I’m what is known as a Power User. First let me tell you what I’ve hooked this up to. I recently bought an HP Windows 11 - 17” Laptop. It has 64 Gig of Ram and a 4 TB SSD drive. It comes with 2 USB C Thunderbolt 4 ports (40 Gig). One of them is used for charging the Laptop. It also comes with 3 USB A Ports (10 Gig). Unfortunately it doesn’t come with an Ethernet Port.

I bought this incredible Dock for its Ethernet Port and all the other Ports that come with it. It has 3 Thunderbolt 4 (40 Gig) Ports. I use one for charging the Laptop and the other 2 I can use for a lot of other things like copying large SSD Chips etc. it also comes with another 3 USB C Ports (10 Gig each) and 5 USB A Ports (10 Gig each). I can hook up everything I always wanted to this baby!

Some people complain that when copying large amounts of data it doesn’t work well. Thats because the people are trying to copy too much at a time and the Chip they are copying to gets overheated. If you copy the correct way you’ll have no problems. I only copy 200 to 300 Gig at a time and then wait awhile for the Chip to cool down before I copy more.

Some people complain that their Dock burns out in so many months or a year or so. Thats because they load the Dock with way too many things being used at the same time. Just because it has up to 18 plug-ins doesn’t mean you can use a lot of them always at the same time and not expect the Dock to overheat and eventually burn out. Look at the Specs. It says it can charge up to 98 Watts for your Laptop. The Dock is rated at 240 Watts. In real life it’s only going to be about 200 or so Watts Maximum. So while charging your Laptop you have about 100 Watts left to use for other things that you can plug into the Dock. If the Total of what you are plugging into the Dock goes above 200 or so Watts, then the Dock will start overheating and eventually it will burn out. Common sense right?

I’ve bought a few docks in the past that I wasn’t satisfied with. Although this Dock is very pricey it’s worth every cent if you want your Computer to be able to have all the Ports you’ll ever need. It’s almost future proof and is the best one I’ll found so far that is powerful enough to allow you to do anything with your set up! Read the Specs and see if you can find any other Dock that comes close to it!

I highly recommend this unit. And btw, if for some reason you get a bad one, just remember that no matter what you buy you could get something once in a blue moon that doesn’t work. Nothing is perfect. When thousands of a product is made there is always going to be a few duds. Simply ask for a working unit from the company. Don’t cry and say “mine was dead on arrival and I will never buy from them again!”. That sounds like a very stupid person saying things like that.

Make sure if you use USB C Cables for the Thunderbolt Ports that they are Thunderbolt 4 or 3 Cables rated for 100 to 240 Watts. Anything less and you might as well forget using them as they really won’t work the way they should (up to 40 Gig read and write)

If you use USB A Cables, make sure they are at least 3.2 Gen. 2 to get the max out of this Dock (up to 10 Gig read and write). If you use USB C Cables then use Thunderbolt 4 or 3 to get the most out of the Dock (Thunderbolt cables are backwards compatible with all versions of USB C). However you can use any cables you want if you don’t care about using this Dock at its best. But if that’s the case then why bother buying it in the first place!

Also remember that those fast speeds also depend on how fast your Computer or Laptop is (and whatever you are plugging into the USB A or USB C or Thunderbolt Ports). If you have an old or slow piece of garbage computer or Laptop, don’t expect this Dock to be able to do miracles.

If you want a really great Dock that can do just about everything (see its Specs) then this is the Dock for you!

I have tested ethernet up to 1Gbps, 1440p155hz monitor through, keyboard, mouse, mic, and a wireless controller at the same time. Not a lot of TB4 docks handle all of this at once. However, whatever DAC is in this hub is not very good in terms of audio quality. There is some white noise when audio is not playing.

Also, no matter what (even if I use a USB DAC instead of the built-in one), audio through this dock has some crackling, especially at higher sample rate. This is very disappointing. With a laptop with thunderbolt 4, this issue doesn't seem to exist. It might also be laptop-specific. I have a Zephyrus G14 (2023) 4060. Audio sent through monitor from the DP connection seems to be fine though.

