Plugable Thunderbolt™ 3 and USB-C Dual Display Dock with 96W Host Charging

The USB-C ports (excluding the host connection) on our TBT3-UDZ, TBT3-UDC3, and TBT3-UDC1 do not support video output. This means that USB-C/Thunderbolt monitors as well as USB-C video adapters will not output a display when connected to these ports.

Our TBT3-UD1-85W and TBT3-UD1-83 docks have a downstream Thunderbolt 3 port that can support video output up to 4K resolution @ 60Hz, so USB-C/Thunderbolt monitors as well as USB-C video adapters should output a display when connected to these ports.

When connecting to a monitor that accepts a USB-C input, from a docking station that outputs DisplayPort (such as the UD-6950, UD-6950Z, UD-6950H, TBT3-UDZ, TBT3-UDC3), you will need to use a DisplayPort to USB-C "Bi-Directional" cable. This is because many USB-C to DisplayPort cables are unidirectional and only send data in one direction, from USB-C source device to a DisplayPort input port on a monitor.

Additional information:

• Be sure to use a DisplayPort to USB-C cable that supports the 1.2 DisplayPort standard (or higher). 
• To ensure optimal performance the maximum recommended cable length should be no longer than 1.8 meters (6 feet).

An example of a DisplayPort to USB-C "Bi-Directional" cable can be seen here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081VK1KHV

Below is a list of pre-tested power adapters and corresponding power prongs/cables for Plugable docking stations that can be purchased on eBay if a replacement is needed.

If the power adapter for your docking station or region is not listed or if it out of stock on eBay please contact us at support@plugable.com and we will be happy to assist further.

We offer a 30-day return period for our replacement power adapters listed on eBay.

From our testing as well as customers' experiences, our Thunderbolt 3 docks are not compatible with Thunderbolt add-in cards and often result in USB devices being not detected when connected to a Thunderbolt add-in card on a desktop PC.

Update 11/1/2021: We're happy to report this issue can now be resolved by updating from macOS Big Sur 11.x to macOS Monterey 12.0.1.

Plugable has been able to reproduce this problem internally and it has been raised to Apple for closer investigation. This issue appears to be from a regression introduced with the macOS Big Sur 11.4 update and is still present through 11.6.

This problem can occur when displays are connected to the docking station while the dock is reconnected to a Thunderbolt 3 port on a MacBook Pro 16" using the host Thunderbolt 3 cable (hot-plugged).

This kernel panic issue currently affects any docking station (Plugable-branded or otherwise) that uses what is known as DisplayPort Multi-Stream Transport (MST) to power one or more of the video outputs on a docking station. It is also specific to the MacBook Pro 16" system—other Mac systems do not exhibit the same problem.

To workaround this issue, we recommend disconnecting any HDMI displays from the dock before plugging the Thunderbolt 3 cable into the computer. Then, once connected, you may reconnect the HDMI display(s) to the dock.

The TBT3-UDZ is not officially supported within the Apple Boot Camp environment and may not perform as expected. We do not recommend the purchase of this docking station for Boot Camp users.

The TBT3-UDZ docking station offers two primary modes to output video to attached displays via the dual HDMI 2.0 and dual DisplayPort 1.2 outputs: Thunderbolt 3 mode and USB-C DisplayPort Alternate mode.

Systems with Thunderbolt 3 (or 4) support and USB-C only systems without Thunderbolt support will have differing capabilities. In addition, some Thunderbolt 3 systems may only support a single display and some USB-C only systems may lack USB-C DisplayPort Alternate Mode video output entirely (no displays will work).

In either TBT3 or USB-C DP Alt modes, a maximum of two displays are supported and can be connected in any combination of HDMI + HDMI, DP + DP, or a mix of HDMI + DP to the "Display 1" and "Display 2" output groups. See below for more details:

Multiple display capabilities for Thunderbolt 3:

• Systems that support two DisplayPort streams over Thunderbolt 3 can offer up to two displays at 4K (3840x2160) at 60Hz via HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2.
• Systems that support one DisplayPort stream over Thunderbolt 3 can offer up to one display at 4K (3840x2160) at 60Hz via HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2.

