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List of Thunderbolt 3 Docks that provide power

itsamacthing

itsamacthing

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 26, 2011
897
517
Bangkok
Who has the most complete solution for MacBook Pro owners?

Hope this is helpful for those of you considering. Next up is which monitor...

Kensignton
http://www.kensington.com/sku/K38239US

  • "Thunderbolt™ 3 Technology brings the speed and versatility of Thunderbolt to USB-C by allowing a single compact port to do it all – providing connectivity to Thunderbolt devices, billions of USB devices, and any display – all while supplying power".
  • 4K for Dual Monitors provides the crisp resolution, contrast and color depth of Ultra HD simultaneously on two monitors (4096 x 2160 30bpp @ 60 Hz) via DisplayPort and a USB-C video adapter.
  • 85W Power Delivery to charge the host device (Host device must be designed to support Power Delivery for dock to provide charging).
  • DisplayPort++ allows connection to 4K monitors via DisplayPort or optional passive adapters to connect to monitors with HDMI or DVI.
  • USB Ports/2.1A Charging Port extends productivity capabilities to peripheral accessories via one USB-C 5Gbps port, and two USB 3.0 ports, one of which is a 2.1A charging port to power up a tablet or smartphone.
  • Zero Footprint Mounting provides the option to attach the dock to the back of any VESA-compatible external monitor to accommodate space-challenged workspaces (mounting plate (K33959WW) sold separately).
  • Daisy Chaining allows connection for up to 5 additional Thunderbolt-enabled devices for unparalleled productivity from a single Thunderbolt 3 port.
  • Kensington Security Slot protects your technology investment via easy implementation of a cable lock from the #1 brand in physical device security.
  • Gigabit Ethernet Port provides a reliable 1Gb wired networking connection between computers or the Internet.
  • 3.5mm Headphone & Microphone Jacks provide quick access to plug & play accessories.
Belkin
http://www.belkin.com/us/p/P-F4U095-APL/
  • Connect 8 separate devices through a single Thunderbolt cable
  • True single-cable docking solution
  • Dual 4K video output (Display Port, Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) (Is this at 60Hz?)
  • 85W PD powers your computer through 3.3-foot / 1-meter Thunderbolt 3 40Gbps cable
  • Daisy chain up to 5 Thunderbolt devices from the dock
OWC
https://eshop.macsales.com/preorder/owc-thunderbolt-3-dock/
  • 65W Power (Ouch)
  • Thunderbolt 3 ports support video pass-through, up to 4K @ 60Hz.
  • Mini DisplayPort 1.2 port supports 2K or 4K @ 60Hz
Elgato
https://www.elgato.com/en/dock/thunderbolt-3
  • 2x Thunderbolt™ 3 (USB-C) with support for:
    • Thunderbolt (40 Gb/s)
    • MacBook Pro Charging (up to 85 W)
    • Device Power (up to 15 W)
    • USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gb/s)
    • DisplayPort (up to 4K)
  • 1x DisplayPort with support for:
    • DisplayPort 1.2
    • HDMI 1.4b
  • 1x RJ45 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet
  • 3x USB 3.0 (5 Gb/s, 1.5 A, USB Battery Charging 1.2 & UASP)
  • 1x 3.5 mm Headphone Output (amplified analog stereo)
  • 1x 3.5 mm Microphone Input (mono)
  • 1x Power Input (DC 20 V, 8.5 A)
  • Display Configurations
    • DisplayPort output: up to 4096 x 2160 pixels
    • Thunderbolt™ 3 output: up to 5120 x 2880 pixels
    • Dual displays: up to 4096 x 2160 pixels each
    • Video output format and frame rate may be limited by host capabilities (in other words, does this support 60Hz?)
Caldigit (these guys are not shy, I think they might be the winner and they know it)
http://www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-3-dock/thunderbolt-station-3/

March 22 2018 addition (I got this one today, and love it)
http://www.caldigit.com/competition/TS3-Plus.asp


2dvr5uq.jpg
 
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OWC for me since it has an SD card reader.
65W charging is not a deal breaker, I've used a 65W on my old 15" retina for years and never pushed it so hard that it starts discharging while charging. And I guess slower charging will help on battery health.
 
