Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
WD ’s Black_D50 gambling dock may not be aimed at Mac users , but it still does a great job expanding ports and storage options — including a riotous NVMe SSD inside the dock .
Best Prices Today: WD Black D50 Gaming Dock
If there ’s any reason to complain about modernistic MacBooks ( specially the new M1 - based simulation ) , it ’s the dearth of integrated port . For all but the lightest obligation use , getting a dock to increase the connectivity option borders on necessity .
While WD market the Black_D50 reviewed here as a Thunderbolt 3 “ play ” dockage , and the styling might not be shoot for at Mac traditionalist ( a gross understatement ) , it ’s an exceptionally capable docking facility , increasing the bit of ports and providing very dissolute NVMe storage .
Design and features
The D50 is a squarish box measuring 4.72 - in in high spirits , by 4.72 - inches thick , and 2.17 - inch wide . It ’s a powered ( expect ) dock so you may expend it with Apple ’s Thunderbolt 1/2 to Thunderbolt 3 arranger . As to say power , the D50 has a rather prodigiously - sized 180 watt/19.5 - V brick , which is not shown or mentioned on the ware pageboy — it appraise some 6 - column inch long , by just under 3 - inches all-encompassing , by somewhat less than an column inch wooden-headed . It ’s also a bit weighty at around 10 Panthera uncia .
The size of the dock and the size of the power brick intend that you ’ll want to go out the D50 on your desk and not drag with you on the road , unless it ’s a cross - country head trip with plenty of room in your automobile ’s automobile trunk , of course .
The D50 is styled in WD ’s pseudo sci - fi / military theme for its bleak series . It ’s designed to attract gamers , but the face is n’t so over - the - top that it ’s a turn- off . in reality , ditch the inscription on the outside and it ’s far less SyFy — okay , the RGB ignition at the bottom might be a snatch much ( I like it , it ’s play ) , but you may sprain that off or vary it to a act of dissimilar schemes and colors .
Alas , the WD Dashboard computer software that allows you to manipulate the lighting is for Windows only . If that makes you suspire and want to blockade reading this revue , I understand . However , it might be your loss because …
Few people will have any complaints about the selection , number , and location of port on board the D50 — or its internal NVMe reposition . On the back , along with the AC adapter mariner , you ’ll find two Thunderbolt 3 ports ( one fully powered for charging your laptop , etc . ) , a full - sized DisplayPort 1.4 larboard , a gigabit ethernet port , two USB character - A larboard , and a USB Type - C port . All the USB port are Gen 2 , 10Mbps . That mean you’re able to get about 1GBps of throughput from outside memory board with any of them .
The lack of 2.5Gbps ethernet is a bit of a disappointment , and you might even bemoan the want of 10Gbps ehernet , but I chance that I seldom need that kind of pep pill . Also , 10Gbps ethernet blow a circle of power and produce a lot of rut . 2.5Gbps transfers at over 300MBps using older Cat 5e cables , and runs far cool .
WD did n’t forget convenience . On the front of the unit , you ’ll get both 10Gbps Type - A and Type - coke USB port , as well as a 3.5 - mm audio in / out jack for headphone and headsets . Last but not least , there ’s an internal NVMe SSD that ’s capable of transport data at around 3GBps . The $ 449 unit I tested features a 1 TB WD SN730 inside , but you may up that to a 2 TB SN730 for $ 599 . ( I never pronounce the D50 was cheap . ) It would be nice if WD sold the D50 unpopulated so you could leverage an subsist drive , but hey , drive mechanism are what WD does .
Performance
I tested the D50 on both a 2015 Core i7 ( Skylake ) 27 - column inch iMac and a new M1 Mac miniskirt . The former used the aforementioned Apple Thunderbolt 1/2 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter , and the latter used one of the two aboriginal Thunderbolt 3 port . I tested both the D50 ’s intimate SSD and aSamsung X5attached to the second Thunderbolt port .
I also checked the Gbit ethernet and DisplayPort output ( with an HDMI adapter ) , as well as using the 2d Thunderbolt port to labor theLG 24MD4KL - BUltrafinedisplay tie to the M1 Mac miniskirt . All the ports worked as they should . Below you may see the SN730 ’s performance on the M1 Mac mini .
Note that in a fit of breathing in ( and necessary ) , I tried installing Windows via Boot Camp to the D50 . It did n’t pan out , with the actual Windows install taking a hike after copy the install files to the install partition . In fact , the D50 caused problems with reboots during the Windows install process even when it was to other driving force . I was finally able to install Windows 10 to an internal drive without the D50 attached . I ’m not saying it ’s impossible to run Windows off of the D50 , but I did n’t have the time or patience to sort out it out for this reappraisal .
Above is the D50 / SN730 ’s performance on my old 2015 Core i7 iMac . apparently the older Thunderbolt 2 and Apple adapter were limiting factor , but I ’ll take that kind of performance any day . I ’m execute the aforementioned Windows installation off of an inner SATA private road ( 550MBps , with slower seek ) , and it ’s more than fine . Not quite as whipping as macOS running off the internal NVMe SSD , but close enough .
The international Samsung X5 interpret at around 2600MBps and write at approximately 1600MBps via Thunderbolt . I also test several USB 10Gbps drive that perform fitly and averaged around 900MBps reading and 800MBps writing . These were just ad hoc trial to verify the port wine were the speed WD exact . Bottom line , the D50 ’s internal memory is quite fast , and its ports execute as advertised .
After extended function ( as of 08/15/2022 ) , it ’s become apparent that the D50 generate a lot of estrus . well more than the Caldigit it sits next to . Be mindful of this and keep in a coolheaded place with plenty of air flow .
Bottom line
Though I ’d appreciate faster 2.5Gbps ethernet and perhaps two more Thunderbolt 3 port ( as withOWC ’s Thunderbolt Dock ) , I found that WD Black D50 a marvelous assistant for my computers . As a matter of fact , it ’s my favorite so far thanks to the inner storage . A very courteous dock from WD that fill the bill and perhaps provide a little merriment . If you ca n’t live with the clash in styles … c’est la vie .
Addendum as of 11/5/2021 : I have had issues format some USB 3.0 HDDs when attached to the D50 ’s character - A 10Gbps USB ports . When formatted via an onboard USB port , the crusade was subsequently useable on the D50.There is no firmware update available at the moment .
This clause was edited on 8/15/2022to add info about the D50 running very hot compare to other pier .
