A dock or cable only earns its price if it connects first time. This guide explains the port types, the power rules and the screen limits, so you can check your own setup before you order, or simply tell us your laptop at checkout and let us check it for you.
Thunderbolt 4 and USB4
Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 carry data at 40 gigabits per second. A single cable from a Thunderbolt or USB4 dock can drive two 4K screens from many laptops, subject to the laptop's own graphics limit. Look for the lightning bolt symbol next to the port. If your port has this symbol, our Thunderbolt docks are the ones to look at.
USB-C with DisplayPort Alt Mode
Many USB-C ports carry video using DisplayPort Alt Mode, without being full Thunderbolt or USB4 ports. Bandwidth is lower, so these ports usually manage one 4K screen at 60 hertz through a single cable. The port is marked with a D shaped symbol, sometimes alongside the letters DP. Our USB-C docks are matched to this port type.
Plain USB-C (data and power only)
Some USB-C ports carry data and power but no video signal at all. A dock plugged into a port like this needs DisplayLink, which is a software driver that sends a video signal over a data connection instead of relying on the port's own video pins. DisplayLink works from almost any USB port, including plain USB-C and USB-A, but it uses some of the laptop's processor and needs a driver installed first. Our DisplayLink docks are built for this situation.
How to identify your port
- Look for a lightning bolt symbol. This usually means Thunderbolt or USB4.
- Look for a D shaped symbol, sometimes with the letters DP. This usually means USB-C with DisplayPort Alt Mode.
- No symbol at all often means data and power only, and a dock on that port will need DisplayLink.
- If you are not sure, check your laptop manufacturer's technical specifications page for the exact port description, or tell us your laptop make and model and we will check it for you.
Apple silicon screen limits
The base Apple M1 and M2 chips drive one external screen natively. A dock cannot raise that limit unless it uses DisplayLink, which adds an extra screen through software rather than through the port itself. Later chips, and the Pro and Max versions, support more external screens. Apple's own technical specifications page for your exact model lists the precise number, and we recommend checking it before you order a multi-screen setup.
Power delivery
When a dock also charges your laptop, match or beat the wattage of your laptop's own charger. A dock rated below your charger's wattage may still charge the laptop slowly, or not at all under heavy use. The wattage is usually printed on the charger itself or in your laptop's specifications.
Cables
The cable matters as much as the dock. A USB-C cable rated for data and power only will not carry a video signal, even if both ends physically fit. For Thunderbolt and USB4 speeds, use the cable supplied with the dock or one clearly rated for the same standard.
Chromebooks and Surface devices
Recent ChromeOS versions support DisplayLink, so a Chromebook can usually run an external monitor through a DisplayLink dock even without native video over USB-C. Surface devices have a Surface Connect port, and newer models also have USB-C or USB4, so the port type to check depends on the exact model.
Tell us your laptop at checkout
You do not need to work all of this out alone. Give us your laptop make and model at checkout and we check the port type, the power delivery and the screen limit before your order leaves us. If we get it wrong and the item does not connect first time, we pay the postage both ways to put it right.
Dockworks is a trading name of Mohammed Saber Uddin, a sole trader. Address: 185 Plashet Road, London, E13 0QZ, United Kingdom. Email info.msutrade@gmail.com, telephone 07477 110459. Not registered for VAT. Apple, MacBook, Dell, Lenovo, ThinkPad, HP, Microsoft, Surface, Chromebook, Thunderbolt and DisplayLink are trademarks of their respective owners and are used only to describe compatibility.