I used to by no means actually have a necessity for a dock, till not too long ago. Over time, I’ve collected units and new workflows that require a desktop dock. The UGREEN Maxidok U716 got here throughout my desk a number of months in the past, and I changed my Dell Thunderbolt dock with it. Whereas the Dell did a wonderful job, the brand new UGREEN Maxidok is a desktop dock on steroids, and it’s a unbelievable piece of equipment. Possibly you don’t want a dock, however that is the type of dock that makes you need it, even in case you don’t want it.
Estimated studying time: 12 minutes
With 17 ports, Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, and room for an exterior NVMe SSD. This dock ought to fulfill almost each attainable consumer expertise on the market. I can’t think about anybody requiring greater than the UGREEN Maxidok U716 offers (although I’m positive there are a choose few). Sure, it’s expensive however utterly value it. Let’s get into this assessment.
The Fast Take
The UGREEN Maxidok U716 is a powerful piece of tech equipment. It might be overkill for some customers, however that is particularly geared to the ability consumer who has a wholesome variety of peripherals, requires Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, and may use twin screens or swap between completely different computer systems. The sheer variety of ports and the efficiency of this dock make it nicely well worth the cash and a massively wonderful worth. I wouldn’t suggest it in case you’re solely utilizing one or two peripherals, however for these with 4 or extra, it is a welcome addition to your desktop.
Rating and Backside Line
UGREEN Maxidok U716
USD 499.99
Nailed it
- Costly
- No HDMI port
- Some Thunderbolt 3 units could not work
I wouldn’t steer customers who want fundamental utility and perhaps one or two connections to the UGREEN Maxidok U716. No, it is a dock made for energy customers who require a variety of critical connectivity and expandability. This isn’t simply an impulse buy; that is an funding in your workflow. Listed below are my key takeaways of the UGREEN Maxidok U716, each good and unhealthy.
- What’s nice in regards to the UGREEN Maxidok U716?
- Glossy, Premium Construct: Seems to be and looks like a high-end docking station.
- M.2 SSD Mount: Wonderful for customers who wish to increase storage with out shopping for a separate enclosure.
- Twin SD/TF Card Reader: Nice for photographers, videographers, and anybody who must switch information shortly.
- Thunderbolt 5 Help: Delivers as much as 140W of energy—excellent for high-end laptops and cell workstations. And also you get 120 Gbps speeds.
- USB-C PD 3.1: Helps 10 Gbps information and 60 W charging—best for laptops that want to remain charged.
- Ethernet 2.5 Gbps: Nice for quick file transfers, streaming, or gaming over a wired connection.
- Simple Setup: Simply plug within the Thunderbolt 5 cable and energy adapter—and also you’re good to go.
- What requires work or could also be a problem for some?
- Requires Thunderbolt 5 Licensed Cable: Normal USB-C cables gained’t work for 140W charging, and to be honest, there’s one within the field.
- Thunderbolt 3 Help: From the documentation, not all Thunderbolt 3 units are supported on this dock. Thunderbolt 4 is okay, although.
- USB-C DP Alt Mode Restricted: USB-C DP Alt Mode solely helps 4K@60Hz—not 8K.
- Worth: Sure, it’s costly.
Total, I feel the UGREEN Maxidok U716 is a winner for many who want critical productiveness and connectivity choices.
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UGREEN Maxidok U716 Specs
- Variety of Ports: 17
- Show Outputs:
- 2x Thunderbolt 5
- 1x DisplayPort
- USB & Knowledge Ports:
- Thunderbolt 5 (120 Gbps) x2
- USB-A (10 Gbps) ×3
- USB-C (10 Gbps) x3
- Upstream Energy (to Host): 140W Max
- Downstream Energy to Gadgets:
- 2x Thunderbolt 5: 15
- 2x USB-C: 60W Whole
- Energy Adapter Score: 240W
- Ethernet: 2.5 Gigabit
- SD Card Reader Velocity: 312 MB/s
- Audio Ports: 3x 3.5 mm (In/Out)
- M.2 NVMe SSD: 1x slot (as much as 8 TB)
What’s within the Field?
