Andrew Orr
Asus's Master Thunderbolt 5 Dock brings multi-display support, high-speed connectivity, and SSD storage to Mac users who want to upgrade their workspace.
Asus has introduced the Master Thunderbolt 5 Dock DC510, a versatile 13-in-1 docking station aimed at creators and professionals who need high-performance multitasking. The dock supports dual 8K or triple 4K displays.
With 80Gbps transfer speeds and 140-watt pass-through charging, it's ideal for fast file handling and efficient device support. Connectivity features include three Thunderbolt 5 ports, four USB-A ports, a 2.5G Ethernet port, dual memory card readers, and an audio combo jack.
Display support varies by host device. Intel-based Macs fully support multi-display setups but resolution is generally less than on Apple Silicon. Standard M1 and M2 Macs are limited to one external display connected via Thunderbolt without third-party workarounds.
Apple's M4 Max supports up to four external displays, but this capability depends entirely on the Mac itself. The M4 Pro can handle more than two monitors, supporting configurations such as dual 6K displays via Thunderbolt alongside a 4K display via HDMI.
The dock handles triple 4K displays at 144Hz or dual 8K displays at 60Hz. Image credit: AsusOnly Apple's newest Macs with an M4 Pro or M4 Max chip support Thunderbolt 5. These include the Mac mini with M4 Pro and the latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
Asus claims that high-speed data transfers can process a 20GB file in just six seconds. The Thunderbolt 5 dock also allows you to upgrade your Mac's storage externally. It has a PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD slot that you can access without any tools.
Users can also customize the LED lighting on the aluminum body, but if that is a benefit of or a detractor from the dock is left as an exercise for the reader.
Pricing & Availability
Asus hasn't shared pricing or availability details for the Master Thunderbolt 5 Dock DC510 yet. For now, anyone looking to upgrade their workstation will need to stay tuned to the company's website.
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Malcolm Owen
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4 Comments
As this is Thunderbolt 5 there really needs to be a version of the dock with 10Gbe Ethernet.
ASUS and UGreen are to be applauded thus far for at least getting TB5 units ready to ship out the door by end of Q1. Other peripheral players that you’d have expected to grasp the nettle are still languishing on TB3 (TB4 wasn’t worth the number upgrade as the same).
The Mac Studio M4’s in the Summer are all going to require these as a matter of course at time of purchases. I’ll have 4 x 1440p monitors to connect up then when I finally move away from the Mac Pro 5,1
I have a Pluggable TS4 dock and I'm running two 27" 4K monitors at 60Hz from it connected to my M4 Max MacBook Pro and also using its built-in display. My wife has the same setup and both Pluggable docks have been rock solid. I'm not sure a TS5 dock would add any additional value to my setup but I'm glad I'm future-proofed with TS5 capabilities.