Thanks! Thanks for doing an actual helpful review with respect to different configurations, trying things out yourself and informing about the MST issue with macOS! This is far from all the other "Unboxing", "Overview" or even "Review" videos seen so often on other "tech" channels, that only show the dock, mention the ports and maybe even tell how nice it is to connect multiple displays to a Mac on docks that clearly do not support multi-DisplayPort due to the lack of MST from Apple. Your video is so much more helpful and honest!
Thanks very much 30MinutesIn for your detail feedback, it really does give me heartwarming that my videos are assisting others trying to over come Apple shortcomings for a serious real simple request to make a workstation out of their laptops.
Apparently the display ports on the back use a MST(Multi-Stream Transport)-technology that apple for some reason decided not to support...Funny thing is that if you install windows 10 via bootcamp it works because windows have support for MST.
Very nice video. But I have a question about the power button of the dock. I'm using the same exact dock with my Dell XPS 15 and I'm not noticing any difference when the power is on or off. It's still not able to charge my Dell XPS 15 in both cases, but all the ports are working whether the power is on or off (didn't try the ethernet port though). So, my question is: what is the function of the power button? What difference does it make when it's on or off? Maybe if it's able to power a laptop then the function of the power button would be to turn the charging on/off? Or there is something else? Again, this is not applicable in my case because it's not able to charge the laptop in both cases (on and off) anyway.
Thanks - had the same experience. Loads fine, ok, to connect one screen. Definitely not something a Mac User should buy, but if you have it at work, you can save on carrying the charger and can connect to at least one screen.
Ethernet works out of the box on MB pro with this Lenovo TB3 Gen 2 Dock. Make sure your firmware on your MBPro and Dock has been updated and you are running a currently supported version of MacOS, (Mojave or Catalina) I have it working on several versions of MBPro's with TB3 at the company office. Working with older older MB Pro using apple A1790 TB2-TB3 adapter. MST is not supported without third party drivers on OSX, so don't expect the two display ports to have independent monitors, however up to 2 Thunderbolt daisy chained 4K displays are fine (one in the Displayport, HDMI, other via Thunderbolt). These are great value TB3 Docks, however these were not designed specifically for Apple, so as long as you have a little patience, technical expertise and the willingness ensure your hardware/firmware is well maintained and current, this is an excellent product. The company I work for is using these to "hot desk" a mixed Apple / Lenovo fleet with a single cable at each desk to connect to the laptop. The only issue is if you switch between different brands of docks, different firmware versions, or different technologies (USBC/TB3) the SMC/PRAM often requires resetting. Hope this helps some one :-)
I'm planning to get this dock for the new 2020 MacBook Pro. Can you confirm that the power button on the dock is working while the MacBook is closed? Does the dock charge the MacBook with full power? I am very happy about an answer.
Did you update firmware on a PC? Any way to check on a Mac which fw version is installed. Under system report I see version 0.0.7. but latest is 1.06, I don't think that number is it.
Can you please tell, will it wake-up the mac with external keyboard? I mean if I connect wired keyboard to a dock which is connected to macbook and press buttons on keyboard or move mouse? I had a bad experience with no-name docks which had issue waking up the connected laptops.
Your videos are amazing. They are more helpful than most of the product manufacturer websites themselves lol. I’m not sure if I need this dock or a dell dock or something else for my needs. Would you be able to help out? I need a dock that will allow me to connect my 2019 15” MacBook Pro or my 13” Lenovo ThinkBook to at least 3 monitors, supply power, and have a bunch of ports with no issues. I’m not sure which dock to get for this but since they are all pricey, would like one that will last for a few years. What do you recommend? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hey there, thanks for this review! Few years has passed by, would you suggest to get this Dock to run 2 Monitors (1440p120hz, 1080p,120hz) with MacBook Air m1 Chip? I am so confused about how expensive these Docks are, just because they extend your Notebooks ports. Would be nice to hear your opinion on this
Just wanted to give you my recent experiences with this dock. I am able to use it with dual monitors clamshell mode but you do have to purchase a tb3 to DisplayPort or hdmi and still use an adapter one way or another. For some reason you cannot connect 2 displays with one DisplayPort and one hdmi at the same time they only mirror each other! Frustrating but I’m back on the hunt for something more affordable that I won’t have to use an adapter for!
