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Best early Thunderbolt dock, USB-C hub deals for October Prime Day 2024

Irishu
Best early Thunderbolt dock, USB-C hub deals for October Prime Day 2024

Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days this October is a great opportunity to find the best deals on Thunderbolt docking stations and USB-C hubs, the best accessories for connecting your laptop to older hardware, displays, and other computer peripherals.

Amazon’s fall version of Prime Day kicks off on October 8. I’m already looking for the best deals on Thunderbolt docks from manufacturers like Anker and Belkin, as well as USB-C hubs and dongles from a range of suppliers. There’s even a DisplayLink slot There is also an agreement.

My deal recommendations include top picks from PCWorld’s roundup best Thunderbolt docks And best USB-C hubsI’ve been a tech reporter for 30 years, and I’ve reviewed dozens of Thunderbolt docks and hubs since 2020. This is when the WFH (work from home) movement started creating all sorts of demand for these products.

Below, you can find my curated list of the best Prime Big Deal Days deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs from Amazon. I’ll keep adding to them until October 9th, when Big Deal Days ends. Be sure to check back soon. Check out our Prime Big Deal Days hubWe’ll also feature exclusive stories about the most popular deals we find, as well as deals in other categories.

Last updated September 24, 2024.

Best early Prime Big Deal Days deals on Thunderbolt docks

I can’t get enough of the Belkin Dock Core, and it looks like Belkin can’t either. (It always shows up on our deals pages!) You have to provide a power adapter. Mac users hate this, but this is a compact little Thunderbolt dock that offers a lot for the money. Here it is My Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core reviewI gave it the Editor’s Choice award.

Kensington’s SD2480T (listed as “old version” but appears to be the same as the “new” version) is an older dock on sale for a great price. This Amazon sale could be the last gasp of Thunderbolt 3 hardware. The dock does get warm, as many have noted, but it shouldn’t affect its performance. Just be aware that you’ll need displays with DisplayPort adapters. Or a cheap DisplayPort to HDMI adapter For around $20.

I’ve reviewed a few UGreen Revodok mounts and the manufacturer consistently makes good hardware. (While this one is the Max 208 I reviewed Revodok Max 213.) Like the SD2480T, this dock uses dedicated Thunderbolt/USB-C ports, so factor in the cost of a couple of dongles if you want to run it on displays with HDMI or DisplayPort connections. But it’s still a reasonable price — by comparison, the Max 213 was selling for $400, which is Wow It’s overpriced. Ugreen’s suggested retail price of $249 for the 208 is reasonable, which makes this a pretty good sale.

The Kensington K37010NA has a nice design — the floating aesthetic is unique. I haven’t reviewed this dock, but I really like the Kensington hardware. Again: There’s one useful HDMI port, but there’s also an upstream Thunderbolt port. That’s not a big deal. In that case, I’d buy an extra one uni USB-C to HDMI cable for around $16. The 100W charging should handle most laptops, but not those with discrete GPUs. Note the thoughtful 9v/2.22A (20W) USB-C charging on the front, which should charge a smartphone quickly.

Finally, Lenovo’s Thunderbolt 3 dock is on sale for a good early Prime Deal Days sale. It’s a bit more expensive but offers more charging power and a range of display options.

Best early Prime Big Deal Days deals on USB-C hubs, dongles and docking stations

If you want a cheap, focused USB-C hub, the Benfei looks good. It doesn’t include microSD/SD and only has USB-A ports, but it’s a simple dongle for connecting an HDMI display, mouse, keyboard and some sort of 5Gbps peripheral.

My Anker 555 8-in-1 hub recommended USB-C hubAmazon occasionally offers discounts on both of these products, but these prices are at or just above their 2024 lowest prices.

Thunderbolt dock deals FAQ

1.

What should I look for when purchasing a Thunderbolt dock or USB-C hub?

Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs are often seen as different product categories, but they do have some similarities. Both use a USB-C connection from your laptop. However, the difference lies in how certain laptops use this port: some use a standard USB-C port, while others route the high-speed Thunderbolt 3 or 4 protocol through the USB-C connector. The standard port typically supports data transfers of up to 10Gbps, which is enough for USB drives, external storage devices, and possibly an external monitor.

