⮕ CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock: geni.us/caldigitTS4 Get an exclusive NordPass deal plus 4 additional months for FREE here: nordpass.com/createdtech or use code createdtech at the checkout!
The price is still an impediment. So I'll continue with the uGreen and qGeeM docks. Not because I'm a fan, but because the cost x benefit is still worth it.
I was looking for a Thunderbolt dock when the TS4 was launched and I bought it immediately. I’m super happy with my choice. Super it was expensive, but it has all the back ports used, including 2 monitors. I have a 3rd monitor connected directly to the MacBook. This way I only need 2 cables to plug/unplug everything. It’s awesome!
I think the CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 4 is both the new King and Queen of Thunderbolt docks. Bring a total of 18 Ports of extreme connectivity is more than I could imagine! I think the number of ports is the most featured on any Thunderbolt dock ever. It's definitely/ arguably an accessory to consider/ have despite it's slightly high price tag.
I picked up a refurbed TS3 Plus a few months ago for use with my M1 MBA and couldn't be happier, rock solid. The immediate trigger was the USB C port on my external monitor failing, but now my connectivity is independent of my monitor (now connected via DP) I am free to buy a much wider range of displays, like an LG C2 (rather than the more expensive but better connected monitor options).
I’ve been using the TS4 for about 6 months at home connected to all my peripherals. Monitor, Mirrorless Camera (via USB and Camlink 4K), Ethernet, Speakers, Logitech Unifying receiver for Mouse & Keyboard, and external SSD drives. Use it between my personal MacBook Pro M1 16” and my work one daily. It’s been one of the best purchases I’ve made. Switching between MacBook Pros feels effortless, or even if I just want to unplug the MacBook to go to another room and then come back and plug back in. Caldigit has had pretty good costumer support and troubleshooting to address some of the issues people initially had when the TS4 was launched on their website. I encountered one issue which I found a resolution for on their website. Overall been very happy with my TS4.
I pulled the trigger on the official refurb. Wish I got 2tb instead of 1! Lol but it’s not a real problem really as I have a NAS. Best thing I like coming from 2014 MacBook Pro, is finally I have sleep that works and doesn’t drain battery. Oh yeah, she is faster lol
I used one of these for a few weeks on my work and personal M1 MacBook Pro 14” laptops. I had two big issues: 1) When the computer went to sleep, it put the TS4 into some sleep mode where the ethernet adapter would lose the IP assignment and then have a self-assigned IP, resulting in issues reconnecting to my VPN. I would have to disconnect and reconnect the TS4 to get it to recover. 2) When the computer would go to sleep and then be woken up, the external display appeared at a lower than native resolution, which would require me to power cycle the TS4, or, yet again, disconnect and reconnect the TS4. Due to a lot of documentation reading on my iPad, my work machine’s enforced quick power savings to turn off the displays (cut the HDMI signal), I would have to disconnect and reconnect the TS4 dozens of times a day. I gave up and just use an Anker 5 series 6-in-1 that has an Ethernet, PD and a few extra ports. All OS updates were applied, the TS4 firmware was up-to-date, et al.
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 dock is the one I purchased with my M1 MacBook Air back in March. Yes I put 3/4 in. Clear Soft Rubber Plastic Like Self-Adhesive Square Bumpers from Home Depot on the side/bottom and it does not slide now. Also little more air flow now to keep it cool. Best one I could find. Love that the host port for my MacBook Air is on the back along with all the other connectors I leave pulled in all the time. Then quick access on the front to the ports I use for the data transfer from temporary storage devices. Should last me many years to come.