Thanks for very useful video!👍 Did you try to work with 4+ storages plugged to USBs simultaneously? If yes was there any issues and speed slowing down especially when editing video with multiple footages. Thank you 🤘
Hello everyone, I just managed to setup this dockingstation on the Macbook Pro 2021 (M1) with 2 separate screens (no mirror!) and also Macbook screen + 2 separate screens! I think it has something to do with the latest update in DisplayLink software. (software DLink 1.6.1)
Good video!!! Thanks for all the information. Just a quick question, as the docking is charging for macbook, will it do any harm to the battery of macbook?
The laptop these days when the battery is full it will just switch to run on AC power if the AC power via the dock is able to provide enough power to the laptop. If your MacBook is 13 inch it should be fine
Is it possible to use this with a pc that doesn't have thunderbolt 3 only USB C. I want to upgrade my pc soon but I also really need a docking station. That's why I'm asking. Much love. Keep up the good work.
Hi Bob Corn, if your PC doesn't have thunderbolt 3 and it's only USB-C this dock or other thunderbolt docking stations won't provide thunderbolt 3, they require the existing hardware from the computer to have thunderbolt 3. This is due to the massive increase bandwidth capacity of thunderbolt 3. What you require for your desktop PC is Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Card but your motherboard of the PC has to have a thunderbolt 3 header (this you need to check the documentation of the motherboard of the computer) to get thunderbolt 3 ability. I hope that helps you.
I have tried this, simply putting my MacBook Pro into it then HDMI to my TV, the other connections work in dock, such as mouse and keyboard. but no screen? doesn't even blink like it read it?what am I not doing ?
Hi James, great to see you got it working but this being a thunderbolt 3 dock, it shouldn't need DisplayLink drivers installed to work. Just to let you know if you have the new Macbook Air M1 it still currently don't work with dual extended monitors via thunderbolt docks. The industry is still awaiting for Apple for an answer just to save you heartache searching, I am actively awaiting and will report asap if I get any news.
My dock is the ThinkPad Hybrid USB-C with USB-A Dock - if that makes any difference - I will keep my eye out for your next post on dual extended monitors
@@BsianTech I have a 2020 M1 macbook pro. With any mac adapter/dock it doesn't work with 2 external displays. But I have a Lenovo dock at the company and with the displaylink app it does work properly with them! So I have 3 separate displays now (including the Mac's)
@@marcellsimon2129 the 2020 and 2021 MacBook Air and Pro M1 lost thunderbolt Alt displayport support. So only the displaylink docks are about to work with multiple monitors via one connection on the M1 macs. DisplayLink is software emulatored display is why it works.
Nice job, thanks for going through all the configurations. Do you know if the DP/HDMI ports mirror on Lenovo laptops too? Or is this unique Apple products
Hi Charlie Silva, you won't have the issue of mirror mode on the DP and HDMI ports this is Apple issue of not supporting MST. You can happily drive three monitors in extended mode using Lenovo notebooks and this dock. Thanks for the feedback mate.
Thanks for a very informative and insightful review! Did you try to use the front TB port to connect a second external display (like with Dell WD19TB)?
Great review video. I have a concern about the power compatible, I am worried this could affect the Macbook battery or other component? any hints? Feedback will be appreciated
Hola, no sé si hablas español, pero es más fácil para mí responder en español. Tenía la misma duda, averigüé con el soporte de Apple y me dijeron que no hay problema. De hecho ellos venden un cargador de 96 Watts.
Great video! BsianDad!. Could you please record a video giving us the pros and cons or diferences of using a DOCK STATION (which use power adapter) vs a dongle (which don't use power adapter). Is it the same? Perhaps the dongle is convinient for those who travel to different countries where the voltage of electricity is different
I know this is an oldie but thanks for the review. I just found my old docking station from my Lenovo laptop and was curious if I could use ithh with my macbook pro 16" as (primarily) a usb docking sation. :-)
Hi together, I have following issue with the dock on my Macbook Pro 14 M1Pro Baseline and the Lenovo TB Dock 2: No Audio Out No Ethernet My Displays are working after installing Display Link Graphics for Mac. Are there any drivers for Audio and Ethernet for the Dock? How can I find out which componets lenovo used in this dock? Many thanks
Yes its the limitations of the MacOS. If you install bootcamp you will find in windows on the Macbook it will work and of course we are referring to the Intel Macbooks.