Another issue is some electrical whine coming from the power supply, but it doesn't bother me too much.

Overall, this is probably the best dock on the market, but it isn't perfect, which is a bit disappointing considering the price. This is still a lot more reliable than 2-3 other docks I've tried, so I'm giving this a 4/5.

EDIT: 1/28/2024: The audio cracking was resolved, so I am changing the review to a 5/5. I was using a longer TB4 cable. After switching to the manufacturer provided one, everything works. However, the cable provided is very short.

I've gone through a number of docks for my 14" M1 Pro MacBook pro in the 18 months I've had my Mac. The Caldigit TS4 is BY FAR the best dock (and most expensive) that I've used. For me, it has the perfect combination of ports given the number of peripherals that I need to connect. Of course everyone's requirements are different. There are also a few specific features that really stand out:

-Beefy 230W power supply. Why is this important? The 230W allows it fully power your laptop, even while driving a number of USB/TB devices also at full power. Other docks significantly reduce the laptop power as you connect more and more devices.

-Spring loaded SD and microSD slots. A minor feature, but very welcomed. My prior Plugable TS4 dock slots were NOT spring loaded, and trying to get the microSD card out almost took pliers.

-Host TB4 port is in the rear. Why dock manufacturers insist on putting the host upstream port on the front boggles the mind. I like a clean aesthetic, so the TS4's rear TB4 host port is perfect.

-Mac specific software and firmware updater utilities. These mac specific packages and system extensions get the most out of the dock and enhance features like iPhone/iPad charging, allow ejecting all removable media at once, and increase monitor PD compatibility. No Windows PC needed for updates.

-Physically the dock is built like a tank. The all aluminum body is very thick and premium feeling.

-The DisplayPort 1.4 port can drive my 40" Dell Ultrawide 5K2K monitor at a full 60Hz.

In short, the TS4 is amazing. I've had zero issues, and compatibility my M1 Pro MacBook and Ventura has been flawless. Yes, it is pricey, but it should be the last dock you need for your Mac. Make the investment and skip all of the other inferior docks out there.

ADDENDUM, dated 4/21/2023@19:48 EDT: It WORKS Now on BOTH APPLE Laptop & Desktop

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WORKS on MacBook Pro 16” 2019 (Intel-chip) & WORKS on iMac 24” 2021 (M1-chip) => Rating of 4 Stars

This addendum, dated 4/21/2023, at 19:48 EDT, corrects my PRIOR negative review. Now, the CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 Dock (Model TS4) is working fine on both my Apple laptop and Apple desktop. It now works successfully with all my external hard drives (HDDs), external Solid-State Storage drives (SSDs), my Dell monitor, my Ethernet (wired), and powers the laptop without any problems.

The ONLY failure now is that I cannot get my ancient, Anker 13-port, USB2.x, hub to work when plugged into the TS4.

My PRIOR negative TS4 review is hereby rescinded. My PRIOR negative rating of it as one (1) star is replaced now with four (4) stars.

Here are more details about my recent experiments & testing providing additional details as why my review now is quite positive and I've rated it a lot higher:

On Sunday, April 16, and Monday, April 17, I did some more trouble-shooting and experiments to help us debug the problem with the CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt Dock. The problem in a nutshell was that the TS4 FAILED to mount any drives on my Apple MacBook Pro laptop; BUT it worked SUCCESSFULLY on my Apple iMac desktop!

During those experiments, I disconnected the TS4 from my laptop and re-connected it to my desktop being sure (like before) that I used CalDigit’s supplied Thunderbolt 4 cable. However, I took it one step at a time.

WORKS. First, I tried connecting it to a different Thunderbolt 3 port on a different side (bus) of the laptop AND leaving the laptop’s Apple power-brick still powering the laptop. To my surprise, it SUCCESSFULLY mounted every external hard-drive (HDD) and solid-state storage (SSD) device that I connected it to.