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MrHopsing said:
OWC for me since it has an SD card reader.
65W charging is not a deal breaker, I've used a 65W on my old 15" retina for years and never pushed it so hard that it starts discharging while charging. And I guess slower charging will help on battery health.
Click to expand...

I wonder if the 65W is really easier on the battery? SD card reader is a nice feature. I have their Thunderbolt 2 dock for my iMac, it's been very reliable. I do like the eSata option with the Caldigit, guess it will be up to the individual
 
There's already a thread about this where I added pix, stats etc. Can't remember the thread name unfortunately...

Can't remember the outcome. But personally while I liked the OWC design/ports, the lack of 85W power to host, killed it for me. I ended up not getting any of them, and using separate connections as and when I need them.
 
Cross posting this from the dock thread:

So I just got an Elgato Thunderbolt 3 dock the other day for work and I have some impressions and information I want to share.

I have two Dell P2715Q monitors (4K @ 60Hz) and was driving these on my 2016 15" Touchbar MBP via USB-C to DisplayPort cables from Startech without issues. When I got the Elgato I was able to use one of the existing USB-C cables on the monitors without issues and got full 4K @ 60Hz however on the other monitor when I switched to a pure DisplayPort cable I was getting a black screen or flickering every so often but MacOS was able to identify the monitor just fine. No matter which monitor I tried the issue carried with the pure DisplayPort cable monitor so I know it wasn't the monitors. These Dells also have a mDP port and came with a mDP to DP cable which I tried on both with no luck as well. The Dells also have a feature called MST which allows one monitor to drive two monitors via a single cable to the device and then a DP cable between them to carry the signal. On the second monitor in MST it puts the DP port to 1.1 therefore only allowing 4K @ 30Hz MAX. So I kept one dell attached with the USB-C to DP cable and the MST mode off making it 4K @ 60Hz and then enabled MST in Secondary mode therefore turning the monitoring into DP 1.1 and the signal came online with either DP to DP or mDP to DP cables.

Everything else on the dock worked fine such as ethernet, USB, audio, FULL 85-87W charging, etc. but I have this nagging display issue.

According to Elgato's documentation it is capable of dual 4K @ 60Hz so I've spoken to support last night and they have escalated to development for investigation.

Just an FYI if anyone is considering this dock.
 
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pyrodex said:
Cross posting this from the dock thread:

So I just got an Elgato Thunderbolt 3 dock the other day for work and I have some impressions and information I want to share.

I have two Dell P2715Q monitors (4K @ 60Hz) and was driving these on my 2016 15" Touchbar MBP via USB-C to DisplayPort cables from Startech without issues. When I got the Elgato I was able to use one of the existing USB-C cables on the monitors without issues and got full 4K @ 60Hz however on the other monitor when I switched to a pure DisplayPort cable I was getting a black screen or flickering every so often but MacOS was able to identify the monitor just fine. No matter which monitor I tried the issue carried with the pure DisplayPort cable monitor so I know it wasn't the monitors. These Dells also have a mDP port and came with a mDP to DP cable which I tried on both with no luck as well. The Dells also have a feature called MST which allows one monitor to drive two monitors via a single cable to the device and then a DP cable between them to carry the signal. On the second monitor in MST it puts the DP port to 1.1 therefore only allowing 4K @ 30Hz MAX. So I kept one dell attached with the USB-C to DP cable and the MST mode off making it 4K @ 60Hz and then enabled MST in Secondary mode therefore turning the monitoring into DP 1.1 and the signal came online with either DP to DP or mDP to DP cables.

