You CAN disable the LED on the front of the unit. It's called "Electrical Tape."

I have this dock and absolutely LOVE it!!! This is a great investment for anyone who wants a ton of ports and great speed.

Mine arrives Monday. Can’t wait!

I kept watching your TS3 video last year, but it was an older tech. I am glad I held out. Gonna get this TS4 now!

Save your money and check out other solutions - at least if you're a M1 MBP-User. I bought it to extend SDD space through external ssd drives... to bad that they are randomly disconnected... The Dock does not awake from sleep, their "solution" is: "Option #1: Turn off Sleep Mode in macOS:". Maybe it works with Windows, but don't buy it if your on MacOS.

I was seriously considering the TS4 up until I realised that it only has 2 thunderbolt ports in addition to the actual port connecting it to the Mac. The OWC Thunderbolt dock has 3 Thunderbolt ports in addition to the connection to the Mac. I needed 3 thunderbolt ports to run my display and 2 dedicated thunderbolt drives. In all other respects, the TS4 is certainly the more capable unit than the OWC but its also quite a bit more expensive so you certainly get what you pay for. Great video and keep up the great work!

Jeff! you nailed it again! thanks brotha! just got today my new TS4!!! I CANT WAIT TO USE IT! THANKS FOR YOUR AWESOME HELP AND AWESOME EXPLANATION ON THIS VID! OF COURSE THANKS FOR YOUR HOW TO AND AWESOME GUIDES! :D

Yooo is this an HDR video?! It looks incredible, well done!

I have this dock and man it gets hot!

I just purchased (October 15 2022) this product for use on my MacBook pro M1 Max which is also new. The TS4 came with version 38.1 firmware, which has known issues concerning sleep/wake with apple chip sets. After a sleep, I lose my drive and display connections and a reboot is required. Caldigit has a firmware upgrade to version 39.1 which was released in July 2022. The problem is that the firmware upgrade supplied by Caldigit only runs on windows OS and must run on hardware with thunderbolt or USB C. I am not a windows user but I tried applying the update via VM windows and an old windows box and was not successful. If you are purchasing this product for your MAC, I advisie waiting until Caldigit produces a native Mac firmware upgrade utility. Why they would release a fix without this in the first place is indicative of the support provided to Mac users.

It's ironic watching this today as I'm still using my Caldigit TS2 dock with my late 2013 MacBook Pro!!! I've used it everyday since late 2013 and it works perfectly... even after it fell off my desk today (for the first time) while I was reconfiguring my cables around my desk. Still works perfect! I plan to get this new TS4 with an M1 mobile MacBook purchase later in 2022. Thanks for posting this informative review.

Excellent review!

good stuff Jeff 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

alone the 2.5gbit Ethernet Adapter makes me smile 😍

Great dock. Works flawless with win 11 pc also

Is there some share switch available in the market in oder to connect this dock with 2 or more computers at once allowing quickly switching on will ? If not, I think in the future models they should give an option to connect to 2 computers at once with a switch button to quickly switch between 2 connected computers (like it is in KVM switches).

Just ordered 1 and waiting for it to be shipped out! For the given ports and flexibility, it is well worth it's price (albeit still expensive). Also, comparing to other TB4 docks (Anker 777/Razer/Belkin/Kensington) on the market it handily beats them with its features while being priced the same. It's also TB4/TB3/USB-C compatible so you can use it across different platforms (although it makes more sense for TB3/TB4).

Is there anything in between this and the inexpensive “dongle” type hubs. I don’t know if I need something this robust (and expensive) but the crappy dongle hanging out of my MacBook Air (on a stand) seems like an accident waiting to happen.

It would be cool if the new upcoming mac mini is the same width as this dock :)

I completely agree with you! I think CalDigit always had a great dock with the TS series and this newest version is absolutely worth it if you want the newest and best dock that is available. All ports are faster! -Ethernet goes from 1Gb to 2.5GB. -DisplayPort goes from 1.2 to 1.4 -2 downstream TB4 instead of 1 downstream TB3! -USB-C has now 10Gb instead of 5Gb (i think?) Not sure, but even if not. These improvements are just great! Just as this review!