One thing that is important to me is that TB4 is USB4 compliant. This means that non-Thunderbolt devices can still utilize the TS4, whereas the TS3 Plus (which I also own) is exclusively Thunderbolt 3 and can't work with either of the aforementioned. There are limitations, though-Non thunderbolt devices like my desktop and Valve Steam Deck (both of which only use 3.2 gen 2) can use only non-Thunderbolt devices connected to the TS4. And while my Steam Deck works great, my desktop doesn't have an integrated GPU, so there's no Display output for it-so it's effectively a USB hub (which is what I expected). In leu of a KVM, I actually use my MacBook Pro 16 and desktop gaming PC with the TS4. I have my audio devices, webcams, and peripherals all plugged into the TS4. And then when I need to use my desktop instead, I simply plug the TS4 into the USB 3.2 gen 2 port on my motherboard, and it picks up all the I/O. For my monitor, I keep both my dedicated GPU and TS4 plugged into the monitor simultaneously. And it'll auto-switch if I'm using my MBP with the dock or using my dGPU from my PC.
To prevent slipping when plugging in stuff, I put a couple of command strips under it. It works great and can always adjust it when I need to, since the heat it gives off keeps the adhesive pretty stable.
I tried this once but got interference in my speakers because my audio interface was connected to the dock and the dock was charging my Macbook. Doesn't this happen to you? If not i will have to try this one out
I bought baseus thunderbolt 3 dock with 16 ports for 70 dollar and it's working great! If you searching for bang for the buck I'm recommending this option
Hi thanks for the video, are you using a KVM with the dock? can you share your experience with this? I noticed you switched between the Mac laptop and PC computer however i may have missed if your sharing your peripherals or not, keen to get some insights on if you are using one.
Having a gaming PC and separate mac laptop. Razer Blade 14. RTX 3808, 8 Core AMD - does everything both of those can and you only have to buy and maintain 1 computer. Also you can then game anywhere.
I want to a dock that uses both USB-C thunderbolt ports for power and data throughput. Having all of those ports share one USB-C port can be a bit overloading, and can limit it from fully supporting every type of port, notice this one is missing HDMI and is limited on some of its ports data throughput.
Just buy ORICO Type-C Docking Station. It twice cheaper, have better look, can be powered from your own GaN charger and also has DisplayLink, so you can connect up to 3 monitors to MacBook with M1/M2 chip.
I got one of these after my chinese TB3 dock's USB controller had intermittent problems. Running 2 DP monitors 1 at 4k and one at 1440p 144hz & charges my 16" m1 macs under pretty demanding workloads. Also runs WAY cooler than my old dock, that thing probably killed itself. Overall cannot complain, hopefully it lasts longer than my previous one. Also to note I think TB definitely has some funkiness in EVERY device, but once you have everything setup I've found it as stable as USB for the most part.
You're worried about a busted back, yet use a QWERTY keyboard from 1898. RSI welcomes you. Corne, tented, split, ortholinear - and 32 programmable layers on visual configurator. Amazing how many people still use QWERTY.
No ergonomic keyboard can replace a standing desk and regularly moving every 30 minutes. I’d say less than 1% of the population use something other than QWERTY, because it’s simply too hard to retrain a lifetime of muscle memory.
Just grab the 10 gig QNAP one from Mwave or Amazon mate, they work just as well. Been running two QNAP adapters for years without issue, both SFP+ and ethernet.
Can you compare it to the Ivanky Fusion Max? I am not sure whether the Ivanky or the TS4 would be the best fit for me. The 60Hz restriction of the Ivanky seems to be a no go for me, but I believe using a HDMI to USB-C cable might be a workaround for that..
I agree with getting this docking station however, most people who are WFH have a work laptop that is windows based and USB C gen 2 based. This one wouldn't be of any use to them to if its not supported. This works if you have a thunderbolt 3 or 4 laptop but my experience is that most people have a work laptop that is USB C gen 2 and not Thunderbolt 3 laptops
They still haven't fixed all the bugs with dock and network port yet? WTF! I have an older OWC doc and use it daily. never have to power cycle the dock, it just works...for years.
To begin with, these laptop makers shouldnt be stinggy by excluding the ports. Here, i give you a hint, 2xUSBC, 2xUSBA, HDMI... Thats it, just enough for us normal people
I just love mine, it’s perfect despite it having a Ethernet controller issue that gives some issues with connectivity or/and speed on the 2.5Gbe, but hopefully that will be solved with Ventura. My NAS is a Qnap so I have that connected via TB4 and then internet via TS4 Ethernet port thru a 10Gbe switch.
