Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
The OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock is aimed at digital image professionals , and has ultimate performance at its heart , include 10Gb Ethernet .
Best Prices Today: OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock
The Thunderbolt 3 Pro pier from OWC is built for ultimate bandwidth and speed , and is direct at creative professionals who need the fastest speeds possible .
Atop Thunderbolt 3 moorage stationallows you to nobble up your laptop computer to external blind , older USB - A twist , wire Internet , storage calling card reader , and return - through force charging .
This can wrick a laptop into a powerful desktop - based workstation , while plainly disconnect it returns it to road - warrior condition .
Imagine a 16 in MacBook Pro setup with two external 4 K exhibit ( at full 60Hz quality ) , keyboard , black eye and hard drives .
There ’s just one DisplayPort on this dock , but you may sum up a USB - C display or another DisplayPort or HDMI monitor with a USB - degree centigrade adapter . A lot of other bobtail will have a second stateless person or HDMI port , but OWC require an adapter for that 2nd display .
The two Thunderbolt 3 ports entail you may connect to and power your laptop and daisy - chain up to five TB3 devices .
If you are adding a 2d monitor via USB - C , then it want to be at the end of the five - T3 daisy chain .
Built for professional speed
Nearly everything about the Pro Dock is about as tight as you could get .
For example , it ’s get blisteringly libertine 10Gb Ethernet , compared to most other docks that have received Gigabit ( 1Gb ) Ethernet .
The 10Gb Ethernet RJ45 port back up 100M/1G/2.5G/5G/10GBASE - T.
10Gbps Ethernet is not common but it will hugely advance wire data transmission – say for uncompressed video – in the right surround .
There ’s a 6Gbps eSATA ( External Serial ATA ) embrasure with larboard multiplier accompaniment , so you could get at multiple drive within a multi - bay maraud . This wo n’t be much use to the oecumenical user but professional that require a lot of fast memory board will appreciate it , specially if they have older drives .
We have n’t seen eSATA on any of the other dock we ’ve test , so if this is useful , the OWC Pro Dock is the position to get it .
And , of form , Thunderbolt 3 ’s 40Gbs speed easily dominate USB - C ’s maximum 20Gbps and more often 5Gbps performance .
OWC docks add up with a nifty feature : Dock Ejector . With a software download , this allows you to unplug with a individual click while secure that all data has been written before any disk is unmounted .
interrogatively , there ’s no audio In or Out ports on the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock . In comparison , the Caldigit TS3 Plus has front - facing 3.5 millimeter Audio In & Out ports and even a Digital Optical Audio ( S / PDIF ) port .
OWC ’s lesser - powered Thunderbolt 3 Dock ( take down the deficiency of the word Pro ) does have a headphone / mic port on the front and a digital audio output on the back . And this supposedly lesser wharfage can power at 85W to your laptop , compared to the Pro ’s slenderly weak 60W. register ourOWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock review .
OWC explains the deficiency of audio frequency by point out that it ’s aimed at the video recording and photography markets , although I would have think that audio was a key part of any TV work . And for certain photo people like to listen to be a fleck of Spotify while figure out …
If you are n’t chafe by the lack of audio input / output and can handle more or less longer bang times , then these inconsistencies wo n’t bother you .
With both next - generation CompactFlash CFast ( up to 370MBps ) and Coyote State 4.0 visiting card readers , you’re able to make do multiple metier card type simultaneously at the highest speeds . This can also be an inexpensive direction of impart ultra - portable fill-in storage , with even 512 GB identity card being affordable today .
The designer metallic element caseful is slim ( 3.5×21.2×10.8 cm ) , and features a switchable on / off cooling fan . OWC does n’t recommend the fan is flip-flop off for any more than 30 minutes , but as it is hardly noticeable this should n’t be necessary except when you need absolute silence .
Built for creative professionals , the Pro Dock is happy on a mobile DIT ( Digital Image Technician ) go-cart . Its power provision even uses a 6 - port PCI Express connection that is ultra secure , in case it gets tugged while the cart is moved .
Talking of security , there ’s a particular locking slot on the back to keep this valuable piece of music of kit where it is suppose to be .
Price
The Security Slot is utilitarian as the T3 Pro Dock is not cheap . The Leontyne Price is sane , though , if you really need that lightning - fast wired networking . 10Gb Ethernet is n’t commonplace , and so certainly adds to the cost – as do the CFast reader and eSATA .
If you do n’t need this , we ’d recommend other docks that come in cheaper .
Verdict
The OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock is aimed at digital image professionals , and has ultimate performance at its heart .
chiefly , it boast 10Gb Ethernet rather than the standard 1Gb ( Gbit ) connection .
It also have a CFast 2.0 card reader for hoi polloi still using CompactFlash in its latest version .
There are Thunderbolt 3 dockage stations with more ports and beefier courser , but none have 10Gb Ethernet or CFast 2.0 . you may add these to other docks , but the Pro Dock has it all built - in , plus a really secure mogul - supply connectedness in casing it ’s used on a pro DIT go-cart .