Does the SD card slot heat up your cards fairly quickly? My TS3 has done that from the start-so hot/fast that I opt for a plain old USB 3 card reader. The heat is generates on my cards isn't enough to burn, but it's enough to be concerning. Hoping that's not the case with the TS4.

Can you please do a video comparing Caldigit TS4 versus Ivanky Fusion Dock?

I returned my TS3 last year because it didn't work all my devices. Now i'm considering on buying this one because of the fact that it will work with everything including my ipad for when i want to game on it and have a one cable solution. The price tag is alot to consider but i feel like this dock will last for the years to come.

I've lost so much confidence in CalDigit. I bought two of the CaDigit 3 for my office set up. They consistently fail with sound and microphone operation. I currently bypass the dock and go direct to my desktop mac for video and audio. It also completely fails with external storage and it fails to distribute ethernet across devices. The only device the dock can handle is my external monitor. Unless I can see evidence these issues are being addressed, I would stay well clear of these devices.

I have 10 non powered external drives (for photo storage) and wish to know whether I can safely piggyback 1 or 2 hubs to the dock (when editing photo's) without impairing performance of the main dock.

It’s a lemon. I have so many problems with it after it sleeps . All the usb devices disappeared and 9/10 times the Ethernet cable says it’s disconnected. I hope they fix the issues soon otherwise stick with your ts3+

if i have a m1/m2 max macbook pro which can supposedly handly 4 external displays, how does this dock help without having to resort to crappy software driven displaylink or plugging one or more monitors directly into the mac?

Does this allow the M1 Macbooks to have two displays running from the dock?

Can I use dual montior on my m1 air with this ?

Have they resolved the sleep kernel panics yet ?

Great review! Technical question not found anywhere: connecting an LG 5K display supplies power to the MacBook. What happens if the TS4 is hooked up? I am afraid of frying the MacBook internal circuits 😳

can you use this dock to link 2 monitors on an M2?

Looks cool, but MSRP $450 is crazy especially when i can get a full ledge Mac Mini for $150 more

I got this one and the shop even sent me a second but it didn't work well on my macbook air. As soon as i used it my external screen didn't work anymore. The screen didn't work even when i hooked in the 2nd TB poort. As soon as i took off the dock everything works... I think ny screen is the issue but there noway i an ready to replace that ... 😅

Ive been a happy macbook 16" Max user. I do heavy colorgrading in Davinci Resolve that really stresses the Macbook to its limits...but even so, i can easily charge the Mac with 60W USB-Power all the time without ever dropping the battery... it seems that even under heavy load, the Macbook Pro almost never actually draws more than 60w unless you do a Benchmark that specifically uses EVERYTHING at the same time (Which imo is rarely the case in practical day to day use...)

I had horrible problems with the TS4 for months. I tried 3 of them thinking it must be the dock. Nope, did not work exeactly the same. Basically none of the USB ports would work for some studio gear, SSL UF8, RME Fireface UFX III, Elektron Overhub and Akai Force computer mode. I was using a 2023 MBP. I even tried reinstalling MacOS from scratch. Other problems involved waking up to black screens for several minutes and hard drives failing to eject. OWC 14 Port Thunderbolt dock doesn’t have any of these issues. All 3 TS4 firmware was up to date 39.1 or whatever it is. It’s very unfortunate too, because I really like the caldigit on paper. Just didn’t work. And very expensive.

Nice details and breakdown...Now with all these ports, do they share bandwidth or are the all independent and each will get the full 10Gbit/s or 40Gbit/s. In other words, If I connect 2 TB4 cables will the ports share and now I am down to 20GBits/s? Thank you...

At around 06:30 you mention the charging capabilities of the dock, in particular the ability to charge a 16" MacBook Pro (I assume this includes the 2019 version with the M1 chip). You made reference to the fact that for fast charging the stock 140W adapter should be used. I am very interested in getting this dock for my laptop, and am not that bothered about fast charging as it will be used when I am working from home. My only concern is long term 'damage' to the battery if it's plugged into power all the time - should I be worried?

I want this, but i already have the TS3, just need additional TB ports, or i could just use the additional ports on my Macbook, but i like having one cable only 😅.

Anyone know when it will be available I live in Canada and I can't seem to locate want to purchase.?

