Thunderbolt3 dock overview
The Thunderbolt interface is an interface that combines PCI Express data transmission technology and DisplayPort display technology; it can transmit data and video at the same time; the two channels of Thunderbolt 3 can not only transmit data at the same time, each channel also provides bidirectional 20Gb The /s rate, that is, the maximum bandwidth of Thunderbolt 3 is 40Gb/s, which is 8 times that of USB3.0 and 4 times that of USB3.1.
Docking station, also known as Port Replicator, is an external device that expands the device interface. For example: a convenient one-stop connection between laptops and multiple accessories or external devices, such as power adapters, network cables, mice, external keyboards, printers, external monitors, card readers, etc.
Thunderbolt3 Dock
As the name suggests, the Thunderbolt 3 docking station is a large-bandwidth interface expansion external device based on the Thunderbolt 3 interface; it is mainly used to expand the common HDMI interface, DP interface, Type-c3.1 interface, USB3.0 interface, Gigabit Ethernet Port, SD/TF card reading interface, 3.5mm headset integrated interface, and Thunderbolt 3 loop out interface, etc.; thanks to the high bandwidth of Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 3 docking station can support two external 4K, or one 5K monitor.
At present, Thunderbolt 3 also uses the standard Type-c interface. In order to distinguish the Thunderbolt interface from the ordinary Type-c interface, there will be a ⚡️ mark next to the Thunderbolt interface. If you see a ⚡️ on your laptop or graphics card Mark the interface, then it is the Thunderbolt interface. Friends who want to use the Thunderbolt 3 docking station, be sure to check in advance whether your device has a Type-c shaped interface with the ⚡️ logo.
Thunderbolt3 docking station interface description
Thunderbolt3 docking station interface illustration
Real shot of the internal circuit board of the Thunderbolt3 docking station
To sum up, if you have the following usage scenarios, you can only choose the Thunderbolt 3 docking station:
01、To connect a 5K or higher resolution display
02、To connect 2 4K@60Hz monitors
03、Expand DP1.4 interface, connect DP display
04、It is necessary to expand the hard disk that cannot be removed, which requires high speed and stable transmission for a long time.