CalDigit’s Thunderbolt Station 4 (TS4) is a dock with 98W charging energy and a powerful array of 18 ports, ultimate for Mac setups with a variety of connection necessities.
The dock comes with a price ticket of $399.99, reflective of its high-speed knowledge switch, expansive connectivity, and highly effective charging skills. Whereas it might not be essentially the most budget-friendly choice in the marketplace, its efficiency and comfort make a compelling case for professionals with demanding workloads and complicated Mac setups. On this overview, we delve into the TS4’s capabilities to find out whether or not its price is justified, and assist you to perceive if it’s the proper match on your particular wants.
The dock comes with a 0.8m Thunderbolt 4 Cable, two rubber toes strips, one energy wire, one 230W energy provide, and a two-year CalDigit guarantee.
Design
The CalDigit TS4 dock incorporates a high-quality, sturdy aluminum design. Its general footprint within reason compact, measuring 141mm x 42mm x 113mm, that means that it avoids taking an excessive amount of house on a desk. If that’s too tall on your desktop, simply slide on the included pair of rubber strips for cushioning and tip the dock over on its aspect. The aluminum casing has a ribbed design that provides it a extra industrial look whereas additionally providing some further floor space for efficient warmth dissipation.
The TS4’s design, regardless of its compactness, doesn’t compromise on performance. It homes a powerful whole of 18 ports which might be logically divided between the entrance and rear of the dock. The entrance options simply accessible USB-C, USB-A, and SD card slots, alongside an audio enter and output port. The again, in the meantime, is supplied with the remaining ports, together with Thunderbolt 4, USB-C, USB-A, DisplayPort, and Ethernet.
The dock is accompanied by a big energy brick that, whereas vital for its perform, detracts barely from the portability of the system and is a vital consideration when it comes to cable administration.
USB Ports
The dock is outfitted with a complete of eight USB ports, break up between USB-C and USB-A variants. There are three 10Gb/s USB-C ports (two situated conveniently on the entrance and one on the again), providing high-speed knowledge switch charges and energy supply. The dock additionally options 5 10Gb/s USB-A ports to accommodate barely older {hardware}. 4 of those ports are situated on the again of the system, and one is positioned on the entrance for straightforward entry.
One notable benefit is that the USB ports additionally ship energy ample for charging. One of many entrance USB-C ports delivers 20W, appropriate for a MagSafe charger or perhaps a HomePod mini. The 2 rear Thunderbolt ports can provide 15W, whereas the remaining USB-C and USB-A ports provide 7.5W. Which means even within the absence of the host pc, most of the ports will proceed to provide energy to your gadgets, successfully turning the TS4 right into a helpful charging station.
SD Card Slots
Two slots accommodate each full-size SD and microSD playing cards, with UHS-II assist making certain sufficient knowledge switch charges for photographers or videographers. The positioning of those slots on the entrance of the TS4 is one other considerate contact, enabling easy accessibility and the short swapping of playing cards.
It’s price noting that these slots are UHS-II and never the newest UHS-III specification, which implies they won’t provide absolutely the highest switch speeds accessible in the marketplace for customers with UHS-III playing cards. Regardless of this, UHS-II continues to be greater than quick sufficient for the overwhelming majority of customers.
Show Assist
The CalDigit TS4 presents complete assist for exterior shows, a function that’s notably useful for professionals who require a number of displays for his or her workflow. The dock helps as much as two 6K, 60Hz screens when related by way of the Thunderbolt 4 ports, providing ample display screen actual property. Furthermore, in case your necessities are centered on refresh charges, the TS4 can assist as much as 240Hz at a 1440p decision. This makes it an ideal match for graphic designers, video editors, and others who require high-resolution multi-monitor Mac setups.
Along with the Thunderbolt 4 ports, the TS4 additionally features a DisplayPort 1.4 port. DisplayPort 1.4 helps excessive resolutions and refresh charges, in addition to options like HDR, making it a wonderful alternative for a variety of shows. Nevertheless, an HDMI port is noticeably absent on the system, which can be a downside for many who depend on HDMI for his or her show setup, comparable to these utilizing smaller OLED TVs as displays.
Ethernet
A 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port guarantees considerably sooner knowledge switch charges in comparison with customary Gigabit Ethernet, providing strong efficiency. Throughout use of the CalDigit TS4, the Ethernet port supplied distinctive efficiency, delivering the best speeds noticed from the router, even when the opposite number of ports had been nearly maxed-out.
Audio
The CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt dock comes outfitted with three audio ports, together with a 3.5mm audio in port, a 3.5mm audio out port, and a 3.5mm combo jack. This trio of audio ports permits for a flexible set of use instances, catering to each enter and output wants.
The three.5mm combo port on the entrance is particularly helpful for shortly connecting headphones. The separate 3.5mm audio enter and output ports provide much more flexibility, accommodating for standalone microphones and audio system. As an illustration, you possibly can join an exterior microphone for higher voice seize high quality throughout video calls or audio recordings. The devoted output port means that you can join audio system with out having to steadily unplug your headphones.
Throughout testing, the audio ports on the CalDigit TS4 delivered clear and high-quality sound with no noticeable distortion or noise interference. The benefit of entry and the standard of the audio sign make these ports a wonderful function for these needing a number of audio connectivity choices on their Thunderbolt dock.
Last Ideas
Total, the CalDigit TS4 presents best-in-class connectivity as a Thunderbolt dock with an especially versatile number of ports. With its handy port placement, charging capabilities, and discreet design, it’s a standout alternative for these searching for a large number of connection choices. The flexibility to attach a single Thunderbolt cable to a MacBook and immediately activate two exterior shows and connect with over a dozen peripherals, and even cost gadgets no matter whether or not a pc is hooked up, is extraordinarily helpful.
Whereas its cumbersome energy provide and the omission of an HDMI port could also be off-putting to some customers, it nonetheless presents all kinds of options that make it a robust competitor out there. It’s straightforward to suggest the TS4 to any Mac person trying to level-up their setup and meet a variety of connectivity wants.
The best way to Purchase
The CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 4 is offered for buy instantly from CalDigit’s web site, in addition to different on-line retailers like Amazon. The value on the time writing is $399.99, although costs could fluctuate relying on the retailer and any ongoing promotions or gross sales.
Observe: CalDigit supplied MacRumors with a Thunderbolt Station 4 for the aim of this overview. No different compensation was obtained.
