At a look

Expert’s Rating

Pros

• Great value and worth, even at MSRP
• 4K120 show capabilities open up gaming potentialities
• Stable efficiency
• Excellent charging capabilities

Cons

• Surprisingly heat below load
• Storage assessments throughout the dock had been decrease than common

Our Verdict

Some minor efficiency considerations don’t mar what’s in any other case a really attractively priced USB4 docking station that’s designed for the long run.

Price When Reviewed

199.95

Best Prices Today: Plugable USB4 Dual HDMI Docking Station (UD-4VPD)

Plugable’s UD-4VPD, formally often known as the USB4 Dual HDMI Docking Station, guarantees two doubtlessly welcome traits: a push into 120Hz 4K show capabilities, and a startling discount in value.

Why contemplate the Plugable UD-4VPD?

Most Thunderbolt docks provide the choice of connecting to 2 4K shows at 60Hz. That’s completely positive for workplace use. Higher-rate 120Hz shows, although, are the minimal threshold that players favor, opening a possible new world of potentialities for these docks. And this dock drives a pair of 4K shows at 120Hz, in response to Plugable! Alternatively, the identical dock ought to drive a single 8K show.

As we level out in our roundup of the best Thunderbolt docks, USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 are functionally equal. Because of what we suspect are licensing points, Thunderbolt docks appear to be frequent on Intel laptops, whereas AMD Ryzen laptops use USB4. A Thunderbolt laptop computer ought to work simply as properly with a USB4 dock. Be conscious, although, that in response to Plugable founder and CTO Bernie Thompson, a laptop computer with a Thunderbolt 3 connection in all probability gained’t work with this dock.

The Plugable UD-4VPD remains to be dramatically cheaper than most Thunderbolt or USB4 docks, with out making an attempt to chop corners, and shakes up what a “budget” dock actually is.

The Plugable UD-4VPD specs

Unfortunately, we lack the sources to check the dock with a pair of 120Hz 4K displays in the mean time. (Most 4K displays at 120Hz or above price about $600 or so.) We do have a 1440p widescreen monitor to check, which might run at as much as 144Hz, plus two 4K shows, which is as shut as we are able to get.

Plugable’s UD-4VPD is an 11-in 1 dock, with the 2 HDMI ports, two 10Gbps USB-A (10Gbps) ports, a legacy 5Gbps USB-A port, and a single 10Gbps USB-C port which might provide as much as a rated 20W of charging energy for a cellphone. There’s additionally a microSD and SD slot rated at UHS-II (312MB/s) speeds, plus an audio/mic jack.

Mark Hachman / IDG

The two HDMI 2.1 show ports replicate HDMI’s reputation, however their efficiency will fluctuate. Here’s the issue: Not solely do that dock’s ports require your laptop computer to help an HDMI 2.1 output, however the chipset inside it’s required to help each HBR3 (High Bitrate 3) and DSC (Display Stream Compression). The latter know-how is sort of a DisplayLink dock: It makes use of some compression to allow the upper show capabilities. If your laptop computer lacks each of those latter options, you’ll get a extra customary 4K60 expertise as a substitute. You wouldn’t have the choice of plugging in an HDMI-to-DisplayPort cable into this dock, both.

How are you aware your laptop computer consists of HBR3 and DSC? Chances are you don’t, and your laptop computer maker might not even inform you. According to Thompson, one clue could also be whether or not it’s Intel Evo licensed, as Thompson claims that these all meet the HBR3/DSC necessities.

Otherwise, the dearth of accessible info makes buying this dock a little bit of a crapshoot, sadly. On the opposite hand, you may make the argument that investing on this dock is an funding sooner or later, when 4K120 shows turn out to be cheaper and extra commonplace.

Mark Hachman / IDG

How did the Plugable UD-4VPD carry out?

We weren’t in a position to check all the dock’s show options, however among the features that we had been in a position to check had been a bit disappointing. The first is a nitpick: While Thunderbolt cables are clearly labeled with the lightning-bolt brand and both a “3” or “4” to differentiate them, Plugable’s 3.3-foot cable was jet black, and related to the rear of the dock, not the entrance. It could be useful if the cable neighborhood or Plugable might higher label these cables.

Second, the dock warmed surprisingly below load, to the purpose that it grew somewhat alarming. But it didn’t constantly attain these temperatures, both. (If you’re involved, Plugable’s dock ships with a two-year restricted elements and labor guarantee.)

Finally, the dock’s efficiency was a bit combined. When writing to an exterior check SSD, the drive’s bandwidth clocked in at about 122MB/s, about 11 p.c lower than the 137.51MB/s that rival-dock Anker 568 generated. On the opposite hand, operating the identical check whereas streaming a 4K video — a process we carry out to see if there’s any information congestion — handed with flying colours. Anker’s dock additionally confirmed occasional instability; the Plugable UD-4VPD was rock-solid in our assessments.

Plugable principally lived as much as its charging claims, too. While the dock’s brand claims that the entrance 10Gbps charging port can ship 20W of energy to cost a smartphone, our assessments confirmed that it delivered about 18.7W below load. That’s sufficient to fast-charge a smartphone.

Should you purchase the Plugable UD-4VPD?

Plugable, although, gives an enormous benefit: It’s primarily $100 lower than the competitors, and that’s earlier than any reductions. Plugable’s Thompson says that the prices of obligatory Thunderbolt testing increase the costs of Thunderbolt docks, and right here the diminished prices are handed alongside to the buyer. The Plugable UD-4VPD remains to be dramatically cheaper than most Thunderbolt or USB4 docks, with out making an attempt to chop corners, and shakes up what a “budget” dock actually is. That’s a key promoting level, even earlier than you begin speaking about its superior show capabilities.