Super Sticky Thread for USB-C Docks, Cables and Accessories [MERGED]

[danqi]

Can someone bring me up to speed on USB-C cables? I'm upgrading to a USB-C Mac for the first time and am buying this Sabrent HDD/SDD enclosure. Unfortunately, it only comes wth a USB-C to USB-A cable. So I need to buy an additional C to C cable.

I've heard that there are all kinds of USB-C cables, with different speeds, adhering to different specs and widely different levels of quality.

What should I be looking out for? What are some good manufacturers?

 

[dwig]

You want a USB-C to USB-C cable that supports "USB 3.2 gen 2" or "USB 3.1 gen 2" data speeds.

check out:

USB 3.2 explained: Making sense of current and confusing USB standards

Get to know the different versions of USB 3.2 as you await the arrival of USB 4.

www.cnet.com

 

[HaddockW]

I have a very simple litmus test. Plug in cable to a new Sandisk Extreme SSD. Does it give me 900 MB/sec read and writes? if so, it is 10G. Since we dont support 3.2 gen 2 (20 Gb/s), I don't care unless it is Thunderbolt4. And for Thunderbolt4 /USB4, I have a different drive Samsung X5. Does that cable offer me 2.7 Gig/sec reads.

Some cables are not advertised as 3.1 gen 2 but surely, they perform as such.

 

[Clonetrooper]

So I find the 2 USB c on my Mac mini limiting. I have one going to my Monitor and another has an external ssd. I'm trying to find a hub just to expand those ports. I have plenty of USB-a on my monitor.

Anything I should be looking at other than a Caldigit Elements TB4 hub? Mostly I bill be plugging in more external storage/time machine drive.

 

[enricoclaudio]

So I find the 2 USB c on my Mac mini limiting. I have one going to my Monitor and another has an external ssd. I'm trying to find a hub just to expand those ports. I have plenty of USB-a on my monitor.

Anything I should be looking at other than a Caldigit Elements TB4 hub? Mostly I bill be plugging in more external storage/time machine drive.

I got the Caldigit Element TB4 Dock and the Satechi TB4 Dock. The Caldigit went back to Amazon and kept the Satechi. While the Satechi is more expensive ($50 more) I found it more versatile and I have had zero glitches plugged into my Mac Studio. I'm using it to connect my G-Drive SSD and G-Drive Time machine backup drive plus a USB-A 3.2 Gen2 hub. I also tested it with my 14" MBP M1 Pro and it works perfectly fine driving my pair of ASDs at full 5K @ 60Hz. Not to mention that the AC power adapter on the Caldigit is insanely LARGE and only charges your MBP at 60watts while the Satechi charges it at full 96 watts and the AC power adapter is normal size.

 

[HaddockW]

Some Thunderbolt/USB-C acquisitions in the last month.

So I have a few home offices in my house - bedroom, den,basement. Everyone in the household has a usb-c or Thunderbolt laptop so I like the single cable solution.

I bought the following:

OWC 4 port Thunderbolt Hub. I liked it so much, I ordered a second one from the refurb section at macsales for $139.When it arrived, the second one was literally brand new. So I scored on the second one.

I got four smaller TB3 "mini-dock" - A belkin one, a Monoprice, and an Elgato. They all seem to be the same. 2 video out, 1 USB 3, 1 USB 2 and ethernet. The Elgato has one DP and one HDMI. ButI bought them all used on ebay, $30,. Just search "mini thunderbolt 3 dock" and you will see various ones. They work great. I have a dozen or so USB-C dongles of various makes from Amazon. But they all have some weirdness like 4K/30 and non gigabit 10/100 ethernet. There is only so much bandwidth you can push via USB-C vs TB3. I got 1G Xfinity so the ethernet speed needs to hit 900 Megabits. All the TB3 does it no problems.

