Finest Thunderbolt docks 2025: Lengthen your laptop computer’s capabilities

The quick reply: Take a look at the laptop computer’s revealed specs to make certain. A Thunderbolt port could look indistinguishable from a USB-C port, since they each use the identical bodily USB-C connection. Put one other means, all Thunderbolt ports are USB-C, however not all USB-C ports are Thunderbolt-equipped.

Thunderbolt ports are supposed to have a small lightning-bolt icon to determine them. However some laptop computer makers use an analogous lightning-bolt icon to point {that a} USB-C port can be utilized for charging your telephone, and not for Thunderbolt. Laptop computer makers generally don’t wish to muddle the clear traces of their merchandise by including further logos, it appears. Happily, most laptops now select to spotlight their Thunderbolt capabilities, so the ports ought to be well-marked.

In June 2024, Intel held a technical session speaking about its Core Extremely 200 (Lunar Lake) processor. One of many large adjustments Intel is making is to pressure laptop computer makers to a) cluster all the older USB-C ports on one facet of the laptop computer, away from the Thunderbolt and b) require the ports (together with Thunderbolt) to be clearly labeled. That’s a small however vital win for customers.

USB4 is Thunderbolt’s extra generic competitor, and USB4 docks and Thunderbolt docks are sometimes interchangeable. The USB Implementor’s Discussion board goes to ask laptop computer makers so as to add a separate, totally different USB4 brand to laptops as effectively. This strikes me as unnecessarily complicated.

Put merely, 40Gbps, for Thunderbolt 3 or 4.

Most USB-C ports are constructed on the second-generation USB 3.1 data-transfer normal, which transfers knowledge at 10Gbps. Thunderbolt 3 and 4 ports, the commonest normal, switch knowledge at as much as 40Gbps. Thunderbolt 4 differs very barely in that it helps a theoretical most of 32Gbps for exterior storage gadgets, however you in all probability gained’t discover the distinction.

Intel unveiled an 80Gbps model of Thunderbolt in 2024, referred to as Thunderbolt 5, that means that you just’ll see Thunderbolt docks with much more capabilities. In sure eventualities, Thunderbolt 5 can reroute knowledge to ship 120Gbps in a single path. About two (as of this writing) laptops have been introduced with a discrete Thunderbolt 5 chip inside: a model of the Razer Blade and the Maingear ML-17. We even have one Thunderbolt 5 dock that’s shipped, too.

There may be additionally a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 spec that may pair two 10Gbps channels collectively, creating an combination 20Gbps hub. (That is actually just for exterior gaming-class SSDs.) And whereas the overwhelming majority of Thunderbolt 3-equipped laptops are designed with 4 PCIe lanes for a complete of 40Gbps, some laptops solely ship with two PCIe lanes for a complete of 20Gbps. You don’t want to fret about this.

Purchase both a Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 dock for now. They’re primarily the identical factor, and you may rating a deal as retailers proceed to filter previous Thunderbolt 3 stock.

Thunderbolt 5 is the 80Gbps model, however will probably be backwards suitable with each Thunderbolt 3 and 4. With solely a handful of laptops that assist the spec and only a single dock that does, Thunderbolt 5 isn’t one thing to fret about fairly but. I’ve even examined a Thunderbolt 5 setup, and didn’t prefer it. Even the Thunderbolt ecosystem doesn’t appear satisfied that Thunderbolt 5 will grow to be a factor for a few years. Nevertheless, I feel it’s the fault of an early check laptop computer, and never the spec itself.

For the sake of completeness, we’re going to element a number of the variations beneath. However if you happen to’re new to this, allow us to reiterate: Thunderbolt 3 and 4 are mainly the identical, and Thunderbolt 5 gained’t be a problem till after 2025.

Consider Thunderbolt 4 because the extra restrictive model of Thunderbolt 3, with much less room for any gotchas.

Primarily, Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 enable as much as 40Gbps most bandwidth, sufficient for 2 4K/60 shows. “As much as” is the important thing phrase: Thunderbolt 3 is barely required to assist a 10Gbps connection, permitting for a single exterior 4K show (a 16Gbps PCIe connection, paired with USB 3.2). Most producers transcend this, nonetheless, and our really helpful docks assist the total 40Gbps specification (and two 4K shows) except famous. Thunderbolt 3 additionally helps a slower (16Gbps) PCIe connection for connecting to exterior storage.

Thunderbolt 3 can be the one specification (not Thunderbolt 4) that we’ve seen connecting to exterior GPUs, in case you’d prefer to attempt that strategy.