Everything else on the dock worked fine such as ethernet, USB, audio, FULL 85-87W charging, etc. but I have this nagging display issue.

According to Elgato's documentation it is capable of dual 4K @ 60Hz so I've spoken to support last night and they have escalated to development for investigation.

Just an FYI if anyone is considering this dock.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I have the Caldigit dock arriving soon and have read there are oddities with DisplayPort over TB3 (at least with Macs). I have a Dell UP2414Q, which requires MST for full resolution. Guess I'll keep it on the Type C plug, and use the DP for my standard monitor.

Question - do you notice USB bus slowdowns with the monitor running on the Type C connector?
 
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whiteonline said:
Thanks for the info. I have the Caldigit dock arriving soon and have read there are oddities with DisplayPort over TB3 (at least with Macs). I have a Dell UP2414Q, which requires MST for full resolution. Guess I'll keep it on the Type C plug, and use the DP for my standard monitor.

Question - do you notice USB bus slowdowns with the monitor running on the Type C connector?
Click to expand...

Personally I never saw an issues with USB-C either native or via the dock.
 
have caldigit's one few weeks, works very well. it supports 85W charging, SuperDrive, dual monitors, and the size of dock is very compact, smaller than elgato and looks more sturdy than any others. Very well done caldigit!
 
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carestudio said:
have caldigit's one few weeks, works very well. it supports 85W charging, SuperDrive, dual monitors, and the size of dock is very compact, smaller than elgato and looks more sturdy than any others. Very well done caldigit!
Click to expand...

Do you see it as a problem though that the Caldigit TS3 light does not allow passthrough charging/has that limitation? Does that mean you just use the free port to charge your macbook pro 13" ?

See here as it does not allow up to 85 or up to 61W charging http://www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-3-dock/dock-selector/
 
psik said:
Do you see it as a problem though that the Caldigit TS3 light does not allow passthrough charging/has that limitation? Does that mean you just use the free port to charge your macbook pro 13" ?

See here as it does not allow up to 85 or up to 61W charging http://www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-3-dock/dock-selector/
Click to expand...

Mine is TS3, not TS3 Lite. It does 85W ;)
TS3 Lite can only do 15W, but much much cheaper.
 
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carestudio said:
Mine is TS3, not TS3 Lite. It does 85W ;)
TS3 Lite can only do 15W, but much much cheaper.
Click to expand...

Oh i see...btw how travel size friendly is the ts3?

Also for the ts3 light, would u assume that since one port on the pro will still br free, it can still be powered by directly connectig the macbook adaptor to the port?
 
psik said:
Oh i see...btw how travel size friendly is the ts3?

Also for the ts3 light, would u assume that since one port on the pro will still br free, it can still be powered by directly connectig the macbook adaptor to the port?
Click to expand...

you mean connect macbook adapter to TS3 Lite's thunderbolt port then charge macbook pro? No. it can not be done. No thunderbolt device can do that. you must connect a power supply to thunderbolt device which can provide power to macbook pro which requires 85W and the rest power to the device itself. that's what caldigit support told me.

you can tell the size of the ts3 from this picture
https://9to5mac.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/caldigit-ts3-ports.jpg

9to5mac has the review
https://9to5mac.com/2017/06/28/hand...-full-speed-macbook-pro-power-delivery-video/
 
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I have been using the OWC T3 dock for a week now. I don't have fancy monitors at all (using a VGA adapter right now!) but plan is to buy one soon. At any rate I am super happy with it. The 65W doesn't seem to be a problem at all. Everything I've plugged in gets charged (15" MBP Touchbar, iPhone, camera etc) with no real issues so far. That said, I haven't pushed it as hard as some will so I can't say what will happen if you do. But I am very happy. I mostly picked it because it was the only one to have an SD card reader and the rightish mix of ports for me on the back.
 