The problem is they stopped making their 10gbe tb3 adapter at the same time this came out because they knew that it made more sense to buy the TS3 hub for $300 and get the 10gbe adapter for $150 over getting this dock. At $400 it should have had 10gbe because they had 2 separate products that were $450. I love their products but it really stinks that they went this way
Slightly unrelated question, but for Mac users with docks with multiple mountable media connected, when you want to disconnect from the dock is there a fast way to unmount all the media connected to it at once?
Based on your great view, I placed my order. Item arrived, could not use it power not getting to the unit. Maybe a faulty power supply or the unit. Send back next day. Did not expect to pay top dollar for a malfunction dock. Caldigit NEVER AGAIN
Every single product and every single brand will have the occasional unit that is dead on arrival (DOA). That definitely does not mean the product as a whole is bad.
It's almost the same as I paid for my 1. gen M1 Macbook Air 😭... I can see us all cheer, when Apple double their prices, just to upgrade a couple of ports every year😝☮
I bought exactly this CalDigit Dock a couple of weeks ago. I have a MacBook Pro M1 13" from 2021. I also bought the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 monitor. I'm not a gamer and bought tis Ultrawide specifically for my online seminars using MS Teams. What I didn't know at the time of purchase is my M1 MacBook only allows one external monitor. You mentioned this in your video here. You also mentioned a "work-around". Could you please be more specific. My intention is to be able to split my Neo into two 27" screens, seeing my participants on one side whilst sharing content with them on the other side, something which isn't possible at the moment. If I leave my MacBook open, the Neo shows a blank screen. It's only when I close it into Clamshell mode that I get the picture on the Neo. The Mac only has a 60Hz refresh rate, the Neo can do 240Hz. Not sure what to do here either as I'm not happy with the overall picture quality. Please reply and I promise to subscribe and ring the bell 🙏
@@CreatedTech If this works Buddy, I'd love to give you a thousand Likes and the same subscriptions to your channel. I'd like to keep my CalDigit in the loop. Can I go from Macbook to CalD and then to the Displayport dock? If so, what connections would I have to make? Have subscribed and rang the bell. Many thanks 😊
@@robertw.1499 I'm not too sure to be honest, going from MacBook>CalDigit>Displayport dock is a bit tricky and I can't say for sure if it would work. You could try buying a DisplayPort dock off Amazon, fiddling around and seeing if it would work, and return it if it doesn't.
@@CreatedTech Thanks once again for replying, really appreciated. What I will try is using one of the Macs USB-C/Thunderbolt outlets to the CalD then to the display port on the Samsung, use the second Mac USB-C/Thunderbolt to the Displayport then HDMI to the Samsung. Hope this works 🤔
Quick question; you say your using an audio interface, how well does the Caldigit handle this? I seem to remember audio interfaces being pretty much unusable with the dell TB docks due to USB noise and for the longest time thought it was just a general tb dock issue
Do you have the sleep issue with the TS4? I have a M1 Max Macbook Pro 14 and there are times where all of my devices get disconnected. I can't wake my computer from sleep unless I open the lid or switch over to Bluetooth. After waking, the remaining devices are still disconnected. Anything on USB is completely unresponsive (e.g. stream deck, mice, keyboard...). I'm on the latest firmware as well. My MacBook is set to never sleep the computer, but sleep displays.
I haven’t personally had this issue, but I use my MacBook on a stand with the screen open. Although I have had it happen when connected to a USB-C monitor with the screen closed. I’m not sure what the root of the issue could be, but I’ve heard of others having similar problems with their Mac, with different USB-C or thunderbolt devices.
Can someone please answer my question? I have a M1 MacBook Pro 14 and I'm interested in getting a monitor. I am seeing a lot of people use usb-c for connecting the monitor and charging the MacBook at the same time. Now if I keep my laptop plugged in for the whole day and it's continuously getting charged, won't it 1) affect the battery life of the laptop as it's not discharging and charging like normal 2) Won't it ruin the usb-c port of the monitor in the long run due to heating of the port because of continuous charging.
