Due to the recent global situation I had to recreate a previous gaming setup I had with dual monitors, multiple USB cable connections and various other background activities to keep the laptop running while "downloading" to start. (Chrome with about 30 tabs, 5-7 instances of Excel and moving files to external storage). After working for a few years, I realized that the docking station was the best solution, but often it was either too expensive, a specific brand (Dell only, HP only, etc.) or required non-standard port connections. I'm relieved to report that this docking station performed well in initial testing. Overall: There could be some minor issues/tweaks, but overall the device is well thought out and efficient to use. Box contents: power adapter, USB-C to USB-C adapter. Cable Dock1. Price/Design: The docking station has a very clean feel and occupies a very modest 5" x 5" on my desk. Its price is very low compared to similar products and it looks clean thanks to the smooth metal grooves on the sides (doesn't look like air vents so it might just be aesthetically pleasing) and 4 grippy enough legs. The whole docking station feels very light, so it can be moved (e.g. from room to room or visiting another family and using the home office)2. Design: The docking station is clearly intended to be permanently placed on a desk, with 5 "functional" ports on the front: 2 USB 3.0 ports, 1 microphone, 1 headphone, 1 SD and 1 micro SD Slot. It also makes up for many compromises in favor of lighter/more expensive laptops and port compromises. The back panel allows for Ethernet, USBC, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 USB 3.0 port, and 1 display port each (Display, HDMI, and VGA).3. Initial use: USB-C/USB3.0 passthrough had acceptable speeds (300MB for USB-C, 35 for USB 3.0, 15 for USB 2.0). This was launched at the same time as pass-through charging and 2 displays. Display integration: To be honest I think this was my favorite part, I swapped out 2 laptops with different settings and not only did the settings transfer cleanly but the displays had no obvious lags/problems. . Also, there are no resolution/rendering issues on either machine. Loading: Pass-through loading works about as expected. My Dell XPS 15 SOMETIMES charged depending on load but often just "held". There is no obvious battery drain. My work laptop, which normally charges via USB C, worked fine. Simultaneous charging: I tested with 4/5 USB ports, 1 USBC port, Ethernet, 1 SD and 2 displays (HDMI+display adapter) at the same time. There is some latency in data transfer under this load, but everything else works very well. Cons: 1. I wish it had a connector other than VGA, mainly because VGA is lagging behind. However, there are no major performance issues and I understand its versatility. The VGA/HDMI/Display integration was flawless2. Windows "detection problems": Make sure to connect power BEFORE connecting USB C to laptop, especially when changing laptops. Sometimes Windows 10 doesn't recognize the device properly and therefore doesn't understand when you have connected VS data sources. When changing computers/peripherals, the docking station may need to be restarted. .3. no on/off button. Based on 2 I had to turn off the power to reboot. This isn't necessarily an issue if you're only using 1 laptop, but in my setup, switching laptops (especially if I also had to switch connected peripherals) sometimes caused Windows to "misread" what was connected.
Dell 452-BCYT D6000 Universal Dock in Black: A Hassle-free Single Solution
17 Review
12-in-1 USB C Docking Station: Dual Monitor, Triple Display, 4K HDMI, VGA, Gigabit Ethernet, SD/TF Card Reader - Compatible with MacBook/Surface/HP/Dell
11 Review
Docking Station OKX Display Ethernet
11 Review
Universal Laptop Docking Station for Windows and Mac - Plugable USB 3.0 Dual DisplayPort 4K Monitor with Gigabit Ethernet, Audio, and 6 USB Ports
12 Review