A Thunderbolt Hub with No Thunderbolt Ports

The Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multimedia Pro Dock could be a worthy consideration for port-starved Windows and Apple hardware. With its space-saving design and assortment of useful connections, it’s a natural addition to any robust workstation, but the price and Mac limitations will definitely deter some buyers.

Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multimedia Pro Dock

The Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multimedia Pro Dock lets you turn your average laptop workstation into a Thunderbolt-powered USB nexus. Equipped with everything from USB and an auxiliary jack, to SD and microSD card slots, Satechi makes it easy to incorporate a handful of additional devices into your day-to-day computer time.

Brand

Satechi

Ports

Thunderbolt 4, USB-C, USB-A, DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm, SD, microSD

USB-C Power Delivery

N/A

Price

$350

Power supply included

Yes

Pros

• Excellent video output capabilities
• Sleek and versatile design
• SD and microSD are great storage alternatives
• Includes a 2.5Gb Ethernet port

Cons

• No TB4 docking ports
• USB charging tops out at 7.5W
• Only one USB-C port
• Expensive

Design: What We’ve Come to Expect From Satechi

About the size of the average router, the Satechi Multimedia Pro Dock is a 16-in-1 hub that combines charging ports, display outputs, card readers, and Ethernet into one cohesive peripheral. Right off the bat, one of my favorite things about the Pro Dock is its appearance. The matte-gray outer shell looks sleek and futuristic, while channeling enough of a modern aesthetic to fit in with most desktop workstations. The plating is also smooth to the touch and covers both the top and bottom of the hub. A glossy black trim is used for the input/output banks, with black silicone protecting both the left and right sides of the dock (or top and bottom, depending on your placement).

On the front of the device, you’ll find an LED status light to the far left, followed by the SD/microSD card slots, a USB-A 3.2 10Gbps port, a USB-A 2.0 charging port, a 3.5mm auxiliary in for headphones or a microphone, a host Thunderbolt connection, and the power toggle. On the backside is where most of the action happens. From left to right, there’s the 20V DC power port, two DisplayPort 1.4 connections, two HDMI 2.1 ports, Ethernet, a USB-C 3.2 10Gbps port, two stacked USB-A 3.2 10Gbps ports, followed by a stack of USB-A 3.2 5Gbps ports. Whatever connections your computer can’t supply, this Satechi 16-in-1 will definitely help.

One thing that’s a little irritating though is the lack of USB-C Power Delivery connections. I would fully expect a hub of this magnitude (and price) to include at least two PD ports, so the fact that you only get one is kind of insulting.

In addition to the Pro Dock itself, there is a 135-watt power supply, an optional base if you want to have the hub stand upright, and a user manual in the box.

Display: A Win for Windows

Some folks might take one look at this Satechi 16-in-1 and declare it “overkill” right away. Indeed, for the average workstation, there’s really no sense in spending the $350 for such an immense hub, but if you’re constantly outputting video to two or more displays at the same time (we’re thinking of you, photographers and video editors), and just so happen to own a Windows computer, the Pro Dock is money well spent.

Wait, doesn’t this thing work with Apple hardware, too? Indeed it does, but there’s a bit of a caveat. Because M1 and M2 Mac computers only support Single Stream Transport (SST), when your host machine is connected, you’ll only be able to output video to one additional display, unless you’re comfortable downloading DisplayPort drivers for your MacBook. Fortunately though, if you’re using an 8K monitor, the Satechi’s single-output capabilities tops out at 8K/30Hz.

Now as far as Windows machines go, the Pro Dock’s two DisplayPorts and dual HDMI connections can all be utilized at the same time, allowing you to send video to up to four external displays, and all at up to 4K/60Hz. This is because modern Windows gear supports Multi-Stream Transport (MST), which is especially convenient if you’re in the business of making media within a fast-paced environment.

Power: Give Us More USB-C

The Pro Dock comes with a 135-watt power supply, and more than two-thirds of that juice goes directly to your laptop! The Thunderbolt 4 host port supplies up to 96 watts to your computer; so even if you’re plugging into the Pro Dock with a nearly dead MacBook battery, you’ll be topped up in no time at all. As for the rest of the charging ports, the best you’ll get from the Pro Dock’s USB medley is 7.5 watts, and that’s factoring in the USB-C port. Now this isn’t exactly the end of the world, but for the big bucks the Pro Dock is going for, I’d want at least one of the USB ports to push 20 watts or more.

Considering this has more to do with the power supply than anything else, it would be nice to see future generations of this device (if Satechi chooses to improve the product) packaged with a heftier power supply; one that can deliver up to 200 watts or greater is what I’m talking about. The TB4 host port would still be able to deliver amazing wattage levels to your computer, and the USB ports could get a nice upgrade, too. Don’t get me wrong, 7.5 watts is certainly good enough for charging a phone or tablet, but at these levels, you can forget about any kind of fast-charging capabilities for your mobile gear.

Data Transfer: Give Us More Thunderbolt 4 Ports

In terms of data transfer capabilities, the Pro Dock has some wins and some misses. As far as wins, the Pro Dock offers a pretty unique alternative for external storage. Photographers and videographers usually need to invest in a supplementary SSD or HDD for storing and working with large media files, because sticking a 100GB 4K video on your MacBook, while doable, is probably going to make your machine run rather sluggishly. But in the case of the Pro Dock, the SD and microSD card slots will let you introduce some extra storage for your workstation; and better yet, if you’re a photographer that has to regularly offload pictures from your DSLR or camcorder, the Pro Dock has the ports to get the job done. Say goodbye to that flimsy card reader you’re always losing!

I also like the inclusion of the 2.5Gb Ethernet port, allowing you to hardwire your laptop for ultra-fast network performance. Not to mention the wired connection will free up a big block of bandwidth for your home Wi-Fi. But now I’ll move on to the big miss.

This is a Thunderbolt 4 (TB4) hub, right? Save for the single upstream connection to your computer, there are no other TB4 ports to play with whatsoever. And sure, there are a ton of USB 3.2 ports on tap, but as far as data transfer goes, these inputs top out at 10Gbps. Even the solo USB-C port only delivers up to 10Gbps, which is frustrating news if you’re investing in a $350 TB4 hub for enhanced speed and versatility. The fact that TB4 can allow for up to 40Gbps is one of the biggest advantages of this connection type, and I’m a little peeved to think that if I absolutely needed TB4 docking, I’d have to invest in a separate peripheral that I’d have to connect directly to my computer. Not cool.

If you’re a Windows devotee who needs a video output device to beat all video output devices, the Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multimedia Pro Dock is a great investment. But for all other professions and workflows, the Pro Dock probably lands somewhere between “too much” and “too little.” Too much money with too little power. Too many USB-A ports and too few TB4 and USB-C connections. You get the idea.

Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multimedia Pro Dock

The Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multimedia Pro Dock lets you turn your average laptop workstation into a Thunderbolt-powered USB nexus. Equipped with everything from USB and an auxiliary jack, to SD and microSD card slots, Satechi makes it easy to incorporate a handful of additional devices into your day-to-day computer time.