StarTech USB-C Triple Monitor Dock review: Better options exist

Price When Reviewed

271.99

Best Prices Today: StarTech USB-C Triple Monitor Dock

StarTech.com’s USB-C Triple Monitor Dock is one in all a small however rising variety of laptop computer docking stations that use the DisplayHyperlink protocol to attain the identical form of efficiency as a Thunderbolt dock; on this case, a connection to a few distinct 4K shows.

This could very nicely be overkill, in fact. But StarTech mixes in a bevy of further ports, plus smartphone charging, to supply a compelling, future-proof(?) product. It arrived on the heels of the very comparable Sonnet Echo 13, which affords a bit extra at a cheaper price.

A DisplayLink dock affords comparable capabilities as a Thunderbolt dock, and we mix each classes into our listing of the best Thunderbolt docks and laptop computer docking stations. You’re in all probability conscious that video delivered through YouTube or Netflix arrives in your TV or laptop computer in a compressed format, the place it’s decompressed and performed again. Thunderbolt docks ship uncompressed video between your laptop computer and show. DisplayHyperlink makes use of particular silicon to compress video and ship it over a 10Gbps USB-C connection, with none visible artifacts.

It’s this functionality that enables the StarTech USB-C Triple Monitor Dock to output to a few 4K shows, one thing that Thunderbolt 3/4 (no less than on paper) can’t do till Thunderbolt 5 rolls out. StarTech’s dock makes use of your PC’s native video output through DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode — and whereas your laptop computer’s specs ought to let you know whether or not or not it helps that spec, it in all probability doesn’t. (The newer the laptop computer, the extra possible it does.) Unlike Sonnet’s dock, it solely provides you the selection of an HDMI connection — and solely to a 4K show at a slower than anticipated 30Hz refresh charge.

However, the StarTech USB-C Triple Monitor Dock (mannequin 116N-USBC-DOCK) does offer you two different pairs of show ports to select from: DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 on every. That’s a plus, since which means you’ll have the ability to use the show cables that your monitor shipped with or that you just personal already.

On the entrance of the StarTech dock is a USB-A port operating at 10Gbps, an unusually excessive pace for USB-A. This port is rated at 7.5W of charging energy. Next to it are two USB-C ports, correctly labeled: one provides 10Gbps of bandwidth and 7.5W of energy, the opposite 5Gbps and 4.5W of charging energy. There’s a headphone/mic jack, too, and an influence button, however no SD card slot.

The USB-C cable to connect with your laptop computer extends from the facet of the dock, and is 3.3 ft lengthy. It is rated at 100W of charging energy. On the opposite facet is a Kensington lock slot.

The majority of ports seem on the again of the dock, the place the ability is related. Next to it’s a gigabit Ethernet port, plus two 5Gbps USB-A ports. StarTech.com then provides the 2 pairs of show ports, plus the 4K, 30Hz HDMI port.

Like Sonnet, StarTech’s documentation is excellent — not extravagant, however with each port labeled clearly. StarTech claims that the suitable DisplayHyperlink software program ought to robotically obtain when the dock is plugged in. (I wasn’t capable of take a look at this as my take a look at PC was already configured.) The firm offers a URL to obtain the required drivers, too.

Mark Hachman / IDG

So what does this imply in the actual world? This dock works completely nicely to output to 2 4K shows, however the third is barely wasted on the 4K30 output. Personally, I don’t thoughts setting a 4K30 show off to the facet for e mail or one thing I occasionally seek the advice of. But 30Hz could fatigue your eyes over lengthy intervals.

Neither of the USB-C ports places out fairly sufficient energy to fast-charge a telephone. (I’m somewhat confused over this dock’s labeling, because the USB-C “charging” port places out about 8.2W of energy, and the opposite put out about 7.8W. The USB-A ports put out 2.5W.) But the dock additionally transferred probably the most energy to the laptop computer that I’ve ever seen, touching 95W. That’s remarkably environment friendly.

Performance was a blended bag. The dock appeared to take an unusually lengthy period of time to attach when switching from one PC to a different. Contention additionally gave the impression to be a difficulty. When I labored on one show, or streamed on one show, every part went nicely. But simply streaming on one show, whereas shifting the mouse on one other, brought on dropped frames and stuttering all over. On the opposite hand, working in a basic day-to-day workplace surroundings (Web searching, e mail, and so forth) was completely strong, with no instability points in any respect.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Likewise, StarTech’s dock had no drawback with warmth. StarTech warns that if a peripheral (resembling an SSD) tries to eat greater than 1.8A of energy, the dock gained’t let it. StarTech could then disconnect and reconnect the gadget. It sounds annoying, however I by no means skilled that.

The dock appeared to have hassle passing knowledge over the USB-C cable. When I streamed a 4K60 video over Wi-Fi, all was nicely — no frames have been dropped. Our PCMark storage take a look at went fabulously: 145MB/s, barely the quickest I’ve seen. Copying a take a look at folder of multimedia information from an SSD to the PC’s desktop accomplished in 48 seconds — once more, among the many quickest I’ve seen — and dropped to 54.3 seconds whereas streaming.

But on Ethernet, our take a look at video dropped 470 out of 10,000 frames — not good. Performance on the 4K30 HDMI show wasn’t nice, both. And through the SSD folder copy take a look at, the video streaming suffered fairly severely. Watching video shouldn’t be an uncommon process, so that you’ll need a dock that may accommodate that.

StarTech.com’s USB-C Triple Monitor Dock is priced quite excessive for a DisplayHyperlink dock. Overall, it seems like an actual blended bag: top-notch efficiency when finishing up a single process, however then an actual dropoff when requested to do an excessive amount of. And that’s sort of the purpose of a laptop computer docking station, proper?