As thin and light laptops continue to evolve, the number of ports has become less and less, in fact, the thinnest laptops, such as the MacBook Air, LG Gram 17 and HP Elite Dragonfly, hardly have any ports. At this time, in order to connect the hard disk, SD card, network cable, etc. to the laptop, then we need to use the docking station.
Don't look at such a small device as the docking station, but because of the large number and types of interfaces, there are many situations of information asymmetry, such as:
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Are more ports on the docking station the better?
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What is the difference between the different interface types?
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There are many cases where the expansion dock burns the motherboard, how to avoid it?
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Why look at the same interface, but the price is hundreds of different?
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Will the power supply of the laptop be unstable with the USB C docking station?
In this article, we've rounded up the best laptop docking stations available today. But how to choose the right one for you? There are many factors to consider. In order to help more people choose the right laptop docking station, let me share my experience.
Buying a docking station requires THREE STEPS:
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Clarify the number of connections and performance requirements of your device;
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Find out if your laptop interface can meet your needs;
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Choose the rightlaptop docking station according to your needs.
一、Clarify the number of connections and performance requirements of your device
There are 7 types of common requirements: connecting monitors, connecting mobile hard disk/U disk, connecting SD/TF card, connecting audio, connecting keyboard and mouse, connecting network cable, and connecting power supply.
二、Find out if your laptop interface can meet your needs
三、Choose the right laptop docking station according to your needs
（1）Choose the correct connection method
（2）Pay attention to heat generation and disconnection
Recommend
1. The pursuit of cost-effective, only need an external keyboard/mouse/U disk/monitor.
For macOS:
Price: $29.99
Port and Connectors: 2x HDMI ports, 3x USB 3.0 ports, 1x USB-C PD 3.0 port
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Price: $59.99
Port and Connectors: 2x HDMI port, 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, 1x 100W USB C PD3.0, SD/MicroSD
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For windows:
Price: $119.99
Port and Connectors: 2x HDMI port, 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, 1x 100W USB C PD3.0, SD/MicroSD, 1x RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet, 1x Audio Jack
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2. Pursuit of high cost performance + 4K|60Hz video transmission
For macOS:
Price: $119.99
Port and Connectors: 2x 4K @ 30Hz | 60Hz HDMI ports, 1x VGA resolution up to 1080P@60Hz, 4x USB 3.0 5Gbps, 1x USB-C 5Gbps, 1x USB C PD 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 for keyboard and mouse, 3.5 mm audio / microphone, SD / TF reader and RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
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Price: $139.99
Port and Connectors: 2x HDMI(4K) ports, 1x VGA(HD) , 1x USB C PD port, 1x RJ45 Ethernet, 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB C Data, 3.5mm Audio in&out and SD and Micro SD slot
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For windows:
Price: $119.99
Port and Connectors: 2x HDMI(4K @ 60Hz) port, 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, 1x 100W USB C PD3.0, SD/MicroSD, 1x RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet, 1x Audio Jack
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Price: $145.99
Port and Connectors: 2x 4K @ 30Hz | 60Hz HDMI ports, 1x VGA resolution up to 1080P@60Hz, 4 x USB 3.0 5Gbps, 1x USB-C 5Gbps, 1x USB C PD, 2x USB 2.0 for keyboard and mouse, 3.5 mm audio In & Out, SD / TF Slot and RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
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For macOS/windows:
Price: $129.99
Port and Connectors: 2x 4K@30Hz|60Hz HDMI ports, 1x DisplayPort, 4x USB 3.0 5Gbps, 1x USB-C 5Gbps, 1x 100W USB C PD 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 for keyboard and mouse, 3.5mm Audio/Mic and RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
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Price: $219.99
Port and Connectors: 2x 4K@30Hz|60Hz HDMI ports, 1x 4K|60Hz DisplayPort, 3x USB 3.0 for data transfer and device changer, 1x USB C PD 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0 for keyboard and mouse, 1x powe adapter, 1x 3.5mm Audio,1x Mic, SD / TF Slot and 1x Gigabit Ethernet
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3. Requires a lot of interfaces
For macOS:
Price: $139.99
Port and Connectors: 2x HDMI(4K) ports, 1x VGA(HD) , 1x USB C PD port, 1x RJ45 Ethernet, 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB C Data, 3.5mm Audio in&out and SD and Micro SD slot
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For windows:
Price: $145.99
Port and Connectors: 2x 4K @ 30Hz | 60Hz HDMI ports, 1x VGA resolution up to 1080P@60Hz, 4x USB 3.0 5Gbps, 1x USB-C 5Gbps, 1x USB C PD, 2 x USB 2.0 for keyboard and mouse, 3.5 mm audio In & Out, SD / TF Slot and RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
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For macOS/windows:
Price: $219.99
Port and Connectors: 2x 4K@30Hz|60Hz HDMI ports, 1x 4K|60Hz DisplayPort, 3x USB 3.0 for data transfer and device changer, 1x USB C PD 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0 for keyboard and mouse, 1x powe adapter, 1x 3.5mm Audio,1x Mic, SD / TF Slot and 1x Gigabit Ethernet
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4. Most suitable for Macbook and have certain requirements for port performance
Price: $119.99
Port and Connectors: 2x HDMI(4K) ports, 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, 1x PD3.0 Charging port, 3.5mm Audio, SD and TF slot, and RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
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Price: $129.99
Port and Connectors: 2x 4K@30Hz|60Hz HDMI ports, 4x USB 3.0 5Gbps, 1x USB-C 5Gbps, 1x USB C PD 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 for keyboard and mouse, 3.5mm Audio/Mic, SD/TF reader and RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet.
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Price: $119.99
Port and Connectors: 2x 4K @ 30Hz | 60Hz HDMI ports, 1x VGA resolution up to 1080P@60Hz, 4x USB 3.0 5Gbps, 1 x USB-C 5Gbps, 1x USB C PD 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0 for keyboard and mouse, 3.5 mm audio / microphone, SD / TF reader and RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
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Price: $219.99
Port and Connectors: 2x 4K@30Hz|60Hz HDMI ports, 1x 4K|60Hz DisplayPort, 3x USB 3.0 for data transfer and device changer, 1x USB C PD 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0 for keyboard and mouse, 1x powe adapter, 1x 3.5mm Audio,1x Mic, SD / TF Slot and 1x Gigabit Ethernet
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