Multiple display capabilities for USB-C only systems (no Thunderbolt 3 support, operating in USB-C MFDP (Multifunction DisplayPort) mode):

• Systems that support DisplayPort 1.2 HBR2 (High Bit Rate 2) can offer one display up to 4K (3840x2160) at 30Hz or two displays 1080p (1920x1080) at 60Hz via HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2.
• Systems that support DisplayPort 1.4 HBR3 (High Bit Rate 3) can offer one display up to 4K (3840x2160) at 60Hz or two displays 1440p (2560x1440) at 60Hz via HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2.
• Systems that support DisplayPort 1.4 HBR3 with DSC (High Bit Rate 3 with Display Stream Compression) can offer up to two displays at 4K (3840x2160) at 60Hz via HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2.

Important Notes: 

• Apple M1 based Macs (non-Intel processor MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and iMac) only support a single display through Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C. This is a limitation of the M1 graphics card design. (M1 Pro and M1 Max based Macs do not have this limitation.)
• We do not support HDR (High Dynamic Range) or adaptive sync (AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync).
• We do not officially support high refresh rate displays above 60Hz. (Higher refresh rates may be selected but performance and stability above 60Hz is not guaranteed.)
• If converting the DisplayPort outputs to a different connector type, an active DisplayPort adapter is required. Passive DisplayPort adapters are not supported. (Dock DisplayPorts do not offer DP++ capabilities required for passive adapters.)
  • Users with legacy DVI displays should use passive HDMI to DVI adapters.
  • Users with legacy VGA displays should use active DisplayPort to VGA adapters or active HDMI to VGA adapters.
  • Thunderbolt and USB-C DisplayPort Alternate Mode displays are not supported.
  • Legacy Apple ADC displays are not supported.
• 5K or 6K displays are not supported as they require a higher resolution output than what this dock can offer.
• The use of multiple DisplayPort displays daisy-chained via MST (Multi-Stream) is not supported.
• Older 4K displays that require MST to operate at 4K 60Hz are not supported. (These displays use two 1920x2160 vertical panels in the display via MST to achieve 3840x2160.)
• Apple 12” MacBook Retina USB-C models without Thunderbolt 3 are limited to a single extended display or dual mirrored displays up to 4096x2160 @ 30Hz.
• Legacy Apple Thunderbolt (1 or 2) systems being converted to Thunderbolt 3 using Apple's bi-directional Thunderbolt adapter are not officially supported. (Some users have reported success, however, the dock is limited to a single display in this configuration and we cannot guarantee performance or stability.)

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at support@plugable.com and we'll be happy to assist!

For Intel based MacBook Pro models with four Thunderbolt 3 ports, some users have found connecting the dock to the left or right side to be more stable than the other. Due to some variance in MacBook designs, we've found it is best to experiment with your particular setup to find what works well for you. With that said, there are some specific situations where a particular side may be inherently better:

1) Older MacBook Pro models have had varying capabilities depending on the side used:

• MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016) delivers full Thunderbolt 3 performance on all four ports.
• MacBook Pro (13-inch,2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) supports Thunderbolt 3 at full performance using the two left-hand ports. The two right-hand ports deliver Thunderbolt 3 functionality, but have reduced PCI Express bandwidth. Always plug higher-performance devices into the left-hand ports on MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) for maximum data throughput.
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports) delivers full Thunderbolt 3 performance on both ports.

2) It has been suggested for 16" MacBook Pro owners to connect to the right side for the best performance. ExtremeTech has a great article about why this is here: http://extremetech.com/computing/309802-charging-a-macbook-on-the-wrong-side-can-significantly-lower-its-performance 

3) It is also worth mentioning that per side of Thunderbolt 3 Intel based MacBooks, a maximum of two displays are supported. If using the dock on one side of the system for two displays, another display cannot be connected to the second Thunderbolt 3 port on that same side (this means Intel based MacBook Pros with only two ports will support only two displays).

