Kensington launches the first Thunderbolt 5 docking station
Thunderbolt 5 devices are gradually arriving. Docking stations, for example from Kensington, connect three 4K monitors and plenty of peripherals.
(Image: Kensington)
The first docking stations with Thunderbolt 5 are set to go on sale in the coming weeks and months. Kensington wants to be the first supplier with its SD5000T5 EQ – in the USA, delivery is starting these days for 400 US dollars. Europe should follow soon. Other manufacturers such as Ugreen (Revodok), Targus (Hyperdrive) and J5create (JTD5172) are also preparing for the market launch.
Intel finalized the Thunderbolt 5 specification a year ago, but the introduction of compatible hardware has been delayed. The only host devices currently available are Razer's high-end Blade 18 (2024) notebook and the US-exclusive Maingear ML-17 RTX 4090.
Kensington SD5000T5 EQ (7 Bilder)
Kensington
)Four times Thunderbolt 5 via USB-C
Because the docking stations announced all use Intel's Barlow Ridge controller, the variety of connections of the various models is similar. There is usually a Thunderbolt 5 port for connecting to the host device (upstream), which transmits 140 to 180 watts and passes on video signals. Monitors, SSDs or other devices can be connected via three Thunderbolt 5 ports (downstream).
Thunderbolt 5 nominally transmits 80 Gbit/s in both directions. With several high-resolution displays, the connection switches to an asynchronous mode with 120 to 40 Gbit/s: This means the transfer rate is sufficient for three 4K monitors with 144 Hertz each or two 8K displays with 60 Hertz each.
On a desktop PC or notebook with backwards-compatible Thunderbolt 3 or 4, the transfer rate is sufficient for two 4K displays at 60 hertz; in some cases, 144 hertz also works with a single 4K display. In the case of Macs or Macbooks, support depends on the processor used: the integrated GPUs of the M1 and M2, for example, can only drive a single external display.
Many more connections
Apart from this, all the docking stations announced have plenty of USB and usually a socket for 2.5 Gbit/s Ethernet. Kensington's SD5000T5 EQ has two card readers for microSD and SD memory cards with UHS-II speed. In addition to the four USB-C ports for Thunderbolt 5, there are three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbit/s) ports.
If you want to charge a connected notebook via Thunderbolt, you need to connect an external DC power supply. Kensington includes a 180-watt model. The outer shell of the docking station is made of aluminum.
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