Currently running the thunderbolt 3 dock on a p15v, but word of caution, even though it says 135W on the adapter, the pass through watts is only 100w, so your laptop won't charge while plugged in.
I have a macbook pro m3, but a tb 3 dock gen 1. This method wont work. The dock wont even send signal to the second display, mirror or not. It says no signal. Do you know why? Do i have to get a gen 2?
Thanks for this, now I know that's this stupid mac-OS does not work with normal docks. But have you tested Lenovo Thinkpad Thunderbolt 4 dock? Any luck with that?
I watched one of your first and now this, what a welcome change! I love this channel for an honest review. I am actually looking for a docking solution for my MBP 16-inch that requires 97Watts with a proper solution and unfortunately, this is not it, but good to see this before I spend lots of money.
But it works. I used it with a sonnet tb3 Dual port adapter, that goes into the tb3 port in front of the docking station. Alternatively you can use one DisplayPort to tb3 cable and one DisplayPort cable. Works great, no mirroring necessary 😉
Thanks for the informative video I have a question regarding the 230 W and 135/65 W I have to monitors and also three chargers 230 , 135 and 65 Should Which one should I use?
Did you try any of these and did they work? I've been trying to confirm this as well. I read elsewhere that using a 230W power adapter is best if you can.
The charger is more for the laptop than running the monitors per say. If you got the 65W power adapter bundled with your laptop then all you need is the 135W connected to the dock. The 230W power adapter for the dock is more for a laptop that has a discrete graphics that requires more power and you will know that via the bundled power adapter with the laptop be more than 65W or 90W. I hope that helps you Ayham Tanbari.
Question, I just got the galaxy tab 8 ultra, can I use it on that? And if so How do I connect it and get it to recognize it? I would use my laptop, but does not have any usb C or Thunderbolt connectors, I do have USB C to A adapters if that would work, and if so same question of how to get it to recognize. Thanks for your time.
At section 6:15 of this video... do you have two cables sharing the same port? The HDMI port on the right is the same as the port above it? Is that the problem here?
HI there, Thank you for this video. I just tried to replicate this and unfortunately my MacBook does not pick up on the screen (the keyboard and mouse connected to the same docking station work... so my guess it is about the screen). Any advice on how to pick up the screen? So far I have tried the display settings but unfortunately no "arrangements" tab has appeared. I have also tried plugging out / turning on/off a few times.
Hi Paul, there is no need for Displaylink drivers for this dock as this thunderbolt 3 dock runs off thunderbolt, so the macbook will run it natively without drivers. The problem is that MacOSX doesn't support MST so you need to use the thunderbolt on the dock for the second external monitor. I was running macOS Catalina recording of this video. If you have a M1 chip Macbook this along with all other thunderbolt docks have stop working for dual extended monitors.
@@BsianTech This is indeed the reason why I run into this video with interest. As I understand this Lenovo dock is probably build in with the Displaylink technology, if the M1 MacBook install with the Displaylink driver, technically it can help a M1 MacBook to run with more then just 1 external monitor. I would really want to know if this is the case. Thanks.
Can I use the Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 Gen 2 docking station with a Thinkpad X1 Carbon if I use adapter from USB-C to Lenovo power connector (the one that looks like USB-A but with yellow color inside). And question nr 2: Does this then work with three screens?
I've used this dock with the same exact laptop for two years and it worked perfectly and it was charging the laptop without any issues. I was connecting two external monitors to it, so total of three monitors (two external + the laptop itself). I didn't try connecting a third external monitor. I was connecting my two external monitors through the two HDMI ports on the back. I'm guessing that you can connect a third external monitor through the thunderbolt port on the front using an HDMI to thunderbolt adapter (the same way he did in the video). In this case you will have four independent monitors (three external + the laptop).
4:20 that's actually not true. That "special cable" has a charging male connector on the other end to pass through the charging from that 230W/170W connector, where you plug in your laptop charger. The Thunderbolt cable alone can not supply enough power to the laptop. I have a Lenovo P15 with that exact dock and that special cable.
Also I'd like to add that with my Lenovo P15 and this dock, I'm running a 4-screen setup, 3 external monitors and 1 built in laptop monitor, all extended, not mirrored.
Hey dude, great video. Just one question, I'm in the market for a dock like this but I'm worried that it'll ruin my laptop battery having power plugged into it all day everday. Is it fine to have it plugged in all the time? For reference, I have the surface laptop 3.
