MBP 16" Compatible Docks with 96W/100W Power

[kryptticAZ]

Another vote for the HP G2 Thunderbolt Dock. I wanted a simple solution and didn't want to be paying £250-£300 or so for a dock. I took delivery of the HP G2 dock yesterday. I'm running the 2019 16" MacBook Pro. My monitor is the Dell Ultrawide U3818DW.

On a side note, the U3818DW monitor is capable of supplying 100 watts to the MacBook via USB C, the problem was, on a single USB C, the refresh rate was locked to 30Hz.

Hooked up the dock, connected the monitor via Display Port. Under System Reports, the monitor is running at its native 3840x1600 resolution with the 60hz refresh rate. Under Power, it's reporting the full 100-watt delivery and I can also confirm that the ethernet port works and so do all the other USB ports.

I've got the 38" Dell hooked up to my 16" MBP with a single USB-C cable and it runs at 60 Hz and full resolution. Are you perhaps using a cable that only supports 30 Hz?

 

[gwayne995]

I have a 2019 Macbook Pro 16" and I want to drive a 4k monitor at 60hz, and still have enough power to keep a decent charge under heavy workflow. After hours of searching, I am going to go with this hub, as it has 100W power delivery, 4k at 60hz, usb 3.1, and ethernet.

I will post back with updates!

UPTab USB C 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps 4K 60hz HDR Power Delivery 100W Hub - Compatible with Thunderbolt 3 New MacBook Pro 16in/Air iPad Pro iMac Mac Mini

UPTab USB C 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps 4K 60hz HDR Power Delivery 100W Hub - Compatible with Thunderbolt 3 New MacBook Pro 16in/Air iPad Pro iMac Mac Mini

www.amazon.com

 

[andrewj]

I'm using a TS3 (not TS3 plus) from Caldigit with the 16" MBP with one LG monitor. It powers fine. With the external monitor, it can be finicky. If I start clamshell, it may connect 80% of the time. If it doesn't connect, I have to restart the computer and start from it open and then clamshell. So I've resorted to starting it the MBP open and then clamshell. Adding a second monitor though does not work.

So looking for any dock that reliably works with two monitors.

 

[bsbeamer]

Another sale on the TS3 Plus, $200 today only:

CalDigit TS3 Plus 15-Port Thunderbolt 3 Dock (Space Gray)

Buy CalDigit TS3 Plus 15-Port Thunderbolt 3 Dock (Space Gray) featuring 2 x Thunderbolt 3 Ports, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C Port, 1 x USB 3.0 Type-C Port, 5 x USB 3.0 Type-A Ports, 1 x DisplayPort 1.2, 1 x Gigabit Ethernet Port, 1 x S/PDIF Out, 2 x 3.5mm Audio Jacks, SDXC UHS-II Card Reader, Includes...

www.bhphotovideo.com

Really seems like retailers are trying to clear their stock.

 

[interbear]

Has anyone tried the relatively new Philips (346B1C) Monitor? The spec sheet says its delivering 90W which would be a true one cable solution.

Just ordered one after much research and review reading. My use case is work multi-tasking (MS Office plus Web pages and MS Teams collaboration) with lots of windows running in parallel. Not a designer or graphics focus so no need for 4K or 5k resolution. I looked at the LG ultrafines and decided I didn’t need that and they are too pricey. So I went with this Philips for several reasons:

- Lots of screen real estate for multi tasking / productivity.
- Good enough resolution / quality for office work.
- 90W power out should be enough for my MacBook Pro 16 given what I use it for. So, tidy cabling.
- USB hub on the monitor handy to connect webcam and headset.
- Price - £468 not cheap but seems decent value compare to many other options I looked at.

Not bothered about speakers or webcam on a monitor as I use the MacBook Pro 16 speakers (they’re great) and a Logitech Brio webcam (still baffles me that top end MacBook Pros have such poor integral webcams).

Will provide some feedback when I get it - if they are allowed to deliver it, lockdown pending!

Good health all.

