This 16-in-1 Thunderbolt dock is the PC accent of my goals

One factor that each artistic skilled appears to be craving is extra ports. They need to package out their system with a plethora of ports to allow them to have a number of shows, SD and microSD card readers, Ethernet, and so many USB-A and USB-C ports that they’re going to by no means have to hot-swap a tool.

This is the place docks come into play, and Satechi makes a number of the finest docks accessible.

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A dock that I’ve been very keen to check is the Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multimedia Pro. This dock has its personal energy provide and a wide selection of ports. It’s additionally been designed with artistic professionals in thoughts.

How many ports? 16 in all, that is what number of. 

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Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multimedia Pro

A professional-grade 16-in-1 powerhouse providing a wealth of connection ports.

Thunderbolt 4 Multimedia Pro Dock specs

• 2x ShowPort
• 2x HDMI 2.1
• 1x Thunderbolt 4 to host
• 1x USB-C 3.2 10Gbps
• 5x USB-A 3.2 (3x 10Gbps, 2x 5Gbps)
• 1x USB 2.0 for charging as much as 7.5W
• SD and microSD card slots
• 3.5mm Audio Jack In/Out
• Ethernet 2.5Gbps
• Kensington Lock
• DC 20V predominant energy (included)
• Size: 195 x 105 x 47mm
• Weight: 693 grams 

I’ve been wanting to get my arms on this dock and take a look at it as a result of I come throughout quite a lot of these high-end docks that look good on paper, however fall quick while you push them exhausting.

A superb instance of the problems I’ve come throughout is efficiency. I’ve seen docks that appear to work nicely while you take a look at the ports singly, however efficiency drops by way of the ground while you connect a number of units to it.

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For occasion, I’ve seen docks struggling community dropouts, show points, and machine disconnections once they’re pushed exhausting. I’ve even had some crash and require disconnection from energy to convey them again to life. 

Given the pro-grade claims made by Satechi, together with the pro-grade worth, I used to be eager to see how the Thunderbolt 4 Multimedia Pro carried out below a heavy load.

It carried out flawlessly.

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Here’s a dock that works simply as nicely with one machine connected because it does with a dozen. I related screens, exterior drives, and dongles, all whereas pushing quite a lot of information by way of the Ethernet port, and it did not break a sweat.

And it might maintain this form of workload for hours. 

This dock has the capability to run as much as 4 shows at 4K 60Hz. But simply because the dock can, doesn’t suggest it’s best to, as there are some caveats.

Now, that “as much as” is essential as a result of it does include limitations. Windows PCs assist as much as 4 screens in prolonged mode as a result of it has assist for Multi-Stream Transport (MST). 

For Mac customers, issues are a bit of extra restricted. Macs that assist Single Stream Transport (SST) can output video in prolonged mode to 2 screens and mirror the opposite two. M1 and M2 Macs solely assist one exterior monitor, which means just one single video group can be utilized at a time with output to 1 display screen in prolonged mode and one display screen in mirror mode. 

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Another characteristic I like about this dock is that it sits properly on a desk. Plenty of docks are light-weight, and whereas this itself is not an indication of poor high quality, I discover that upon getting a bunch of cables and units connected, the dock not sits on the desk. It’s both levitating oddly, held up by the stiffness of the cables, or being dragged round.

This Satechi dock has quite a lot of gravity to it, and its 1.5 kilos of weight mixed with the rubber ft hold it planted on the desk. I additionally like that its energy is equipped by an influence adapter somewhat than a mains twine as a result of mains cables could be thick and unyielding.

Also, having the ability provide separate retains the unit working cooler. This is a bonus as a result of it not solely stops the dock from roasting your desktop but in addition helps forestall pointless thermal put on and tear and instabilities that overheating causes.

Also: This 3-in-1 MagSafe dock will cost your Apple units whereas preserving them cool

At $350, the Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multimedia Pro is a dock for professionals needing pro-grade {hardware}, and it is {hardware} that lives as much as that “professional” tag. Home customers can get away with one thing much more modest, however if you happen to depend on your dock and want one thing that is going to carry out reliably it doesn’t matter what you throw at it, that is the dock for you. 

The extra I exploit this dock, the extra I really feel that it belongs on each artistic skilled’s desk.

It actually is the dock of my goals.