Thunderbolt (Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4) enables a data transfer rate of 40 Gbps, designed for high-speed external SSDs and multiple displays. best USB-C hubs And best Thunderbolt docks explain more in much more detail. Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 are close enough that you can save money by buying old technology that retailers are trying to get rid of. This is important! Lightning 5The one that will offer 80Gbps hasn’t even shown up yet, which is a bit disappointing.

If you want to connect high-speed peripherals (or just a ton of them), a Thunderbolt dock might be your best bet—especially if you have multiple displays. Otherwise, a USB-C hub will do just fine. But a Thunderbolt dock is definitely a future-proof solution.

USB-C hubs and dongles are relatively inexpensive, rarely going over $60. Thunderbolt docks can cost anywhere from $100 to $300, depending on the features the dock offers.

Typically, the best Prime Big Deal Days deals on USB-C hubs and dongles are on more expensive docking stations, not $20-$50 hubs. Thunderbolt docking deals often include older Thunderbolt 3 hardware that’s functionally equivalent to the latest hardware. It’s like buying a car with 1,000 miles on it for 25% off. Of course, this isn’t a perfect example, but you get the idea.

2.

My laptop has a USB-C port. How do I know what to use it for?

Identify the Thunderbolt port by looking in your laptop’s manual, which may be marked with a small lightning bolt symbol. However, this symbol can also indicate a charging port. If in doubt, a USB-C dongle or hub is universally compatible with USB-C ports.

3.

I don’t understand the difference between USB-C and Thunderbolt interfaces. How does it all work?

USB ports have a long history. Known for its versatility, USB-C replaced USB-A (the thick square port) due to its reversible connector and ability for higher transfer speeds. USB-C ports can support 5Gbps or 10Gbps, similar to standard USB-A ports. However, some USB-C ports are connected to a Thunderbolt chip in your laptop, allowing it to run at an increased speed of 40Gbps. While the physical appearance of the connector remains the same, it’s the functionality that sets it apart.

4.

What is the difference between a USB-C hub and a Thunderbolt dock?

A 10Gbps USB-C hub offers speed and versatility by connecting to a single 4K (or 1080p) display and offering a variety of ports, including USB-A and SD card slots. You can usually connect your laptop’s USB-C power cable directly to the hub when needed.

The 40Gbps Thunderbolt dock, on the other hand, provides more bandwidth to support additional ports. It stands out in two main ways: it can handle two 4K displays simultaneously, and many docks include a power supply that can charge both your laptop and your phone via the Thunderbolt cable that connects your laptop to the dock. We haven’t seen 80Gbps Thunderbolt 5 hardware yet.

5.

My laptop has USB4 but no Thunderbolt. Can I use a Thunderbolt port?

They said that if your laptop uses USB4, it “won’t understand” Thunderbolt 3 protocols. But other than that, USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 are functionally the same. Intel refuses to certify non-Intel platforms like AMD’s Ryzen for Thunderbolt, and so do Microsoft’s new Copilot+ PCs powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chips.

USB-C hubs basically work with anything that has a USB-C port on it. Don’t worry about them at all.

6.

Is Thunderbolt 4 better than Thunderbolt 3?

Physically, they use the same USB-C cable. (They actually have a different logo — one has a “3” on it, the other has a “4” on it.) Functionally, almost same. Thunderbolt 4 was released as a patch to Thunderbolt 3, and it made everything work properly. Both run at 40Gbps and connect to the same peripherals. If you have a Thunderbolt-equipped laptop, you can connect to both and your experience will be essentially the same.

The big deal? Thunderbolt 3 hardware is old and retailers want you to buy the latest hardware. So, opportunities Come on, buying Thunderbolt 3 hardware is a real deal.

7.

Do I need a Thunderbolt port if I have a desktop computer?

Desktops are often full of ports, even older ones like USB-A. They don’t always have a microSD and SD card slot, and a USB-C port can be a good, cheap way to add that functionality.

Intel has historically had a hard time getting Thunderbolt into desktops, so USB-C might actually be your only option. There’s really no guarantee that a desktop will have a Thunderbolt port.

8.

Some of these docks have bad reviews on shopping sites. Why?

Mac users, am I right? While Macs were early adopters of Thunderbolt, some of the Apple M1 silicon couldn’t keep up with the Intel Thunderbolt controllers used by Windows PCs, and the Apple macOS experience suffered as a result.

If a user complains about a bad Windows experience, that’s certainly worth paying attention to. But a Mac user? Bah. They bought the wrong platform.