 

[andrewj]

I'm using a TS3 (not TS3 plus) from Caldigit with the 16" MBP with one LG monitor. It powers fine. With the external monitor, it can be finicky. If I start clamshell, it may connect 80% of the time. If it doesn't connect, I have to restart the computer and start from it open and then clamshell. So I've resorted to starting it the MBP open and then clamshell. Adding a second monitor though does not work.

So looking for any dock that reliably works with two monitors.

To follow up on this, I'm using now two Dell U2718Q. I've been able to get the two monitor set up to work reasonably well, with the two Dell monitors. In this case, I'm using the USB-C (probably not Thunderbolt 3) to DP cable from the CalDigit to the monitor and then attaching the second monitor using a USB-C to DP cable directly to the laptop. The DP cable from CalDigit to the 2nd monitor did not work.

Also it seems that the Dell monitors wake up more reliably than the LG monitor, so it may be a monitor specific issue.

 

[furfoot]

In my experience it's best to try and find Dell or HP dock going cheap on ebay. A lot of companies tend to buy docks in bulk and then sell off their over stock for half the price.

I picked up my HP G2 brand new for 100 dollars which is a great deal considering it includes a proper power brick which supplies both the dock and 100W to the laptop (tested on a Macbook Pro 16 during combined GPU/CPU loads).

The HP G2 will also drive dual display for MacOS which is rather unique and I have also tested it works with Freesync in Bootcamp. The only trick is to use the USB-C TB3 port to drive your main display as that will work at all times the other ports will only work after you unlock your device.

Combined USB-C and TB3 functionality is great too as I have a mix of MACs and various Windows 10 laptops which all just work instantly.

One thing I'll end up doing is replacing the fan as its a bit to loud in my completely silent study.

 

[interbear]

So my Philips 346B1C monitor arrived. Delighted with it so far.

The 90w power delivery via USB-C happily powers and charges my MacBook Pro 16 inch. The USB dock on the monitor is convenient for my Logitech Brio webcam and Plantronics headset dongle. Size (34 ultra widescreen) is great for multi tasking. Resolution is fine for office work, much better than my previous 23 inch monitor and the low blue light setting helps as I’m looking at it all day. All round it’s a really nice solution for productivity with a single cable to the MacBook and I’d recommend it.

 

[ChristianHH]

So my Philips 346B1C monitor arrived. Delighted with it so far.

The 90w power delivery via USB-C happily powers and charges my MacBook Pro 16 inch. The USB dock on the monitor is convenient for my Logitech Brio webcam and Plantronics headset dongle. Size (34 ultra widescreen) is great for multi tasking. Resolution is fine for office work, much better than my previous 23 inch monitor and the low blue light setting helps as I’m looking at it all day. All round it’s a really nice solution for productivity with a single cable to the MacBook and I’d recommend it.

I sent my 346B1C back after testing it for 3 weeks, the resolution was way to grainy, compared to my Samsung 28" 3840x2160. Also it annoyed me, that the USB Disks were disconnected when the MacBook goes to sleep, this does not happen with my CalDigit TS3. Power delivery was fine though. I think I'll try the HP G2 next.

 

[interbear]

I sent my 346B1C back after testing it for 3 weeks, the resolution was way to grainy, compared to my Samsung 28" 3840x2160. Also it annoyed me, that the USB Disks were disconnected when the MacBook goes to sleep, this does not happen with my CalDigit TS3. Power delivery was fine though. I think I'll try the HP G2 next.

I find the resolution fine but it’s very subjective of course and depends on the type of work you do or documents you work on. For my general office work it’s fine.

In terms of USB dock, I found a setting on the monitor menu settings to keep the USB ports powered when the monitor sleeps. That seems to work fine for me. Until I found that setting I was having to power the monitor on and off to kick start devices connected to it, such as my webcam. Not had to do that in the last couple of days but I’m still learning the monitor‘s quirks. I’ll check on what happens when the MacBook sleeps. Overall though, I’m very pleased with it, and having already sent the massive box it comes in to be recycled, I’m not sending it back

 

[acoomans]

@interbear @ChristianHH When connecting a mac to the 346B1C, do the brightness keys (F1 & F2) work?

