In a nutshell: Buyers of sleek new laptops usually augment their purchase with a USB hub/dock, especially if they’re planning to use their machine at both home and work. To that end, Belkin's new, compact dock could be of interest as it packs a variety of useful ports that can power multiple high-res displays, perform speedy file transfers, and increase overall productivity.
Belkin claims that its latest dock is the world's first to combine Thunderbolt 3 and dual-power connectivity. While the former spec will enable up to 40Gbps speeds on supported laptops, the latter feature lets users passthrough up to 60W of power to connected devices through the dock's USB-C PD port.
The host device can either be a Thunderbolt-certified Mac or Windows machine, running at least macOS Sierra 10.12 or Windows 10. The dock features 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 and 1 x HDMI 2.0 that lets users connect dual 4K 60Hz monitors, transforming their modest laptop setup into a highly productive config. They can also plug in a single 5K 60Hz or an 8K 30Hz display.
Other ports include 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1 x USB-A 2.0, an audio in/out jack for connecting a mic or speakers, Gigabit Ethernet port, and the aforementioned USB-C PD connector. The dock comes with a 6-inch tethered Thunderbolt 3 cable, which some may find to be a tad on the shorter side.
Belkin says that this dock is "perfect for remote workers, be it from the home, an RV beach vacation or a hotel room," letting users connect their USB-C laptops to displays, projectors, ethernet, external HDDs and other peripherals to allow them to work quickly and easily "without needing to be their own IT department."
The Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core is set to go on sale next month for $170. It comes with a 2-year warranty and is currently up for pre-order on Belkin's website and Amazon.
https://www.techspot.com/news/85811-belkin-thunderbolt-3-dock-core-offers-generous-io.html
