The Best Thunderbolt Dock For M1 Macbook Pro

[@botch3936]

I'm starting to see why everyone was so happy to see so many ports return to the Macbook Pro itself.

[@nici1782]

Indeed, and unless you shell our $400, the docks are not gonna last long

[@justinJ689]

@@nici1782 yeah I bought a baseous for 50$ and it fried in a month.

[@ruslannikiforov7634]

@@justinJ689 I bought a beseous for 50$ and it works more thank one year. And yes, it has issue with giga ethernet, I don't know why, but it limit it about 300mbits, and sometimes it wake up and give full speed. It's not bad at all.

[@blankplanet]

I have a brandless chinese piece of shit since two years and it works

[@CB-fd4xu]

This is one of the least scientific yet most informative tech videos I've ever watched. Kudos to you all for work through all these frustrations for our entertainment and enjoyment :-).

[@drkfsh3045]

And it was all done barefoot

[@NicVandEmZ]

Why the heck is he using Dell monitors in my opinion the only good monitor from Dell are from Alienware

[@blankplanet]

Pretty scientific to me… Use in various conditions -> immediately see results

[@kingtj]

This has long been my experience with these port replicators. This wasn't a scientific test by any means, but it was a great summary of what a typical user might experience. I'd also add that I've owned a number of the Thunderbolt to 6 or 7 port dongles (typically with gig ethernet, several USB 3 ports, HDMI, etc.) and they tend to work properly for a while and then just quit. I think some just overheat and burn themselves up, because they've always worked well when I leave them in my laptop bag except for occasional use, vs using them all day long on a Mac sitting on a desk at the office. I always had pretty good luck with the CalDigit products so not surprised that one was a favorite here. That particular issue with the wireless mice stuttering when the Logitech dongle is plugged into them is one of those things I've run into too -- and typically means poor RF shielding of the dock's case. Someone posted below about the need to use quality, certified TB 3/4 cables and that's very true too. Some of them sold online are really poor quality and can't handle what they claim to handle. (Some of the "Amazon Basics" cables I've used before were even like that.) However, the docks include one of these to attach them to the computer so if they're including a sub-standard cable in the package, I think that's still a good reason to avoid recommending them. (What other corners were cut in the manufacturing if you need to upgrade the included cable to get it to work?) Lastly, beware of any of the docks that say a driver is required to get gigabit Ethernet to work! Sometimes they do this and the manufacturer web site has an OS X driver to download, and they work .... until OS X gets another revision and the manufacturer no longer bothers to update the driver for it. Even if they do keep up with the driver support? It's a hassle because every time you reinstall the OS or use the dock on a different computer, you have to get that driver reinstalled for it to work again. It's just FAR better when the dock chipset uses the same network chip that Apple themselves use so it gets auto-detected.

[@brianwoods9552]

@Agreed KingTJ, multiport adapters tend to work properly for a while and then just quit. You really get what you pay for. I've sold HUNDREDS of these over the last 7-8 years to a Fortune 50 company. Continually had problems with those that cost less than $60 to $70. Got tired of having to replace them so I went with the Hyper brand. My go to product is the 9-in-1. Over the last two years or so, the price on Amazon has fluctuated between $79 and $99...it's literally one or the other. So you might be able to catch it at the lower price.

[@darrinsavage2166]

+1 for CalDigit. I've had zero issues with mine going on 2 years. Have a Mac Mini plugged into it running two monitors. I did have to buy display port to HDMI adapters. Can't speak to transfer speeds, not important to my workflow so have never measured.

[@ThalesPosella]

4:12 if you want iStat to show you read/write speeds you should click on the Storage icon, not the Network icon.

[@Jose_Angel_Quintero]

It’s just pain watching him trash Mac and istats without giving it some time for a good set up

[@spiderman4804]

@@Jose_Angel_Quintero I really feel like most people treat Macs how most boomers treat all technology. They refuse to go into any settings and play around to get it to work the way they need to. It's so frustrating...

[@imprx]

@@Jose_Angel_Quintero well, high expectations because of all the marketing: "It just works!". No, it does not, maybe that's what he wants to show here.

[@imprx]

@@spiderman4804 I like your comparison with how boomers treat all technology. Now I have a song in my head: Treat me like a boomer!

[@ThalesPosella]

@@imprx well, maybe... we might never know. I've been a Mac user for past 10 years now, I was a Linux/Windows user before that for decades. And I can say that MacOs really does work. I admit it used to be a lot more reliable than it is today, but still it just is a more robust OS then any other I've experienced. And I didn't get your input about the "It just works" because even if you don't have the speed rate on your transfers that doesn't mean the transfer is not working.

[@brandon9715]

Many have already said it, but the Caldigit TS3+ is sold by Apple and your best bet. I tried other options that I ultimately ended up returning. Had an issue with my Caldigit dock and customer service was great. With the replacement I’ve had no issues.

[@alexanderpetrenko79]

What do you think about TS3+ vs OWC TB 3 Pro?

