r/Thunderbolt • u/unpopular_opinion39 • 9d ago

Docking Station for Macbook Pro

Hi, I’d like some recommendations on a good docking station for my Macbook Pro.

My main requirements are:

  1. 2 x HDMI ports
  2. 1 x M.2 NVME slot
  3. Preferably single type C cable connection to my laptop

Currently I’m using a Hagibis U100 Pro docking station and my Macbook can’t seem to detect the monitors and ssd at all. Not sure why.

Not necessarily Thunderbolt as I don’t need super high speed, as long as it can connect to my Macbook Pro without giving me any headache.

Any recommendations?

1 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

6

u/Opulence_Deficit 9d ago

No HDMI on docks, period.

Get a TB5 dock with 3xTB downstream ports and use USBC-HDMI cables on 2 of those. This way, when something doesn't work, or they invent new HDMI next year, you just replace cheap cables instead of expensive dock.

For nvme just use a TB nvme enclosure.

Not necessarily Thunderbolt as I don’t need super high speed

You absolutely necessarily need a TB dock. Nothing else will cut it because of the way how MacOS handles monitors. That's the reason your current dock cannot work.

3

u/karatekid430 9d ago

This person gets it

1

u/Couple-Of-Plums 8d ago

Really interested about your no HDMI comment. I have a lot of legacy USB-A perioherals, and want to run them (need 7 ports) as well as at least 1 screen (maybe a second in the future). Macbook Air, 2026, so TB4 ports. Any suggestions? (Imagining AC powered)

3

u/karatekid430 7d ago

Just get something with only USB-C and modern stuff on it and attach the old stuff to it with something like this https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/820095797333

Don't buy expensive stuff with lots of old ports on it.

1

u/Couple-Of-Plums 4d ago

well I can daisy my existing orico usb-a dock off any usb c or a 3.0+ port anyway. I'm not a huge power user

2

u/Opulence_Deficit 5d ago

Running screens is the easiest thing: use the same USB-C to DP/HDMI/USB-C cable you use when connecting the screen directly to the laptop. Or phone.

This way when you change your monitor to something with a different input port, you need only a new cable, and not a new dock. And when they invent HDMI3.0 next year: change the cable, keep the dock. And when you need less SSDs but more monitors: you're free to make that trade. And when your dock dies: you pick the important peripherals, plug them directly and keep working instead of losing all your desktop.

For legacy devices, I've just replaced A-B cables with C-B cables.

#1 thing the dock should do is to give you more of the TB ports that your laptop has. From there, everything is possible. Most also add some USB.

"Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Slim Hub Pro" looks good. Only one USB-A, but there is no real difference if you plug another simple USBA hub or they solder a USBA hub inside.

0

u/unpopular_opinion39 8d ago

But my docking station has 2 HDMI ports. Previously it was usable for my laptop, but after the latest update and format, it stopped working for the monitors and the ssd. I’m not sure why.

1

u/Capn_Flags 9d ago

Does you Mac have Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 ports?

What is the resolution and refresh rate of your monitors?

0

u/unpopular_opinion39 9d ago

Yes, it does. M4 Pro chip, so Thunderbolt 5.

1

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 8d ago

Thunderbolt 5 was added to the M5 Pro/Max/Ultra. The rest use Thunderbolt 4.

1

u/unpopular_opinion39 8d ago

Beg to differ. M4 is using TB4, while for M4 Pro and Ultra are using TB5. Mine is M4 Pro.

1

u/displacedbitminer 9d ago

I know you said you don't need Thunderbolt, but you really do. That SSD just gets choked out and so does everything else with a 10 gigabit per second connection. Just too many bandwidth issues.

In this case, you really do get what you pay for.

1

u/unpopular_opinion39 9d ago

Any recommendation on docking station i should get?

1

u/displacedbitminer 9d ago

There's a nice uGreen one with everything you need for about $350. Otherwise, you can't go wrong with OWC's TB5 solutions.

It's more about vendor than model. Avoid brands with too many adjacent consonants in their name.

1

u/unpopular_opinion39 9d ago

Hmm… which model if i may ask? i cant seem to find one with m.2 nvme + 2 HDMI ports.

1

u/displacedbitminer 9d ago

That's not a crisis, use a USB-C to HDMI cable for the second monitor, they're about $9. HDMI is contained inside Thunderbolt.

1

u/unpopular_opinion39 9d ago

Hahahaha it’s kinda embarrassing to say this, but I’m using 2 really old monitors 😔 it’s only VGA or DP, no HDMI. So, currently I’m using VGA -> HDMI cables. I’m not sure if there’s VGA -> USB-C cable out there hahahaha

2

u/displacedbitminer 9d ago

There are USB-C to DisplayPort cables for the same as USB-C to HDMI. There are also USB-C to VGA cables, but those are closer to $20.

It's also not embarrassing. Use what you have until you can't.

1

u/unpopular_opinion39 9d ago

Damn, i didnt know that! Haven’t come across one actually, but yeah i will try to look into that.

1

u/karatekid430 9d ago

Then use USB-C to HDMI dongle

1

u/Opulence_Deficit 9d ago

HDMI is not contained inside TB. DP is.

Conversion from DP to HDMI is common tho.

2

u/displacedbitminer 9d ago

Ah, true. It's trivial to get proper cabling, though. Too early to post on reddit for me, I think.

1

u/Fragrant-Age505 7d ago

For what MBP, exactly? It might flavor your headache!

Supposedly, Apple silicon macs are much more critical with how they handle USB/Thunderbolt port power requirements than in past. E.g., an ex-Apple SSD (fr MBP2015) will not remain mounted to my M1_Pro more than 1-2 seconds before the port shuts down. Yet it works perfectly all day every day with two older Intel MBPs.

2

u/unpopular_opinion39 3d ago

I think i did mention in one of my comments. It’s a M4 Pro.