Thunderbolt 5 (TB5) is the king of connectivity when it comes to modern technology and has the best throughput that anyone could ask for. This is proving to be true for both PC and Mac users of all flavors, as long as they can afford the hardware that sports the connection. It allows you to take (virtually) anything external, including USB drives, NVMe drives, monitors of all sizes, graphics cards, and more. Making for one heck of a solution for laptop users while also providing desktop users with additional connectivity. The Kensington SD7100T5 EQ Pro 19-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station is one incredible example of this.
This is a docking station that provides 19 connections to one, allowing you a deep selection of options while only having to connect a single TB5-rated USB-C cable to your system (which it does come with). It doesn’t let you plug in a graphics card (unless you daisy chain a TB5 eGPU unit to one of its TB5 ports), but it does allow for most of the other features that TB5 has to offer.
When connecting this to your laptop or system, you gain a new surge of inner giddiness as you consider the many things you can use it for. This allows you to turn any location into a powerful workstation that any power user or professional can dive right into without having to worry about too many bandwidth restrictions, thanks to it being able to handle up to 80Gbps in bi-directional bandwidth and a boost of up to 120Gbps for video-intensive tasks.
We have been using this for a little bit now, and have piled devices onto it, including a fast NVMe drive, multiple USB accessories (external drives, mouse, keyboard, label printer, and biometric reader), stereo speakers, and a 1440p Dell S2725DC monitor that I stole from my colleague’s desk without telling him, while he was at lunch (he didn’t think it was that funny). Beyond that, we plugged in various things from time to time, like SD cards and thumb drives.
You really have so many options to pick from. Including…
- 4 x USB-A 3.2 Gen2 10Gbps (with Fast Charging)
- 2 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port (with up to 30W charging–which I’ll get to in a moment)
- 4 x Thunderbolt 5 ports (one to your host laptop/system and three downstream to other devices)
- 1 x CF Card Reader
- 1 x SD Card Reader (UHS-II, SD4.0)
- 1 x Micro SD Card Reader (UHS-II, SD4.0)
- 1 x Headset port (along with 1 x headphones and 1 x microphone single ports on back)
- 1 x Optical (SPDIF) Port (digital audio-out)
- 1 x 2.5GbE port (Ethernet)
- 1 x NVMe M.2 Slot (inside)
Along with a few bonus features, such as the two buttons on top that, for Mac users, that act as a Do Not Disturb button and a photo backup button for iOS devices (smartphones/tablets). The latter is neat, as you plug in your iOS device into the left of the normal two USB-C ports, and press the button to back up the photos on your device using your system/laptop.
For Windows users, you have to download the Kensington Konnect app to make use of those two buttons. Once you do, their default behavior is locking the screen (left button) and Microsoft CoPilot (right button). You can also customize them to do something else using the Kensington Konnect application.
This is something that could prove useful for users who dock their laptops in a way that closes the screen, or simply for anyone else who just likes to have options. There is nothing wrong with options.
By removing a quick screw on the side, you can pull off the top of the docking station to reveal a small heat shield that you can pry open. This is where you would insert your NVMe drive (not included). Instead of having to use another screw to secure it down (which you can still do if you want), all you have to do is replace the thin shield and snap it back into place (which will hold the drive down). Replace the cover, screw in the side screw, and you are done.
Now you have an external drive enclosure as well for your favorite NVMe drive. Not only that, but thanks to TB5, you can really tap into the speeds of Gen 5.0 NVMe models.
As mentioned, we plugged all sorts of things into this docking station to give it a little bit of a stress test. We moved multiple large files around while using the monitor as our display, while printing several labels using a Dymo printer, and charged a few devices during the process. We half-expected to see a few blips in the display as we really started pushing it, but nothing of the sort happened. Which made me regret no longer having an 8K screen on site to test with (an RMA experience is in the works), but I’m sure we will reacquire a new one into inventory soon (so I may have to come back and do this all again).
On paper, you can use up to three monitors with this dock, with resolutions of up to 4K@144Hz, or two monitors up to 6K@60Hz or 8K@60Hz, depending on your system (MacBook models with M-Series or Max chipsets).
