CalDigit SOHO and TS3 Plus Docs for MacBook Pro M1 | USB Hub for MacBook Air M1 and Pro M1
The M1 MacBook Air and Pro are very capable laptops, and many people want to run them in desktop mode, where docks come in handy. I love my M1 MacBook Pro: it’s very capable for about 95% of what I need (fast web surfing, video, logging into work servers and even video editing with caveats), and I want to use it with a big screen, an external keyboard and more ports. CalDigit sent me these two docks. A quick disclaimer: CalDigit hasn’t paid me and no one reviewed the video before posting.
USB-C SOHO dock
A compact dock with a good selection of ports for most people. It connects with a detachable cable (nice) to one of the M1 MacBooks’ only two USB-C ports.
- Front: fast SD and microSD UHS-II slots and 10 Gbps USB-C and USB-A ports (I didn’t realize you could get 10 Gbps through USB-A).
- Back: a USB-C input for power up to 100 W, HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4, both up to 60 Hz.
Speed tests: with a SanDisk Extreme Pro SD card (170 MB/s max), I got 160 MB/s reads through the SOHO, which is fantastic because copying footage from SD cards is usually the slowest part of my workflow (about 90 MB/s on my iMac). With a 1 TB Samsung T7 SSD on the front USB-C port, I got about 610 MB/s write and 550 MB/s read in Blackmagic Disk Speed Test: not the drive’s maximum. The M1 MacBooks’ USB-C speed isn’t as fast as my Intel MacBook Air or iMac (nearly 1 GB/s), but it’s plenty for almost any workflow, including video editing.
Display: on the back, DisplayPort running scaled at 3K and 60 Hz. In my last video, I was limited to 30 Hz with the BenQ monitor through these docks. I reached out to CalDigit, who confirmed the dock does 60 Hz with M1 Macs, and to BenQ, who confirmed an issue between M1 Macs and BenQ displays over Thunderbolt and DisplayPort and are looking into it. I bought a Samsung monitor to test, and it runs at 60 Hz with no lag. CalDigit says you can use the dock with two external monitors depending on resolution, refresh rate and OS, but M1 MacBooks are limited to one external display (an Apple limit).
Power: the USB-C power connection passes through up to 100 W. My Apple adapter (I believe 60 W) charges through it without issues.
What I like: (1) it’s tiny, great on a desk and easy to toss in a bag; (2) it has the ports I need most (SD and microSD, USB-C and USB-A, up to 10 Gbps); (3) it can be bus powered from the laptop, so no external charger for meetings or short bursts: a nearly perfect all-around dock. What I wish it had: an Ethernet port and a rear audio jack (at a desk, I’d rather plug speakers into the dock than the MacBook).
TS3 Plus
The older, bigger sibling: a beefier Thunderbolt dock with more ports, though it falls behind the SOHO in some ways.
- Front: a single SD card slot, headphone out, audio in, and 5 Gbps USB-C and USB-A.
- Back: five more 5 Gbps USB-A ports (as heard), a 10 Gbps USB-C port, Thunderbolt in and out, DisplayPort, optical audio out, 1 Gbps Ethernet and a power port providing up to 87 W.
Speed tests: the same SanDisk card gives about 90 MB/s (slower than the SOHO), but the Samsung T7 on the rear 10 Gbps USB-C port gets about 640 MB/s, roughly 80 MB/s faster than through the SOHO.
What I like: (1) front audio ports make connecting headphones or a microphone easier at a desk (in limited testing, no distortion or delay); (2) many more USB ports, so you can leave a mouse RF receiver connected and have room for drives; (3) Ethernet, always preferred to Wi-Fi for gaming or large uploads; (4) the included power supply, so you don’t take your laptop charger out of your bag each time (and forget it less). What’s missing: a microSD slot, and a rear audio out for speakers (I won’t use the optical out).
Which to get
Both are great, for different uses. For a few more ports and the ability to travel with your M1 MacBook, the SOHO. For a power user who needs more peripheral ports and stable Ethernet, the TS3 Plus. I’d love to “Frankenstein” them: something SOHO-sized with Ethernet and a rear audio jack. My dock of choice for now is the SOHO, because it works well over HDMI with my BenQ and provides most of what I need. If BenQ and Apple resolve their differences, I’d switch to the TS3 Plus with DisplayPort and enjoy the extra ports. Which dock would work for you, and is there a better one I should try?
Links
- My M1 Video Playlist
- If this was helpful I have a tip jar
- CalDigit SOHO
- CalDigit TS3
- MacBook Air M1
- MacBook Pro M1
- BenQ PD3220U display
- Samsung 32” U32J59
- Apple Magic Mouse 2 Grey
- Apple Magic Trackpad 2 Grey
- Samsung T7 SSD
- Samsung QVO 4TB SSD
- Cable Matters USB-C 3.1 Enclosure
- • iPhone 12 Mini Unboxing
- • iPhone 12 Pro Unboxing
- • iPhone 11 Pro 1 year later
- • Which iPhone 12 will I buy?
- • Turn the iPad into a Laptop
- • Should you get a Magic Mouse for the iPad Pro
- Sony A6400
- Sigma f1.4 16mm E Mount Lens
- Rode VideoMic NTG
- iPad Pro 12.9
- Used DJI OSMO 3 Gimbal for some shots
- Tascam DR-10L Audio Recorder with Lav
In this video
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