My m1 macbook air getting charge through monitor.. is it bad for battery health?? Coz it keep it 100% always

Personally I'm an Anker fan but the Anker 577 had overheating problems.

Hello there, right note I have San iMac and upgrading to Mac Studio M2. Will this help me out and even though it has all what you’re speaking of footed out save libraries or do I have to go to a Samgung T2?

Looks good to me.

Which color is closer, silver or space gray?

Does it work with usb 3.0 capture cards?!

This would be the perfect dock for me but if your Mac is M1 silicon based then it has a fatal flaw. When the Mac comes out of sleep mode the drives and other devices are potentially unmounted. Caldigit recommends doing a reboot of the Mac or disabling sleep mode. They are working on a fix but there is no indication of a date yet.

I’m new to tech. I just want to buy a dock so I can leave my predator triton 300 closed and use it like a desktop for gaming, will this dock make my PC perform worse for gaming? Would this be able to handle a 4K Monitor with 240 hz and a second screen 1080p at 60hz?

What about the temperature of the device? Does it make some kind of noise? Does it have a start button? Thank you for your time.

Would this support two external monitors using HDMI to USB-C. I’m using a 13" MacBook Air with M1 chip. Thanks!

Does anyone know if they’re compatible with Apollo universal audio interfaces?

The TS4 looks great but I do agree, the price will hold me from upgrading till the old one dies.

Mine only lasted a few months before it started turning off anytime it was moved or had a new device plugged in

Would this support two external monitors using HDMI to USB-C. I’m using a 2018 MBP. Thanks!

The best thing about a PC with thunderbolt 4 now... If you run internal graphics, you can: - add up to 4 or 5 Nvme drives per 16 x expansion slot with things like the Asus Hyper card and DeLock has one for five, but I trust the Asus - have at least 4 SATA ports, but some motherboards have 6 or 8 and have many USB 10 Gb/s ports ... And then extend the Thunderbolt 4 with this dock - and still run DisplayPort or USB-c out of it to connect monitors. Along with the HDMI on the system.

I appreciate 9to5 reporting; BUT, you think we’re made of MONEYSSSSSS? Review more low cost options. How about testing Dell, Levino, HP thunderbolt docks? 400.00 CalDigit vs a used 30.00 Dell dock….I’M INTRIGUED

Is it your understanding that I can connect TWO Apple Studio Displays to the two thunderbolt 4 ports on the back of the TS4 and get the same performance as if I used to two of the thunderbolt 4 ports on the M1 Max MacBook Pro?

I don’t see it on their site… discontinued?

Got it yesterday, great dock for Macbook Pro M1 Pro! Everything works perfectly, connected to it a 10GBe adapter from OWC, DAC, 4K monitor, external drives, speakers, headset and other devices, a recommendation for anyone looking for the perfect dock!,

Does it wake up from sleep reliably? I’ve heard the TS3+ had some issues with that… And if I plug a USB keyboard/mouse, will they also be able to wake my MacBook up from sleep reliably?

That's crazy expensive for sure. But I like the look of it and how well it functions. Sadly enough can't find any use case for myself.

If you use this docking station with devices that only have Thunderbolt 3 (like the MB Air 2020 or an external monitor) would this affect the device's connectivity, make it get heated or run slower?

Does it support 5k Samsung g9 @120hz?

So cool for the power user. However, if you still plan on using your MacBook on your desk I feel like the CalDigit element 4 is worthy of consideration for £100 less. Smaller footprint with all the I/O for most people's needs.

A "normal" size SD card.. I guess it's next to the "speedy" USB port.

Great review as always! Though, Display port instead of HDMI? Seems to be moving backward there..

🙌

I like that you call it a Thunderbolt Dock. It is useful for any device with thunderbolt, wether laptop or desktop, wether it runs Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS or Linux. Yes, Linux supports Thunderbolt 3 under the latest kernels. And those Linux enthusiast can figure out how to use Thunderbolt 4 :-)