Thunderbolt 4 doesn’t enable for any leeway—you’re getting a full-fledged 40Gbps connection (32Gbps PCIe + USB 3.2), no questions requested. For exterior storage, Thunderbolt 4 helps 32Gbps of knowledge switch—this actually solely issues for video, exterior GPU connections, or probably video games. Thunderbolt 4 helps “wake on sleep” from an exterior keyboard or mouse, which lets you faucet your exterior keyboard or wiggle your mouse to get up your PC, which is useful. Thunderbolt 4 permits for longer cables and extra Thunderbolt ports on laptops, too.

Gadget maker Anker has a pleasant desk of all the technical options related to Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, and USB4, if you happen to actually wish to get into the fantastic distinctions (beneath). What’s USB4? We deal with that additional down.

Sure, you’ll be able to join the dongle to a Thunderbolt port. However the 10Gbps dongle gained’t magically remodel right into a 40Gbps Thunderbolt port, as there’s circuitry throughout the dock that enables it to work along with your laptop computer’s high-speed Thunderbolt port. Nevertheless, there’s nothing saying which you can’t join the dongle to an out there USB-C port on the Thunderbolt dock itself, both. In case your laptop computer has two Thunderbolt ports, you may as well connect a Thunderbolt dock to 1 port, and the dongle to the opposite.

That answer will add extra muddle to your desk, nevertheless it would possibly permit you to purchase a less expensive, funds dock, too. It’s as much as you!

In all probability. USB4 ports usually seem on laptops with AMD Ryzen processors inside. USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 are suitable and functionally equal. (Although Thunderbolt is an open normal, Intel declines to certify non-Intel {hardware}. That signifies that Ryzen laptops find yourself with USB4 ports, and Intel Core laptops embrace Thunderbolt.)

USB4 is actually a subset of Thunderbolt 4, primarily designed as an I/O specification.

As a subset of Thunderbolt 4, a USB4 system will run simply fantastic plugged right into a Thunderbolt 4 port. However dock makers inform us {that a} Thunderbolt 4 system could not work as anticipated when plugged into what’s particularly a USB4 port. As a substitute, most hubs and docks are marketed as Thunderbolt 4, whereas most gadgets (like an exterior SSD) are designed round USB4. (We check Thunderbolt docks on Thunderbolt laptops.) There are USB4 docks, nonetheless, which you’ll discover above in our checklist of greatest picks.

USB4 Model 2 is a regular that can propel USB4 to 80Gbps, similar to Thunderbolt 5. I haven’t seen any docking stations marketed as USB v2 (also called USB80Gbps), nonetheless.

Observe that Thunderbolt 3 and 4 require no less than 15W to energy gadgets plugged into the Thunderbolt port, resembling a bus-powered laborious drive. USB4 requires simply half that.

I did attempt to join a Thunderbolt 5 dock to a USB4 laptop computer, and it didn’t work. It ought to! It might simply be a driver concern.

The Thunderbolt 5 spec pushes I/O bandwidth from 40Gbps in Thunderbolt 4 to 80Gbps in Thunderbolt 5, and even to 120Gbps in some instances. One other great way to think about Thunderbolt 5 is within the context of what it could actually do. Thunderbolt 4 permits sufficient bandwidth for 2 4K shows, working at 60Hz. Thunderbolt 5 will supply sufficient bandwidth to hook up with three 4K shows, at 144Hz apiece. That helps make Thunderbolt 5 a gaming-class expertise, fairly than simply for workplace work.

Thunderbolt 5 can even enable for 64Gbps of devoted bandwidth for storage and exterior GPUs, double the 32Gbps on Thunderbolt 4.

Lastly, there’s energy. Thunderbolt 5 will present as much as 240W (140W required) of charging energy on your laptop computer. Most laptops require 65W to 90W at this time, however gaming laptops require extra. All this implies is {that a} Thunderbolt 5 dock will probably get rid of the necessity to carry a gaming laptop computer’s charger round. (It gained’t be in all instances, however some.) Observe that you just’ll want a laptop computer that helps this energy spec, nonetheless!

And that’s the issue. Thunderbolt 5 debuted in 2024, each in laptops in addition to docks and gadgets. Though we noticed a few early merchandise at CES 2024, we’ve solely seen two TB5 laptops as of this writing:  a model of the Razer Blade and the Maingear ML-17. Each have discrete chips inside, fairly than being immediately built-in contained in the processor. One Thunderbolt 5 dock has shipped, the Kensington SD5000T5. I attempted a Thunderbolt 5 setup, and it stunk, although I feel it’s the fault of Maingear’s laptop computer, and never the docks.

Why does that matter? If a operate like Thunderbolt 5 isn’t constructed proper into the processor, a laptop computer OEM should purchase it individually. That takes time, cash, and engineering, and most laptop computer makers assume laborious earlier than spending additional. There are a number of Thunderbolt 5 docks, however hardly any laptops that assist it. At CES, I used to be advised that it might take a few years for Thunderbolt 5 to essentially go mainstream — 2026 or possibly 2027.