I also got a
Kensington LD5400T Thunderbolt 3 for $79 on Amazon. I have this in my garage. It is BIG and bulky. Doesn't seem like you can use DisplayPort and TB3 video at the same time. Only 1 video.

I also got a Elgato TB3 dock from Costco - $139. My previous Caldigit TS3+ died after 4/5 years of use. Caldigit TS4 is not in place,.

I got to say, I like the OWC TB4 hub. I don't need all the extra stuff and the OWC has a small footprint. It is the only hub that fits in the cubby of one of my desk. An expensive Herman Miller George Nelson desk. It fits inside the last cubby and is out of site.

I also looked into some USB-C only hubs. I dont have much USB devices. Everything I have - keyboard, mouse, webcam, etc are all usb-c now.
The Satechi $49 one on amazon isn't worth it. Slow. It has 4 USB-C ports. I ended buy a 2 port USB-C, 2 port USB A. It is the fastest portable hub

SSK USB C 10Gbps Hub, 4 on Amazon.​

The above is $19 and well worth it out of the dozen or so I tested. How do I test this? I have a few portable NVME USB-C enclosures and a TB4 enclosure with some Samsung EVO. if black magic reports 900 MB/sec reads/writes, the hub is good for me. If it is 300-500 MB/sec, they get sent back to Amazon.

 

[platinumaqua]

Looking for either
* thunderbolt 3 travel dock with 10Gbps USB-A (USB 3.1/3.2 Gen 2) ports and gigabit Ethernet. It should not require a power adapter to function.

OR

* USB-C hub with 10Gbps USB-A (USB 3.1/3.2 Gen 2) ports and 2.5Gbps Ethernet

Display output ports are not required. If included, I prefer having 1xDisplayPort and no HDMI ports

 

[polyphenol]

SSK USB C 10Gbps Hub, 4 on Amazon.

Got one (UK price same number but pounds rather than dollars).

Have not tested it for speed - but it works just fine on my M1 mini and allows me to have three external drives permanently connected, and a printer, and still have the option to connect other things to USB-A or USB-C - such as memory sticks and a memory card reader (neither needed all the time).

All I need now is a simple USB-C to Ethernet device to allow me to plug in my MBP, if I want.

 

[JulianN30]

Disclaimer: I am entirely new to the Apple Ecosystem and really need some help

I have a MacBook Pro 14" m1 pro 8 core.
I have 3 monitors, 2 4k/60hz and 1 fullhd/60hz, all have HDMI and DP input
I have several USB A devices

Ideally, I want a dock that allows me to use all three displays with my MacBook (it can be in clamshell for that)
I read about DisplayLink docks working to make the regular m1 models use 3 displays.
I also read about Displayport daisy-chaining and read that this does not work with the m1 pro.
I read a lot and am now way more confused than when I started about which docks/software would allow me to use my 3 monitors, if at all.
Going down to two monitors would make it easier as many docks seem to support that for the m1 pro.


In addition, I would love it if anyone has an idea of how to connect my windows desktop computer OR my MacBook and only have to press a button or 1 cable for that, I know KVMs exist, but with the dock in between I don't think that works?

Thank you so much!

 

[thedon1]

I want something to get some USB A and USB C ports for my Studio Display, don't really need any of the functionality of the pricier docks. Is there anything like this?

 

[Steveatesh]

Waiting for delivery of my Studio and a studio display, moving from 2014 iMac.

I have a few peripherals all with USB A connectors, but none of them are particularly demanding in terms of speed…..so a couple Time Machine spinning disc hard drives, flat bed scanner, printer, tablet (for photo editing) And a 4 port generic USB A hub.

they don’t all have to be connected all of the time (apart from the time machine drives) is it important to get the Apple USB A to USB C connector or will any adapter do?

I’m looking at the Amazon Basics USB A to USB C or the Syntech USB C to USB 3.1 adapter which is £7.99 for two…. Will they do the job please?