Thunderbolt 3 MacBook Pros with four ports (two on each side) can support either two or four displays maximum depending on the system configuration. Intel graphics based four port models are limited to two displays only whereas AMD based graphics four port models can support four displays.

Example: You want to connect three or four displays to your four port AMD graphics based MacBook Pro, you will need to connect the dock to one side for two displays and the third or fourth displays must be connected to the opposite side of the system.

Note: Currently, M1 based Macs (MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and MacBook Pro) only support a single display through Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C. This is a limitation of the M1 graphics card design.

Please feel free to contact us at support@plugable.com if you have any questions!

We have been tracking reported issues where externally connected USB devices and/or internal USB devices within the TBT3-UDZ docking station (Ethernet, audio, and card reader) may not be detected after waking the system from sleep or after rebooting on some macOS systems. Some users may also experience one or both displays attached to the dock not waking from a low power state as well.

If experiencing issues with the Ethernet only, please see: https://kb.plugable.com/776031

To begin troubleshooting USB device and/or display issues:

If using an Intel based Mac we recommend the following steps:

1. Unplug the dock from the Mac and unplug power from the dock. Please leave the dock disconnected until the final step.
2. Perform an SMC reset: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295 
3. Perform an NVRAM/PRAM reset: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063
4. After logging back in, wait about 30-60 seconds, then plug power in to the dock and plug the dock in to the Mac and see if the behavior has improved.

If using an M1 based Mac we recommend the following steps:

1. Unplug the dock from the Mac and unplug power from the dock. Please leave the dock disconnected until the final step.
2. Fully shutdown the Mac. (On your Mac, click the "Apple" menu and select "Shut Down")
3. After the Mac has shutdown, wait for 60-90 seconds, then turn the Mac back on.
4. After logging back in, wait for 30-60 seconds, then plug power in to the dock and plug the dock in to the Mac and see if the behavior has improved.

If these initial troubleshooting steps do not help, please contact us at support@plugable.com and we'll be happy to assist you.

For Thunderbolt 3 systems a longer cable can be used, but there are some important factors to consider. The longest passive Thunderbolt 3 cable rated for 40Gbps (required for dual displays via TBT3) at this time is already included and is 0.8m in length. Longer cables will need to be active cables. We don't sell any active cables but they are available at up to two meters.

For users with USB-C only systems a Thunderbolt 3 cable is not required. Instead, a longer USB 3.1 Gen 2 cable rated for 10Gbps can be used. We recommend no longer than 2m in length. However, due to the varying quality of USB-C cables on the market, a better alternative would be a 2m 20Gbps passive Thunderbolt 3 cable like our TBT3-20G2M: http://plugable.com/products/tbt3-20g2m

Please note: For docks with 60W (watts) Power Delivery charging capabilities a cable that supports 3A (amps) minimum is required. For docks that support greater than 60W (65W, 85W, 96W, 100W) charging, a 5A cable is required.

There is a known issue with the Apple provided built in macOS Ethernet drivers for the Realtek RTL8153 USB 3.0 Ethernet chipset used in our dock (and many other docks and USB Ethernet adapters on the market). When put to sleep, the problematic driver creates an Ethernet broadcast storm which can overwhelm some Ethernet routers.

For macOS Catalina 10.15.x users, please contact us via support@plugable.com and we can provide you with an updated driver and installation instructions.

For macOS Big Sur 11.x users, this behavior can be rectified by updating the host system to macOS Big Sur version 11.3 (released by Apple on 4/26/2021).

If you are unable to install third party drivers for macOS 10.15.x or are unable to upgrade from macOS Big Sur 11.x to 11.3, we recommend to disable your Mac from sleeping to prevent this issue, or use WiFi instead of Ethernet until you are able to install the driver at a later date or upgrade to the new macOS version.

If you need further assistance feel free to contact us via support@plugable.com and we'll be happy to help!

