Choosing one of the best Thunderbolt dock merely can’t be accomplished with an eye fixed on specs alone. It’s a course of that may take time and assets, however pays off within the confidence that I’ve reached the fitting choice about which Thunderbolt docks are value shopping for.

Thunderbolt docks emerged as a must have gadget throughout the pandemic, when many individuals discovered themselves working at residence and realized that their PCs lacked the right sort or variety of ports to connect with all of their peripherals. A USB-C dongle might be adequate, however a no-compromises work-from-home setup demanded a Thunderbolt dock.

Other publications could deal with Thunderbolt docks as a single product class. We acknowledge them as part of a spectrum of I/O peripherals that features the uncooked 40Gbps energy of the best Thunderbolt docking stations on one finish, and simpler, cheaper 10Gbps USB-C hubs on the opposite. In between are what are referred to as DisplayLink docks that use proprietary knowledge compression from Synaptics to attain Thunderbolt capabilities at decrease costs, and a associated class of USB-C docks that use an open expertise known as DSC with HBR3.

We take a look at Thunderbolt docks and DisplayLink/DSC USB-C docks utilizing the identical strategies and embody our suggestions in the identical article. We separate USB-C dongles into their very own roundup, with their very own assessments. They all share one thing in widespread, nonetheless: They’re designed to permit your laptop computer to connect with extra peripherals and shows than you would possibly in any other case suppose potential.

PCWorld’s testing standards for Thunderbolt docks

I take a look at Thunderbolt docks utilizing a set of widespread standards:

• Price, and the way it compares to rivals
• The variety of ports/particular options, such because the variety of shows it connects to
• Stability, together with whether or not peripherals unexpectedly disconnect
• Whether it delivers the promised energy to the laptop computer and the dock’s peripherals
• Performance, each in streaming and storage

All of the Thunderbolt docks we evaluate are supplied by the distributors after which assessed on my own or different PCWorld workers with whole editorial independence. Our selections are made via hands-on testing, and we’re by no means influenced by outdoors events.

How I consider Thunderbolt docks on worth

My course of begins with getting into the Thunderbolt dock into our database. That might sound irrelevant, but it surely additionally forces me to test its worth and availability. Is it simply obtainable from the seller, or from a number of retailers? Is the worth the identical in any respect of them, or is there a sale that can make it extra engaging to a reader?

Thunderbolt docks pushed up into the $300 vary throughout the pandemic, and that’s usually mirrored within the MSRP pricing that accompanies our evaluations. But dock makers have pushed laborious to cut back costs as provide chains have eased and competitors has intensified.

How I consider Thunderbolt docks on options

Price and options go hand in hand. Most Thunderbolt docks are labeled as an “X-in-1,” the place it’s possible you’ll select from an 8-in-1 dock, or a 10-in-1 dock, or another mixture. This could be a bit subjective. Do you, the shopper, want 30 USB-A ports? Of course not. But are seven ports higher than 5? I’ve to take a look at the worth a dock maker fees after which evaluate it to how accommodating the producer is. A pleasant guarantee is a plus, too.

It’s right here that I begin to take a look at the bodily dock itself. When I take away the dock from the packaging, I measure it to test that it matches the printed specs. While I don’t care an excessive amount of concerning the dimension of the dock itself, the size of the Thunderbolt twine issues.

What which means is that choosing the fitting Thunderbolt dock is a dance between worth, ports, and guarantees. I’m on the lookout for one of the best mixture of options on the most cost-effective potential worth, and I’ll usually regulate my rankings merely due to a major worth reduce.

I really attempt to not learn what any patrons should say on websites like Amazon, as I’d wish to type my very own opinions. But I do return and skim them earlier than I file my evaluate, in case I’ve missed something particular that’s value additional testing or remark.

How I take a look at Thunderbolt docks for stability

Now it’s time to attach. I plug the dock on a take a look at laptop computer I’ve arrange for the aim, and test for stability: When I join the show cables, do they take a very long time to attach? Do the shows flicker or refuse to activate? Does the dock require any utility software program to be loaded? (The reply is usually no, however DisplayLink requires a software program driver.) I then reboot and test once more.

