OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock review: Competes with top docking station options but demands a steep price
Source: Windows Central
OWC makes many great PC accessories, and its docking station lineup competes with some of the best Thunderbolt iii docks out in that location today. Aluminum beat, host laptop charging, and high-res display support are all included, equally well as fourteen full ports. I've been using it for a couple of weeks for all connectivity purposes to run into what it's all nearly and, ultimately, whether or non it's worth a buy.
14 Full Ports
OWC Thunderbolt iii Dock
Bottom line: The OWC Thunderbolt 3 dock brings xiii ports (14 with the host) for outstanding connectivity, and it will charge your laptop with upward to 85W of power. Just be certain you lot don't desire full DisplayPort and don't mind paying a chip more than compared to the direct contest.
Pros
- UHS-Ii SD and microSD readers
- Downstream Thunderbolt three
- 85W of charging power to host
- Dual 4K@60Hz brandish support
- Sturdy aluminum construction
Cons
- Uses Mini DisplayPort
- SD carte du jour readers employ 1 chipset
- Relatively expensive
What I beloved about the OWC Thunderbolt three dock
Source: Windows Central
OWC'southward Thunderbolt three dock follows the standard design that nearly like hardware is using, with a flat, rectangular chassis and ports on front and dorsum. The dock is ringed past a "Space Gray" colored aluminum wall that provides rigidity, with a blackness plastic height and bottom. It weighs in at just more than a pound (0.5kg) and measures nine inches (23cm) wide. There'due south non really an option for standing this dock up vertically, so yous volition need to keep some space open on your desk. The dock has four safe feet on the bottom that successfully go along it from slipping around when multiple cables are connected.
| Category | Spec |
|---|---|
| Front end ports | USB-C iii.1 (Gen ii) USB-A iii.one (Gen one) 3.5mm sound SD card reader microSD bill of fare reader |
| Rear ports | Two Thunderbolt 3 (ane host) Mini DisplayPort i.2 Four USB-A 3.1 (Gen 1) Ethernet S/PDIF |
| Max brandish res | 5K at 60Hz Dual 4K at 60Hz |
| Power commitment | Up to 85W |
| Dimensions | nine.0 (W) x 3.5 (D) ten 1.0 (H) inches (23cm ten 8.9cm 10 2.5cm) |
| Weight | one.2 pounds (0.5kg) |
| Warranty | Two years |
Included in the box are a sizable power supply and a removable Thunderbolt 3 host cable. With everything connected, your laptop gets access to xiii actress ports, the fourteenth being the host Thunderbolt iii port. The rear of the dock has most of the connectivity, including iv USB-A 3.1 (Gen one), S/PDIF Out, Ethernet, downstream Thunderbolt 3 (and the other for host), Mini DisplayPort, and a barrel adapter plug. You tin connect many devices and non worry nearly cable clutter thanks to the rear orientation.
The front of the dock is home to ports that are often being plugged and unplugged, like a microSD card reader, SD menu reader, 3.5mm sound jack, USB-A 3.1 (Gen 1), and USB-C 3.1 (Gen 2). Testing the SD bill of fare reader, I got back a read speed of 275.fifteen MB/s and write speed of 141.two MB/s, solid results that bespeak it's a UHS-II reader. Testing once again with the MicroSD slot, I saw 274.29 MB/southward read and 152.26 MB/due south write speeds, meaning it's also able to realize the full potential of UHS-Ii cards. The microSD carte reader has a "click and stick" function that keeps it secure (and almost flush) in the reader, while the SD card sticks out a bit and uses a friction hold.
The host Thunderbolt 3 cable tin can evangelize upwards to 85W of charging ability back to a laptop, which is plenty to continue just about any Ultrabook topped up. If y'all're using a laptop with a dedicated GPU and high-end CPU, you might not exist able to keep the battery charged, but for something like my Dell XPS thirteen, there were no issues. USB ports on the dock besides offer charging capabilities. I got about 6.5W of charging power from the front USB-A port and one rear "high-ability" USB-A port. The other 3 USB-A ports on the back of the dock offered upward about only about 0.3W and are intended for data transfer. The USB-C port on the front delivered about 10W of ability.
One thing lacking from the CalDigit USB-C Pro docking I besides reviewed is downstream Thunderbolt 3. That'south alleviated here with an extra Thunderbolt three port aside from the host cable. You can connect and even daisy-chain multiple Thunderbolt 3 devices from this port. Say you have a couple of picks from our best NAS for domicile collection also as an extra Thunderbolt three display, yous can theoretically run these from the same port. It will depend on the hardware you accept, though, and do note that the dock does not support Multi-Stream Transport (MST).
The OWC Thunderbolt 3 dock handles up to a unmarried 5K display at a 60Hz refresh rate through the Thunderbolt 3 port connected direct to a monitor with Thunderbolt 3. Otherwise, y'all're looking at dual 4K at a 60Hz refresh charge per unit with a combination of Thunderbolt 3 and Mini DisplayPort ane.2. That will provide a decent setup for most people, and it can all be ejected at one time with a fancy footling piece of "Dock Ejector" software available for download from OWC.
What I dislike most the OWC Thunderbolt 3 dock
Source: Windows Key
OWC'southward Thunderbolt three dock does a lot right, and I really didn't come up across any issues in my daily workflow. However, there are some things to note. If you're ane who wants to run software or write large files to SD and microSD cards simultaneously, you will run into problems due to both readers using the same controller chip. Attempting to simultaneously read or write from both cards didn't pan out when testing, though I could motion files from ane card to another without issue.
On a dock that costs more than most of the contest, information technology would also be nice to see a full DisplayPort rather than Mini DisplayPort. Having to pull out an adapter to connect a standard DisplayPort cable isn't going to stop a monitor from existence plugged in, but information technology is annoying. And when at that place are competing docking stations on the marketplace — similar the CalDigit TS3 Plus — that costs considerably less money and all the same bring features like 85W charging, similar ports (with full-size DisplayPort and downstream Thunderbolt 3), loftier-res display support, and a more compact build, information technology might be tough to justify opting for OWC'south dock. At least unless yous absolutely need the microSD card reader, since the TS3 Plus only has full-size SD.
Should y'all buy the OWC Thunderbolt 3 dock?
Source: Windows Central
As Ultrabooks slim down and shed ports, OWC'south Thunderbolt 3 dock is an fantabulous addition to most workflows that require multiple accessories and monitors. Having the majority of ports on the dorsum makes for easy cablevision direction, y'all get a microSD and SD card reader (though they use the same controller chip), 85W of charging keeps your laptop bombardment topped upward, and downstream Thunderbolt 3 makes information technology possible to daisy-chain compatible devices.
The Mini DisplayPort volition probable require an adapter, which is a pain, simply other than that, this is a well-rounded dock. Merely watch out for the cost; the mighty CalDigit TS3 Plus tin generally be found for less money. And if you plan on using multiple laptops, some with only USB-C and some with full Thunderbolt iii, the CalDigit USB-C Pro dock is also a cracking option.
14 Full Ports
OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock
A lot of connectivity and 85W of charging dorsum to your laptop
OWC's Thunderbolt 3 dock offers merely almost every port you demand for a healthy workflow, all wrapped upwards in a sturdy aluminum shell.
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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/owc-thunderbolt-3-dock-review
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