 

[willie45]

Man. Windows guys must reckon were outputting up with Apple's Rubix connector puzzle. I have 5 Macs, two iPads two iPhones, and a watch. I can't connect any of them with a wire without resorting to an array of dongles or connectors. Don't even get me started about charging them in. Sometimes I really find it hard to understand my loyalty

 

[N9JIG]

I got the Caldigit Element TB4 Dock and the Satechi TB4 Dock. The Caldigit went back to Amazon and kept the Satechi. While the Satechi is more expensive ($50 more) I found it more versatile and I have had zero glitches plugged into my Mac Studio. I'm using it to connect my G-Drive SSD and G-Drive Time machine backup drive plus a USB-A 3.2 Gen2 hub. I also tested it with my 14" MBP M1 Pro and it works perfectly fine driving my pair of ASDs at full 5K @ 60Hz. Not to mention that the AC power adapter on the Caldigit is insanely LARGE and only charges your MBP at 60watts while the Satechi charges it at full 96 watts and the AC power adapter is normal size.

I am thinking you meant the CalDigit TS-4 dock, if so that charges at 98 watts, ever so slightly more than the Satechi. It always keeps my MBP-14 M1Max fully charged and runs two 32 inch 2560x1440 monitors with no problems. Yes, the power brick is huge but for me that isn't an issue since I have it on an under-shelf below my desk out of sight.

I will look into the Satechi, I have had a couple of their products in the past and like them.

 

[hj8ag]

Man. Windows guys must reckon were outputting up with Apple's Rubix connector puzzle. I have 5 Macs, two iPads two iPhones, and a watch. I can't connect any of them with a wire without resorting to an array of dongles or connectors. Don't even get me started about charging them in. Sometimes I really find it hard to understand my loyalty

Just a warning to you back in 2016 - the next few years are crazy! Watch out for 2020 in particular.

 

[polyphenol]

Man. Windows guys must reckon were outputting up with Apple's Rubix connector puzzle. I have 5 Macs, two iPads two iPhones, and a watch. I can't connect any of them with a wire without resorting to an array of dongles or connectors. Don't even get me started about charging them in. Sometimes I really find it hard to understand my loyalty

Got a similar problem with two game wardens, seven hunters, and a cow. The fender attachments are all different.

 

[Davidnguyen_89]

whats a good laptop stand to purchase. so airflow from the laptop goes out. havent quite able to find a good one yet so i can setup on my desk alongside my desktop monitor.

 

[baselinegrid]

Could someone please recommend me an affordable dongle for an iMac 27 2019 which I can use to connect an HDMI cable and a 10GBPS usb-c external drive at the same time? I can only find more expensive dongles with more ports than the two I need.

The monitor is only 30fps 1080p so nothing fancy.

I should add that I only have 1 usb-c port left spare to use.

 

[platinumaqua]

Looking for a USB-C 2.5 inch enclosure that is 10 Gbps compatible on MBP 14".

Enclosures using the ASM235CM chip is limited to 5 Gbps on MBP 14"

 

[adib]

whats a good laptop stand to purchase. so airflow from the laptop goes out. havent quite able to find a good one yet so i can setup on my desk alongside my desktop monitor.

U3 CoolCold Aluminium Laptop Cooling Holder Notebook Cooler Stand

 

[toke lahti]

U3 CoolCold Aluminium Laptop Cooling Holder Notebook Cooler Stand

If active cooling is needed, I'd choose one with gib one fan like:

SOUNDANCE Laptop Cooling Pad with Low-Noise Fan and 3.0 USB Hubs, Ventilated Laptop Cooler Prevent Overheating, Ergonomic Laptop Stand Support Up to 17” Gaming Notebook Computer, Aluminum

SOUNDANCE Laptop Cooling Pad with Low-Noise Fan and 3.0 USB Hubs, Ventilated Laptop Cooler Prevent Overheating, Ergonomic Laptop Stand Support Up to 17” Gaming Notebook Computer, Aluminum

www.amazon.com

or

Trust.com - Exto Cooling Stand for laptops up to 16 inch

Stylish aluminium laptop cooling stand with large 180mm fan and adjustable height

www.trust.com

 

[Chris Pink]

What I need is power (feel it!). But not lots of outputs. I want to take the load off of my MBP 2021 16". I need around 3-4 USB-C (but I've got a passive dock if I need more temporarily) and maybe a USB-A but this is optional - again I've got a passive... .