Hi Mitchell Wilkinson, we have many (thousands) laptops plugged to docking stations like this one or similar at work all day 5-7 days a week and most laptop batteries don't need to replace even after the 4-5 year warranties we have one them. Of course we will get the occasional laptop that will require laptop battery replacement in the 3-4 year range but most will go beyond 5 years without battery replacement. In usually I would look at replacing a laptop after that anyway. I know this is a concern but from my own experience it doesn't degrade the battery too much IMO. Hope that helps with your question.
@@BsianTech that helps heaps mate, thank you. Do you ever have trouble code 43 or Windows 10 "not recognising" your docking stations? I got mine today and all day I've had issues getting my laptop to recognise the device and work properly.
If you're using a Lenovo on this docking station, there's an option on your laptop / tablet, to stop charging the battery at the threshold you want to setup, it may be useful, as the device will be working with the AC-adapter and it may conserve battery life
Hi, are you sure that this charges a 13 inch MacBook Pro? It shows me that my MacBook Pro is charging but if I click on the battery icon then it says ‘Not Charging’ and it ends up draining the battery of my MacBook Pro faster than usual. Can you please confirm if yours actually charges it? I’m not sure but there could be something wrong with my Thunderbolt 3 gen2 dock...
Hello there after i connect my samsung display hdmi cable to the docking station hdmi port nothing happens display monitor still says check the cable connection and settings of source device very weird i am on mac pro 2022 with samsung 4k screen please help me f you can
So i am using a Lenovo thinkpad thunderbolt dock and for some reason i seem to have black bars surrounding my screen. I have tried to reset the p-ram but not sure why. Any advice?
Would you happen to have any recommendations for a Mackbook Pro M1 2020 Chip docking station? I have a ThinkPad thunderbolt 3 Dock but it blacks out every minute
Hi Mandy Jack, welcome to my videos. This Lenovo thunderbolt 3 dock will not work for the 2015 MBP as the 2015 MBP doesn't have the USB-C type thunderbolt ports. Look into the BookEndz or LandingZone docking station for the 2015 MBP =).
hi there, i've got the Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 gen 2 dock just like in this video, but my mac is a M1 mac, when i connect it nothing happens, i do not see any video on any of the three monitors, will it work ?
Hi @niall brady, unfortuntely Apple broke the thunderbolt displayport alt mode in the M1 silicon so all macbooks with M1 won't work with thunderbolt docks like they did before with Intel processors. You have to look for a universal dock that uses Displaylink.
I've been curious if the gen 1 dock is compatible with my Lenovo chromebook.it would just be nice to swap my work laptop and my personal Chromebook on the same set up
My girlfriend got me this cool docker station. But I am concerned about how it will process its battery power. Will it work for MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019) ?
Would it work fine with other pc laptop with thunderbolt 3? At home we have a lenovo, hp, dell and a mac so i am looking for somethiing that would fit all in ONEmonitor setup;)
Hi, I have a Lenovo ThinkPad USB-C Dock Gen 2 connected to my 2017 MacBook Pro and a Dell U2719D Monitor. I have installed the Display Link Manager but my MacBook is currently not connected with my external monitor. Does it matter whether I plug into a HDMI port or DP port from the monitor to the dock?
I really hate that when you plug in a display to your PC or Mac it defaults to mirror mode. I know once you change it once it will remember that setup and will only go back to mirror mode when connecting to a setup. Still annoying though, most of the time you do not want to mirror
Thanks for the detailed review. Would I be able to use the adapter that came with the laptop to keep it charging while also connected to the dock? My laptop will require the 230W adapter but buying the additional cables plus the 230w adapter makes this very expensive.
Hey thanks for the review, anybody who got the ethernet port working on this dock with a MacBook? Really considering buying it, since it has great deals on ebay and also supports thunderbolt 3, i would use it on one single monitor 1440p with macbooks lid closed.
Not for the dual monitor support rafa lafuente, if you looking for a lenovo dock that will support dual monitors for the MBP M1 have a look at the Lenovo ThinkPad Hybrid USB-C with USB-A dock (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xzOxxmESVp0.html)
Read the manual. If you want 4 monitors (inc laptop monitor) the DP/HDMI ports can run only two monitors, the TBT downstream can run a third. There are only two display outputs on the back, split between DP and HDMI, so even though there are 4 ports there are only 2 outputs. There is a marking to show with DP and HDMI ports are linked. The third output is via TBT. macOS does not support MST hubs so the rear DP/HDMI on a mac will give you only one monitor.
does any know if there are any cable converters for this docking station, currently have Dell and Lenovo laptop but the Dell one has different power supply sockets.
