USB C: EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS
WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THREE DIFFERENT PORT REPLICA TOR SAND DOCKING STATIONS HAVE TO OFFER THE NEW BREED OF LAPTOP
We may be a few years away from the demise of traditional USB ports, but the writing looms large on the wall. And it’s getting bigger by the month. It isn’t just Apple that’s stuffed them into the port cupboard of history, but Dell too with its Labs-winning XPS 13. But rather than lament this lost port, we want to look to the future. USB-C is a great port in its USB 3.1 incarnation and even better when it supports Thunderbolt 3 - so take advantage with one of these docking stations and port replicators.
StarTech.com Thunderbolt 3 Dual-4K Docking Station PRICE £271 (£325 inc VAT) from pcpro.link/289star
While StarTech is yet to master the art of pithy product names, it knows how to create high-quality docking stations. This one - identified by its part number TB3DOCK2DPPU, which is important as StarTech also enjoys giving its products similar names - is a particularly good choice for power users who want dual 4K displays.
In the flesh, we admit, it looks rather dull. While Dell makes the combination of grey and black look seductive on its XPS 13, there’s something plasticky about StarTech’s approach - despite the fact that the top is made from metal. Still, it has enough girth to sit on a desk, even if you will have to hold it down when inserting or removing a DisplayPort cable (an HDMI version is coming soon, we’re told).
Two Thunderbolt cables sit next to the DisplayPort. The first connects to the host laptop and can deliver up to 85W, with both Windows laptops and MacBooks supported, with the second available for connecting to a further display. And note that both support 4K at 60Hz. Add five USB 3 ports, one of which is USB-C, and a Gigabit Ethernet port, and the back is packed with every connection most people need. The coup de grace? A front-mounted SD card slot, headphone jack and final Type-A USB 3 port.
Yes, it’s expensive – but it’s a true docking station, and you get a substantial three-year warranty.
Toshiba Thunderbolt 3 Dock PRICE £167 (£200 inc VAT) from pcpro.link/289tosh
Almost every laptop manufacturer has brought out its own Thunderbolt dock, and Toshiba hopes to tempt you with its own offering (part number PA5281E1PRP). It provides a few advantages over its StarTech rival, with the chief one being its price.
Physically, it’s also sleeker and - dressed all in black - smarter than the StarTech. It is a little lighter, but Toshiba includes a grippy bottom surface so it doesn’t slide about much when you add cables. You may also appreciate the numerous video outputs: two HDMI, DisplayPort, mini-DisplayPort, even VGA.
It supports dual 4K displays at 60Hz, but only if you use the mini-DisplayPort and one of the HDMI or DisplayPort outputs. As such, despite the plethora of outputs, it’s actually less flexible than the StarTech. Also note that Toshiba doesn’t state the maximum power output: instead, it says it’s “designed for our Portégé X20W, Portégé X30 and Tecra X40 business laptops”. As you’d expect, the dock includes a Gigabit Ethernet port, while three Type-A USB 3 ports sit at its rear. Add two front-mounted USB-C ports, plus a Type-A USB port and 3.5mm combo jack, and this is a solid choice for laptops that have modest power needs. And, to be on the safe side, we recommend you check you can return it before buying, unless you own one of the listed Toshiba laptops.
Kingston Nucleum
PRICE £39 (£47 inc VAT) from kingstongo.com
While the two docking stations we’ve looked a there require a Thunderbolt-equipped laptop, the Kingston Nucleum is more forgiving: it’s designed for any laptop with a physical USB-C port, whether that’s USB 3.1 or Thunderbolt. We like it because it’s lightweight, compact and packs in plenty of ports - including a full-size HDMI port. Just note this is HDMI 1.4 rather than HDMI 2, which means it can output to 4K screens but only at 24Hz. Still, that’s fine for this hub’s primary aim, which is as a travel adapter rather than docking station.
At 105g, it won’t take up much room in your bag, and in return you get two Type-A USB 3.1 ports, a further USB-C port, plus microSD and full-size SD slots. There’s also a power passthrough port, so you can power your laptop via the Nucleum.
With a stylish brushed metal finish, we can’t help but be impressed by this bargain of a port replicator.