Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Which USB-C dock for an M1 MacBook Pro?

alexjholland

alexjholland

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 3, 2011
852
858
Bali, Cambridge, Sydney.. anywhere.
Hey, I'm struggling to choose a USB-C dock for my incoming M1 MacBook Pro.

It needs to connect several hard drives, an audio interface, and a webcam - although I might group those all onto one USB 3 hub.

It needs to be portable-ish and work with my PixelBook Go, too.

So, those huge desk boxes are out of the picture.

Here are my conclusions:
  • Most 'all-in-one' docks only do 4K @ 30Hz - NOT 60Hz.
  • Thunderbolt docks MIGHT deliver the goods, but wouldn't work with my PixelBook Go.
  • I could just connect the display directly, but then I've only got one port left for dock + power.
Three USB-C slots would be easy. One dock. One power. One hub for hard drives.

But with just two slots, I need to combine either my power or monitor output with the dock.

Here are my current solutions:
Any other suggestions?
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
I am debating on this one since it allows for dual monitors at 4k @ 60hz

Targus USB-C Universal DV4K Docking Station with 100W Power (DOCK190USZ)

Get the most of your workstation with two ultra-high-def. monitors. Plug them in with the USB-C Universal DV4K Docking Station with 100W Power, which is Thunderbolt 3 compatible and supports both DisplayPort and HDMI. It'll help keep your laptop, and your productivity, humming all day long as it ...
www.amazon.com
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
  • Like
Reactions: lesleypinkpink

OWC 11-Port Thunderbolt Dock for Mac & Thunderbolt PCs

Expand your workstation with the OWC 11-Port Thunderbolt 4 Dock. Connect all your peripherals, displays, & devices with ease. Simplify your setup now!
eshop.macsales.com

I’ve pre-ordered one of these for my M1 MacMini. I don’t if it would meet most of your needs.

Edit: Ooops. Sorry the above isn’t really portable. Plugs in the wall. Sorry!
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: lesleypinkpink
alexjholland said:
Yeah... That's not a travel dock.

It's a weapon.

You could club something to death with it.
Click to expand...
Sorry I misread your original post.

The travel one I have coming is this one:

AUKEY USB C Hub MacBook Pro 9-in-2, Triple Display with Dual 4K@60Hz HDMI, 1Gbps RJ45 Ethernet, 100W PD Charging, 2 USB 3.0 and SD/TF Card Reader, Thunderbolt 3 Type C Docking Station for MacBook Air

AUKEY USB C Hub MacBook Pro 9-in-2, Triple Display with Dual 4K@60Hz HDMI, 1Gbps RJ45 Ethernet, 100W PD Charging, 2 USB 3.0 and SD/TF Card Reader, Thunderbolt 3 Type C Docking Station for MacBook Air
www.amazon.com
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
  • Like
Reactions: lesleypinkpink
Polo2883 said:
Sorry I misread your original post.

The travel one I have coming is this one:

AUKEY USB C Hub MacBook Pro 9-in-2, Triple Display with Dual 4K@60Hz HDMI, 1Gbps RJ45 Ethernet, 100W PD Charging, 2 USB 3.0 and SD/TF Card Reader, Thunderbolt 3 Type C Docking Station for MacBook Air

AUKEY USB C Hub MacBook Pro 9-in-2, Triple Display with Dual 4K@60Hz HDMI, 1Gbps RJ45 Ethernet, 100W PD Charging, 2 USB 3.0 and SD/TF Card Reader, Thunderbolt 3 Type C Docking Station for MacBook Air
www.amazon.com
Click to expand...
Hmm. That model's not available in the UK Amazon store and won't fit my Pixelbook...

But is the lesson here that dual USB-C hubs are the way to go?

Because if that's the case, then the Hyperjuice HyperDrive Viper seems perfect.

It's dual USB C AND the cables can be split to plug into one USB C port (with less functionality - which is fine for my Pixelbook).

I don't actually want or need dual HDMI.

But I seem to find more dual 4K output hubs than I do single output hubs with 4k @ 60Hz?
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
I have reached the horrible conclusion that I should just buy the official Apple USB-C AV adaptor.
  • It's a 'proven' solution for both power and 4K/60Hz with one USB-C slot.
  • If it breaks, I can take it straight to An Apple Store (instead of shipping it back to America).
  • I can buy a cheapo Anker USB-C hub for my hard drives with no need to use its HDMI out.
Further considerations...
  • Will the Apple USB-C AV adapter play nicely with my PixelBook Go?
  • Does the Anker USB-C hub need a power supply given, it'll be connected to several hard drives?
 
  • Like
Reactions: gank41 and Crz10
So... the solution is anywhere I have a big, fancy 4K monitor... to also buy a Thunderbolt dock?

A Thunderbolt dock can handle 4k/60Hz/Chrome 4 4 4 from one USB-C port?

