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Best early Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs

Tags: advertising apple microsoft money new tablet technology video
DATE POSTED:July 12, 2024
PCWorld Latest Technology News
Original article

Amazon’s Prime Days are always a great opportunity to find the best deal on Thunderbolt docking stations and USB-C hubs, the best peripherals to connect your laptop to all of your other computing peripherals.

We’ve curated the very best deals on Thunderbolt docks, from manufacturers Anker and Belkin, as well as deals on the best USB-C hubs and dongles from Anker, Benfei and more. Whether you need to connect a legacy USB printer, transfer files from a camera’s SD card, or simply connect a mouse and keyboard, these devices can get the job done.

Our deal recommendations factor in top picks from our roundups of best Thunderbolt docks and the best USB-C hubs. I’ve worked as a technology reporter for 30 years and have reviewed dozens of Thunderbolt docks and hubs since 2020, which is when the WFH (work from home) movement started generating all sort of demand for these products.

Below you’ll find our curated list of the best Prime Day bargains on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs from Amazon. We’ll update these lists when Amazon’s Prime Day begins on July 16.

Best early Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks

I just can’t get rid of the Belkin Dock Core, and apparently Belkin can’t either. (It always crops up on our deals pages!) It requires you to supply a power brick. Mac people hate it. But it’s a compact little Thunderbolt dock that delivers a ton for the money. Here’s my review of the Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core, which I awarded an Editor’s Choice.

Right now, the Anker 778 is probably the best full-featured Thunderbolt dock on sale. My colleagues at TechAdvisor reviewed the Anker 778, and thought it was pretty solid. It’s about $100 off right now.

I haven’t reviewed the StarTech dock, but I have significant experience with the best DisplayLink docks. Weirdly, Amazon isn’t advertising this dock on sale. But at a former price of $259.99, Amazon considered it to be 16% off. Now it’s $50 less. You might not need support for four displays, but if you do, this is a good place to start.

Nothing’s wrong with the Kensington SD2480T dock! It does include two of the less popular DisplayPort video connections, however, which means that you’ll either need to own native cables or use a DisplayPort to HDMI adapter. Make sure your laptop doesn’t need over 60W of power, either. Two years back, this dock’s power output would maaaybe be a bit limiting. But with Intel pushing the low-power Core Ultra laptops? It’s a smarter buy than you might think.

The CalDigit TS4 earned a perfect five stars from TechAdvisor in their review. It’s $50 off right now.

Best early Prime Day deals on USB-C hubs, dongles and docking stations

If you want a cheap, to-the-point USB-C hub, the Benfei looks fine. It doesn’t include microSD/SD and it has just USB-A ports, but it’s simple dongle for connecting an HDMI display, mouse, keyboard, and a 5Gbps peripheral of some sort. If you want to upgrade, I’d expect to pay about $25 to $30 for a 9-in-1 hub, and the Acodot seems like a solid hub withna variety of ports, plus HDMI.

For whatever reason, what Anker docks do especially well is charging. Though the Anker 575 only supports one 460 / two 1440p60 ports, it does include an 18W USB-C port as well as a 7.5W USB-A 3.0 port. As Anker’s product page indicates, that’s enough to power a smartphone and a smartwatch at the same time. Not every dock or dongle does that. Anker’s hardware has a really solid reputation, too.

More great Prime Day tech deals

Looking for other great discounts? We’ve curated more great deals across all the major tech categories:

Thunderbolt dock deals FAQ 1. What should I look for when buying a Thunderbolt dock or USB-C hub

While Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs are often seen as distinct product categories, they have similarities. Both utilize a USB-C connection from your laptop. However, the distinction lies in how some laptops employ this port: some as a standard USB-C port, while others channel the high-speed Thunderbolt 3 or 4 protocol via the USB-C connector. The standard port typically supports up to 10Gbps of data transfer, which is adequate for USB drives, external storage devices, and possibly an external monitor.

Thunderbolt (either Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4) allows for 40Gbps of throughput, designed for high-speed external SSDs and multiple displays. Our roundups of the best USB-C hubs and the best Thunderbolt docks explain further in much greater detail. Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 are close enough that you can save money by buying the older technology that retailers are trying to get rid of. That’s important! Thunderbolt 5, which will deliver 80Gbps, just hasn’t appeared, and that’s a little disappointing.

