Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
This powerful and stylish dock is built for the new class of Thunderbolt 5 Macs is a recommended climb quick for the latest Macs or your next one .
Price When Reviewed
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The Anker Prime TB5 Dock mirrors the M4 Mac mini’s shape and looks.
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Best Prices Today: Anker Prime 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station
Apple has always been fond of a square and stylish desktop design , from the original Macintosh through the G4 Cube and all the means to the latest M4 Mac mini . Yet , add-on such as dock stations that are meant to sit down next to these Macs are commonly either marvelous and thin or farsighted and slim .
The Anker Prime 14 - in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station looks rather like the latest Mac mini and Mac Studio . And like those two desktop Macs , it is build around the latest and fast connection criterion , Thunderbolt 5 ( TB5 ) .
Design
The Anker Prime 14 - in-1 TB5 wharfage has the same aluminium ending as Apple ’s Mac mini and Mac Studio , and mimics the port arrangements , too .
It measures 4.6 x 4.6 x 3.0 inch ( 11.6 x 11.6 x 7.5 cm ) and consider 38 oz ( 1.1 kg ) . Those measurements are interchangeable to the M4 Mac mini , which is 5 x 5 x 2 inch ( 12.7 atomic number 96 x 12.7 cm x 5 cm ) .
Simon Jary / Foundry
The Anker Prime TB5 Dock mirrors the M4 Mac mini’s shape and looks.
It looks great and gratefully different to the received dock anatomy .
While the M4 mini uses Thunderbolt 5 , this thickset dock is place more at the late TB5 - packing MacBooks , which miss as many port and will link to the dockage ’s array via a individual TB5 cable connection .
Ports and features
Thunderbolt 5 future proofing
That ’s a decorous set of ports , and the cellular inclusion of Thunderbolt 5 brings it right up to date with the newest Macs . At the time of piece of writing , the M4 Pro and Max model of MacBook Pro and Mac miniskirt , plus the Mac Studio , pack TB5 , with other Macs continue on TB4 for now .
Thunderbolt 5 is backward compatible all the room back to USB - C via Thunderbolt 3 and 4 , so this dock will work with all modern Macs . buy a TB5 dock now will future - proof you for your next Mac leverage as we should n’t expect Thunderbolt 6 for at least four age : 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 came out in 2015 , and TB4 at the same speed five class afterward , so it has taken ten years for Thunderbolt to make a dramatic switch in performance .
Non - TB5 Macs will have datum - transferral speed trammel to TB3 / TB4 ’s 40Gbps , but TB5 Macs can take advantage of the full 80Gbps ( with 120Gbps Bandwidth Boost for enhanced video performance ) .
The Anker Prime TB5 Dock mirrors the M4 Mac mini’s shape and looks.
Anker could have let in three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports but has select to offer a choice of dedicated video ports , either top - end HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 2.1 . These are helpful if your monitors require one of these connections rather than a direct USB - C or Thunderbolt monitor association .
If Anker had gone full TB5 — as Sonnet did with itsEcho 13 Thunderbolt 5 Dock — such users would have had to buy a disjoined transcriber ( say , USB - coke to HDMI cable ) , although these are n’t expensive .
Dropping the possible third downstream TB5 embrasure for dedicated video recording interface is commodious for some drug user — those with HDMI or DisplayPort monitors — but less elastic for those with USB - C or Thunderbolt monitors .
The upstream Thunderbolt interface is hands down placed at the back of the loading dock , which we prefer to those dock producer who put it at the front , which can run to ugly trailing cable television .
It is rated at Power Delivery 3.1 , so can output 140W , which is enough to fast - charge the top - terminal 16 - inch MacBook Pro . antecedently , to reach this burden fastness Apple insisted you use its $ 49 USB - coke to MagSafe 3 Cable . With Thunderbolt 5 , you’re able to connect via a TB overseas telegram too and still fast charge the laptop computer .
USB ports
The two downstream TB5 ports will work with USB - C if you do n’t demand them for fast Thunderbolt . On top of this there are two received USB - C ports — situated on the front panel — that extend speedy 10Gbps information transfer rates and portion out 45W of level power — so you could power a smaller laptop from one of these larboard or two iPhones .
