ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Kensington’s new SD5000T5 EQ Docking Station goes on sale on September 21 for $400.
- It is likely one of the first units to assist the Thunderbolt 5 commonplace, that means it helps charging speeds of as much as 140W and may ship a video sign out to a few 4K shows.
- The machine’s bulk and excessive value could flip folks away.
Again in September 2023, Intel introduced the subsequent era of the Thunderbolt connectivity commonplace: the aptly named Thunderbolt 5. The corporate promised that up to date {hardware} would assist fast knowledge switch speeds and lightning-fast energy supply.
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It has been a 12 months since then, and we’re lastly beginning to see units supporting the usual. Top-of-the-line devices out there may be Kensington’s new SD5000TS Thunderbolt 5 Triple 4K Docking Station. It is a mouthful of a reputation, however the moniker suits — the machine can do lots. It is a docking station with all of the {hardware} and software program options to show a laptop computer into a correct desktop PC setup.
The very first thing I observed once I took the machine out of the field was how huge it was. It measures 8.9 x 3.8 x 1.6 inches. Folks with small desks could have a tough time discovering a spot for it.
The second factor I observed was the ridges on the tip. These fins do extra than simply look cool. They enhance the floor quantity for efficient warmth dissipation. Docking stations can get fairly heat, particularly since they sometimes sit on the middle of a pc setup. Decrease temperatures guarantee higher efficiency.
On the back and front are 12 particular person ports, together with the Thunderbolt 5 inputs, a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port, and a headphone jack. Solely one of many Thunderbolt 5 ports gives 140W energy supply — the enter with the laptop computer and lightning bolt icons above it.
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I plugged in a useless laptop computer to see how briskly the port can cost. The battery charged to 50% in about 45 minutes.
The opposite ports are downstream ports meant for transferring knowledge. They will nonetheless cost laptops and different units, albeit extra slowly.
As I already talked about, the docking station may ship a video sign out to a few 4K shows. I personal two high-resolution displays, so I can solely verify that Kensington’s machine supported them with out concern. Utilizing my laptop computer as a supply, I performed a 4K YouTube livestream on one display screen and a 4K film on the opposite. The picture high quality on each shows was equally good.
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For quick file transfers, you may wish to use the 2 USB-A ports on the again as a result of they’ll attain speeds as much as 10Gbps. I despatched a 10GB Google Takeout file from the laptop computer to my principal desktop by way of the dock. The method solely took just a few seconds. The Ethernet port gives 25Gbps, though I had bother setting it up correctly.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
Kensington’s SD5000TS will probably be out there from September 21 for $400. It’s quite costly, though I’d argue it’s well worth the value. The docking station is kind of helpful for individuals who choose utilizing a laptop computer. That stated, your laptop should both be working Home windows 11 or macOS 14.5 because the docking station doesn’t assist older units.
If that is a dealbreaker, we additionally suggest the CalDigit TS4. It is much more costly, but it surely helps the older Thunderbolt 4 commonplace and comes extremely really useful. A terrific however cheaper choice is the Baseus 10-in-1 Docking Station.