PLUGABLE THUNDERBOLT DOCKING STATION WITH DISPLAYLINK (TBT-6950PD): ADD UP TO FOUR EXTERNAL DISPLAYS

The Plugable Thunderbolt Docking Station with DisplayLink (TBT-6950PD) is a full 11-port docking station that beats nearly all other Thunderbolt docks by boasting not just four Thunderbolt 4 ports (one upstream to the host computer) but two HDMI 2.0 ports as well.

- SIMON JARY

That's a lot of video connection options, and, with some software installed, it can support up to four external 4K displays at 60Hz. If you want to hook up three or more monitors to your Mac (fave.co/3RbaED1), this dock is a solution that will keep the Mac's other ports free for various duties while adding a bunch more for extensive flexibility.

There are two other Thunderbolt docks that match this setup. The ridiculously endowed 21-port iVanky Fusion Dock Max dock-which is superpowered with not one but two Thunderbolt chips inside a titan, but it costs $500.

The closest match to the Plugable TBT-6950PD is the Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multi-Display Docking Station (with DisplayLink). Indeed, these two Thunderbolt docks are almost identical in both features and looks. This could be the result of following the same Intel Reference Design plus sharing supply chain partners. Either way, we can't separate the two in material terms. Later, we'll look at this direct comparison to help you choose the best multi-display dock for your needs.

The dock has three downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports.

The single-chip Plugable and Satechi docks must rely on third-party DisplayLink software to reach a four-display setup. DisplayLink enables even plain non-Pro/Max M1/M2 Macs to connect to up to three displays (one at 6K and two at 4K), and plain M3/M4 and Pro/Max M1/M2/M3/M4 chip Macs to handle four 4K displays.

SPECS AND FEATURES

Eleven ports is a generous offering, and there are no duffers making up the numbers-unless you really must have Ethernet faster than 1,000Mbps.

> One upstream Thunderbolt 4 port (40Gbps, 96W)
> Three downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports (40Gbps, 15W)
> Two HDMI 2.0 ports