Do you need a dock?

If your Mac lacks sufficient ports for your workflow, a dock can be a valuable addition.

Docks are generally larger, powered devices with a wider variety of port options. They are ideal for stationary setups and can even charge your laptop.a

Feature	Dock	Hub
Size	Larger, often requires a dedicated power source	Smaller, usually portable and bus-powered
Ports	Wide variety of ports  (USB, HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet,  SD card readers, etc.)	Primarily USB ports, with limited additional options (HDMI, SD card reader)
Functionality	Expands connectivity and often provides  charging capabilities for laptops	Primarily expands USB connectivity
Power Delivery	Usually offers power delivery  to charge laptops and other devices	Limited or no power delivery
Use Case	Stationary setups (desks, workstations)	On-the-go usage (travel, mobile work)

 

Thunderbolt and USB-C:

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Thunderbolt 3 and 4 offer significantly faster data transfer speeds (up to 40 Gbps) compared to standard USB-C (up to 10 Gbps).

Both Thunderbolt and USB-C utilize the same connector type, but compatibility depends on the specific capabilities of your computer and dock.

Quote MOKiN BLOG:

Charging with Docks:

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When using a dock and a separate charger, your Mac intelligently chooses the higher power source to optimize charging.

Desktop Macs like the iMac and Mac Mini primarily use their dedicated power supply, even when connected to a dock.

Displays and Docks:

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The number of displays you can connect depends on both the dock and your Mac model.

Most Intel Macs support two displays via Thunderbolt docks, while M1 MacBooks Air/Pro support one, and Mac Mini allows two (one each for HDMI and USB-C/Thunderbolt).

The M1 Max/Ultra chips in the MacBook Pro and Mac Studio can support more displays directly, but the dock connection itself might limit this number.

DisplayLink technology in some docks can offer additional displays even if your Mac doesn't natively support them, but with potential performance limitations.

Daisy Chaining:

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You can connect multiple Thunderbolt docks together to further expand connectivity, with each dock receiving the full bandwidth.

However, consider using a second Thunderbolt port on your Mac for additional devices to avoid exceeding the bandwidth limitations of a single port.

Recommended Dock:

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The blog recommends the MOKiN 15-IN-1 Thunderbolt™4 as the best overall Thunderbolt dock due to its comprehensive features, clean design, and rear-facing ports.

Let's keep those MOKiN experiences positive:

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