[@brandon9715]

@@alexanderpetrenko79 I haven’t used the OWC, so I don’t have an opinion on it.

[@ko-Daegu]

that's so expensive thou 300+ EUR

[@brandon9715]

@@ko-Daegu $299.95 here in the U.S. Definitely not cheap, but cheap Thunderbolt docks don’t work.

[@viidakkomehu9533]

Any1 got clue which dock or hub for tb3 or 4 port would have lowest latency?

[@kuau714]

I just got the Thunderbolt 4 dock from RAZOR to use with my 16 M1 Max and it works perfectly for me

[@mcdonnellpadraic]

With one cable plugged in?

[@my143utube]

The MAIN thing you need to test is, do both external displays wake from the MBP sleeping. I have an older OWC dock with (2) 4K UHD monitors and have to power cycle the dock OR disconnect & reconnect the DP or HDMI cable to wake them up. BUT all in all, HUGE thanks for putting a lot of the choices through their passes.

[@PeteKowalsky]

OWC TB3 & TB4 are rock solid for me and is the only dock brand I use on my Macbook setups. Surprised you didn't include OWC here - they don't always sell on Amazon though, so maybe that's why. You need to be CERTAIN you are using certified cables. A USB-C cable is not necessarily going to run a TB3 / TB4 connection, etc., and yes there are oddities with using Displayport / HDMI in certain cases.

[@twosheafilms]

OWC and CalDigit are by far some of the best. Still not perfect but by far the best!

[@MultiMattRogers]

That's one hell of a caveat you added there "yes there are some oddiies with using displayport/HDMI" That was one of the min things they were testing for and the the most visible problem. So if you're getting these problems with your "rock solid" option then there's a deent chance that these two would have rejeted your setup as well. It just turn out that Thunderbolt isn't ll hat it promised, which is a real shame, I work in a professional theatre environment with a lot of projection and I've been tempted by the new macs for their processing power to weight, but I need reliable ports. So I continue to work on my windows desktop. That's the reality of dongle life in a professional setting.

[@PeteKowalsky]

@@MultiMattRogers Point taken, and yes, there are still some possible glitches with OWC / Caldigit docks - for example, sometimes you might have a random issue where youve previously undocked and re-docked while your MacBook was asleep, and then maybe one of your monitors won't wake up. All I'm saying is that they aren't perfect 100% of the time, but they are definitely among the most reliable and best solutions when it comes to robust connectivity and speed / performance. I lived so long in Windows-land that this kind of thing doesn't ruin my day, I just re-start and move on with my life. :)

[@AJCoReTV]

Just pre-ordered the OWC 11-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 hub.

[@MidAtlanticTV]

I agree. I have the new OWC Thunderbolt 4 dock and it's working out great. My older Thunderbolt 3 dock from them was also a great solution.

[@tonyblack2141]

I didnt see the CalDigit TS3+. It should work best I believe.

[@MarkoNara]

minute 14

[@ErnestoNavarro]

@@MarkoNara That is not the TS3+. That one is the USB-C Pro Dock

[@SeanWashPhoto]

I'm just going to also add that the CalDigit TS3+ is the best dock (Along with OWC Docks). Yeah, they don't have the highest rating on Amazon because people don't know how to use the Display Port on it, but it works flawlessly and is very fast.

[@smeuse]

Caldigit is rock solid.

[@ppeinado]

@@smeuse I’m still using a first gen caldigit TS1 that i bought on pre release with a thunderbolt 2 adapter on my m1 mac. 8 years old I think. Built solid.

[@smilebot484]

ts3 gives a ton of ports most users willnever need and it's way expensive. caldigit has other great options like the mini which is at least half the price

[@ivan9ef]

​@@smilebot484 those who buy ts3 know exactly why do they need so many ports.

[@dztrbdgod]

What do you mean "dont know how to use the display port on it"?

[@ccheritage1235]

Loved the video. One thing that just really bothered me though. You have iStat and a Mac user but iStat is not being used properly and the Mac user doesn't seem to know anything about it. You can see the exact speeds of each HDD, SSD, internal drive, external drive etc. by going into iStat and enabling Disks. You even get a full history of the transfer and any other usage of that drive, for an hour or even up to 30 days. You can also see how much space you have left etc. for each disk. Even optical disks that you have plugged in. This is aside from Activity Monitor if you don't have iStat.

[@TimHPop776]

Great info. I have been watching this videos series (others as well) deciding to go from PC to MacBook pros. Everything else I have is Apple product’s. (iPhone, iPad, etc…)

[@jeuvideoiihizq]

I go by how fast the mbs is moving to gauge the speed of a transfer.

[@JanBabiuchHall]

All hail iStat. There's also BlackMagic Speed Test if you want to benchmark drives with sequential and random reads and writers of different file sizes. Honestly I'm very disappointed in this video. All this money spent for the docks and if they spent just a little bit more time they could've given us actually useful information.