WORKS. Second, I re-connected it into the same Thunderbolt 3 port on the laptop that the TS4 originally failed on. Again, to my surprise, it now worked SUCCESSFULLY and mounted every external drive (HDD & SSD) that I connected it to.

WORKS. Third, I dis-connected the Apple power-brick from the laptop. So, now the TS4 was providing the power to the laptop. Yet again, to my amazement, the TS4 continued to work SUCCESSFULL and again mounted every external drive (HDD & SSD) that I connected to it.

WORKS. Fourth, I connected the monitor to the TS4’s Display Port 1.4 port. Again, to my pleasant surprise, it worked SUCCESSFULLY.

WORKS. Fifth, I connected the Ethernet CAT-5 cable into the TS4’s 2.5 gigabit jack. Yet again, to my wonderment, it worked SUCCESSFULLY without any degradation in speed.

FAILS. Finally, I did hit a failure (but not a show stopper). I connected my old, Anker USB2 hub (a self-powered hub with some 12 USB ports on it) into a USB port on the TS4. UNFORTUNATELY, it FAILED to recognize and activate the Anker hub. The peripherals connected into the Anker hub were thus rendered useless. So, some other external HDDs did not spin-up/mount; my wired trackball was useless; USB downstream connections to other devices (webcams, amateur radios, etc.) also failed.

BOTTOM-LINE: For some unknown and puzzling reason, the CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 Dock (TS4) is now working fine on my laptop, EXCEPT for that Anker hub problem.

If you have any insight on why the Anker hub is not being recognized, activated when plugged into the TS4, then let me know and we’ll try to resolve this Anker hub issue. Of course, this Anker hub works fine when connected directly to the laptop’s Thunderbolt 3 ports. It even works when connected via an un-powered, Anker 7-in-1 hub. It just will NOT work when cabled into the TS4 dock. By the way, this Anker hub problem cannot be a power one because the 13-port Anker USB2.x hub is self-powered with a beefy Anker power-brick.

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ORIGINAL Review, dated 4/d?/2023@h?:m? EDT: It FAILED on APPLE Laptop; But WORKED on Desktop

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Fails on MacBook Pro 16” 2019 (Intel-chip); But Works on iMac 24” 2021 (M1-chip) => Rating of 1 Star

I just purchased this CalDigit TS4 hub device. Despite the glowing reviews, I’m very disappointed in its operation so far!🙁. It fails totally when connected to my Apple laptop. Yet, it works superbly when connected to my Apple iMac.

FAILS. The TS4 gets a failing grade when connected to my Apple laptop computer (MacBook Pro, 16”, 2019, Intel-chip). It FAILS to mount any of my external drives (HDDs). It intermittently mounts my external SSDs BUT ONLY if I connect them to the TS4’s Thunderbolt ports; they fail to mount when connected to any other ports (USB-c) on the TS4. I only tried one drive an a time to insure they were getting adequate power from the TS4 and still they failed to mount. All these same drives work fine when connected to this laptop using my older, less capable hubs (by Anker); or when directly connected to the laptops ports. These dismal test results were encountered with the TS4 connected to the laptop using the CalDigit-supplied Thunderbolt 4 cable AND the TS4 was providing power to the laptop.

WORKS. The TS4 gets a stellar grade when connected to my Apple desktop computer (iMac, 24”, 2021, M1-chip). It SUCCESSFULLY mounts all of those same external drives (HDDs and SSDs). They work whether connected to the TS4’s Thunderbolt or USB-c ports. This superb test results were obtained with the TS4 connected to the desktop using the CalDigit-supplied Thunderbolt 4 cable BUT the TS4 was NOT providing power to the desktop (instead the Apple power-brick was still plugged-into the iMac).

I checked the CalDigit firmware on my TS4 and it’s the latest released by them. It’s version 39.1.

So, I’m clueless as to why the disparity in my test results to date. If I cannot resolve the TS4’s failure on the laptop, then the TS4 will be returned to Amazon.

