The Wavlink Thunderbolt 4 Triple Display Docking Station (UTD-45) presents a compelling proposition: expand your laptop’s connectivity with multiple displays and various ports at an attractive price. While this Thunderbolt 4 dock shows thoughtful design and performs admirably in some areas, it also exhibits a few quirks that hold it back from greatness.
This review delves into the UTD-45’s design, performance, and overall value, exploring both its strengths and weaknesses to help you determine if it’s the right dock for your needs.
Design and Features: Thoughtful Touches with Practical Limitations
The UTD-45 boasts a robust design, combining ABS plastic and aluminum alloy. Its dimensions are 8.5 inches long by 3.5 inches deep and about an inch high, weighing approximately 1.2 pounds. The dock incorporates ample ventilation on both ends and along the periphery, effectively dissipating heat under load. However, this ventilation design prevents vertical orientation, limiting placement options for users with limited desk space.
Wavlink Thunderbolt 4 Dock UTD45 2
Wavlink has thoughtfully labeled each port on the front of the dock with its throughput capabilities, a detail further elaborated in the downloadable manual. This commendable practice extends to specifying power capabilities, a welcome addition for tech-savvy users. The front panel houses an SD/microSD 4.0 card slot (312MB/s), a 10Gbps USB-C port with 30W power delivery, a standard 10Gbps USB-A port, a Thunderbolt 4 host port offering 96W power delivery, an audio jack, and an LED-lit power button. The included 31-inch Thunderbolt 4 cable provides flexibility in positioning the dock.
The rear panel features two HDMI 2.1 ports, an upstream Thunderbolt 4 port providing 15W of power, a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, and three USB-A ports (two 5Gbps and one 10Gbps). The Thunderbolt protocol limits laptop connections to two 4K60 displays. However, this dock can support a third display via Thunderbolt if your laptop features DisplayPort 1.4 and Display Stream Compression (DSC), commonly found in laptops with discrete GPUs and integrated GPUs in 13th-gen Intel Core processors and their AMD equivalents. DSC also enables 8K60Hz output over one HDMI port, although 8K displays remain scarce.
Wavlink Thunderbolt 4 Dock UTD45 4
Performance: A Mixed Bag of Strengths and Weaknesses
While generally plug-and-play, the UTD-45 offers an optional driver to address potential Ethernet speed issues. Ironically, in testing, the driver reduced download speeds. The dock’s performance proved inconsistent. While stable once connected, it occasionally exhibited delays connecting to displays, requiring cable reconnections or even reboots. Resuming from sleep also proved finicky at times.
Wavlink Thunderbolt 4 Dock UTD45 5 back
Power delivery was generally excellent, with ports meeting their advertised specifications. The front USB-C port delivered a robust 28.2W, sufficient for fast-charging smartphones. The rear USB-A ports provided 5.7W, suitable for bus-powered devices. The Thunderbolt 4 cable to the laptop, while slightly underperforming at 82W instead of the promised 98W, still adequately powered most productivity laptops. Streaming 4K content over Ethernet and Thunderbolt 4 was flawless, with no dropped frames. Protected streamed video playback from platforms like Netflix also functioned seamlessly via HDMI.
Storage performance, however, proved a significant weakness. Tests using a connected SSD revealed slower than expected transfer speeds, ranking among the slowest observed. This sluggishness was evident both in benchmark tests and real-world file transfer scenarios.
Verdict: A Value Proposition with Caveats
The Wavlink UTD-45 offers an attractive price-to-performance ratio, especially considering its triple display capabilities. Its robust design, comprehensive port selection, and generally reliable performance make it a viable option for users seeking an affordable Thunderbolt 4 dock. However, the occasional connectivity glitches, inconsistent performance after sleep/reboot, and subpar storage speeds are drawbacks to consider. Ultimately, the UTD-45 is a decent dock with some quirks, suitable for users who prioritize value and can tolerate occasional inconveniences.