- UGREEN Maxidok U716
- Thunderbolt 5 Cable
- Charging Brick and Cable with A number of World Plugs
- Screwdriver
- Thermal Pad for SSD
- Handbook and Documentation
Design
The UGREEN Maxidok U716 is a glossy, compact (for the variety of ports) powerhouse that manages to appear to be a premium peripheral whereas delivering enterprise-grade efficiency. It’s constructed with a matte black and bronze chassis, barely curved edges, and a minimalist design that blends nicely into any workspace, although I’d say it’s meant for an workplace atmosphere and fewer for a espresso store. The U716 isn’t only a dock; it could possibly be thought of a murals.
The ports are organized for intuitive entry with no fumbling for the ability port or HDMI cable. With Thunderbolt 5, DisplayPort, Ethernet, and separate headphone/mic ports on the again. The entrance panel holds the USB-C ports, SD/TF card readers, and audio/mic combo jack all inside straightforward attain.
What stands out most on the UGREEN Maxidok U716 is the M.2 SSD mounting bay, which is hidden below a small panel that you could pop open with the included screwdriver. It’s not a gimmick both, because it’s a critical improve path for customers who wish to increase storage while not having a separate exterior drive. The included silicone pad is a pleasant contact to forestall overheating and make sure the dock and SSD keep cool throughout prolonged use.
The safety lock (a small latch on the facet) can be a sensible characteristic that helps forestall theft if you use it with a safety cable.
The LED indicator mild is a powerful characteristic that’s not overbearingly brilliant, and additionally it is color-coded for simple diagnostics; listed here are the codes.
- Inexperienced Mild On: The docking station is often powered however not related to any host gadget.
- Blue Mild On: The docking station is efficiently related to a number gadget.
- Mild Off: The docking station is powered off (no energy provide).
- Inexperienced Mild Flashing: Signifies irregular energy provide (e.g., unstable voltage or connection).
- Blue Mild Flashing: Signifies a CC protocol communication failure, sometimes attributable to compatibility points with related units.
For creators, designers, and energy customers, the UGREEN Maxidok U716 design isn’t simply useful; it’s a confirmed footprint that tries to be useful and never a hindrance to the consumer. It’s the form of dock that appears prefer it belongs in a studio, a house workplace, or perhaps a company setting. It’s actually a really nice-looking piece of tech. I particularly just like the two-tone shade, which makes it actually svelte-looking.
Ease of Use
The UGREEN Makidok U716 is designed with the consumer in thoughts, with a fundamental plug-and-play design. From setup to troubleshooting, each step is simple. The Thunderbolt 5 cable is included and is a high-quality, licensed cable, and also you don’t want to purchase a separate one. Until you want it. The ability adapter can be suitable with US, EU, UK, and JP shops, so you would probably take it with you for prolonged abroad journeys. Although I wouldn’t say that is moveable.
The USB-C ports are straightforward to entry, and so they’re rated for 10 Gbps information switch, which is greater than sufficient for many customers. The SD/TF card reader can be straightforward to simply plug in your card, and it’ll present up in your file explorer or Finder. The audio jack is common and comes within the combo format on the entrance. The again has a separate jack for a mic and headphones do you have to require extra versatility.
The M.2 SSD mounting bay on the UGREEN Makidok U716 can be straightforward to make use of. Simply pop open the panel, set up your SSD, place the silicone pad on the SSD to assist with warmth, and reattach the panel. They even included the screwdriver to take away the panel and the screw inside to carry the SSD. The UGREEN Makidok U716 is sturdy and well-made, however I wouldn’t go throwing it round. It in all probability may take a fall, however don’t mistreat your tech individuals! Total, it is a plug-and-play expertise; no software program or drivers are wanted.
Efficiency
The UGREEN Maxidok U716 delivers real-world efficiency that’s higher than most different related docks available on the market. It’s rated for as much as 140 W of energy. And that’s greater than sufficient energy for many laptops, together with high-end fashions just like the MacBook Professional 16-inch or the Dell XPS 16. The Thunderbolt 5 port helps as much as 120 Gbps information switch, which is peak efficiency. The USB-C ports help as much as 60W of charging, which must be a lot for telephones, tablets, watches, and even some laptops, just like the MacBook Neo.