I plan to do a NVRAM reset on the laptop and re-test the TS4 connected to the laptop. I also plan to test the TS4 again but with the Apple power-brick still connected to the laptop (to see if it’s a power issue).

I will also contact CalDigit support.

Has anyone else experienced this disparity? Any suggestions?

I mean where do I even start... I've been through my fair share of docs over the past few months. Luckily each time I decided to move onto the next one within the amazon return window. I first bough the Minisopuru dock, which was amazing at first but then started to give me issues, including overheating (I could cook an egg on it type hot..) and would often times just not work when I plugged in my computer causing me to unplug and fidget with all the cords. I then moved to the new BenQ dock, which was also great at first but then started acting super funky and not connecting to my computer when plugged in. Finally, I decided to go with every YouTuber's recommendation and cop this TS4 from Caldigit... It is by far the cleanest, reliable and fast dock I have ever used. It connects as soon as I plug in my computer without fail. Also the amount of ports on the front and back allows me to connect all my peripherals without needing a usb hub. It also never overheats and just works....so well. I know the price tag is a bit high but it's worth every penny. Also with the Thunderbolt 4 connections, it's definitely future proofed. I don't see any reason why I can't continue to use this dock for the next 5-10 years. I've also heard that Caldigit's support is NEXT LEVEL and will immediately send you a replacement or give you a solution to your dock's issue. That in itself provides a level of comfort that allows me to sleep at night despite the high cost. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!

P.S. -- I never write reviews, which shows just how good this dock is. TRUST and BUY... right now lol

I decided to give the stock market a try, and found out that I need a computer/laptop with multi-display capacity. So I got myself a Macbook M1 Max and were in the market for a quadruple display dock. Caldigit TS4 actually can't handle 4 displays but after trying many docks (Dell WD22, VisionTek VT8000, OWC Thunderbolt Pro Dock), each of which have its own problem and none worked by simply plug and play, I had to red through many reviews saying that Caldigit is the most Mac-users-oriented dock and went to buy one to see if I can sacrify 2 displays for a solid dock (I still can use usb-c to HDMI and hook them to the usb-c thunderbolt port on my Mac should I need all 4 displays).

No regret here after buying, the device work right out of the box, no need for Displaylink software or anything alike, it doesn't disconnect the 2 displays when my Mac goes to sleep (this is a problem I had with one of the previous docks), wake them up when I relogin from sleep. It gets a little bit warm (NOT hot) during use but I think this is just normal and nothing to worry about. It has many ports which are more than ample for all my devices to be connected.

To sum up, this dock really lives up to its reviews. Among the docks that I have laid my hands on, this one is the best for a Macbook. One thing I wished is that it could support more than 2 displays. And if the manufacturer could add a power on button it would be more convenient for users. Thus, I only give it 4 stars.

It costs a premium but well worth the price! The dock just works, and works well. Every time I plug it in it works flawlessly with no quirks whatsoever. Currently using with a M2 Max MacBook Pro (14.1 Sonoma) and Alienware AW3423DW monitor connected via the dock's DisplayPort 1.4 port. After trying a couple different docks this is the only one thats been stable up to the full 175Hz VFR + HDR the monitor is capable of. I also have 3x USB hubs hooked up to the dock (2x of which are USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gb/s capable) and they all work fine with MacOS reporting the correct USB spec and speed of each hub. Using the dock with my work computer (also TB4-capable) has been great as well and super convenient having my whole home office setup all running off one single cable to my computer now!

The only con I have is the dock can only supply a (system-reported) 98 watts to the host computer. The M2 Max MBP may need more than this in very CPU and GPU-intensive (in parallel) situations, but so far it hasn't been an issue and if it is the MBP will start slowing drawing off the internal battery, or one can also just double up power with the MagSafe connector from the official MBP AC adaptor. I think for 97% of people this will not be an issue though, and >99% would likely not be pushing their M2 Max MBP that intensely at one time on non-synthetic loads (talking maybe 10+ hours ballpark). For any other MBP non-Max variants this dock would be absolutely fine.