[@lemosley01]

I'm surprised at the number of people who think that having to open another app to get this basic information is 'ok'. Why can't the speed be displayed in the windows showing the copy progress? (yes I know this is a 2 year old post)

[@ccheritage1235]

@@lemosley01 You mean like a Safari download? Might be nice as an option. Most of the time, I could care less and it would be clutter and takes extra resources which wastes them (goes all the way back to Mac OS X 10.0). Until recently, that would take up precious computer resources to display that kind of accurate info and that is one reason they never did it. It is also about simplicity over complexity. But there are third party tools for those who want the info and much more info than even Windows gives (uses up resources though). Most consumers I know, don't want to know any of that information and prefer it the way Apple has it now. YMMV. Less is more, but if you want more, you can have it.

[@Neopulse00]

Finally! Even though you guys spent $2,000 doing this experiment, I thank you for going through all the trouble. Was laughing so much at the interference comments and cable issues 😂

[@nicebluejay]

they returned all the shit lol

[@viidakkomehu9533]

Any1 got clue which dock or hub for tb3 or 4 port would have lowest latency?

[@theoneneo5024]

I’d suggest next time you also have a non-Mac PC there and perform the same tests. That would help isolate if the issues were Apple related or with the docks.

[@TomBabula]

That could be because Apple doesn't support MST so docks which use it will only work with PCs

[@bigred8982]

I run a CalDigit T3 on a Dell with Linux Mint and it’s been extremely reliable. Can’t wait to try the same hardware on a new MacBook Pro

[@hmm9823]

how is it now?

[@koo3144]

Apple sells the Caldigit ones themselves, I think that's a pretty good clue that they will work as expected. The TS3+ should be very good. Although M1 for example cannot still use more than one external display with it because of the lacking display controllers.

[@cheddar07]

But the M1pro and M1 Max can do up to 3 external displays

[@decibal7532]

I have a Caldigit TS3+ and it's the best dock I've ever owned. Caldigit makes incredible products.

[@rohithmekala2608]

@Carrot Cruncher oh then apple why did add more ports to it's 2021 laptops

[@livius16]

Caldigit hands down the only hub worth mentioning

[@TiagoRio79]

You can use more monitors if you buy an adapter with DisplayLink technology. I have a Wavlink adapter and it works.

[@RossBarnett02]

After watching the video, I can say the CalDigit TS3 is the clear winner. It's not in the video.. but it's been going strong on my desk setup for the last 3 years!

[@Always_Curious_Joe]

Where can you find them though??😂

[@tamaskovats]

I can’t believe there’s not a single apple user in the whole Fstoppers community who you could have asked about how to show file / network transfer speeds in macOS. The answer is activity monitor. Here’s a one minute clip to show you how it’s done: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5rFfHyXfbmeobs

[@RedBearAK]

“We have another one, and it’s a brand: Anker!” [ CalDigit has left the chat ]

[@jaems5567]

Great job on the video! You guys should've tested the CalDigit TS3 Plus though. Thunderbolt out (I use this daily), dual 4k setup if needed and everything just works. Have had it over a year and very glad I got it. Hasn't ever let me down!

[@cliffj]

I enjoy most of your posts, but I was a bit disappointed in your approach here - you seemed to rush into this without a lot of understanding of the problems with USB-C connectors and cables. This is not an Apple specific problem - it is a complete mess created by the whole industry! The key issue with Thunderbolt 3/4 is cable length. If you use proper TB cables up to 80 cm you get full speed. Longer than this it drops by 50%. This is in the spec. You CAN get cables 2 metres long that have additional technology to operate at full TB3 speeds, but they are expensive. It can be very confusing, but you need to differentiate between a cable with a USB-C connector (all of them) and the protocol the cable will work with (various USB speeds and TB3). The protocol and speed SHOULD be marked on the cable - if not they will probably only operate as very slow USB 3 or 3.1only! You didn't mention this at all, so I suspect that you were unaware of it. And I think some of the docks you were testing are not Thunderbolt! Also, you didn't test OWC docks - a major omission as a lot of serious mac owners would tell you - and they have an inexpensive model where you use one port on the mac and get three, plus a super-fast USB-A socket (which is faster in testing that the USB connections on an M1 MacMini). There are a few recent reviews of this device on KZbin - worth a look... Of course you are sharing the bandwidth across all the ports, but I can tell you they work like a dream. Little or no "insertion" loss. You need to do it again with a more formalised test plan, including cable types and lengths, and using a speed test app... And the screen connections are a whole issue on their own - worthy of a standalone structured test too!

[@cliffj]

I should have added that the OWC hub is TB4 (TB3 doesn’t support hubs) and the M1 Mac, macMini, MacBook Air, And Pro have two bus - one for each port, so full bandwidth is available at each. I’m not sure how many bus in the M1Pro and M1Max MBPs though.

[@Sponsi_PL]

Yeah, those cables and connectors are shit and it's universal : )

[@noahstorm]

Thanks so much for this video! FINALLY a truly unbiased review of these docking stations. Shopping for these things is a NIGHTMARE and you just made my life easier. Thumbs and sub for you. Super deserved. Respect.