Thunderbolt 5 isn’t built-in into Intel’s Lunar Lake cell processor, and it’s not within the desktop or cell variations of Arrow Lake, both. Perhaps Panther Lake? Nevertheless, the primary Thunderbolt 5 cable debuted not too long ago, although a number of the cable lengths are in all probability too quick to be sensible.

Thunderbolt Share is a brand new means of connecting two PCs through a Thunderbolt cable. Plug one finish of the cable into one Thunderbolt port, and the opposite right into a Thunderbolt port on one other laptop computer, and voila! They’re linked. Thunderbolt Share lets you use one PC to manage one other, sync recordsdata, share recordsdata, and extra, all at Thunderbolt speeds. I clarify Thunderbolt Share and check it, right here.

It sounds easy, simple, and highly effective, nevertheless it’s extra sophisticated than that. Each PCs need to run Intel’s Thunderbolt Share software program, and also you’ll solely have the ability to get that from a licensed PC or Thunderbolt dock. Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 5 will run Thunderbolt Share, however not Thunderbolt 3 — effectively, formally. The identical goes for USB 4; it would possibly work, and it may not. Intel isn’t saying.

Thunderbolt Share shall be supported by a handful of PC makers in addition to dock makers like Belkin, Plugable, and extra. However what? The announcement sort of got here and went. I’m not betting on Thunderbolt Share being greater than a gimmick proper now. I didn’t actually see it make an look at CES 2025, both.

Just about each Thunderbolt dock will ship with its personal cable. We suggest that you just use Thunderbolt 3 cables with Thunderbolt 3 merchandise, and Thunderbolt 4 cables with Thunderbolt 4 merchandise. Ditto for the primary Thunderbolt 5 cables, when the expertise ships in 2024.

You’ll want a particular USB-C to HDMI cable, rated for Thunderbolt speeds. I like to recommend and have bought this Uni Thunderbolt to HDMI cable from Amazon, which is about $16. You’ll find cheaper choices, however be certain they’re rated for both Thunderbolt or a 4K@60Hz show.

A DisplayLink USB-C docking station is a brand new class of docking station. They’re usually marketed simply as a USB-C docking station, sadly, although the DisplayLink brand options prominently on the field. The important thing right here is that the DisplayLink expertise (now owned by Synaptics) makes use of knowledge compression between your PC and the dock to approximate a Thunderbolt expertise (a pair of 4K shows at 60Hz, plus further peripherals) throughout the narrower, slower USB-C bus. You’ll want to put in a software program driver on your PC to speak with the DisplayLink chip constructed into the dock.

The benefit right here is twofold. First, DisplayLink lets you “cheat” and get a Thunderbolt dock expertise on an older laptop computer. Alternatively, even if you happen to do personal a laptop computer with a Thunderbolt port, you could possibly discover a DisplayLink USB-C dock for a less expensive value than Thunderbolt. It is a viable answer, particularly if you happen to don’t thoughts not taking part in PC video games.

Our separate story on DisplayLink docks has extra.

We’re beginning to see some USB-C docking stations benefit from one other expertise: HBR3 (Excessive Bit Charge 3) with DSC (Show Stream Compression). Consider it because the industry-standard, manufacturer-agnostic model of DisplayLink. It really works over the USB-C port, and once more offers a twin 4K60 show expertise.

The issue? It’s wonky. We’ve discovered that assist for the expertise was very iffy in Eleventh-gen {hardware}, and actually appears to work constantly in Twelfth-gen or Thirteenth-gen Core laptops (and above, once they ship). It’s changing into extra frequent, nonetheless, and works extra stably in the newest Intel Core laptops.

With Thunderbolt 3? Sure, you’ll be able to. Sure producers (Razer is one, although there are others) have constructed enclosures that may home a regular desktop graphics card, linked to your laptop computer through a Thunderbolt cable. Though a cell gaming laptop computer with an exterior GPU does an excellent job enabling cell gaming, a desktop GPU does even higher. Thunderbolt merely connects the 2.

Exterior GPU assist form of skipped Thunderbolt 4, nonetheless, and I might suggest utilizing a Thunderbolt 3 dock as a substitute, or wait till Thunderbolt 5. How are you going to hook up an exterior GPU to your laptop computer through Thunderbolt? Our story has extra.

In line with a consultant for Razer, the variations between Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 had been too small. “Once we launch any product, we solely achieve this when there is usually a materials benefit over the earlier era,” we had been advised.

Since Thunderbolt 4 was backwards suitable and functionally equal to Thunderbolt 3, Razer merely declined to put money into the manufacturing and testing of a Thunderbolt 4 eGPU. We presume different producers adopted go well with.