At first we would like to thank CORSAIR for offering us their Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock for testing and reviewing.

 

About Corsair:

"Founded in 1994, Corsair has grown from pioneering the high-performance DRAM market to one of the world’s leading providers of enthusiast-grade PC components and peripherals. Our groundbreaking technology and innovation can be found in our high-performance memory, ultra-efficient power supplies, PC cases, PC and CPU cooling solutions, and solid-state storage devices. Under the Corsair Gaming brand, launched in 2014, we provide gaming keyboards, mice, headsets and mouse mats to eSports professionals and anybody who is passionate about competitive PC gaming.

 

Corsair hardware is regularly featured in showcase “dream systems,” and we have earned the adulation and respect of the press, professional gamers and overclockers, high-end system integrators, and PC enthusiasts worldwide by delivering leading-edge technology backed by renowned service and support.

 

Corsair has developed a global operations infrastructure with extensive marketing and distribution channel relationships, and our products are available through leading distributors and retailers in over sixty countries worldwide."

 

About Elgato Systems:

"Elgato combines software with elegant hardware to create app-powered lifestyle technology defined by comfort, convenience, and control.

 

Since the launch of the award-winning EyeTV collection in 2002, the brand has evolved to embody Eve, an ecosystem of accessories for the connected home – and Elgato Gaming, a series of content creation tools for the connected generation.

 

Designed in Germany and California, Elgato products are distributed by major retailers in over eighty countries around the world."

Product Features:

 

One cable. Ultimate connectivity.

 

Premium ports and unbeatable bandwidth. Impeccable dual-display compatibility and remarkable audio performance. Full-speed charging and superior networking capability. Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock takes professional connectivity to a whole new level. Equipping you to expand the extraordinary power of USB-C – via one cable from your MacBook Pro or Windows Ultrabook.

 

One cable. Ultimate displays.

 

Single screen or dual displays – the choice is yours. With the built-in DisplayPort, drive any monitor up to 4K resolution, and connect a second 4K screen to one of the USB-C ports. Whether you’re polishing high-resolution images, engineering intricate spreadsheets, or perfecting your epic gameplay, doubling your visual real estate is a breeze.

 

One cable. Ultimate access.

 

With two SuperSpeed Type-C USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gb/s) ports, and two Type-A USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5Gb/s) ports, Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock has all your connectivity needs covered. Use the rear Type-C ports to connect high-end accessories, and get maximum transfer speeds out of your ultra-fast SSD drives. And use the two front facing Type-A ports to easily access everyday essentials like USB flash drives.

 

One cable. Ultimate audio.

 

No setup is complete without epic sound. Thanks to a maximum bitrate of 96 kHz, and sample size of 24 bits, your high-definition audio files play back crisp and true. And with a combined mic and audio 3.5 mm jack at the front, plus an amplified stereo 3.5 mm jack at the rear, you can plug in your high-fidelity headset without disconnecting your desktop speakers.

 

One cable. Ultimate readers.

 

Featuring both SD and Micro SD card slots supporting blazing-fast UHS-II transfer speeds, Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock lets you access all available flash memory options – including SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards. So you can copy high-resolution images in seconds. Move your 4K videos in no time. And backup your mobile data in a couple blinks of an eye.

 

One cable. Ultimate networking.

 

Wi-Fi works wonders when you need the freedom to work anywhere within range. But when it comes to speed, latency, security, and reliability, hardwired connections win hands down. With Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Dock Pro, leverage the performance of Gigabit Ethernet to secure constant connections to your servers, stream Ultra HD content without lag, and transfer confidential files with absolute peace of mind.

 

One cable. Ultimate convenience.

 

A mere click in your menu bar away, the free Elgato Thunderbolt Dock Utility app eliminates the chore of ejecting external drives one by one. When it’s time to hit the road, simply disconnect all your storage devices simultaneously. Instantly see when it’s safe to disconnect your Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock. And head off without delay.

 

 

Product Specifications:

 

Requirements

 

MAC

 

macOS Sierra 10.12 or later, Thunderbolt™ 3 port

 

PC

 

Windows 10 or later, Thunderbolt™ 3 port

 

Display Configurations

 

DisplayPort output up to 4096 x 2160 pixels at 60 Hz

Thunderbolt™ 3 output up to 5120 x 2880 pixels at 60 Hz

Dual displays up to 4096 x 2160 pixels at 60 Hz each

4K60 over HDMI 2.0 supported using active adapters (not included) via Thunderbolt and DisplayPort

Video output format and frame rate may be limited by host capabilities

 

Ports

 

2x Thunderbolt™ 3 (USB-C) with support for

 

Thunderbolt (40 Gb/s)

Computer Charging (up to 85 W)

Device Power (up to 15 W)

USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gb/s)

DisplayPort (up to 4K at 60 Hz)

 

1x DisplayPort with support for

 

DisplayPort 1.2 (up to 4K at 60 Hz)

HDMI 1.4b (up to 4K at 30 Hz)

 

1x RJ45 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet

2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A connector (5 Gb/s, 1.5 A, USB Battery Charging 1.2 & UASP)

2x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C connector (10Gb/s, 1.5A, USB Battery Charging 1.2 & UASP)

1x 3.5 mm Headphone Output (amplified analog stereo)

1x 3.5 mm combo Line out / Microphone Input (amplified analog stereo)

1x SD card reader (UHS-II)

1x micro SD card reader (UHS-II)

1x Power Input (DC 20 V, 8.5 A)

 

In order to aid Macbook Pro and other compact laptop users, such as ultrabooks, CORSAIR does have available the Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock, from their Elgato product line. The dock offers a ton of connectivity options and is ideal to be used at your work desk. Thanks to the included power adapter, the dock can also supply enough juice for charging your computer (up to 85W), so less cable clutter will be involved.