I use the Anker 563 and have had super good luck with my work MBA M1 and my personal MBP M1. I run two additional screens to the laptop monitor. If you can put up with the power adapter being heavier than the dock itself, it is a good alternative to the CalDigit Dock, which I think looks like a prototype product... And the 563 is 100 USD cheaper plus I get two HDMI ports... I just don't see the Caldigit dock being worth the money.
You had two computers on your desk but didn’t address the elephant; how to switch KVM quickly and easily. TB 4 KVM’s are very hard to find… was looking for a solution.
I have two thunderbolt cables that I alternate. When I want to use the PC, I just unplug the Mac host cable, and plug in the host cable for the PC. There are other solutions like built-in KVM to the monitor etc but I only use the PC maybe 15% of the time, so it's not a problem for me.
A quick question. Can you connect your QNAP 10 Gb adapter through the TS4 for using the connection to your 10 Gb Synology NAS, and what are the speeds like? Thanks!
Yes, you can. You'll get the full 10 gigabit speed too. But a HDD-only NAS like mine with 6 drives won't saturate a full 10g connection, you'll probably get around 0.7 of that.
how did you switch between two computers? I cannot find any information on connecting 2 computers. I have a mac and a PC and am trying to find one device to connect both computers to the same monitor, mouse and keyboard
Great video! I’ve been recently watching your video about about charging our mbp/a. But how do you deal with this dock when you have passthrough charging capability ? It is not that I can unplug it whenever I want since my display and SSD are connected to it ? What is your strategy ? Thanks!
@@CreatedTech Sorry my question wasn't well composed. How do you preserve your MBP/A battery (20%-80%, unplugging for a while etc VS letting it be plugged in all the time.) when your dock is constantly plugged in because you need your display and whatever that is connected to it? Or you just don't care and let plugged in as mentioned at the end of that video because trying to take care of the battery will only save us only a few longevity % on the long term. But I'm one of those who keeps their mac for a long time. Just bought MBA M3. (Retiring almost 12 years old mid 2012 MBP). Thank you!! (And thank you for your reply!)
@@demazyI don't really care tbh, it's not worth spending so much time and effort every day. I would just unplug at night, and every now and then use it as a normal laptop on battery mode. You'll probably do this anyway, that's what I do. Watch RU-vid videos on the couch etc.
@@CreatedTech Short answer: Alright, reassuring that the return value is not worth the effort. Long answer: iPad mini is for the couch. I don't move as much with a laptop anymore, but sometimes I need to. Otherwise it would have been a mac mini. And I'm using Transmission and Infuse with SSD, that's why it stay up and running all the time. But I'll try to make exceptions and unplug form time to time. Thanks for your time. Just discovered you recently while researching the MBA M3, and you're doing really great videos. Great image quality, great appearance and vibe, great explanations, not wasting time, no nonsense, down to earth and true knowledge is shared. Good job!
@@demazyYou can also look into apps like Al Dente for Mac, that will allow you to have more control over the charge level. Some people like to keep their battery at 50% if it's almost always plugged in. I've used Al Dente a little on my test laptops to keep their charge level at 50% for long term storage, but I haven't used it extensively. But again, even if you just abuse the battery all day long, it's under $200 to replace it which IMO isn't that huge if you've used it for like 5-7 years. Thanks for the kind words! I am working on an M3 MacBook Air comparison video right now so hope you'll like it.
The dock seems a bit expensive for me, it's a little bit less than half the price of the M1 MacBook air after all... There are cheaper solutions for dual monitors but I'm not sure I trust other companies to be fully compliant with TS4/USB4.
It’s the Lamborghini of docks. Not cheap, but an extremely solid product. I won’t be using anything else unless a new Thunderbolt 5 standard comes out in a few years.
Saw the price, stopped watching. I don't care how GOOD a dock is, it should never cost more than £100! If the mac really needs that much help from external dock's then Apple should seriously be building that stuff in themselves! 😡😡😡😡