But I'd like something fairly lightweight.

I can only find small docks that don't do power or large docks that take up lots of room and have ports I don't need. Fast charging is not a deal breaker as when I'm using it I want to take the load off the Mac battery (I've just killed one by using a portable monitor, 1 SSD and 1HHD on a regular basis)

So, any recommendations for a dock that will provide power to peripherals and the Mac but be lightweight enough to carry around?

Another question. All the docks I've seen have their own PSU. Are there any that will use the Mac PSU?

 

[adib]

What I need is power (feel it!). But not lots of outputs. I want to take the load off of my MBP 2021 16". I need around 3-4 USB-C (but I've got a passive dock if I need more temporarily) and maybe a USB-A but this is optional - again I've got a passive... .

But I'd like something fairly lightweight.

I can only find small docks that don't do power or large docks that take up lots of room and have ports I don't need. Fast charging is not a deal breaker as when I'm using it I want to take the load off the Mac battery (I've just killed one by using a portable monitor, 1 SSD and 1HHD on a regular basis)

So, any recommendations for a dock that will provide power to peripherals and the Mac but be lightweight enough to carry around?

Another question. All the docks I've seen have their own PSU. Are there any that will use the Mac PSU?

That's the primary difference between a dock and a hub. Docks are expected to provide power to the laptop, hence they have their own power supply (adaptor). That's why it is called a docking station. Hubs do not provide power to the laptop, albeit some can pass-through power.

The best bet for you would be to use a hub with a USB-C power delivery pass-through. Then get a compact GAN-based power adaptor. Baseus has a number of options for both, depending on your exact needs.

 

[Chris Pink]

Is there such a thing as a TS4 Dock that uses the Mac power supply?

 

[toke lahti]

That's the primary difference between a dock and a hub. Docks are expected to provide power to the laptop, hence they have their own power supply (adaptor). That's why it is called a docking station. Hubs do not provide power to the laptop, albeit some can pass-through power.

The best bet for you would be to use a hub with a USB-C power delivery pass-through. Then get a compact GAN-based power adaptor. Baseus has a number of options for both, depending on your exact needs.

Caldigit Element Hub has it's own power supply ansd offers 60W to the host.
Would you call it a "hub station"?

Btw, for the last decade, I have bought only usb hubs that have their own PSU. All of them offer power to clients, not to the host.
Things are changing.

 

[Chris Pink]

Caldigit Element Hub has it's own power supply ansd offers 60W to the host.
Would you call it a "hub station"?

Btw, for the last decade, I have bought only usb hubs that have their own PSU. All of them offer power to clients, not to the host.
Things are changing.

My conclusion is that what I was looking for does not exist.

In fact I have bought the Sonnet Echo 5. So I now have two power supplies, 100W for the Echo and another 140W for the MacBook, which is not currently used. This seems both a waste of materials and money (not to mention the MagSafe port) as the one with the Echo is not a cheap looking unit.

But my point remains; I did not need another power supply, simply a way of routing power directly to the peripherals without involving the MacBook's power system - I believe it is by using the MacBook for power distribution (especially in the heat of this summer) that my last MacBook only lasted just over two years and now has faults both in the battery and in the SMC.

So whether I need a hub or a dock is irrelevant. Is the Echo 5 a dock or a hub? It has power but a minimum of ports.

There is definitely, in my opinion, a market need for a powered hub (or dock) that uses the Mac PSU. A drawback of the Echo (and any other similar unit I believe) is that is won't work passively.