Overall I highly recommend this dock! CalDigit did a fantastic job here!

Long story. I recently switched from a 2015 iMac 27" with an extra LG 27" monitor. The new setup is MacBook Pro M1 14" and added a second LG 27" monitor. Both the LG monitors are Thunderbolt 3 connections only.

While I can connect the monitors to the laptop direct, I wanted something more unplug and go. The plan was to connect the two monitors via a dock. Then the laptop to the dock via a single cable, and things all work together. I had a dream.

Tried one combo dock and a vertical stand. But it only supported HDMI inputs. I thought I would be able to connect the Thunderbolt connections from the monitors to the dock HDMI ports using some connectors. No go. I returned that dock. Then found another brand. It looked promising. I was about to hit the purchase button but then noticed at the bottom of the page a video link to the CalDigit TS4. Watching the video and reading other reviews, this was the one I really wanted.

Now the only problem was at the time, Amazon showed it unavailable and no expected date. Checked the CalDigit site and other suppliers. All out of stock. This was either a phantom product or really popular.

After a few weeks, I went to purchase something else, and just by chance, I returned to the TS4 product page. It showed as available. Faster than fast, I clicked that purchase button to lock it in. It arrived a few days later (this week). The setup was dead simple. Just unplug the monitor cables connected to my laptop over to the new dock. More the network cable. Then boom, everything works. Dual monitor working. The laptop is off to the side and still have plenty of deskspace for other stuff. And just a single cable to unplug the laptop if I'm going remote.

The only a few negative comments. There are two. First, the dock seems to run very warm. Well warmer than I expected. Not hot, like melt your desk, or anything. Just warmer than expected to the touch. The second is the network awake. With the RJ-45 cable connected, when I go in the office in the morning, it doesn't seem to reconnect on wake. I like to have a hard-wire connect over using home WiFi. I know there are some fixes on the CalDigit support site. For me it was easier just to connect the home network direct to the laptop.

My only other comment is to CallDigit to maybe drop the memory slots and replace them with another pair of high-speed USB ports. I personally have not had a need to use a card reader in over five years. Seems if someone had that need, there are USB products they could use instead. However, the same can be said of Apple on the latest laptops.

Overall 9.5/10.0 Very well-made product. Solid material.

Excelente producto, real mente el costo es alto pero vale la pena la inversión, muy funcional, el único detalle que yo le veo es que solo tiene 2 puertos usb c de 10 gb, me hubiera gustado que todos los puertos usb c fuera de alta velocidad 10 gb, pero muy satisfecho

The TS4 arrived earlier than exepected and as was said in other reviews this is.solid piece of electrical equipment. Took all of 5 minutes to setup and get working, downloaded the software from the internet and has worked flawlessly since. I have the Macpro Desktop that should be able to handle a 4k monitor, 2 30 inch Cinema on Dual dvi and one HDMI with 1920x1080.. The Macpro can’t handle the load so I thought I would try hooking the 2 30inch Apple cinemas with dual DVI conveters/USBs and voila it’s cooking with gas.

The MacPro had the 4k monitor and HDMI outputs and functions perfectly with the TS4 running the Apple cinemas. Couldn’t for the life of me get the HDMI out[it to function on the Mac-ro after the recent upgrade and change of the display function, OWC used ti be my go to for Mac products, CalDigit is now.

Cheers Cliff

Love it!!!! Makes plugging in my MIDI keyboard, Ableton Push 2, 2x monitors, keyboard, mouse, and 4TB SSD into my MacBook Pro so easy. Because it has its own power supply, it doesn't drain the laptop battery or overload the ports. Having all these high-demand machines connected to a stable power source completely eliminates random disconnects, glitches, and hardware crashes. Absolute lifesaver for my studio setup!

يحتر جدا حرارة عالية تقطيع في تشغيل الفيديو بجودة4K

the box is for the ts4 , and the item inside is the older model ts 3 !!!