Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Pro
full review
Belkin sells a range of different Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C docking stations that add multiple ports and power to your laptop.
The Thunderbolt 3 Dock Pro, as its name suggests, is its top-end docking station. Like other recent docks, it uses the modern Titan Range chipset that means it can be used by both Thunderbolt 3 (T3) and USB-C laptops. Previously, T3 docks were incompatible with USB-C laptops, while USB-C docks would work with T3 but at the lower Type C bandwidth.
Apple’s MacBooks all now boast T3 ports, so this hybrid functionality will be useful only if you also have a USB-C laptop that might share the dock. Apple’s older 12in MacBook did feature USB-C rather than T3.
This dock will work with both Macs and Windows PCs and laptops.
The Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Pro can connect two external displays to the laptop at high resolutions, and has an impressive array of ports in a compact, horizontal form and smart aluminium casing.
Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Pro features
- Thunderbolt 3 connection to laptop (40Gbps; 85W)
- One rear-facing Thunderbolt 3 port (40Gbps; 16.5W) – can connect to video adapter for external display
- DisplayPort 1.4 – 4K at 60Hz. Up to 8K at 30Hz for single display
- One front-facing USB-A port (10Gbps) with 7.5W BC 1.2 charging
- One front-facing USB-C port (10Gbps; 7.5W)
- Four rear-facing USB-A ports (5Gbps; 4.5W)
- Gigabit Ethernet for wired Internet connection
- Front-facing combination Audio In/Out port
- Front-facing SD Card reader (UHS-II)
- 170W power supply
What’s impressive about the Pro Dock’s display capabilities is its ability to run very high display resolutions, especially when using just one external monitor.
If connecting a single external display to a T3 laptop, the Pro Dock can reach an 8K (7680 x 4320) resolution at 30Hz, or 4K (3840 x 2160) at 60Hz.
When connecting to a USB-C laptop, a single display can be 5K (5120 x 3200) at 30Hz, or 4K (3840 x 2160) at 30Hz.
If connecting two external displays to a T3 laptop, the Pro Dock can reach 4K (3840 x 2160) at 60Hz.
When connecting to a USB-C laptop, two displays can be 4K (3840 x 2160) at 30Hz, or 1080P at 60Hz.
Like most of its rivals, the pro Dock features DisplayPort rather than HDMI. If you want to connect to an HDMI display, you’ll need an adapter, such as Belkin’s USB-C to HDMI Adapter that also allows for charging up to 60W.
The SD Card slot supports Ultra-High-Speed II (UHS-II), to transfer data quickly at up to 312MBps speed. Some docks’ SD readers are compatible only with the slower UHS-I,
Its 170W power supply unit allows the T3 Pro Dock to provide 85W of power for the connected laptop. You can also charge phones or tablets from the front-facing USB ports, at 7.5W.
It’s not often we see a USB 3.1 Gen.2 Type A port, so it’s a bonus on the front of the T3 Pro Dock.
Verdict
The sleek Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Pro is a top-end docking station that boasts a lot of high-speed ports, and impressive range of display resolutions.
It can connect to both Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C laptops or PCs (Mac and Windows), and is capable of very high display resolutions on single and dual displays.
Author: Simon Jary, SVP Consumer Worldwide
Simon was Editor of Macworld before Steve Jobs returned to Apple. Today he specialises in accessories – USB-C docks, battery cases and chargers – that make life much easier for Mac and iPhone users.
Via MACWORLD