Based on customer reports and information online found after this update, it appears that there is a regression in macOS Big Sur 11.1 that is causing video output issues through Thunderbolt 3 devices like our dock such as only a single display works versus two working prior with macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, or video resolutions and/or refresh rates are incorrect (example: only 4K @ 30Hz possible vs expected 4K @ 60Hz).

We encourage you to report these issue to Apple using their feedback form located here: https://www.apple.com/feedback/macos.html

Unfortunately, to resolve this issue you'll need to restore to a previous backup of your system if available for macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 or wait until the next update from Apple.

For Thunderbolt 3 systems:

Some systems with Thunderbolt 3 support may only have the ability to connect a single display through the Thunderbolt 3 port. This is due to how the system manufacturer has configured the internal circuitry of the computer between the system graphics card and the system Thunderbolt 3 controller. To be specific, they have only routed one DisplayPort video line/stream from the graphics card to the TBT3 controller.

As an example of this, many Intel NUC systems only support a single display, see here for reference: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000021752/intel-nuc.html

We also see this configuration on many high end gaming laptops or desktop replacement workstation laptops that have one or more dedicated onboard video outputs. Unfortunately, this is often undocumented and you may need to contact your system manufacture to verify if they expect dual monitors will be supported over Thunderbolt 3.

Apple M1 based Macs (MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and MacBook Pro) only support a single display through Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C. (This is a limitation of the M1 graphics card design.)

For USB-C systems:

Apple USB-C only systems (without Thunderbolt 3 support) like the 2015 MacBook Retina 12" can only support a single display or will show two screens with mirrored images. This is because Apple does not support DisplayPort MST (multi-stream) which our dock uses to take a single USB-C DisplayPort Alternate Mode video line and connect two displays through it.

Windows USB-C systems should support MST in most cases, if you're only able to connect a single display, please contact us via support@plugable.com for further assistance!

No, the TBT3-UDZ supports a maximum of two monitors via "Display 1" and "Display 2" video output "banks" in the following configurations:

• DisplayPort + DisplayPort
• HDMI + HDMI
• DisplayPort + HDMI (cannot be both connected to the same "bank")

For additional details about supported displays, see here: https://kb.plugable.com/en_US/docking-stations-and-video/what-are-the-display-output-capabilities-for-the-tbt3-udz

No, the front USB-C port on the TBT3-UDZ supports standard USB 3.x 900mA (4.5W) power output. The only USB port on this dock capable of charging a device like a phone or tablet is the front USB-A port which can offer 1.5A (7.5W) via the BC 1.2 CDP charging standard.

No, the front USB-C port on the TBT3-UDZ is for data only and does not support USB-C VESA DisplayPort Alternate Mode video output. Displays attached through this dock must be connected to the rear HDMI or DisplayPorts.

Windows has special power management settings that control what happens when the laptop lid is closed. If this happening, these settings need to be changed. Please right-click on the Start button and select ‘Power Options’ from the menu.

From the choices present on the left-hand side of the 'Power Options' window, please click on ‘Choose what closing the lid does’. 

Make sure the setting for ‘When I close the lid’ under the ‘Plugged In’ column is set to ‘Do Nothing’. 

Click the ‘Save Changes’ button and restart the system (making sure that the laptop’s power adapter is also connected) and test the behavior again.

IEC power requirements for this class of device require that charging via USB not exceed 100W peak charge rate for more than 5 seconds, and so Thunderbolt certification requires a 4W margin to maintain this IEC compliance. Because charging output from any device will always have some amount of variance, implementing a 96W Power Delivery profile combined with robust circuit design ensures the TBT3-UDZ will meet these requirements and achieve 96W sustained charging, with a peak rate of 100W. We are unaware of any real-world scenarios where this will affect charging behavior, but will certainly provide updates if we learn of any edge cases.

No, this is not possible. Please note that DisplayPort to HDMI cables (as with any cable involving protocol/signal conversion) are not bidirectional adapters. Such cables will not allow an HDMI output port (such as those on the dock) to function with a DisplayPort input on a monitor.