The Biggest, Baddest Thunderbolt 3 Dongle

The TS3 Lite by CalDigit is presented as one of the first Thunderbolt 3 docks on the market, designed to replace a tangle of dongles with a single cable solution for turning a laptop into a workstation. The video starts by outlining the problem of losing traditional ports on thinner laptops and how the TS3 Lite aims to reclaim those ports through a compact dock, while still leaving one Thunderbolt 3 port free for other devices. It details the input and output options: one USB-C port, two USB-A ports, a gigabit Ethernet jack, audio in and out, and a DisplayPort 1.2, plus two Thunderbolt 3 ports of which one is always used to daisy-chain the device to a computer. The host notes that there is no need for driver installation on Windows or Mac, which simplifies setup, and proceeds to evaluate real world performance across the USB ports and the Thunderbolt link. Speed observations reveal USB 3.1 gen 1 at around 5 Gbps with external SSDs achieving 300 to 350 MB/s, while warning that higher-end RAID configurations might bottleneck USB 3.1 speeds. The reviewer also tests the Thunderbolt 3 port for USB 3.1 speeds when not using it for a second display or additional Thunderbolt devices, and explains that while the dock offers substantial IO, it cannot fully replace a larger docking station in all scenarios. The video emphasizes that while the TS3 Lite provides a convenient one cable solution, it has limitations that may curb its appeal for power users, such as insufficient power delivery, lacking an SD card reader, and compromised display capabilities, which ultimately shapes the final verdict. The host concludes that the TS3 Lite is most valuable for machines with only a single Thunderbolt 3 port, enabling daisy chaining and peripheral access, but cautions that the power brick and charging limitations can complicate use with power-hungry laptops and certain monitors. Overall, the video weighs the benefits of port consolidation against the trade-offs of display support and charging, leaving viewers with a nuanced recommendation based on their specific setup and needs, and hints at a forthcoming non-Lite version that might address charging concerns.

Topics · technology · peripherals · docking_station · displays · laptops