 

[Pieter Vochten]

Just checking in. Partly based on my readings in this forum and my own research, I went with a CalDigit TS3+ which I got 2nd hand (mint condition however) for around 190€. To me it seemed to offer the most versatile selection of ports. Important to me was the Thunderbolt 3 passthrough since I'm using it in a music production setup and my soundcard uses Thunderbolt. My 2nd screen is just 1080 x 2560 so working great through the displayport connection. Also an SD card reader was nice to have since I bring my music for Dj'ing on an SD card. Coming from a 2013 MacBook Pro, I would otherwise have to invest in yet another separate cardreader. I've also considered the HP G2 and I'm sure that for some people it'll be a solid solution, but I didn't like the weird placement of ports going all around and the TB3 cable that's built-in (correct me if i'm wrong). The CalDigit has most of its outputs on the back and seemed like a much more elegant solution in my crammed workspace.

The overall experience with the CalDigit after a week has been great. Charging at "only" 87w is not an issue at all and also not surprising as music production is not going to stress the GPU at all. Also in Windows 10 Bootcamp, playing games (currently enjoying the Halo MCC collection ) it keeps full charge nicely.

 

[interbear]

@interbear @ChristianHH When connecting a mac to the 346B1C, do the brightness keys (F1 & F2) work?

I can‘t help I’m afraid as my MBP has no F keys and uses the touchbar for brightness controls. It only seems to control brightness on the MBP screen though, not the Philips monitor. And the Logitech keyboard I use doesn’t seem to have brightness controls either. So, to control brightness on the monitor I need to use the monitors on screen menu. However, it does have a light sensor so automatically adjusts brightness to suit the lighting in the room. Net result is I never have to adjust it, it works well.

 

[mcaswell]

I posted a while back about the HP G2 dock. I too am guilty of over-analyzing the minute details when it comes to computers and electronics but I can confidently say I'm 99% happy with this dock. It has a few flaws but overall it's very good (especially when considering the ~$80 price for a good used unit). At this point I don't understand why people are still spending $200+ on a lesser quality dock such as the TS3. If you're on the fence just buy this dock. It works great.

This dock looks like it would work for me, with one exception. I have pretty simple requirements, I actually only need power and ethernet (I just want the convenience/neatness of a single cable). But it's not going to be used on a desk... I want to use it while sitting on a couch (with the dock sitting on the floor nearby), so I think the built-in cable would be too short. From what I understand from your subsequent post, the cable on the "combo cable" version is removable (so presumably I could ditch the combo cable and just use a ~5ft regular USB-C cable), but the regular version has no way of replacing the cable, correct?

Would another viable option be to use an extension cable?

 

[ad0]

Would anyone here by able to shine some light on this issue. Currently I have the CB-C71 from Aukey and a Cal-Digit TS3+ Dock. I was under the impression that I would be getting a full 100w from the aukey hub, but it looks like the hub itself uses some power so I would only be getting about 87-90w with the Aukey? So basically there is no difference in power input from using either the Aukey or the CalDigit correct?


Scroll down on Aukey's product page below:

AUKEY USB C Hub 8-in-1 Type C Adapter with Ethernet Port, 4K USB C to HDMI, 2 USB 3.0 and 1 USB 2.0, 100W USB C Power Delivery Charging, SD/TF Card for MacBook Pro/Air(Thunderbolt 3), Chromebook Pixel

AUKEY USB C Hub 8-in-1 Type C Adapter with Ethernet Port, 4K USB C to HDMI, 2 USB 3.0 and 1 USB 2.0, 100W USB C Power Delivery Charging, SD/TF Card for MacBook Pro/Air(Thunderbolt 3), Chromebook Pixel

www.amazon.com

"Note: For 100W pass-through charging, a 100W PD charger and a 5A E-Marker USB-C to C cable are required. Please be aware that the host device will not receive exactly 100W, as the hub itself uses about 8W."

Also the 4th picture on the product page is saying it will only pass 87w to the macbook. Does the CalDigit provide a full 87w or does the CalDigit use power as well?

