Belkin launches dual-powered Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core for Mac

Belkin on Monday introduced a new dual-powered Thunderbolt 3 dock that allows users to connect multiple peripherals and storage devices to a mobile workstation like MacBook.

Touted as the "world's first" Thunderbolt-certified dual-powered dock, Belkin's Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core features 40 Gbps transfer rates, 60W upstream charging — good enough for a MacBook Pro — and support for two 4K 60Hz monitors or one 8K monitor.

The small box is bristling with ports including one each of the following: USB-C, DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, 1Gb Ethernet, USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, USB-A 2.0 and 3.5mm audio in/out. A tethered Thunderbolt 3 cable connects directly to a host Mac or Windows laptop.

"Belkin's Thunderbolt 3 docks and adapters are perfect for remote workers, be it from the home, an RV beach vacation or a hotel room," said Jon Roepke, director of product management at Belkin. "They easily connect a USB-C laptop to virtually all common peripherals like displays, projectors, external hard drives, ethernet and speakers, so they can get to work quickly and easily without needing to be their own IT department."

Dual-power is a major selling point for the Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core. The feature enables connected devices to draw power from a connected laptop instead of wall outlet, eschewing the need for extra equipment.

The Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core will sell for $169.99 when it launches in July. Those interested can preorder now from Amazon and Belkin.

6 Comments

agilealtitude 165 comments · 6 Years

About 4 years ago

60 watts of upstream charge is not sufficient for 16” MBPs. I’ve read that even a 15” MBP can easily draw 57 watts without being stressed.

drhamad 34 comments · 18 Years

60w is plenty for a 15" tMBP. I don't know about a 16. No, it won't charge as fast as it is designed to, but it's more than enough to run it.

That being said, and to your point, I wouldn't want to have it as my primary charging station at only 60w, which as a $170 dock, it should be.

commentzilla 777 comments · 10 Years

Dual-power is not much of a selling point. I'll stick with my 87w CalDigit TB3 dock. It's a bit pricier but has a lot more functionality. If I want something laptop powered on the go, there are plenty of USB-C dock for $20-$30 dollars. No not 8K but this product seems to only have a small niche of buyers considering the alternatives.

jeffharris 851 comments · 22 Years

commentzilla said:

Dual-power is not much of a selling point. I'll stick with my 87w CalDigit TB3 dock. It's a bit pricier but has a lot more functionality. If I want something laptop powered on the go, there are plenty of USB-C dock for $20-$30 dollars. No not 8K but this product seems to only have a small niche of buyers considering the alternatives.

The CalDigit TB3 Plus is a great dock! The price has dropped recently, too.
87W is perfect for my i9 2019 MBP 15".

Naiyas 108 comments · 8 Years

Interested to know when it will hit the UK stores. Only issue from my point of view is the lack of USB C ports for peripherals - I personally have only 1 peripheral that uses USB A.