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Meanwhile, all you have to do is plug in your laptop. A system like this is both tidy and makes connecting everything easy. You can sit down, plug in, and get to work, rather than fighting cords and digging in your bag for that one last adapter you always forget at home. However, a docking station is more than just a cable minder. Laptops may not be equipped to deal with various kinds of signal output. Connecting devices like displays and digital cameras often requires the use of a converter to translate between the computer and the device.
A docking station takes care of the conversion internally. Some can even charge your laptop, further reducing the need for cords and clutter. While computers have continued to shrink, the need for expansion has only grown. Early laptop systems often had proprietary connection ports on the bottom of the laptop.
While some current laptop models still offer these proprietary connection ports, such models are becoming rare. As laptop manufacturers have stopped including proprietary connections to mechanical docking stations within their products, many have made the transition to faster standardized connection types such as USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 ports in order to both facilitate external expansion and remove the need to purchase a laptop specific dock.
Proprietary docking stations are more common alongside laptops designed for business users. However, proprietary docking stations tend to be compatible with only one or at best a few specific laptop models.
If you upgrade to a new laptop that is not compatible with a proprietary dock, an alternative solution must be found. USB 3. These are third-party devices not tied to a single model or brand of laptop. They offer power and flexibility to home or office workstations.
The first step in determining a suitable docking station product is to determine what type of expansion ports are built-in to the host laptop. These range from USB 3. In the past if you wanted to add more devices to your laptop such as additional monitors, a wired network connection or USB devices you had to purchase a proprietary mechanical docking station from the maker of your laptop, assuming they even made one in the first place.
With advances in laptop connectivity you are no longer limited to those antiquated devices and Plugable offers a variety of solutions that can allow you to expand your system to enhance your productivity.
Every laptop can have different types of connectivity options, so the first step in determining which of our products is right for your needs is to determine what specific type your system offers.
In general, every modern laptop can offer one of three types of connectivity technologies and those are:. One downside to a system that only has these types of ports is that the laptop cannot be charged via these ports they were not designed to take in power. BEST —Thunderbolt 3 is the latest connection type that allows for the fastest speeds, multiple video outputs, the ability to charge the laptop, in addition to backwards compatibility with USB-C devices.
As a general approach when choosing a dock picking one of our products, it is ideal to pick a device that makes use of the fastest connectivity option your laptop provides. One of the most important dock features for many users is the ability to quickly connect to one or more big displays.
Modern docking stations can usually support one, two, or even three displays depending on the resolution.
Once you have selected a docking station, an important element to consider is how to connect your displays to the unit and what video cables or adapters may be required. In general cannot be converted to other video types unless a proprietary adapter is used. HDMI Better —Most common type of video connection for modern televisions, also featured on many modern monitors. DisplayPort Best —A common type of video connection used in modern monitors, similar in many ways to HDMI but uses a fundamentally different protocol typically not found in televisions.
A passive adapter only provides for the conversion of the physical connector type, and does not change the video signal itself. You'll notice the difference if you try to connect a Thunderbolt dock to a non-Thunderbolt PC, though, or vice versa. In the worst case scenario, you could pay hundreds of dollars for a dock that doesn't deliver a fraction of the features it should.
But the amount of power expressed in watts might not be enough to keep your laptop fully powered. That's especially true for large laptops with high-end CPUs and discrete GPUs designed for intensive video and graphics editing chores.
The latest and inch MacBook Pros , for example, ship with 87W and 96W power supplies, respectively. Compare the power requirements for your laptop against the maximum power output of the docking station. It's tempting to check the specs, count the number of USB ports, and then compare that number against the number of devices you plan to connect. That might work, but you might also find that those ports don't exactly work as expected.
The biggest disappointment is a USB port that doesn't offer the ability to charge a mobile device like a smartphone, or charges it more slowly than it should.
Check the format of those ports, too, and be prepared to buy adapters or extra cables if you need to plug a USB-A device into a USB-C port, or vice versa. If you're planning to plug your docking station into a generic inch monitor running at Full HD x , then just about any dock will do. Things get trickier, though, if you intend to use a high-resolution display, especially a new 5K monitor, or if you want to drive two 4K displays to create your own Mission Control.
Pay special attention to refresh rates, too. Some docks support advanced configurations at a reduced refresh rate of 30 Hz instead of the native 60 Hz. Over time, that can be fatiguing to your eyes. In all likelihood, you've got your desk arranged exactly as you would like it.
Will your new dock fit in that arrangement? Most docks are designed to be placed a specific way, with a bunch of ports in the back for permanently connected devices and one or two ports in front for connecting devices like USB flash drives and smartphones. Where things get tricky is if the cable that connects to your PC is hard wired to one side of the dock but the matching port on the laptop is on the other side and the cable is not quite long enough.
So we present this no-frills dock and apologize in advance for the lack of detailed specs. Our survey of third-party retailers suggests that you should read the reviews before you hand over your credit card. Among the major OEMs, Lenovo wins the price wars with these two dock options. The basic USB-C Mini Dock is small enough to hide behind your laptop while still delivering up to 45W of power and enabling a full array of external device connections.
Display: HDMI 2. Ports: USB 3. Microsoft's Surface Pro line has always been distinguished by its distinctive blade-style connector, which delivers power, video, and peripheral connections through a decidedly proprietary format. You'll also probably need adapter to connect the USB Type-C connectors on the rear to your external monitors. The latest entry in the company's docking options requires a reasonably modern Surface Pro device Surface Pro 3 and 4 and original Surface Book not supported.
If you meet those specs, you get W of power, support for dual 4K displays, and a total of six USB ports. The list price for this dock is much higher, but it's been discounted from Day 1. The biggest advantage of a third-party docking solution is flexibility.
If you replace your laptop with a new model from a different manufacturer, you should be able to plug it into your existing dock and get right to work. For this section, we highlight docks from four leading manufacturers.
Don't let this dock's small size fool you; it packs a lot of power into a small package and can deliver 60W over USB-C to your laptop. The company's website has a useful compatibility chart that can help you determine whether the dock will work with your laptop.
You pay top dollar for StarTech. Don't even think of using it with a PC that doesn't support Thunderbolt 3, however. If you have a Windows laptop that includes USB-C with Power Delivery but doesn't support Thunderbolt 3, consider the less expensive Dual Monitor dock; attach your laptop's USB-C power supply and you can power both your laptop and the dock with peripherals.
Kensington's site is packed with useful technical information. If you're stumped about what the various connector specifications mean, visit its main page for some useful tech help. Surface Pro owners should take a long look at Kensington's SD dock, which includes a cool hinge that can position the display at eye level or lay it down for use with a Surface Pen.
Windows PCs might need Thunderbolt 3 updates and custom network drivers to work properly. Note that the manufacturer specifically advises that Chromebooks are not compatible with this dock. Windows 11 FAQ: Our upgrade guide and everything else you need to know. Plus 10 more things to consider. Too many browser tabs? This impressive extension is my favorite solution. How to create the perfect Windows 11 virtual machine. You agree to receive updates, promotions, and alerts from ZDNet. You may unsubscribe at any time.
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