Been thinking about this for a few days now since work is getting me a new Macbook Pro. Torn between the OWC and the Belkin. What is really attractive about the Belkin is that there is audio ports on the front and rear. I can plug in speakers into the rear and then when necessary, my headphones in the front if I want a more private listening session.

But the OWC has more USB 3 ports overall and that SD slot. Plus it is cheaper.

Decisions.
 
Finally my OWC dock has shipped, can't wait to test it with my 2x27" 4K monitors to see if it can handle it. Will come with an update once I've had the time to test it.
 
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It's probably safe to say that we all just want the dock that is going to be the best for our needs. Buying a dock has nothing to do with the lack of port variety on my MacBook Pro, I always enjoyed having a dock with my Thinkpads way back in the day. I do wish that Apple made a dock, and I wish these docks had all the generations of ports that Apple users have been historically asked to use i.e.: TB2, FW, etc.

Now reality, none of these docks have TB2 which is an issue for a lot of us who have an investment into external hard drive enclosures that have TB2. Of course, I can use an adapter and I already got one for this...but really its a shame.

Now that I picked up a monitor that provides 100w of power, I'm wondering if I need a dock that provides power? But have read that some of these docks do not support power pass through?
 
Actually ended up going with just a USB-C dock, the Henge Dock Tethered (https://hengedocks.com/pages/tethered-docks) and canceled my OWC Thunderbolt 3 dock order.

In the end, I only lose:
  • Thunderbolt 3 (I have nothing that would take advantage of this and regardless, I want to wait for 5K monitors to mature and go down in price).
  • Multi-monitor support (don't have a desk big enough for this)
  • 1 of the USB 3 ports (I already have a hub on my monitor to make up for that)
  • Optical out and firewire ports (I have zero use for these)
I gain:
  • Much cheaper ($159 vs. $299)
  • I like the design a lot, seems more likely to blend into my setup.
  • 3.5mm audio jack in the rear, so my desktop speaker wire remains hidden. If I need to plug in headphones, I'll just plug into the Macbook Pro.
  • Can easily put my new Macbook Pro on-top of the dock.
  • Supposedly shipping by late July (unclear when OWC's dock will ship for someone who just ordered).
I also will still have a SD slot.

I would have waited for the Thunderbolt version of the tethered dock to future proof a bit more, but there is no release date yet other than later in 2017.

This is by far the closest I've seen to my ideal dock.
 
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guys.. i returned the j5create, I need just a USB-C Hub with the following: charge-through is essential! several USB 3.1 ports, HDMI port, maybe or maybe not ethernet port.

I have read that Satechi, Anker, even OWC and many others (including random ones on amazon etc) have problems.

The only one I have read good stuff about is caldigit, but the problem is that their TS3 Lite does not have charge through... while the TS3 has so much what I do not need and its expensive - only if they had included charge-through possibility with their TS3 lite

http://www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-3-dock/thunderbolt-station-3-lite/
 
After doing the original analysis MR post on these TB3 docks (not USB-C only ones), I would have only ordered the OWC one, as it's the best one with ports. EXCEPT in the end I ordered absolutely none, as the OWC having no upto 100W power facility completely ruined it for me. Especially when they have the cheek to ask the same price as the Caldigit one that does the power (but the Caldigit has TWO useless eSATA ports, that virtually no one but a handful of users might use)!

Why OWC, why...?? When other (less generous with ports) companies docks offer it?? Utterly pointless.

They should consider releasing a version 2 with the proper power function, then they'd get my custom instantly. Until then, they certainly won't.

PIA stuff these docks are turning into, effectively turning one off the idea of buying one in the first place from any of the companies making them.
 
What I don't understand, and there is probably a technical reason.. why are these docks not including a TB2 connector?
 
Forget about my earlier post. Canceled my Henge Dock Tethered Dock order and went with the Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock. Just couldn't wait anymore. Works extremely well, no issues, and 1 cable to my Macbook Pro is perfection.
 
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