 

[17410742]

hello everyone,

im new here:

I just Indiegogo'd for the HyperDrive GEN 2 18-Port Docking station for my own 2019 16" MacBook Pro

Do you guys know where to get a good reliable 100w type-c DC Adapter so I can also use this docking station to charge my MacBook? (id like to use my apple brick away from my office room, so might aswell make use of their 100w charging capability)

I found a dell one here in the UK, but its 90w not 100w

here is what Hyperdrive told me id need for it to be used as my MacBook power....

Thank you in advance, im really enjoying my new MacBook (my first ever Mac)

 

[Cotterpin]

I learned a lot from this thread while researching a dock for my 16 inch MBP. I bought the HP G2 Thunderbolt dock because it delivered 100W of power, which was an important feature for me.

 

[pcdsl]

There is (as stated on the Amazon page) a firmware update available from Aukey to address the 60W problem, though I've lacked the courage (and gumption) to put it on.

1. All materials are in Chinese
2. It's a Windows updater

That said, even if it cures the 60w problem, since it's a pass-through solution I would expect it to provide (with the Apple supplied charger) a maximum of 96w - 13w or around 83w of power since the Aukey probably absorbs about 13w of power itself for its own functionality.

Even with their new Omnia Gallium nitride chargers (supplying up to 100w expected to be released in Q2 2020) I would therefore only expect 100w - 13w or 87w of pass-through charging.

... and even then, I don't know if you can really count on that Q2 2020 release; I think Aukey is in Shenzhen - at least their open positions advertise as such - and COVID-19 is burning through China with something like 760 million in quarantine lockdown, and though Shenzhen doesn't have it's own infection pool (according the John Hopkin's website) Guangdong does and I believe Shenzhen is on lockdown now and Lord knows when that whole mess will end.

Do you happen to have the URL to the firmware update? Thanks!

 

[yoisha]

Bought the HP G2 thunderbolt dock,
Everythings work excluding MST. However, the dual-monitor works through 1DP and 1 Thunderbolt. And it does works in clamshell mode!

 

[ad0]

Bought the HP G2 thunderbolt dock,
Everythings work excluding MST. However, the dual-monitor works through 1DP and 1 Thunderbolt. And it does works in clamshell mode!

Do you get 100w PD? What is MST?

 

[bsbeamer]

Bought the HP G2 thunderbolt dock,
Everythings work excluding MST. However, the dual-monitor works through 1DP and 1 Thunderbolt. And it does works in clamshell mode!

Page 14:

https://www8.hp.com/h20195/v2/GetPDF.aspx/4AA7-3384ENW.pdf

When using a MacBook Pro, if you plug in 2 displays into the two DisplayPortTM ports on the HP Thunderbolt Dock G2 (as shown in Figure A Port 8), it will mirror the displays. This is due to a MacBook Pro limitation because the MacBook Pro does not support multi-stream transport (MST) hubs which is one of the components used in the Thunderbolt Dock G2.
If you want to use 2 displays independently with a MacBook Pro you must plug the first display in to one of these:

- DisplayPortTM (port 8) or
- the VGA (port 7) or
- the USB Type-CTM (port 9) and the 2nd display into the USB Type CTM ThunderboltTM (port 12)

Additional dongles may be required to accommodate this configuration.

 

[Chronos___]

Bought the HP G2 thunderbolt dock,
Everythings work excluding MST. However, the dual-monitor works through 1DP and 1 Thunderbolt. And it does works in clamshell mode!

Is it loud or noisy? Someone in the amazon reviews said it would sometimes be loud, when the laptop is just connected and not even powered on.

 

[cosmicpanther]

Hi everyone, thank you for the info in the thread. I ended up getting a HP G2 thunderbolt dock as well. Everything works fine most of the time. But, I get kernel panics when the macbook is asleep from time to time. Anyone had a similar issue? I am using just one moinitor connected to the display out-usb-c port. Cheers.

 

[matram]

It seems to be a common problem, probably a SW issue in Catalina. I have the same problem with Caldigit TS3+. But the problem seems to be general with Thunderbolt equipment.

 

[cosmicpanther]

It seems to be a common problem, probably a SW issue in Catalina. I have the same problem with Caldigit TS3+. But the problem seems to be general with Thunderbolt equipment.

I see, thanks for the info. Hopefully it gets fixed in the next update. Finders crossed.