Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 docking station review: Simply the best | Laptop Mag

Our Verdict

The Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Dock is one of the all-time docking stations around to future-proof your laptop setup.

For

• Multiple Thunderbolt 4 ports
• Single 8K 30Hz or Dual 4K 60Hz
• 90W power delivery
• Slick design

Against

• Pricey
• No other video output ports

Laptop Mag Verdict

The Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Dock is i of the all-time docking stations around to future-proof your laptop setup.

Pros

• +

  Multiple Thunderbolt 4 ports

• +

  Single 8K 30Hz or Dual 4K 60Hz

• +

  90W power delivery

• +

  Slick design

Cons

• -

  Pricey

• -

  No other video output ports

Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt four Dock specs

Price: $289.99
Ports: iv x Thunderbolt 4, three x USB-A 3.2 Gen2, 1 ten USB-A 2.0 Gen1, one x UHS Ii SD 4.0 Card Reader, 3.5mm mic/sound jack, Gigabit Ethernet Port
Supports: Windows 10 laptops with Thunderbolt 4 ports and MacBook models running macOS Big Sur 11 with Thunderbolt 3 ports

Premium ultraportable notebooks are amid the

best laptops

yous tin can buy. The latest

Dell XPS xiii

is a lightweight beast, but fifty-fifty that has its shortcomings — specifically its few ports.

Despite the laptop introducing a new era of

Thunderbolt 4

connectivity, it still only sports 2 adjacent-gen ports. That's when a docking station comes in handy, and none is a better partner for the XPS xiii than the Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Dual 4K Dock.

Kensington has made its dock to support Thunderbolt iv, giving limited

Ultrabooks

an extra 11 ports to plug in a host of devices. No docking station is perfect, but the SD5700T dock does a stellar job at turning a laptop into a desktop powerhouse. Fifty-fifty amend, seeing as Thunderbolt 4 is backward uniform with Thunderbolt 3 and connects via USB Blazon-C, your laptop doesn't need to boast the next-gen port to use this dock.

Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt iv Dock price and availability

The Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Dock is by no means an affordable device. Kensington priced the dock at $289.99, which is well higher up the boilerplate price of the best docking stations effectually.

(Image credit: Future)

Even so, when comparison it to other Thunderbolt iv docking stations like

Razer's $329.99 Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma

, the SD5700T looks modestly priced.

Other factors should exist taken into business relationship, also. For one, Thunderbolt four-uniform laptops such as the

Asus TUF Nuance F15

and

Dell XPS xiii

have only recently started emerging in 2022. More laptops will adopt the upgraded blazon of connectivity as time goes on, so it's hither to stay, which ways dishing out a few more bucks on this docking station will hereafter-proof your dwelling house office setup.

Better nonetheless, Thunderbolt 4 ports are compatible with

USB Type-C

and USB four.0 accessories. Just the SD5700T has more than than just Thunderbolt 4 ports to make it worth your while.

Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Dock blueprint

The SD5700T Thunderbolt iv Dock packs oodles of power. For those with a ability-hungry desk setup (e.1000. 4K monitors, gaming peripherals, et al.) this dock will fit right in.

(Epitome credit: Time to come)

The dock has a cool gray outer layer, made upward of anodized aluminum with a fine-brushed stop. Its rounded sides are made upward of grilled layers, with the left side sneakily hiding a signature

Kensington security lock

. On the bottom, you'll discover four pocket-sized rubber feet that go on the docking station in place.

The front end-facing console is what y'all'll see the almost of, and thankfully, it has nicely spaced-out ports then cables don't get as well cluttered. The dock also sports a bright green power LED, along with the bluish link LED to let you know the dock is properly connected to a laptop. I also establish the dock'south height hid the peripherals I had plugged in the rear, giving my desk a tidier advent.

(Image credit: Future)

Docking stations aren't exactly meant to stand out, but I love the subtle absurd factor of the SD5700T'south design.