[@gbaren]

Just don't buy iffy cheap stuff. Stick w Cal-Digit or OWC because they test on macs.

[@noahstorm]

@@gbaren totally agree. I had plenty of cheap amazon chinese docks that ended up working very badly or not working at all with some devices.

[@viidakkomehu9533]

Any1 got clue which dock or hub for tb3 or 4 port would have lowest latency?

[@mortenthorpe]

the best dock is the Caldigit TS3 - no contest! plus, you two guys doing this review, really don't seem to know the difference between USB C and Thunderbolt - quite worrying if you want to test docks. Thunderbolt will always reign supreme... it's asyncrhonous, while USB-C is, at the full name states 'a bus' - synchronously working, one direction at a time, waiting for 'time' to communicate in the opposite direction.

[@twosheafilms]

Yeah, that had be a little concerned too, but I'm pretty sure Lee knew that, he just didn't address it in the video. You guys don't give him enough credit. 😂 I would like him to do this same test on all docks, but using ONE known good thunderbolt 3 or 4 cable.

[@thekwoka4707]

Yeah, most of these aren't thunderbolt hubs at all.

[@bowlingdoughnutsmd3703]

There is a note in the corner stating the reason the Ethernet dongle didn’t work.

[@suleyman_yusifov]

Does this support 2 monitors with mac pro m1?

[@nicestguyinhouse6112]

No this is wrong USBC is simply the connector at the end now and the tech is usb 1/2/3/4 or whatever and that’s the tech that decides “if it waits for time to communicate in the opposite direction”. And USB4 can do both lanes at the same time and is the same as thunderbolt and instead of using 2 lanes you can change it so it uses 1 huge lane about a similar amount of data transfer as display port. USBC is literally just the connection and nothing to do with anything about how it transfers or what it does it’s just end of line that does what it’s told to do

[@EagleEye-MJG]

For the love of ALMIGHTY GOD🙏 PLEASE bring this man back for MORE follow up episodes of the "Mac & PC Guy".🙏 . This man's Low Expectation, having self, is literally the living embodiment of Mac Users and it is THE MOST comical thing EVER!!!!😅😀😅🤣

[@wouldntyaliktono]

I've got a CalDigit ts3 plus and it works great for me. 80 watts of power delivery, plenty of I/O, and it's robust so it doesn't slide around my desk at all. Very happy with the purchase.

[@wouldntyaliktono]

I should add, I'm driving 2 4k60 monitors and a bunch of USB peripherals via a single TB4 port on my new 14 inch MacBook.

[@chulhochang]

@@wouldntyaliktono very late reply, but i have caldigit ts3+ and having trouble getting 2 external monitors to work with it. is there a trick? caldigit support says i can only connect one. how'd you do it?

[@wouldntyaliktono]

@@chulhochang Is your machine capable of driving 2 external monitors? Some aren't able to do more than one. For example, my wife's M1 MacBook can only handle a single external monitor, but mine can because it's got the bigger processor. I have one of mine connected via the thunderbolt port, and the other one connected via display port.

[@chulhochang]

@@wouldntyaliktono when you say different processor, do you mean your wife's is M1 base and yours is M1 pro or max?

[@chulhochang]

@@wouldntyaliktono and no, currently i am not able to drive 2 external monitors. apple's and caldigit's official statement is that 2020 macbook pro m1 cannot drive 2 external monitors with caldigit ts3+. but i've been reading about workarounds with displaylink docks+drivers (which i'm still unable to get it to work).

[@miguelmedeiros4824]

CalDigit TS4 is hands down the best dock available for Mac. I absolutely love it. As for the WAVLINK one, It might be a DisplayLink dock, in which case you need to install the DisplayLink software (designed for the original 13 inch M1 Macbook Pro that doesn't natively support multiple monitors)

[@johnr8095]

I have the OWC thunderbolt dock plugged into Mac m1 mini and it’s solid as a rock. Only have one monitor plugged in though

[@bobcorn69]

As a CS student I've been using a caldigit with my ThinkPad and iPad pro. Working fine for me. The version of the dock I have needs a USB C power brick. And the iPad won't charge with every charger (even ones that can charge a thinkpad). But yes. So far the best brand was caldigit.

[@DennisMoncla]

Great video and fun to watch but I’m quite surprised you didn’t test the OWC that so many tested in the original M1 macs and loved so much. I have one and it’s amazing so far but don’t have it hooked to dual monitors yet.

[@howardholtzman1331]

I am a long time photographer and Apple Fan Boy. This video was a lot of fun and still very informing. Thank you!

[@АнтонШимелевич]

By the way, the Logitech mouse works seamlessly with the mbp on-board Bluetooth, you don't need the adapter. Also, I have the same mouse jerks on windows if used with the supplied adapter.

[@Erlingmid]

Not on Mac unfortunately

[@dielawndielawn]

the mouse/keyboard lag is because you have the wireless node connected to a USB 3.0 port which runs on the same frequency as the mouse/leyboard (2.4Ghz). This is why there is lag. If you plug it in a 2.0 port there would be no lag. Also note, that it is random, sometimes theres no lag with usb3 .0 devices but it just depends on the port and the mouse. Best thing to do is just switch to a bluetooth mouse

[@alno7199]

Yeah I was believing the same thing, but no, My MX master with M1 Pro has laggy cursor. If I use the adapter, it's smooth as butter. Big difference.

