The Best Docking Station for M4 MacBooks

The best docking station for M4 Macs, a Plugable TBT4-UD5, is looking very handsome as it sits on a desk connected to an M4 MacBook. It really makes you want to go out and be productive.

The new M4 MacBooks are out, and partner, it’s big news for multitaskers who need extra screen real estate and people who just like looking at stuff in general. For the first time since Apple Silicon chips debuted, the base model CPU now supports two extended displays over Thunderbolt without needing to close the lid, as was the case with the M3. I know, pretty big deal.

This is how that looks. The base model M4 MacBook includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports, and you can connect up to two extended—so not mirrored, which is an important distinction, 4K monitors at 60Hz, or one 8K monitor at 60Hz, and again, that’s with the laptop screen open— a first for base model Macs with a silicon chip.

For folks eyeing the M4 Pro or M4 Max models, the news is even better: Thunderbolt 5 support is now baked right in. Not only does it future-proof your investment, but it’s fully backward compatible with Thunderbolt 4, USB4, and USB-C products.

Port callouts for the Plugable TBT4-UD5, the best docking station for M4 Macs. It really is stunning.

Now, let’s take a look at the best docking station to take advantage of that M4 performance. If you’re gonna buy a laptop with Thunderbolt, then Partner, you’re gonna want a Thunderbolt dock to go with it. And if you’re looking at Thunderbolt docks, you should really be looking at the Plugable TBT4-UD5.

So, what makes this such a great dock? Glad you asked, Champ. For starters, this dock is Thunderbolt certified, so you know even without opening the quick start guide that you’re getting the full Thunderbolt experience. Like anyone actually reads the quick start guide, anyway.

The TBT4-UD5, in addition to having a name that really just rolls off the tongue, also features

Dual 4K 60Hz HDMI ports
A front-facing downstream Thunderbolt 4 port
SD and Micro SD slots
A convenient collection of USB ports,
And most importantly, a 40Gbps connection with 100W charging for your laptop.
And it’s all connected back to your fancy new MacBook with a single 3ft 40Gbps Thunderbolt-certified cable.

That's a real nice dock.

Buy the Plugable Thunderbolt 4 Dock for 4K Dual Monitors or Single 8K, 100W Laptop Charging
List Price: $199.95

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The TBT4-UD5 is plug and play for quick and easy to set up, plus it's gonna look teal sharp on your desk. And for similar performance, for a few bucks less, take a look at the Plugable TBT4-UDX1.

And if you’re looking for something else entirely, we’ve done a whole mess of compatibility testing on docks, hubs, and accessories for M4 Macs.

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Apple Silicon, Docking Stations, macOS, Thunderbolt™ 4

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