I watched this video and just bought one of these second-hand, thinking I could use it for both my work Macbook Pro and my personal Win10 gaming PC. I can only get the USB ports to work for both. I'm getting nothing for the audio jack or display on my Windows PC, although the audio jack seems to work fine for the Macbook. I'm quite disappointed. I don't understand why it works for you, but not for me.
For the Windows computer make sure that the thunderbolt device is authorised by the Intel thunderbolt app. If not look in the BIOS which you can disable this feature and set it to No security for thunderbolt.
@@BsianTech The Windows PC's port is a USB 3.2, not a Thunderbolt, and the Macbook's port is a Thunderbolt 4. Should this make any difference? I didn't think that it would. I appreciate the advice. Do you have a Patreon or something similar?
@@supersnackbros2423 USB 3.2 USB-C won't work on this thunderbolt dock. I found out early on when trying to get the Dell TB16 dock (another thunderbolt dock) on a Dell latitude 7440 when and found out when Dell sold it to us that unit didn't have thunderbolt chip to on the usb-C port even when we brought it with thunderbolt. We went tried so many thunderbolt docks to find out the issue. So yes the USB-C port must be thunderbolt to work on thunderbolt dock. The MacBook should work though. I haven't started a Patreon. I really should consider creating a second in case RU-vid fails whatever reason.
I have my thinkpad connected to the front port and the monitors to the back port and it works perfectly - do it have it wrong - since you mentioned the back thunderbolt port should be used to connect to the laptop
Hi Lizzy Husain, yes you can plug the computer to the front port and the monitor to the back port yes it will work for some laptops but the back port thunderbolt port is the port that is capable to drive more power through it to therefore charge the laptop. If you plug the laptop to the front thunderbolt port it might not be charging the laptop or provide slow charge or get a warning message regarding connecting to insufficient power source.
Thank you. I also hv the power connected to the laptop . I suppose I don’t need the laptop powder if I use the front port. I’ll switch today and see how it works
Hey, thank you I really enjoy the videos. Do you think I would be able to install 2 external displays (in extended mode) to my 2015 macbook air using this device?
Dell D6000 will allow you to do that. You'll have to install the Display link app and set it as Ultimate mode. There's a video in this channel where he shows this in detail.
When a laptop does not support charging over USB C, will there be a problem when a dock like this (meaning with power over USB C) is connected to the laptop's USB C port?
No problems at all, if you connect to a USB-C port that doesn't support power delivery, it will just use the data transfer capabilities =) Fritschge128.
Why don't they include the 2nd power adapter in gen 2, for the 230W dock? This dock fails to keep the P15 juiced up, since the P15 has a power draw greater than 170W. So under load the battery drains. The P15 doesn't do PD over Thunderbolt.
Because they want you to buy the bigger adapter separately so they can make more money. I found the 230W adapter on Amazon ranging from $60 to $80 (this is in August 2023).
Is the ethernet port gigabit or 10 gb ethernet? Wondering if it can drive 2 4K displays? Why they would only include on thunderbolt port and that too is at the front.
Hi Rehan Farrukh, the ethernet port on this dock is only gigabit. Yes it can drive 2x 4K displays, it says it can drive 3x 4K displays if your laptop can do it as well but I yet to test 3x 4K.
I just bought a MacBook pro 13". And I have 3 monitors at work. 1 verticle and 2 horizontal. I would like to have them work. I don't need the Macbook screen to work or the laptop to even be opened. Can you recommend a dock that would be best for this setup?
Hi Eric Burlin, my suggestion for MBP is to go look for an universal displaylink dock, here is a good tool from them to work out which dock would suit your needs they provide (www.displaylink.com/products/universal-docking-stations). I have done a few videos on the Dell D6000 which is also a displaylink dock. Problem with macs is the lack of MST support which hinders the display of the second or third monitors. Hope this helps your search.
When I did this video that was with a Intel MacBook Pro. This dock won't work well with the M1, for M1 docks to have dual or triple display please look at a displaylink dock (these are usually called Universal docks.