[@adamnealis]

I love your attitude. Just like me when I am at work. We are in the third decade of the 21st Century. By now, computers and peripherals should just work. Software should work much better than it does.

[@Kjaywest]

I’m loving this channel & the Mac switch right now. Funny videos man. Loving it. Keep them coming.

[@robert_starling]

I just set up the newer iVanky 20 port Thunderbolt 4 hub with my 16" MBP M1 Max, every port on the back is in use and this thing is amazing! Throughput is all there. Nice piece of gear and it totally solved my connectivity bottleneck.

[@krishnayalla676]

Just a heads up, some of these docks needs their firmware updated sometimes. After doing that, some of them will work perfectly.

[@cosmincaliin]

first time hearing that lol

[@Lifeis...]

Charlie is a cool chill guy with a positive outlook on this whole test. Bring Charlie back

[@ssapinn]

YOU ARE THE MAN!!!!! that is the best video I was waiting for!, thanks bro! I big hug from Mexico!

[@JanLunge]

transfer speeds can be monitored for drives as well in iStat menus, just enable the disks option in the iStat menus app

[@12oto12]

Istat is great, can also use blackmagic speed test for the drives

[@xSil3nt27]

Could you try the same docks but on a windows system?

[@mcbean1]

you don't need it for windows systems because for that price you can get a laptop with all the appropriate i/o

[@Chan-vj7mn]

@@mcbean1 depends on models. its not fare to compare 20 brands with 1 brand, dont you think so? MacBook Pro is more like Surface Laptop, or XPS, but not Alienware.

[@mcbean1]

@@Chan-vj7mn price wise no

[@yanksmc7]

@@mcbean1 idk I’d be content with an hdmi port, sd card slot, and 3 thunderbolt usb c ports + MagSafe. My Razer blade has less ports than this Mac and I’m fine

[@mcbean1]

@@yanksmc7 well for the price of the mac, being content is kinda the low bar really

[@artcloud_5689]

I'm a windows fan girl using mac for the first time and this is so informative and fun!

[@lucvandoornick2323]

The dock that didnt work has displaylink technology, so you need to download the displaylink drivers to make it work. Im sure it will work then.

[@bjbyrne]

Yeah that is what I was thinking. It may even support dual monitors from an M1 Mac

[@Cat-kp7rl]

@@bjbyrne that’s what I was did with my M1 Mac Mini, to run two displays.

[@raymondallo9947]

I use the a Caldigit between a Mac M1 and PC laptop with 2 4K monitors, ethernet and USB and it has worked flawlessly.

[@FStoppers]

The problem with the OWC dock everyone wants me to review is that it doesn’t have hdmi ports. I don’t own any monitors with thunderbolt ports so this won’t work for me.

[@YonisAttiya]

Makes sense I guess that’s why as an Apple user I never bought an HDMI monitor ever 😂

[@MisterChibs]

Thunderbolt to hdmi adapters are a thing. 😃

[@YonisAttiya]

@@MisterChibs yeah but if my Mac is thunderbolt, buying thunderbolt accessories makes more sense, skip the adapters and dongles for once

[@MisterChibs]

@@YonisAttiya My comment was directed towards the Fstoppers guy. You can get cheep adapters online that will give you 4k 60 with your existing hdmi cables.

[@simianinc]

It’s a shame - because thunderbolt monitors can also act as hubs - that’s what I do with mine.

[@simmsdn]

Anker's "577 Thunderbolt Docking Station" is by far the best dock I've used. I can swap out the MacBook for the Windows 11 laptop (11th gen i7, 16GB) and I don't notice a difference in performance with the dock. Same peripherals plugged in and it just works every time. Monitors, keyboard, mouse, audio interface, hard drives...all work. It's under $200 too.

[@JulianGoesPro]

Love those MacBook videos! :D But... JUST USE BLACK MAGIC Disk Speed Test! Best tool ever for testing read/write speeds!

[@Neopulse00]

Almost forgot about them. Also saw a video recently that Blackmagic have software that helps with streaming with the Canon C70 too which was something new to me.

[@intronintron2608]

I got to say, I'm really glad you invited your buddy. He sounds like me sometimes, or at least I've been through other crappy tech so I'm happy if the monitors work well haha. Keep going!!!

[@UrbaneHobbit]

Thank you for doing this. The brand names are insane, or more likely machine-generated by a computer that doesn’t speak English. Today in 2021 I’d say that the easiest clue for quality is whether the manufacturer included cables clearly marked “3” or “4” for Thunderbolt or USB version

[@ThatEngineerDude]

I use a Dell dock for my work Dell laptop and it worked perfectly for my wife's work Mac. I downloaded all the Dell drivers to her computer. After an iOs update the dual monitors stopped working. Now she still uses the dock for peripherals and 1 screen. The second screen comes through an HDMI dongle. This was our work around.