If you want to connect high-speed peripherals (or just a ton of them) a Thunderbolt dock might be the best bet — especially more than one display. Otherwise, a USB-C hub might work just fine. A Thunderbolt dock definitely is a future-proofed solution though.

USB-C hubs and dongles are relatively cheap, rarely climbing over $60. Thunderbolt docks can cost anywhere from $100 to $300, depending on what features the dock offers.

Usually, the best Prime Day deals on USB-C hubs and dongles are on the more expensive docking stations, not the $20-$50 hubs. Thunderbolt dock deals usually feature older Thunderbolt 3 hardware which is functionally equivalent to the latest gear. It’s like buying a car with 1,000 miles on it for 25% off. That’s not a perfect example, of course, but you get the idea.

2. I have a USB-C port on my laptop. How do I know what to use with it?

Refer to your laptop’s manual to identify the Thunderbolt port, which may be marked with a small lightning bolt icon. However, this symbol might also indicate a charging port. If in doubt, a USB-C dongle or hub is universally compatible with USB-C ports.

3. I don’t understand the difference between the USB-C and Thunderbolt interfaces. How does it all work?

USB ports have a long history. USB-C, known for its versatility, replaced USB-A (the thick square port) due to its reversible connector and capability for higher transfer speeds. USB-C ports can support 5Gbps or 10Gbps, similar to standard USB-A ports. However, some USB-C ports are linked to a Thunderbolt chip within your laptop, enabling them to operate at an elevated speed of 40Gbps. While the physical appearance of the connector remains the same, its functionality is what sets it apart.

4. What’s the difference between a USB-C hub and a Thunderbolt dock?

A 10Gbps USB-C hub offers speed and versatility, connecting to a single 4K (or 1080p) display and offering various ports such as USB-A and SD card slots. Typically, you can connect your laptop’s USB-C power cable directly to the hub if needed.

A 40Gbps Thunderbolt dock, on the other hand, provides greater bandwidth to support additional ports. It stands out in two main ways: it can handle two 4K displays simultaneously, and many docks include a power supply that can charge both your laptop and phone through the Thunderbolt cable that links your laptop to the dock. We still haven’t seen 80Gbps Thunderbolt 5 hardware yet.

5. My laptop has USB4, not Thunderbolt. Can I use a Thunderbolt dock?

If your laptop runs USB4, it won’t “understand” Thunderbolt 3 protocols, I’m told. But otherwise, USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 are functionally the same. Intel refuses to certify non-Intel platforms like AMD’s Ryzen for Thunderbolt, and the new Copilot+ PCs from Microsoft powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chips are in the same boat.

USB-C hubs work with basically anything with a USB-C port on it. Don’t worry about those at all.

6. Is Thunderbolt 4 better than Thunderbolt 3?

Physically, they use the same USB-C cable. (Well, they have a different logo — one has a “3,” and the other a “4.”) Functionally, they’re almost the same. Thunderbolt 4 was released almost as a patch to Thunderbolt 3, ensuring that everything worked properly. They both run at 40Gbps and connect to the same peripherals. If you own a laptop equipped with Thunderbolt, you can connect to both and basically your experience will be the same.

The kicker? Thunderbolt 3 hardware is older, and retailers want you to buy the latest gear. So as far as deals go, buying Thunderbolt 3 hardware is a real steal.

7. Do I need a Thunderbolt dock if I own a desktop PC?

Usually desktops come chock full of ports, even legacy ones like USB-A. What they don’t always have is a microSD and SD card slot, and a USB-C dock might be a good and cheap way to add this functionality.

Intel has historically struggled to get Thunderbolt into desktop PCs, though, so USB-C may in fact be your only option. There’s really no guarantee that a desktop with have a Thunderbolt port.

8. Some of these docks have had bad reviews on shopping sites. Why?

Mac users, am I right? While Macs adopted Thunderbolt first, some of the Apple M1 silicon couldn’t keep up with Intel Thunderbolt controllers used by Windows PCs, and the Apple MacOS experience suffered as a result.

If a user complains about a bad Windows experience, sure, that’s worth paying attention to. But a Mac user? Bah. They bought the wrong platform.

Computer Accessories, Docks and Hubs
PCWorld Latest Technology News
Original article
Tags: advertising apple microsoft money new tablet technology video
Newswire > Best early Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs

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