The drawback with testing docking stations is that one take a look at laptop computer doesn’t reduce it. Thunderbolt 3 docks could be a bit glitchy, in that linked shows can flicker and even disconnect. Thunderbolt 4 docks have been designed to unravel this drawback, with an incremental however extra restrictive specification. But Thunderbolt expertise is dependent upon each the host laptop computer in addition to the dock. In flip, I join every dock to 5 take a look at laptops with completely different elements inside, together with Tenth-gen to 14th-gen Intel Core chips and an AMD Ryzen 7000 pocket book. I exploit the cables and energy provide that the dock ships with.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Mark Hachman / IDG

Mark Hachman / IDG

Thunderbolt 3/4 docking stations are purported to reliably join to 2 4K shows operating at 60Hz. Some use compression to connect with 4 4K shows at 60Hz. Many additionally tout the power to connect with a single 8K show at 30Hz. I’ve 4 4K shows readily available, one which is rated at 144Hz. I can due to this fact take a look at docks that declare that they will join as much as 4 4K shows, although I lack an 8K show to check that functionality. When Thunderbolt 5 arrives (three 4K shows, at 144Hz every) I’ll must spend money on extra {hardware}.

It’s then again to my on a regular basis work laptop computer for a day or two of regular use, as an additional test. I’m additionally a gamer, so I’ll swap to a gaming laptop computer within the night and see the way it handles these, too. This is all within the service of stability. If the shows flicker or disconnect, that’s unhealthy information.

Many docks now assist as much as 2.5Gbps Ethernet. I don’t have entry to a 2.5Gbps Ethernet connection, however I can and do take a look at the Ethernet connection on my residence connection which runs into the a whole lot of megabits. I additionally test the dock’s headphone jack and the standard of the audio.

How I take a look at Thunderbolt docks for his or her capability to produce energy

Many fashionable docks promote their capability to cost your smartphone by way of a devoted energy brick that sends energy via the dock.

In reality, just about any port that provides energy will ultimately cost a smartphone; I’m simply on the lookout for one that may do at its rated energy stage. I exploit a USB multimeter to test how a lot energy every port provides, connecting it to a smartphone.

I do the identical for the laptop computer itself. Most laptops don’t really want as a lot energy as at this time’s high-end docks present. For that, I launch an intensive 3D recreation, then document the height energy the dock provides over the Thunderbolt cable.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Mark Hachman / IDG

Mark Hachman / IDG

How I take a look at Thunderbolt docks for efficiency

I complement my stability assessments by testing the dock beneath a number of utilization eventualities to see if there are any surprising slowdowns because the dock transfers knowledge.

Using a take a look at laptop computer that I exploit for each dock take a look at, I stream 4K60 video from YouTube over the Ethernet connection in addition to a prerecorded video utilizing the VLC video participant. Both purposes can monitor what number of, if any, frames are dropped. I stream a minimum of 10,000 frames on YouTube and word the variety of dropped frames; one of the best drop beneath 10 frames, whereas poor-quality docks typically drop over 100. Dropped frames translate into stuttery, uneven video playback.

I then join a take a look at, bus-powered SSD to the dock. Using PCMark 10’s storage benchmark, I measure the SSD’s efficiency. Since I exploit the identical laptop computer and the SSD from take a look at to check, the one variable ought to be the dock itself. (Windows updates may additionally have an impact.) I word the rating and the throughput and evaluate them to different docks I take a look at. I then repeat the take a look at whereas streaming video.

Finally, I document the time it takes to repeat a multi-gigabyte folder full of varied recordsdata from the dock to the laptop computer over the Thunderbolt 4 bus, then repeat the take a look at whereas streaming video. This is usually overkill, however I wish to attempt to saturate the Thunderbolt bus if potential and route as a lot knowledge via the dock itself.

Thunderbolt docks are inclined to carry out extra poorly than DisplayLink docks in these efficiency assessments, although not by a lot. That’s seemingly as a result of compression DisplayLink docks make use of.

I don’t apply the identical rigor to any SD or microSD card slots the dock has. I run a easy storage take a look at, with the suitable card, to see if it delivers on its rated pace.

How to interpret our Thunderbolt dock score system

I award an Editor’s Choice award if the dock is steady, performs properly, delivers the rated energy that it guarantees, and at a aggressive worth. I’ll mark down for instability or technical glitches, or different deficiencies. In some instances, I could not subtract that a lot from the score of a function that I don’t think about important; one current dock suffered from poor audio, but it surely’s a function that’s discovered on just about all laptops. Our Best Picks for Thunderbolt docks will often word docks that we’ve reviewed and don’t meet our standards, however not at all times.

An Editor’s Choice award could also be assigned to a product with 4 stars or above, however by no means under. In quick, I’ll solely assign an Editor’s Choice award to a dock that I might use myself and would advocate to a good friend or member of the family.