Ahead-looking: You’ve got in all probability heard of Thunderbolt and plain USB-C docking stations. However there is a third possibility that is been quietly gaining steam: docks utilizing Synaptics’ DisplayLink know-how. This fall, they’re rolling out the subsequent evolution, known as DisplayLink Professional, which goals to up the ante.
DisplayLink docks present a substitute for pricier Thunderbolt choices by utilizing knowledge compression tips to funnel high-res video streams by plain previous USB connections. When you would possibly discover some high quality hits with intense gaming, most day-to-day desktop duties are unaffected. The important thing benefit is that these docks can usually push extra shows than their Thunderbolt counterparts on a tighter funds.
At a latest Dell convention, Synaptics claimed it might hook up six 4K shows to a single Dell XPS laptop computer utilizing its ‘Professional’ tech. That is large for a comparatively low-cost dock answer.
On the coronary heart of that is Synaptics’ new DL-7000 chipset, which might drive a 1080p show at a blistering 240Hz refresh fee. In the meantime, DisplayLink docks can run 4K shows at 120Hz or a single 4K display screen at as much as 144Hz.
Nevertheless, the one option to determine whether or not a DisplayLink dock options the DL-7000 will apparently be a emblem that mentions ‘DisplayLink Professional’ slapped throughout it – so hold a watch out for it.
Past uncooked specs, DisplayLink Professional marks an attention-grabbing evolution of the dock idea itself. As highlighted within the report, Synaptics is referring to its compression tech as a “software program graphics card” that is “GPU agnostic” – that means it will probably work throughout gadgets no matter their graphics {hardware}.
PCWorld additionally studies that the corporate confirmed off the power for dock makers to basically load customized software program and apps onto the docks themselves at Computex. One mock demo displayed a message from an organization’s IT division about upcoming adjustments proper on the dock’s show.
On the connectivity entrance, you are taking a look at 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet along with all these high-res show outputs. And backward compatibility with older DisplayLink gear is baked in, so you possibly can improve with out tossing present docks.
Whereas Synaptics is steering the technological ship, it will not be promoting these DisplayLink Professional docks on to customers. As with earlier DisplayLink choices, the DL-7000 chipsets will discover their manner into dock designs from Synaptics’ companions and OEMs.
Picture credit score: PCWorld