The Ethernet port helps 2.5 Gbps which must be a lot for many customers. The DisplayPort port helps 8K@60Hz, which is sweet however could possibly be higher if it have been 120Hz. The USB-A ports help as much as 10 Gbps which is once more a number of the greatest speeds on the market.
The SD/TF card reader helps as much as 312 MB/s, which must be a lot for content material creators to tug their content material from SD playing cards. The M.2 SSD mount helps as much as 2280 NVMe SSDs, and having this feature is without doubt one of the greatest options of the UGREEN Maxidok U716. On condition that storage capacities of laptops and desktops aren’t so nice recently, having this growth is vital. The Thunderbolt 5 port helps as much as 120 Gbps which higher be sufficient for everybody!
Worth/Worth
The UGREEN Maxidok U716 17-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station doesn’t come low cost, clocking in at 499.99 USD. That’s a big funding, but it surely’s not simply in regards to the worth; it’s in regards to the premium options, efficiency, and construct high quality you get.
That is removed from a fundamental docking station. You’re getting a powerhouse workstation that may deal with high-end laptops, huge information transfers, 8K@60Hz shows, and even expandable storage by way of the built-in M.2 SSD mount (my favourite characteristic).
The Thunderbolt 5 connectivity alone is a game-changer and delivers as much as 140 W of energy, which is a lot for many customers, save perhaps gaming laptop computer customers. Pile on the remainder of the connections together with the truth that it is a plug-and-play gadget, and you’ve got a unbelievable addition to your desk. So whereas the value is steep at 499.99 USD, it’s not a luxurious for the few. It’s a sensible, high-performance funding for anybody who needs a premium, future-proof docking station that may deal with the calls for of contemporary work.
I’ll add this: as of this assessment, the corporate is having a spring sale on the UGREEN Maxidok U716 on each Amazon and their web site. The sale worth varies, however it’s nicely value contemplating this dock on the present sale worth.
Wrap-Up
I wouldn’t steer customers who want fundamental utility and perhaps one or two connections to the UGREEN Maxidok U716. No, it is a dock made for energy customers who require a variety of critical connectivity and expandability. This isn’t simply an impulse buy; that is an funding in your workflow. Listed below are my key takeaways of the UGREEN Maxidok U716, each good and unhealthy.
- What’s nice in regards to the UGREEN Maxidok U716?
- Glossy, Premium Construct: Seems to be and looks like a high-end docking station.
- M.2 SSD Mount: Wonderful for customers who wish to increase storage with out shopping for a separate enclosure.
- Twin SD/TF Card Reader: Nice for photographers, videographers, and anybody who must switch information shortly.
- Thunderbolt 5 Help: Delivers as much as 140W of energy—excellent for high-end laptops and cell workstations. And also you get 120 Gbps speeds.
- USB-C PD 3.1: Helps 10 Gbps information and 60 W charging—best for laptops that want to remain charged.
- Ethernet 2.5 Gbps: Nice for quick file transfers, streaming, or gaming over a wired connection.
- Simple Setup: Simply plug within the Thunderbolt 5 cable and energy adapter—and also you’re good to go.
- What requires work or could also be a problem for some?
- Requires Thunderbolt 5 Licensed Cable: Normal USB-C cables gained’t work for 140W charging, and to be honest, there’s one within the field.
- Thunderbolt 3 Help: From the documentation, not all Thunderbolt 3 units are supported on this dock. Thunderbolt 4 is okay, although.
- USB-C DP Alt Mode Restricted: USB-C DP Alt Mode solely helps 4K@60Hz—not 8K.
- Worth: Sure, it’s costly.
The UGREEN Maxidok U716 is a powerful piece of tech equipment. It might be overkill for some customers, however that is particularly geared to the ability consumer who has a wholesome variety of peripherals, requires Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, and may use twin screens or swap between completely different computer systems. The sheer variety of ports and the efficiency of this dock make it nicely well worth the cash and a massively wonderful worth. I wouldn’t suggest it in case you’re solely utilizing one or two peripherals, however for these with 4 or extra, it is a welcome addition to your desktop.
Total, I feel the UGREEN Maxidok U716 is a winner for many who want critical productiveness and connectivity choices.
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