[@buddypage11]

Wow, this was worth the time to watch. Thanks. Planning on switching back to a Mac after being on Windows 10 for four years. I used Macs since 1984, and circumstances left me no choice but to use Windows 10 which I mostly really like and know well now. Glad I missed out on hub life, and even after switching back, I will make damn sure to avoid it like the plague. Rethinking some choices...

[@aman4everchanged......129]

I have the OWC dock plugged into an M1 Mini. LG ultrawide monitor using one of the three Thunderbolt ports via a Thunderbolt cable. Doing great. No issues.

[@carsandconcerts]

I was hoping that you would include the OWC Thunderbolt 4 in your reviews, Is there any chance of you including this in one of your upcoming videos? I’m switching to the Apple Mini M1 and I’m having the same problems that you are.

[@carsandconcerts]

OWC calls it The Thunderbolt Dock

[@alexsouthpb55]

CalDigit rocks! I recommend the brand because my external port has worked for me, out of the box, reliably since 2011 on my iMac to extend USB & Thunderbolt ports for an additional display.

[@dannymartial7997]

Dude on the left is like a bad product apologist LMAO The contrast in characters makes for an entertaining video

[@ibendiben]

Dude is a legend, we need a Netflix show with him. Haha.

[@mikeandersonwa]

I have a CalDigit interface, and it has worked for over a year for me with no issues. At home I only have to plug one cable in and then I have my full external monitor, external HDD, keyboard/mouse, SD Card Reader, several USB type A ports... basically I can have everything plugged into my laptop with one cable, it's super easy.

[@brettsmithphotography2463]

I feel the pain I went through a lot of grief choosing a dock. I ended up with OWC because the Caldigit one wasn’t available at the time it actually looked like to me that they were the same insides with different cases. I used Max Tech, and AppleInsider reviews to help me. I do have the LG displays that are thunderbolt and not HDMI though. I like that the thunderbolt displays also have more ports and can act as a hub/monitor all in one. Doesn’t make sense if you’re not going to invest in apple, but for me the setup works great!

[@djrightonbeat]

Are you on Monterey? My Owc doesn’t work with NEW M1 MAX

[@malfaro3l]

I concur. I bought the OWC after watching the same videos and it’s been really solid from day 1.

[@djrightonbeat]

@@malfaro3l are using with Monterey on a M1 pro or M1 Max ?

[@bobweiram6321]

Caldigit had a really good engineer. She was heavy set with a mohawk and nose rings and could chug down a 12 pack and drive home. She fixed a lot of the latency and power issues with by modifying the reference design and fixing the vendor's crappy firmware.

[@brettsmithphotography2463]

@@djrightonbeat Yes I’m on Monterey with an M1 Max too. It’s the OWC thunderbolt 4 Dock. The one with the SD card slot on the front. A little overkill now but it was what I could get the fastest at the time!

[@nattmcfee]

Sonnet Echo 11 TB4 is great. Powers the laptop, works with ethernet, 4k screen, audio interface, logitech keyboard dongle, etc. No glitches or freezes or anything. Powers up and down with no issues. Highly recommended!

[@jasonhodl9005]

Lee clearly doesn’t understand bandwidth at all, explains his problems with docks.

[@jaimeduncan6167]

You are correct. Like 100%. I am mesmerized by the spectacle.

[@JustTony72]

Love how apologetic your mate is.

[@byroncho]

This video was awesome. Laughed so hard during the flickering

[@Ben-eu8dz]

I've been using a caldigit ts3 for three of four years with zero problems. Dual 4k displays, whole bunch of USB, and charging my 2018 15" mbp, all on one cable.

[@renod42]

MAybe you should send your hdmi cables over to Linus tech tips and have them checked with their fancy tester.

[@nickmitilineos7417]

I have been using this Plugable Dock since March 2021 - UD-6950Z. It works. Yes sometimes it needs to be unplugged and replugged for no rhyme or reason but it works well most of the time and it resolves immediately.( 5 sec fix) when you need to do it. It is as or more reliable thank my Microsoft Dock 2 I had for my Surface Pro 5( that too needed to be unplugged and replugged in from time to time. Canadian it cost 169$ on Amazon. I have two monitors external monitors, two external hard drives, a mouse usb connector attached along with my speakers. It attaches with one USB- C cable to my MacBook Air M1

[@steveschnetzler5471]

You need to watch a few videos on how companies buy Amazon review, you can never trust good reviews. Bad ones, yes, but good ones, never.

[@treykeys2978]

Caldigit makes the best docs in the world hands down. Had my TS3+ for 3 years and never failed me. Worked exactly how my PC does. Honestly I'd say my old intel MacBook failed me more than the dock ever did.