I like to buy but this device is not available in Turkey :(

For me it has all the right ports in all the right places. If after the Apple event on March 8th this would be part of my solution along with a Mac mini, or MacBook Air to replace my iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) if Apple does not provide me with a KISS 27-inch 5K size upgrade from the M1 24-inch iMac. For me the ports are in the correct place with the CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 host port on the back. Do not understand why so many manufactures put this port on the front side of their devices. Then the audio in/out jacks on the back to hook up my external Logitech Z313 2.1 multimedia speaker system with subwoofer that I have used for over a decade, and the audio/combo headphone/microphone jack on the front for video conference calls when you need to block out background noise from your environment. Would have loved a 10 Gbit/s Ethernet port on my dream Thunderbolt 4/USB4 dock. Now we will have to see what Mac's come out on March 8th. Now the question I have is if all that Apple does is a processor update in an existing device like from M1 to M2 does this require a new ECC filing? Did the ECC have new numbers for the iPad devices expected at the March 8th event? Another thought is that Apple could just drop the move from M1 to M2 if it is out at the March 8th event in models with no other changes in a press release maybe a month after the March 8th event on the same day if files with the ECC. Of course it could be that we do not see the M2 until WWDC, or latter this year. "Think Different"

Maybe I am wrong, but with the amount of negative review and problems that this device have on Amazon Canada and watch this video see how marketing deceive us. Why you not tell the thru about it.

I just don't see the point in buying this when my TS3+ does everything I need with my M1 Max MacBook Pro. It's a cool upgrade... but not necessary for TS3+ owners.

My m1 mac mini connete to TS4 can't get the auto Ethernet connection unlike my MacBook pro. Does anyone how can I solve this?

Can you do 4k 120hz through hdmi

No more Toslink out?! Too bad.

Both are amazing, The only thing missing is a power button, that’s it!

Any cheaper equivalents

at almost $400 and no CFAST port?

Why a Display Port which is so so rare and not sure any newer monitors have. And not an HDMI instead? What’s the advantage of this. Please enlighten me. I also wish Ethernet was 10gbit

Yeah. The price is the determining factor here. It literally comes down to, do I actually need this specific device? Or can I find something cheaper.

no hdmi?!

The wold does hot revolve around mac or apple. It does not even hdmi 2.0

The TS3 Plus dock is good but longevity is an issue. Had mine for 2 years and it stopped working. Now looking for a replacement. Will not buy another Caldigit again. Too expensive for only 2 years of use.

8:50 lol I've actually used my caldigit ts3 + for over a year and blue led goes on and off intermittently and complained an issue w/ that and you want to turn it off in option hahaha. my ts3+ served me well for sure. Wish I could recall my hub and get TS4. Oh and this doesn't happen all the time, but I wish it had power plug with locking mechanism. Especially during configuring cables and what not, it plugged off few times.

So we are going backwards Miss when Mac Pro could do all that without a brick

The iPad Pro has Thunderbolt 3, not Thunderbolt 4.

Nice dock, I would buy it for $35.

Wow I’d like one… but they’ve been sold out all year :(

Nice, very nice! However, way too expensive! I can’t afford something like that! My hat is off to those that can! I just can’t! Nice review! Peace.

no hdmi :(

Where can i buy Thunderbolt 4 cable for IPAD PRO

That price tho! Damn!

TS3 was a disaster for me on 2020 M1 MacBook Air - multiple issues: unit ran alarmingly hot/caused MacBook to run hot as well, multiple random wired display dropouts, Bluetooth disconnects, un-commanded drive dismounts - had to return it. Reading TS4 reviews am finding (M1) folks having similar issues to my TS3 issues. I opted for an OWC TB4 Thunderbolt Dock (OWCTB4DOCK). No issues whatsoever with this unit over the 30 days I've been using it.

This dock is half baked. Internet disconnects when my Mac M1 laptop sleeps and requires a power reset to reconnect. Also the Thunderbolt connection to my new monitor doesn’t work at all. These are common problems with this dock and Caldigit blames Apple. Save your money or wait until they work out the bugs.

This already had many questionable amazon returns

The New Mac Studio pretty much killed this... haha

Too bad it doesn't come with an HDMI port, which means using the display port doesn't transmit the audio to the display device! Also, it doesn't turn onto idle mode when the source computer is not plugged in! So I am not sure how could someone call this the best Thunderbolt Dock!!

Def need Ethernet 5G, it’s 2022, pretty disappointing how all these docks try to limit from making one ultimate doc

USB 4 is not the same as Thunderbolt 4! at 02:12

No 10GbE for that price makes it deficient in my eyes.