 

The product is shipped inside a medium-sized but quite heavy cardboard enclosure, which shows a photo of the product on the top cover:

 

 

 

On one of the box sides, we will get an in-depth explanation about the dock ports, but also regarding the display configurations we can obtain, along with the system requirements:

 

 

 

The opposite side does show the included box contents:

 

 

 

The available interfaces are shown in more detail in the back:

 

 

 

The inside contents are split in two different boxes:

 

 

 

After opening the heavier box, we can see the dock bundle, along with some leaflets:

 

 

 

Besides some Internet resources and safety instructions, we are getting the Thunderbolt 3 cable, the necessary power lead but also the power brick:

 

 

 

The 50cm Thunderbolt cable should be enough for most usage conditions:

 

 

 

The power brick looks like one used with different laptops:

 

 

 

On the back side of it, we will find that it is manufactured by LiteOn and is rated on the output as 20V, 8.5A:

 

 

 

The main product is secured in a separate enclosure and is also wrapped inside a transparent plastic bag, for additional protection during transit:

 

 

 

The build of the dock is premium, with a brushed aluminum top layer; in the top left corner we will find the Elgato logo:

 

 

 

In the front, we will get two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A ports (5GB/s, 1.5A), one 3.5mm combo line-out / microphone input (amplified analog stereo), a SD Card reader (supporting UHS-II standard) but also a micro SD Card reader slot (UHS-II compatible as well):

 

 

 

The back side is even more generous, with a RJ45 port (10/1000/1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet), one 3.5mm headphone output (amplified analog stereo), two USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C ports (10GB/s, 1.5A), two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C type) ports, one DisplayPort port but also one Power Input that will be used with the included adapter. The Thunderbolt 3 ports can be used for connecting other Thunderbolt 3 devices (40 Gb/s transfer speed), charging the ultrabook (up to 85W), supplying power to other devices (up to 15W), connecting USB 3.1 Gen 2 devices (up to 10 Gb/s speeds) but also connecting displays via DisplayPort adapter (up to 4K at 60Hz).

The included DisplaPort port allows connecting displays supporting DisplayPort 1.2 (up to 4K, 60Hz) but also HDMI via adapter (1.4b, up to 4K at 30Hz):

 

 

 

On the bottom area of the unit, we can see four circular rubber feet, but also a middle sticker with the product serial number and the MAC address of the included LAN adapter:

 

 

 

The devices can be connected to the dock with ease, thanks to the good spacing between the ports:

 

 

 

 

We have used our DELL 7577 laptop for trying out the dock, the first step was to make sure that the controller firmware and drivers were up to date; the Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock was detected successfully by the software:

 

 

 

The Device and Printers Windows menu did inform us that the LAN interface is possible thanks to the Intel I210 Gigabit controller, while a Fresco Logic FL1100 controller guides the USBs. At first stage, we were getting BSODs with the default Microsoft drivers seconds after plugging in the dock; after installing the USB 3.0 drivers right from the Fresco Logic support page, all the interfaces were operating properly, without any issue at all:

 

 

 

The audio ports will show separately in the related menu:

 

 

 

Here are the rates we can expect regarding playback:

 

 

 

The rates regarding recording are the following:

 

 

 

Thanks to the huge bandwidth offered by the Thunderbolt 3 interface, the Elgato Pro Dock from CORSAIR does allow using multiple devices at once, while having it connected to your Macbook Pro or an ultrabook that supports this type of bus. Latest generation ports are offered in order to provide great transfer speeds and if our computer needs up to 85W of power, the dock can charge it as well. A great feature is the inclusion of UHS-II card readers, supporting the high-performance microSDXC offerings, for transferring 4K content to your drives for processing in no time!

 

If your ultrabook does not feature a LAN port, the dock can support Gigabit connections as well, useful when transferring large data files or having up to 1Gbit Internet subscriptions.

 

By using a combination of ports, we can install up to two 4K dual displays (via the built-in DisplayPort and connecting the second screen to the other Thunderbolt port).

 

The product is now priced at about 324 Euros, not very accessible if you buy it for the home office but for small businesses or large companies these costs should be less of a problem.

 

Pros:

 

-multitude of ports, of the latest generation

-charging is possible thanks to the included adapter

-dual 4K setup available thanks to the combination of ports

-two amplified audio jacks (headphones/headset)

 

Cons:

 

-price

-small driver issues on PC (related to Microsoft pre-installed drivers)

 

CORSAIR Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock is Recommended for:

 

 

 

We would like to thank again to CORSAIR for making this review possible!