Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
If you apply your MacBook ’s own keyboard and desire up to two timber external show and need to increase your Qaeda warehousing with fast SSD drive , the Satechi Dual Dock Stand is a neat , zero - footprint docking station that check your MacBook for style and adds nine utilitarian port .
Best Prices Today: Satechi Dual Dock Stand
laptop computer moorage stations are a outstanding shaft for adding multiple USB , video recording , and connection interface to your MacBook , and this dock from Satechi goes a measure further by adding an SSD enclosure so you may add affordable dissipated reposition without having to seize a separate hard drive .
As its name suggests , the Satechi Dual Dock Stand also identifies as a laptop stand . It for certain raises the MacBook that catch one’s breath on it to a more concordant angle for typing but it is n’t a rack that will rear your MacBook to a more ergonomic elevation . However , if you are using the MacBook ’s keyboard rather than an external one , it ’s more comfortable than leaving the laptop computer flat on the desk .
Satechi
Specs and features
The Satechi Dual Dock Stand features nine ports and an underside SSD enclosure .
The bonus SSD enclosure is the real star of the show . position on the underside of the sour grass , this is easy accessed and bear both NVMe and SATA SSDs . This feature alone places it in our list of thebest USB - ascorbic acid wharfage for MacBook .
SSDs are Solid State Drives that are humble and quicker , more durable , and use less energy than old - schooling spinning hard disc drives ( HDD ) . HDD ’s advantages are that you could get much bombastic capacity , and they are a mess chintzy . But SSDs are the way to go for fast data transfers , backups datum , recovery , and outside storage unless you do n’t mind waiting for disk to whir to life every time you endeavor to access them .
You need to buy the SSD separately . Amazon is selling NVME SSDsfor around $ 50 ( 1 TB ) , $ 80 ( 2 TB ) or $ 300 ( 4 TB ) , but mention that store price can be quite volatile . Compare that to adding SSD storage to a new MacBook at detail of leverage , where Apple will charge you an surplus $ 400 for a 2 TB drive and $ 1,000 for 4 TB !
While SATA SSDs have up to four times the bandwidth of HDDs , they are limited to 6Gbps . NVMe SSDs confirm up to 10Gbps transfer speed . Unless you have a bare SATA SSD hanging around , we recommend you buy the fast NVME variety . ( Note that some older devices may not be compatible with NVMe , but any Mac after 2018 should be fine . )
The Satechi Dual Dock Stand relate to your laptop computer via USB - deoxycytidine monophosphate — in fact , a duple 10Gbps USB - C connecter for maximum bandwidth and passthrough power . MacBooks use faster Type - C – compatible Thunderbolt connectors ( 40Gbps ) but sticking with 10Gbps USB - C will save you money .
Dual display support
With one DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.0 ports , you’re able to link up up to two 4 one thousand show in Extended mode at a decent 60Hz refresh rate . Note that Macs with plain ( non - Pro / Max ) M1 or M2 chips are restrain — by Apple — to just one extraneous monitor lizard in prolonged fashion . However , there are solutions if you want toconnect more than one proctor to an M1 or M2 Mac .
The Echo 20 has just one telecasting port . Although that interface is the higher-ranking HDMI 2.1 , you have to add together a second outside screen via one of the Thunderbolt port , which will require an adapter .
USB power plus and minus
The Satechi Dual Dock Stand feature five USB embrasure .
One USB - coulomb port is for passthrough PD baron at up to 75W to the laptop , which is enough for all but the 16 - column inch MacBook Pro at full pelt . Even that model will charge very well — just slow than small MacBooks . Note that you will need to connect your own USB - ascorbic acid courser to the dockage : ascertain out ourrecommended MacBook chargers .
Then there are two USB - coke and two USB - A ports — one of each at 10Gbps , and one of each at 5Gbps .
None of these non - PD USB ports , however , can lodge a connected equipment . Most dock and hubs allow a little — possibly 7.5W — to keep connected devices power up , or mayhap just to charge your iPhone while working on the MacBook . This is n’t a problem for humble flash driving force , keyboards , or mice but does mean connected memory drives might require secondary power .
Also lack is an Coyote State or MicroSD card proofreader for more portable storage , but the built - in SSD more than give up for this skip .
Design
This Space Gray MacBook dock visit itself a outdoor stage , and it ’s true that it sit underneath the laptop , raising it slightly at an slant . As the MacBook sit on top , this wharf take away up no distance on your desk . vent-hole should keep the dock coolheaded while in use .
The slant helps with comfortable typing , but it does n’t push the laptop CRT screen to a more ergonomic height suitable for video calls , for instance , if you want to use the MacBook ’s ramp up - in webcam . For that you will require a decent laptop stand — helpfully , we ’ve tested thebest MacBook standsalready .
As the attach upstream cable television is quite scant , you ca n’t tidily keep it connected to the dock and move it onto a stand if you want that excess top . A longer or detachable cable connection might have served well .
But if you are glad with the laptop computer at a comfortable sitting level — for good example , if you use the MacBook loose and using its keyboard — and peradventure have a webcam in or on your connected external display , this niggle should n’t bother you , and you ’ll appreciate the typing slant .
While it is aimed at Mac exploiter , the Satechi Dual Dock Stand will work with Windows laptops that feature a threefold - USB - C port setup , such as the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 , Surface Laptop Studio , Dell XPS 15 , and Lenovo Yoga 7 .
Price
The MSRP of the Satechi Dual Dock Stand is $ 150 , which is a very sensible cost for a dual 4 K 60Hz USB - C dockage place . The addition of the SSD enclosure name the price seem even good value , although call back that you need to buy the actual SSD separately , plus have a muscular USB - C courser to give .
The closest dock that we ’ve prove is theSonnet Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock , which include an SSD enclosure and use the faster link criterion , plus boasts twice as many ports , but is twice the price .
Verdict
If you use your MacBook ’s own keyboard and trust up to two lineament extraneous displays , plus need to increase your base storage with fast SSD drives , the Satechi Dual Dock Stand is a neat , zero - step docking place that matches your MacBook for flair and adds nine useful porthole .
