Docking Station/Hub for 2019 MBP (Looking for recommendations/suggestions)

[Brew Swayne]

Hello, I'm looking to add 2 external monitors to my MBP and I'd prefer to work with the lid closed. I also keep an external hard drive connected and use SD and MicroSD cards somewhat frequently, so something that provides multiple ports is definitely a necessity. I've been looking at various hubs and it looks like either one of these would do the job I'm looking for, but I'd like to get some feedback from people who run a similar set up. Anyone have experience with either of these? Is there something else out there I should be looking at?

OKX USB-C Dock

CalDigit Dock

Thanks.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

-Which 2019 model?
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
-Which version of MacOS - 10.14.x Mojave or 10.15.x Catalina?
-Which brands/models of displays?

C

 

[Brew Swayne]

2019 MBP 13" with 2 TB3 Ports. Catalina 10.15.6

Looking at Acer and ViewSonic. I'm leaning towards the Acer.

Amazon happened to have a flash sale yesterday on the OKX dock, so I went ahead and ordered it, but I can always send it back if there's anything wrong with it.

 

[Cory Cooper]

OK, thanks.

Those monitors look like they would work. Most monitors today are pretty similar, until you get in the the much higher priced units.

NOTE: The description of the OKX dock states that the external displays will have the same content on Macs, so it may not work for your use.

•Triple Display for Windows: OKX dock with three high-resolution video output ports support triple display for Windows:HDMI+HDMI+DP, MacOS does not support triple display it only supports dual display (all external monitors have the same display, but different from host display). Resolution up to 4K only when using only HDMI or DP monitors. OKX dock bring you visual feast with high-speed connectivity and support for Ultra HD 4K displays.

C

 

[Brew Swayne]

Hmmm....I think I misread that in the description before ordering, but going over it again I definitely see where it shows all external monitors mirroring each other rather than being 2 independent screens. Guess I'll be sending that back.

Are you familiar with the CalDigit dock? I also found another OKX dock that looks like it might get the job done as well. Any reason to think that one would work better than the other?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Unfortunately, I haven't personally used any docking stations since back in the '90s, so I don't have any recommendations.

Sorry,

C