I have the OWC. It's not currently powering the MBP, but then, nothing is. I tried booting my Dell with the OWC dock attached, and the Dell thinks the OWC dock is only offering 45W over USB-C. Of course, it also thinks the Apple charger only offers 60W, because the 85W thing is a non-standard extension.

I have no clue what to suggest. The Dell WD15 seems to be pretty close, and can definitely put out 60W. (It can do up to 130W, but only to Dell hardware, because again, non-standard.)
 
Ok it seems like there are no good solutions. We have to wait for OWC or Belkin to release their TB3 docks and see if they actually do what they're supposed to (we can all hope).

No wonder they're pricing at $300-400... there's no other real solution.
 
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Welcome to the life of the early adopter.

Maybe in a year or more there will be a variety of small and large docks for reasonable prices that meet the promises.
 
MyopicPaideia said:
Nope it says it does 4k at 30, 2k at 30 or 60, and 1080p at 30 or 60. Also it clearly supports a maximum of USB 3.1 Gen 1 (10 Gb/s) speeds. It will charge a 15" MBP, but more slowly than the native charger.

This is a decent rMB dock, but not a good option for the money for a 2016 TB3 MBP.
Click to expand...

Yes it does.

IMG_0437.jpg
 
FWIW, the OWC USB-C dock does not work with a new 2016 15" MBP. It does pass 60 W of power but the dock itself is inoperable. Nothing on the dock is seen by the MBP. I just returned it and will be waiting for the new ones to ship in Feb. Also waiting for the darn LG 5K TB3 displays to ship.
 
I can confirm that caldigit one can do charging on 15" MBP at 60W which is plenty for most of heavy workload and external monitors can do 4K 30Hz by default. if you need 60Hz, they can do firmware update but your USB is down to 2.0 speed. Look at Apple (LG) USB-C display, same concept. One should only use two USB-A ports on the rear to keep 60W charging to the MBP all the time or it will drop to 36W which is good for MacBook or MacBook Pro 13".
 
USB-C will not do. it's nothing about brand, just USB-C 3.1 gen 1 doesn't have enough bandwidth to support 4k@60hz and USB3 transfer at the same time. it's either or.
there may be USB 3.1 gen 2 docks out there, but it doesn't matter because apple only use gen 1, even if you have a gen 2 dock, your port on your MacBook/pro will only be gen 1.


so as long as you want 4k@60hz and USB3 transfer speed at the same time, you need to go thunderbolt 3.
 
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