Cable Matters releases its first USB type C/Thunderbolt 3 docking station

[Redaktion]

The popular PC/Mac accessory-maker Cable Matters now sells a dock that combines USB type C and Thunderbolt 3 speeds. Therefore, it can drive dual 4K monitors at up to 40 gigabits per second (Gb/s). It also has 3 type A ports to accommodate peripherals or storage media.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Cable-Matters-releases-its-first-USB-type-C-Thunderbolt-3-docking-station.464232.0.html

[anon]

Let's say I've plugged this into a TB3 port on my laptop. Now I go to plug my portable monitor into one of the dock's type-C ports. Will it use DP-Alt mode (native, quick), or will it use a USB data connection with displaylink driver (laggy)?

I suspect it would be laggy, even though a 1080 60Hz monitor only uses 3.2Gbps out of the 10Gbps those USB ports support. I've had my MB16AC portable monitor for years now, and I'm very glad it works with both DP-Alt mode and over USB data but with the latter the lag practically gives me a headache in any interactive application, even as simple as word processing.

I wish we could have the simplicity of up-to-127-device daisy chaining like in the old days but for now I'd settle for up-to-2. Give us TB3 daisy chaining on these hundreds-of-dollars docks! And bump it up to 2.5 Gbps ethernet, already!

[GURVINDER S PARMAR]

These docks will all become obsolete along with the Thunderbolt 3 docks because USB 4 type C is around the corner and it will be double the bandwidth of TB3 at 80gbps