Coming in at 0.9 pounds (0.43kg) with dimensions of 7.i x 3 x 1.2-inches (180.iii x 76.2 x 30.5 millimeters), the SD5700T isn't the nearly portable docking station around. Yet, information technology'south still light and sturdy enough to quickly stuff into a

laptop bag

.

Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Dock ports and connectivity

Kensington could have just made this a docking station purely for Thunderbolt 4, but it went the extra mile to add USB-A connectivity and more.

(Paradigm credit: Hereafter)

On that front, there's a UHS Two SD 4.0 card reader (already off to a great kickoff), a USB-A two.0 acting every bit a 5V / 1.5A charging port for smartphones , a three.5mm combo mic/audio jack, and a wicked Thunderbolt 4 host port with upwards to 90W of charging.

(Image credit: Future)

Forth the rear are three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports mainly used for

keyboards

, a

mouse ,

or other peripherals. You lot also get 1 Gigabit Ethernet port, three Thunderbolt 4 ports providing transfer speeds upwardly to 40Gbps, up to dual 4K video output at 60hz or 1 single 8K at 30Hz, and audio. They also provide 5V/3A power back up for devices that need extra juice.

You won't observe any HDMI or DisplayPort v1.two++ ports here, which will plough off those with monitors that only support those two video outputs. However, some of the

best monitors

accept Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C connectivity. Thunderbolt 4 sends a video signal to ii 4K displays, or to one 8K display, so if yous accept the money, it might be fourth dimension for a monitor upgrade.

Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Dock performance

Kensington classed the SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Dock as "The Innovator." Seeing how it ushered in a new era of new docking stations with Thunderbolt iv connectivity, we think it does that name justice.

(Image credit: Hereafter)

My general calm work setup doesn't require a heap of highly demanding devices, but I still found the SD5700T a delight to utilise, and something I desire to stick with. The dock's plug-and-play versatility meant easily connecting my

Corsair gaming keyboard

, HyperX

wireless headphones

via USB-A stick and

Razer Naga Pro

mouse. They all worked without a hitch, simultaneously clearing my desk of wires and freeing up the other ports on my laptop.

Having an SD carte du jour reader is a fantastic addition for professionals when transferring data or storing photos, particularly if their laptop (say, the TUF Nuance F15) doesn't come up with i.

I tested the connection on dual Asus monitors using the provided Thunderbolt iv connection. As expected of Thunderbolt 4, information technology easily turned my laptop into a three monitor desktop setup. I experienced no lag, stutters, or hiccups when booting up Halo 4 on

Xbox Game Pass for PC

. Oh, and this was all done while the dock charged my smartphone.

(Image credit: Futurity)

Information technology'south important to note that while this docking station volition work with the

M1 MacBook

models, information technology will merely support single video output.

Information technology seemed like at that place was room for one more USB Type-A port on the rear, only unless you're a USB-A fiend (the

Kensington SD4100v USB 3.0 dock

is more up your alley), the boilerplate user shouldn't demand many more.

Bottom line

The Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt iv Dock is fabricated for ultrabooks like the Dell XPS xiii 9310. Not only does it vastly expand the number of ports and slots on one of the best laptops on the market, but it gives information technology the 90W power and additional perks the notebook requires.

While there are still those who may not take monitors or peripherals with Thunderbolt four, 3, or USB-C connectivity, many devices volition soon make having a Thunderbolt 4 port the standard. Thunderbolt 4 connectivity is here to stay, and the SD5700T makes for a fantastic portable companion that will future-proof your setup for years to come. If you don't fancy dishing out on the docks pricey $289.99, check out more of the

best docking stations

around that come up at a more affordable toll.

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to contrasted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous globe of cyberattacks. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Panthera leo King to two-cistron hallmark or turning his love for gadgets into a made rap boxing from 8 Mile, he believes there'southward always a quirky spin to be made. With a Chief's degree in Magazine Journalism from The Academy of Sheffield, forth with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Magazine, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle E. Now, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.

Source: https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/kensington-sd5700t-thunderbolt-4-docking-station

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