There are also three legacy USB - A embrasure , also fast at 10Gbps . Charging potential drop is circumscribe , with one at the front capable of push out 7.5W , which is enough to fast - charge an Apple Watch , and the other two at the back are pegged at 4.5W each — so fine for a remembering stick , keyboard or mouse .
Display support
you could link up to one or two monitors via either of the dedicated video port ( DisplayPort and/or HDMI ) or via the downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports , or any mix of the options .
A MacBook with a Pro or Max M - series mainframe can run two 6 K displays at 60Hz using the two TB5 ports or one TB5 and the DisplayPort . If using one TB5 and the HDMI port , the presentation run from HDMI would be restricted to 4 K at 60Hz .
individual display are 6K/60Hz for TB5 and displaced person , and 4K/60Hz for HDMI . Using the TB5 connection M4 Macs can support a 4 kibibyte display at a higher 240Hz refresh rate ; other M - series Macs 4 K at 144Hz . With two showing , using TB5 or TB5 and DP , both varan could be 4 K at 144Hz .
underpin Windows computers offer superscript graphics potential , with the chance to turn tail treble 8 K display at 60Hz even via the HDMI .
Storage slots
The dock features both Coyote State and microSD card readers , which permit you to add together inexpensive portable store that will be accessible from the connected Mac .
Prices of SD and microSD reposition cards are explosive but at the time of penning you could pick up a 128 GB microSD plug-in for around$10 , 256 GB for$20and 512 GB for$35 .
heap that up against the $ 200 that Apple will charge you to upgrade a MacBook Pro from 512 GB to 1 TB at the full point of purchase . And the card , of course , is portable .
That more expensive integrated SSD inside a Mac will be much faster , but for archive data , a entrepot card is a bargain .
Modern MacBook Pro good example do already let in a build - in SD circuit board reader , and one that ’s faster than the readers on the Anker wharf . The Apple carte du jour lecturer supports up to 250MBps for a UHS - II bill of fare and 90MBps for a UHS - I lineup . The Anker card reader is only UHS - I rated with a speed limit of 104MBps . As such , MacBook Pro users might be better served with the card reader on their laptop . MacBook Air users , on the other manus , will gain much from the expansion slot on the dock .
Other docks include faster UHS - II card readers that endorse speeds of 312MBps , so Anker has cut a nook here in compare . That say , the card readers work out well for user who just want to add inexpensive storage to their frame-up .
Wired networks
Like the full new Thunderbolt docks , the Anker Prime 14 - in-1 TB5 Dock includes a more modern wired internet standard . The Ethernet port at the back supports networks at up to 2.5Gb , so theoretically 2.5 times as tight as the more common Gigabit ( 1Gb ) Ethernet .
This is great if your net bear out such speeding — your internet must be at least 2,5Gb to take advantage — and is useful future - proofing for when it does . In the meantime , it is backwards compatible with Gigabit Ethernet .
You would need to practice a Cat5e/ Cat6 / Cat6a Ethernet cable system that ’s no longer than 3.3 ft ( 1 m ) .
Price
The Anker Prime 14 - in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station is priced at$399.99,£399.99or€419 .
There are n’t a lot of Thunderbolt 5 wharf to compare that damage with . TheSonnet Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 SSD Dockcosts the same but include a make - in 2 TB SSD , with 1Tb and 4 TB options .
The Sonnet dock has an surplus TB5 port but no DisplayPort or HDMI port . Whether that suits you better depends on the outside show or showing that you want to link . The other dock also gasconade firm card reader but has less overall power ( 180W ) available than the Anker 232W dockage .
We have also reviewed the $ 249.99CalDigit Thunderbolt 5 Element 5 Hub , which lacks the board readers , Ethernet and video recording port but offers plenty of Thunderbolt 5 and USB port wine : four TB5 and five USB .
We have screen thebest Thunderbolt docking stationsandbest Thunderbolt and USB - C hubsfor a wider pick .
Should you buy the Anker Prime 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Dock
The Anker Prime 14 - in-1 TB5 Docking Station is a powerful loading dock that ’s built for the new class of Thunderbolt 5 Macs ( and Windows personal computer ) and will add together Apple - similar grace and style to your desk space . It has a wide stove of well - set degraded port . back compatible with Thunderbolt 4 Macs and older internet , it is a recommended upgrade ready for the latest Macs or your next one .