[@rafrahat]

Thank you so much for your video. People saying "It works" probably does not know what is the speed they are getting. Most likely you are only good to buy High end docking stations from Belkin or Dell. I think they wont lie. I am still waiting for the day we can maybe have Mac Mini with M1 Max chip. Having a docking station which will enable transfer 2 4k displays at at least 60Hz and 10 Gigabit ethernet to connect to custom SSD server at home. :p Question: Is HDMI better or a monitors with USB C connectors?

[@pauly7218]

You want a dock? Try this! CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt 3 Dock - 87W Charging, 7X USB 3.1 Ports, USB-C Gen 2, DisplayPort, UHS-II SD Card Slot, Gigabit Ethernet for Mac & PC, Thunderbolt 4 Compatible (0.7m/2.3ft Cable). I use it with my M1 MacBook Pro, and run a ton of stuff, to include a giant LG widescreen monitor, 4 webcams, a microphone, and 8TB HD, a 1 TB HD and I use it for reading memory cards. I can stream video into OBS with audio from one camera and into Quicktime from another all at the same time! I salute your effort here and I really think, like in the PC World, some things are great and some not so much....

[@NIAtoolkit]

The weak point here is HDMI, there's barely enough bandwidth and switching capability in those docks. This Mac deserves a pair of new Thunderbolt 3 monitors

[@_Just_Some1]

I know right. Like buying a nice powerful car and fitting low quality tires!

[@mcbean1]

if lee has been using the 2 monitors in the past without issue then how can you say the monitors are the problem?

[@jaykhakh]

I've spent 14 days looking for this exact video. Thank you.

[@livius16]

Tldr don’t buy any of the ones in the video and get the Caldigit ts3+

[@homework1775]

It's not surprising that you're having a bad experience using random janky docks from no name amazon companies. I have your exact setup and have zero issues with my OWC Thunderbolt 4 dock. Also the CalDigit Thunderbolt Dock (not the USB-C one you bought) works perfectly as well. The dream is a reality if you use docks from reputable companies.

[@johnnybombas1685]

Exactly stop all this nonsense and get OWC. Done. :)

[@The-Weekend-Warrior]

Well, I've got one issue here right at the beginning... when I see USB-C dock on a product, this is not Thunderbolt. USB-C is the physical transport, Thunderbolt is a standard operating OVER a physical transport. All Thunderbolt-capable devices will be USB-C, but not all USB-C devices will support Thunderbolt. I hope it's understandable put like this.

[@Hovscorpion12]

Your Mac won’t support 3 monitors since you own the M1 Pro chip. In order to have 3 monitors, it requires the M1 Max which can support 6.

[@koo3144]

M1 Pro does support two external monitors and the laptop's internal one.

[@Hovscorpion12]

@@koo3144 AH. Got a bit confused if he was referring to a third monitor or referring to the MacBook screen

[@alltheway99]

Mac is the super product that works until you start using it

[@robcoventry574]

I have Caldigit and use it every day. Works like a charm. Glad to see you aggree

[@longwinded3871]

Nah I need this in a series😂😂😂😂

[@rainkleyman9976]

You could not use the Wavlink dock, because it needs the DispayLink driver to be installed. Written in quick start guide black on white :)

[@chrispeden979]

There are literally only 3 dock brands you should consider for mac hardware. OWC, CalDigit and Elgato. Period.

[@BelTricky]

What about Kensington ?

[@alexmm01]

I am glad to know that I am not the only one who has had problems with these. I've used several and they all have problems if you overload them or one device just will not work no matter what. I thought I just had bad luck. The problem is rampant and I had no idea.

[@Humcrush]

Many of these aren't Thunderbolt, they're just USB-C.

[@MiltonGeorges]

Those wireless mouse / controller receiver dongles sometimes need to be spaced away from the dock or USB port due to interference generated by the device. There are USB extension cables that solve for this.

[@mister_aanderson]

As a fix to your issue regarding one monitor staying off when the monitors go to sleep and come back on, just change the two cable types. Use one HDMI cable and one USB/Thunderbolt cable. I thought this was a pretty well known/documented issue, but perhaps not. Hope this helps save someone from going crazy.

[@lumilikha]

My Hyper Drive works okay so far... It's been with me since the start of the pandemic and it's still good.

[@markpolesznyak7756]

I currently have the CalDigit TS4 and it's amazing. It has 18 ports, it charges your laptop with a maximum of 98W and your phone(through a USB-C port on the front) with 20W. It also has 2 Thunderbolt ports, which can do Dual 6K@60Hrz(Pro Display XDR) and it has 2.5GbE, with 1 big problem: it's $380 in the US(on their website)

[@kunkun3287]

CalDigit TS4 the best for sure, having it with me for more than half year. The only complain that I have is Apple, the Macbook is the bottleneck now! Why only 2 external displays on M1 Pro whereas their Intel counterpart supports 4?

[@donaldschultz3752]

The passion in which he says the dock is trash is great!

[@theshawnfussellband]

The Plugable TBT4-HUB3C is great, too. Worked from the moment I hooked it up and almost a year later I've had no problems. I leave it on the entire time I'm working and no problems what so ever. Does multiple displays, gets full TB4 speeds, etc. Best one I've tried.

