Satechi launches new Thunderbolt 4 dock, two USB-C hubs

AppleInsider

Satechi's lastest Mac accessories include an all-new Thunderbolt 4 dock as well as the new USB-C Multimedia Adapter M1, plus a USB-C Multiport MX Adapter.

Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Dock

The Thunderbolt 4 dock is designed as a perfect fit to the recent Thunderbolt 4-enabled Macs, such as the latest-generation MacBook Pro.

In total, there are 11 ports on the Satechi Thunderbolt 4 dock. There are three Thunderbolt 4 ports, four USB 3.1 type-A with speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second, a Gigabit Ethernet networking port, UHS-II card readers, and a discrete 3.5mm headphone jack. An external power adapter is included for high-powered external peripherals.

It can output dual 4K HDMI video, support up to 40Gbps of data transfer and deliver up to 96W of power.

USB-C Multimedia Adapter M1

Satechi says the USB-C Multiport MX adapter was designed specifically for M1-based machines. It includes dual 4K HDMI outputs, up to 100W of USB-C PD charging, micro/SD card readers, USB-C, and USB 3.0 type A.

USB-C Multiport MX Adapter

Finally, the USB-C Multimedia Adapter M1 has six ports. There are two 4K HDMI ports, a single USB-C PD charging port, a USB-C data port, and two USB 3.0 type A data ports.

All of Satechi's new gear has immediate availability. The Thunderbolt 4 Dock can be had for $299.99. The USB-C Multimedia Adapter M1 can be picked up for $149.99 while the USB-C Multiport MX Adapter is available for $179.99.

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shareef777

Would love to know if I can plug-in 2 LG 5K displays into the TB4 dock and have them run off a single connection to my M1Max MBP. Assuming it does, I'd grab one in a heartbeat.

Though the layout always puzzles me on these docs. Ideally ALL the permanently plugged in cables should be in the back (including the one for the host computer).

edited December 2021

polymnia

Really nice. Love multiple Thunderbolt ports on a dock. This must be a new TB4 feature?

but to nitpick: could they have added a 10Gb Ethernet port? With everything else about this dock looking high-performance, it’s an unfortunate omission. But I guess you can’t check every box on everyone’s list. 

entropys

Why do manufacturers of these kinds of docks hardly ever do DisplayPort?

fastasleep

entropys said:

Why do manufacturers of these kinds of docks hardly ever do DisplayPort?

There are a ton of docks/hubs with DisplayPort. Have you looked?

jong

shareef777 said:

Would love to know if I can plug-in 2 LG 5K displays into the TB4 dock and have them run off a single connection to my M1Max MBP. Assuming it does, I'd grab one in a heartbeat.

Though the layout always puzzles me on these docs. Ideally ALL the permanently plugged in cables should be in the back (including the one for the host computer).

You can't do 2 5K into the same TB controller.  TB4 doesn't increase the bandwidth, just guarantees the full 40Gb.  If you want to hook up 2x 5K, then you need something like the Hyper Dual monitor dock which plugs into 2x TB ports.  A 5K uses more than half the 40Gb bandwidth, so 2 will not operate on the same controller.  New MBP M1s have 3 TB controllers (one per port), so you can run good resolutions on each port.

mplsp

entropys said:

Why do manufacturers of these kinds of docks hardly ever do DisplayPort?

That’s what dongles are for!

I got a cal digit dock that has display port, you might want to check them out. 

mplsp

So what’s the difference between a dock and a hub? It used to be docks were customized connectors that a laptop would slide in to, but people seem to be using the terms interchangeably now. 

fastasleep

MplsP said:

So what’s the difference between a dock and a hub? It used to be docks were customized connectors that a laptop would slide in to, but people seem to be using the terms interchangeably now. 

I tend to think of docks as stationary desktop boxes with their own power supply, and hubs as the portable dongles with multiple ports. 

shareef777

JonG said:

shareef777 said:

Would love to know if I can plug-in 2 LG 5K displays into the TB4 dock and have them run off a single connection to my M1Max MBP. Assuming it does, I'd grab one in a heartbeat.

Though the layout always puzzles me on these docs. Ideally ALL the permanently plugged in cables should be in the back (including the one for the host computer).

You can't do 2 5K into the same TB controller.  TB4 doesn't increase the bandwidth, just guarantees the full 40Gb.  If you want to hook up 2x 5K, then you need something like the Hyper Dual monitor dock which plugs into 2x TB ports.  A 5K uses more than half the 40Gb bandwidth, so 2 will not operate on the same controller.  New MBP M1s have 3 TB controllers (one per port), so you can run good resolutions on each port.

So Sonnet Tech has the Echo11 TB4 dock that supposedly supports 2 5K displays. Just put an order for one and will report back. Not very optimistic as mathematically it shouldn't work. Read up further after your post and you're right. TB4 is limited to 40Gb and a single 5K display requires 22Gb. So basic math would tell you that 2 5K is not yet feasible. But what's even stranger is that they state that it supports two of Apple's XDR displays which each require 30Gb so even more confusing.

Edit: a bit of googling and it seems DSC (display stream compression) is the magic that makes it work. Should have the dock early next week and will verify.

edited December 2021

shareef777

Confirmed, does NOT support 2 LG 5K displays. Guessing they denote 2 5K support assuming the monitors themselves support DSC (which the LG ones do not). Guess I'll wait out and see what new LG displays will come out.

maccat20

MplsP said:

So what’s the difference between a dock and a hub? It used to be docks were customized connectors that a laptop would slide in to, but people seem to be using the terms interchangeably now. 

I tend to think of docks as stationary desktop boxes with their own power supply, and hubs as the portable dongles with multiple ports. 

The differences are blurred.  Docks were created for laptops to quickly connect to hard wired devices around the desk.  Hubs were created to be portable docks and generally powered through the port in the laptop or desktop it was connected to.

The lines got blurred when they started offering hubs with power supplies so that they can charge up other devices.

Hubs used to be considered unmanaged and docks have smarter interfaces and faster throughput.  Docks can usually handle more devices simultaneously, too.