Best USB-C and Thunderbolt docks that debuted at CES 2024

As a means to expand the utility of a Mac or MacBook Pro, docks often appear at CES as a great computing accessory. Here are some of the choice selections from CES 2024.

While Apple has taken steps to move away from its stance of offering minimal ports a few years ago to one where more connectivity options are offered to consumers, it's still more a case of Apple using essential connections.

Docks, naturally, take advantage of USB-C connections, including Thunderbolt, in order to provide more points where you can hook up a monitor, add a printer, plug in to a physical network, or read a memory card.

The accessory category habitually appears at CES, pushing the form in different ways. This can range from shrinking the dock down to a more pocketable and portable size to adding the perfect selection of ports for consumers to use.

Here are AppleInsider's top selections to come out of Las Vegas during CES 2024.

Here comes Thunderbolt 5

Apple's current-gen Mac lineup includes ports that use Thunderbolt 4, a port that offers up to 40 gigabits per second of bandwidth to devices, while also capable of handling video and delivering power to connected hardware.

The next generation of the standard, Thunderbolt 5, was launched in September 2023, with the first hardware using it arriving in 2024.

The core difference between Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 5 is speed, with the newer standard capable of up to 80 gigabits per second of bi-directional bandwidth, thanks to moving from PCI-E 3 to PCI-E 4 addressing. Intel also added a feature called Bandwidth Boost that can enable up to 120Gbps to flow through a cable, intended for "video intensive usages."

There's also a doubling of PCI Express data throughput, which will allow for faster storage connectivity and better bandwidth for external graphics systems.

The benefits go further with video, including the ability to run multiple 8K displays, or up to 540Hz displays, or even three 4K displays running at 144Hz. Suffice it to say, there will be a lot of video options available.

It is expected that Apple will adopt Thunderbolt 5 at some point, given its history with the connection. However, thanks to the usual backward compatibility features of Thunderbolt hardware, there shouldn't be an issue using Thunderbolt 5 docks with current Thunderbolt 4-equipped Macs for the moment, albeit with limits to extended features and bandwidth.

Belkin

Among Belkin's CES introductions is the 6-in-1 Core GaN Dock, with the GaN referring to Gallium Nitride. It's a material that has enabled device producers to make small but powerful chargers, and Belkin's applying the idea to the dock.

At 80mm by 80mm and 48mm tall, (3.14 inches square and 1.88 inches tall), it's an extremely compact and highly portable dock that can easily be packed away for transportation. Inside the Dock is a 130W GaN power supply, which can provide up to 96W of power to the host device, and 7.5W to other connected hardware.

Aside from the power input, it has six ports, including USB-C with PD 3.0 to the host, another USB-C 3.2, two USB-A 3.2 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and a HDMI 2.0 port capable of handling a 4K image at 60Hz.

The Belkin 6-in-1 Core GaN Dock is available now, priced at $139.99 on Belkin's website.

Kensington

Well-known dock maker Kensington's SD5000T5 is a dock that supports Thunderbolt 5, with claimed speeds of up to 120Gbps possible using the connection. It will also support up to two external 8K displays at 60Hz.

So far, Kensington has confirmed the display support and up to 140W of power delivery. In images accompanying the announcement, but not confirmed by the company, it seems that the dock will have at least two USB Type-C ports, one USB-A, a headphone jack, and a pair of memory card readers.

Kensington didn't say how much the SD5000T5 Thunderbolt 5 Dock will cost when it goes on sale, but it will be arriving sometime in the second half of 2024.

J5create

One of the first examples of a dock using the technology that AppleInsider ran across during the event, the J5create Thunderbolt 5 dock was shown off to attendees. However, the item shown off was a prototype, and few real details were shared.

What we could glean from the dock was that it had two Thunderbolt ports, a USB-A port, SD and microSD card readers, and an audio port at the front. Around the back were two more Thunderbolt ports, a pair of USB-A, and a 2.5Gb Ethernet port.

J5create didn't offer pricing or release dates for the dock, except that it is expected to ship at some point in 2024.

Hyper

Described as the HyperDrive Next Thunderbolt 5 Dock, Hyper's new connectivity tool is a fully-featured offering, and one that aims to take full advantage of Thunderbolt 5's specs. Indeed, Hyper says it is aimed at the creative industry, especially videography.

The dock has three Thunderbolt 5 Downstream ports, three USB-A ports for older devices, and a headset port, as well as 5Gbps Ethernet. There's the ability to install storage in the form of a PCIe Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSD, with it also having both an SD card slot and CFExpress Type B slot on the front.

Launching in Q3 2024, it will cost consumers $399 at HyperShop.com.

OWC

Other World Computing's CES showing did include some Thunderbolt 5 accessories, but again, actual details about specifications were light on the ground.

One Thunderbolt 5 dock was housed in an enclosure marked "Thunderbolt Go Dock," and had two Thunderbolt ports and a 10G USB Type-A on one side. One of the Thunderbolt ports was marked as the upstream one with up to 140W of power deliverable, while the other is a downstream version marked with 60W.

On the rear were two more Thunderbolt ports, again identified with 60W of power delivery, two more USB Type-A ports, and 2.5G Ethernet. It is likely that the labeled wattages are the maximum for those particular ports, but outside of mentioning the Thunderbolt 5 maximum of 240W in a press release, there's no indication of how its real wattage capacity.

OWC also declined to press forward on the video capabilities of the dock, beyond describing the bandwidth and potential support that Thunderbolt 5 introduces.

Pricing is unavailable, but OWC says it will formally introduce its finalized Thunderbolt 5 device lineup in the summer via its shop at MacSales.com.

Satechi

The Satechi Stand & Hub for the Mac mini and Mac Studio provided a neat way to add a lot more connection options to the desktop Macs, while minimizing the desk impact by acting as a plinth for Apple's hardware. At CES 2024, Satechi improved upon the design by adding internal storage options.

Still occupying the same footprint as a Mac mini or Mac Studio, the Stand & Hub with NVMe SSD Enclosure adds a small compartment in the base that you can insert some storage. Specifically, a single stick of NVMe or M.2 SATA SSD storage, which can be accessed by the connected Mac as an external drive.

Connecting to the host Mac over USB-C 3.2, it has a selection of ports on the front including a USB-C 3.2 connection, one USB Type-A 3.2 10Gbps and two at 5Gbps, an audio jack, and SD and microSD card readers.

The Satechi Stand & Hub with NVMe SSD Enclosure is available to order now from the company website for $99.99.