I can then use my second USB-C port for the power
 
alexjholland said:
Interesting. How big a deal is this? What does it mean, in practical terms?

And do other solutions support it?
Click to expand...
It depends on how much you care about color accuracy/banding/etc on your display. It basically means there's going to be some slight additional signal compression between your laptop and the display. Most people probably wouldn't notice.

A thunderbolt dock will get around this, yep. Thunderbolt has more bandwidth than USB-C, so it can support the full Chroma 4:4:4 signal in addition to USB 3.0 and everything else.

For a more portable solution, I use a dedicated Choetech USB-C to HDMI cable with power-in, so I usually only have one port occupied. It's cheap and does chroma 4:4:4. I supplement with a lightweight USB-C hub that I use occasionally for USB 3.0, ethernet, card reader, etc.
 
superamit said:
It depends on how much you care about color accuracy/banding/etc on your display. It basically means there's going to be some slight additional signal compression between your laptop and the display. Most people probably wouldn't notice.

A thunderbolt dock will get around this, yep. Thunderbolt has more bandwidth than USB-C, so it can support the full Chroma 4:4:4 signal in addition to USB 3.0 and everything else.

For a more portable solution, I use a dedicated Choetech USB-C to HDMI cable with power-in, so I usually only have one port occupied. It's cheap and does chroma 4:4:4. I supplement with a lightweight USB-C hub that I use occasionally for USB 3.0, ethernet, card reader, etc.
Click to expand...
The issue is that new M1 MacBook Pros only have two USB-C ports, but three obvious needs.
  1. Power
  2. Monitor
  3. Peripherals
Two of those have to be combined in any desk setup... and we already know that plain USB-C hubs can't handle peripherals AND an HDMI output that's worth using.

I'm leaning towards splashing the cashing on a Thunderbolt Hub.

Although... I'll need one in each apartment. Or to carry one everywhere I go?

However, I've recently heard unpleasant things about Power Delivery hubs killing M1 MacBooks!
 
alexjholland said:
The issue is that new M1 MacBook Pros only have two USB-C ports, but three obvious needs.
  1. Power
  2. Monitor
  3. Peripherals
Two of those have to be combined in any desk setup... and we already know that plain USB-C hubs can't handle peripherals AND an HDMI output that's worth using.

I'm leaning towards splashing the cashing on a Thunderbolt Hub.

Although... I'll need one in each apartment. Or to carry one everywhere I go?

However, I've recently heard unpleasant things about Power Delivery hubs killing M1 MacBooks!
Click to expand...
If you go with Anker, Caldigit, or OWC you can be pretty sure that they will support their products. It is very unlikely that a reputable vendor will sell a dock that will kill a MacBook.
 
alexjholland said:
However, I've recently heard unpleasant things about Power Delivery hubs killing M1 MacBooks!
Click to expand...
I have a new MBA M1 and just ordered the Lention CB-D55 hub which has power delivery. Should I not use it to charge my M1? It would suck to have to have a nice hub to hook everything up but not be able to charge the laptop while in use. Am I putting myself at risk by using a hub!?
 
alexjholland said:
However, I've recently heard unpleasant things about Power Delivery hubs killing M1 MacBooks!
Click to expand...


Hi Alex,

That sounds rubbish.

Can you supply the sources for this please 👍

It would be a really helpful thing to put on this forum for us all to look at and criteque our own H/W setups etc.

For me:
I have a Dell USB-C hub from work, that I have been happily plugging into the M1 MBA. Monitor, keyboard and Mouse works fine, same as my work Laptop, so have not thought anymore about it for the last week or so.


Regards
Martin
 
  • Like
Reactions: gank41 and tarantulasloomlarge
With the MacBook 12, I found the best solution was to just buy a monitor with USB-C support. Like the UltraFine monitors or the one of the cheaper, but still great, Dell offerings. Then just plug things into the monitor.

Then for travel, I'd just carry the Apple HDMI, USB, and Power dongle.
 
OP - If you can find it in stock, this works for M1. 4K60 works etc.

It's basically as good as it gets before you need to resort to one with an external power supply.

Caldigit USB-C SOHO Dock review

The Caldigit SOHO Dock features the fastest possible USB ports, includes both HDMI and DisplayPorts, and can run 4K displays at 60Hz
www.techadvisor.co.uk

Also be warned, a lot of the cheap PD capable ones on Amazon have a cheeky requirement not listed on any spec sheet, they often require a minimum of a 65W power adapter to even work.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Internaut, alexjholland and Marty_Macfly
People using docks - do you all use HDMI to connect to your monitor even if it’s USB-C? I have a USB-C monitor that can drive both display and power when connected to my M1 MBA. However, I am finding it hard to find a dock/hub that does the same. Anybody have recommendations?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back