[@duhauaxel]

I'm a PC guy, following Linus advice i've bought a caldigit ts3 and works like a charm

[@dominic-james]

Caldigit TS3+ for home use and a Caldigit Soho Dock for travelling plus you can plug it into your TS3+ if you need more ports. All connected via one Thunderbolt 4 connection. It’s also really key that you use Thunderbolt 3 or 4 cables only if you want the maximum transfer speeds. And final, don’t waste your money of Pre-built SSD’s, get a Sabrient Rocket NVMe card and a thunderbolt 4 case, you’ll be getting 2880mb a second 👍🏼👍🏼

[@WordupG]

Cool, what case do you like?

[@dominic-james]

I have a Acasis USB 4.0 SSD Enclosure Model: TBU401 It’s small, all metal and toolless.

[@amberematos]

I haven’t watched the whole video yet but I’m grateful and excited because it’s been a mess trying to get things that work.

[@vorpled]

I’ve been using the ALOGIC Universal Dual 4K Docking Station with 65W Power Delivery with great success on my M1 Mac Mini. It’s been rock solid.

[@superduck97]

Yup.. me too. Alogic thunderbolt 3 Dual 4K. Have everything hooked up to it.Cam, speaker, mouse, keyboard, hd, chargers, mic, dual monitors, a microscope, an extra usb hub.. and then some. Just works. On M1 MB Air.

[@lagautmd]

I think one take-home message is that nobody should trust Amazon reviews, at all.

[@lucidf8]

Yes, either Caldigit or OWC has worked well for me. Should be fine and will last, mine have.

[@drewarmstrong4325]

I have a new Macbook pro with the M1Max, I have BOTH a OWC Thunderbolt 4 Hub and a Thunderbolt 3 Dock, Both take separate power but both work great. Right now I have 2 4K and a 5K display hooked up to my Macbook. I also have a 10 port USB 3.2 Hub hooked to the Thunderbolt 3 hub and have many drives hooked to that. I have a Thunderbay 8 hooked up via Thunderbolt 3 and two drobos also hooked up one is an 8D an one is a 5D3. It all works. And I have a free thunderbolt 4 port on the mac. Make sure your cables are working. They look the same but they are ALL different. You MUST have the thunderbolt 3 or 4 symbol on the cable if you expect that it is one. Even then... reputable companies are important so no one passes one off on you that is not legit Thunderbolt 3 or 4.

[@ROYALVIDEOS_ROYALVIDEOS]

Is it ok if i ask if this all docks work on my thunderbolt 4 Windows laptop pleas. Thank you great video good luck.

[@The-Weekend-Warrior]

I see you have a bunch of "device disconnected" alerts on the right. Did that occur on its own or you unplugged the SSD without ejecting it? You should always eject a drive before unplugging it or you risk corrupting the contents. If it occurs on its own, that means the connection is not stable.

[@ODH3]

The CalDigit TB4/USB4 Element Hub is a monster for speed and rock solid

[@mrfuzztone]

Thunderbolt at 40Gbps can power lots of outputs in a dock. That 40 is 4X the speed of USB 3 Gen 2 with a type C connector. Note that thunderbolt and high speed USB 3 both use the type C connecter. Thunderbolt has a special label to inform the user of the difference. It is also true that you can plug a USB 3 device into most Thunderbolt 3 outputs. It will run at 10Gbps instead of 40Gbps. If you have the wrong cable type, Thunderbolt may only run at 20Gbps. A lot of people mix up Thunderbolt and the type C connector. Related but different.

[@EricParker]

I once bought a dongle from London Drugs for TB3 to Displayport and it wasn't even physically correct, you could only fit the DP cable in half way. No idea how some of these things ever make it out into the wild.

[@AZMTB]

The Anker dock does not work with the new MBP's with the M chips. Only the Intel chips. I've been looking for a dock for my 16" MBP with the M1, thanks for this video!

[@basically_chris]

A KZbinr was using a Dell U2720Q usc hub monitor. To put it differently, he was using “the dell-made hub that’s integrated into the monitor”. Way better than these hubs.

[@michaelrayburn8038]

For a dock I use the CalDigit TS3 Plus which has thunderbolt 3 over USB-C connector. Then also has any ports. For the fastest speed using SSD you need a SSD with Thunderbolt 3 or 4 enclosure which connects using a usb-c. The speed you will get is 40 Gbit transfer speed. usb-c is only 10 Gbit.

[@luckyduck1985]

I've had amazing reliability with OWC Docks. Recently got their Thunderbolt pro Dock. $300 and has 10GBe built into it.

[@davejezierski8950]

Try the Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock for Mac : Thunderbolt 4 Certified - 10 Ports in One - Dual 4K or Single 8K Video - Windows, Mac, and Thunderbolt 3 Compatible - Mercury White on Amazon. It works with my 14" M1 Pro and 16" M1 Max. I run two 32" Dell 4K UltraSharp's via Thunderbolt 4, Ethernet, USB 3.1 to the monitor hubs, and USB to Audio Interface. It all works and has been solid.