Kensington has taken a remarkable new step in the technology world and launched its first Thunderbolt 5 supported docking station. This model, called SD5000T5 EQ, is a Thunderbolt 5 dock approved by Intel. The product, which allows data transfer at speeds of up to 120Gbps, stands out with its high-resolution display and wide connection support. This dock model from Kensington supports up to three 4K monitors or two 8K monitors simultaneously in the Windows operating system, while it allows the use of two 6K monitors on MacBook Pro devices. MacBook Pros with M1 Pro or newer chips can fully benefit from this high-resolution support.
High speed connection and power support
One of the most striking features of this new Thunderbolt 5 dock is its high data transfer speeds, up to 120Gbps. However, to fully utilize this speed, the device needs to have a Thunderbolt 5 port. For now, there are a very limited number of devices that support this feature. For example, a special $4,500 version of the Razer Blade 18 and a certain version of the Maingear ML-17 offer this port. Therefore, devices with this connection will need to become more widespread in order to take advantage of the potential speeds offered by Kensington.
The Kensington SD5000T5 EQ isn’t just limited to speed and display support. It also comes with 140W USB-C Power Delivery (PD) support, which most Thunderbolt docks can’t offer. This feature is a big advantage, especially for laptops with high power needs. While 140W charging support over USB-C provides a powerful charging source for laptops, the devices need to be compatible to fully utilize this power capacity. For example, most 16-inch MacBook Pro models only support 140W charging over MagSafe. However, models released after 2021 can receive at least 100W of power over USB-C. This means that the charging power offered by the Kensington dock is sufficient for many devices.
Technically, the USB-C PD standard can support up to 240W, but there is no charger on the market yet that can handle this capacity. While current docks usually offer up to 100W charging capacity, the 140W support provided by this Kensington model is considered a remarkable development in the dock market.
Thunderbolt 5 technology is particularly notable for its data transfer speeds and connectivity capabilities, but storage units and accessories that can fully utilize this technology are not yet widespread. For example, OWC’s Thunderbolt 5 storage unit called Envoy Ultra, which it plans to launch in October 2024, will have a data transfer speed of 6,000MB/s. This product is available for pre-order and could be one of the first devices to fully showcase Thunderbolt 5’s potential when it launches.
The Kensington SD5000T5 EQ dock is available for sale with a price tag of $400. The price may seem high for tech enthusiasts and professional users, but considering the speed, connectivity and charging capacity it offers, it can be said that this price is competitive. In addition, with the release of other products with Thunderbolt 5 support, these prices are expected to decrease in the future. OWC’s Envoy Ultra storage unit will also be available for sale for $400 with a 2TB capacity, and the 4TB model for $600. The compatibility of these products with Thunderbolt 5 technology is considered an important step in terms of speed and performance.