Cheapest DisplayLink adapter for M1 MacBooks?

[andromedaan]

Does anyone know the cheapest DisplayLink adapter? I wanna run two external displays.
I'd prefer an adapter, as opposed to a dock. Because I already have a CalDigit TS3+ dock.

 

[Deccr]

What is the resolution of the external monitors you want to connect to?

Some DisplayLink adapters are 1080p only, whereas others go up to 4K.

I have a StarTech 1080p one (which is a dock), I managed to find on eBay:

Docking Station - USB 3.0 HDMI & DVI/VGA - USB-A Docking Stations | Universal Laptop Docking Stations | StarTech.com United Kingdom

Dual Monitor USB 3.0 Laptop Docking Station, HDMI & DVI/VGA, 3x USB-A Hub, GbE, Audio, Universal USB-A Dock, Win/Mac, TAA | United Kingdom

www.startech.com

They also have DisplayLink only adapters - which support 4K @60Hz:

Adapter USB to Dual DisplayPort 4K 60Hz - USB-A Display Adapters | Display & Video Adapters | StarTech.com United Kingdom

USB 3.0 to Dual DisplayPort Adapter, 4K 60Hz, USB to Dual DP Display Adapter, Dual DisplayPort Adapter for Mac/Windows | United Kingdom

www.startech.com

 

[bstegner]

Not sure what the cheapest is, but DisplayLink has a website where you can search all of the products that uses the DisplayLink technology... Here is the list of Adapters...

DisplayLink Products | Synaptics

Where to buy DisplayLink productsDisplayLink technology appears in a wide range of products from the world's leading PC and peripheral brands. It features in docking stations, monitors, adapters, and more.Products with DisplayLink technology are supported on Windows, macOS, Android and Chrome OS...

www.displaylink.com

 

[joevt]

Use the DisplayLink website to find products. Select the number of ports you want and the minimum resolution. The following link has two dual-port adapters and the rest are single port adapters:

DisplayLink Products | Synaptics

Where to buy DisplayLink productsDisplayLink technology appears in a wide range of products from the world's leading PC and peripheral brands. It features in docking stations, monitors, adapters, and more.Products with DisplayLink technology are supported on Windows, macOS, Android and Chrome OS...

www.displaylink.com

Since you want two displays, you need two single port adapters or one dual port adapter.
Maybe two single port adapters will have better performance if you can connect them to two different USB buses. I believe the CalDigit TS3+ has at least two USB buses (one from the downstream Thunderbolt port, and the other from one of the USB ports)

The output from the following commands should give all the info about the CalDigit TS3+:

system_profiler SPUSBDataType SPPCIDataType > system_profile.txt
ioreg -filrw0 -c IOPCIDevice > ioregpci.txt

 

[andromedaan]

Thank you for the helpful replies. The DisplayLink website's search is indeed handy. I just have two 1080p monitors, but getting a 4K display soon.

The cheapest adapters seem to be around $50. I've seen some cheaper ones on AliExpress but not sure if they are any good.

 

[brvaland]

@andromedaan is it possible for you to share link for that $50 - adapter ? I have requirement to connect two 1080p screen.