The only thing I could point out is that 30W max for the USB-C port for charging is a little unfortunate. Most modern smartphones can benefit from higher wattage charging, so I feel 30W is a little outdated. The host TB5 connection can, at least, provide up to 140W to your host device to help charge it (when using a laptop). If your laptop needs more than this, then you will still need your power cable as well.
Beyond that, we didn’t run into any issues. As I mentioned, if we get the 8K screen back from RMA or acquire another model into inventory in the near future, we will come back to this for an even better stress test by really putting it through hell. But for now, I think we have done a great job at getting a little chaotic with our overall use of it.
Obviously, you do need to make sure your OS and drivers are completely up to date for the best performance and specs. Modern motherboard or laptop models are required for top specs, which dictate whether it supports up to two 8K@60Hz monitors or up to two 6K@60Hz models (or less). Without proper Thunderbolt 5 support, you will begin to lose functionality, or you may find you can’t support this at all.
For the price, it is best to only invest in one of these if you have the Thunderbolt 5 port(s). Anything less (port-wise) and you might as well consider a different model that is intended for that port type. For example, they make USB-C docks for USB-C ports that do not support Thunderbolt connectivity. Unless, of course, you are future-proofing yourself for a coming laptop/system upgrade.
One final mention is that the side contains two Kensington lock slots to help secure it to your working surface, if you are making use of it in an area where you think someone might try to run off with it. This includes a Kensington Nano Security Slot and a Kensington Security Slot. Which one you use would depend on which lock type you own.
The overall build quality is also something to mention before we close out, as it is literally built like a brick. It has a lot of weight to it, with its hardened aluminum chassis that is presumably working hard to dissipate heat throughout. Many docking stations have weight to them, which is why most of them come with a large brick for a power supply to help spread that weight away from the unit (and to help keep the added heat away). But this one feels like you have to give it the old Tim Allen grunt when you have it in your hands. It seems to be very carefully designed and detailed, and provides enough weight that you shouldn’t ever have to worry about it sliding around your desk.
Beyond that, we will absolutely come back with anything else we think we may have left out. Or anything else we discover as we continue to use it.
Our Conclusion
This has been a powerful Thunderbolt 5 docking station that has held up to a multitude of devices being plugged into it and operating at the same time. One of these tests included rendering a large 4K file to the installed NVMe drive while also copying files to and from various drives (both attached to the dock or local to the system). All while using a USB-C monitor attached for that added touch.
It would have been nice if the USB-C port had more than 30W charging capability, as it would minimize one more thing you have to plug into the wall (a power brick for a hungry smartphone). But maybe there was a limitation in terms of the overall chipset/board, as I am sure TB5 requires a decent amount of power in its own operation alone.
Regardless, if that was our only concern, that isn’t bad at all. Thunderbolt 5 continues to amaze and provide deep connectivity and throughput for all of your devices. Allowing you to build a complex workstation using just a laptop or to simply add a ton of new connections to your tower that can easily be accessed from your desk space.
Yes, the price does affect the score a little. But given that all Thunderbolt solutions come at a noticeable price tag, especially Thunderbolt 5 (as it is a new technology), it doesn’t affect the overall score as much as higher price tags usually would.
Additional Images:
Specifications:
- Connection Technology: Thunderbolt 5
- Driverless: Yes
- Additional Screen Outputs: 3
- Video Ports: 3 x Thunderbolt 5 DFP
- Maximum Resolution: 8K
- Power Delivery: Up to 140W
- Operating System(s): macOS, Windows
- Card Readers: CF, SD (UHS-II, SD4.0), and Micro SD (UHS-II, SD4.0)
- Thunderbolt Ports:
- 1 x Thunderbolt 5 host port
- 3 x Thunderbolt 5 downstream ports
- USB-C Power Delivery: Supports USB-C PD 3.1 (Up to 140W of laptop charging)
- USB-A Ports: 4 x USB-A 3.2 Gen2 10Gbps (Fast Charging: Yes)
- USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port: 2 x (with 1x that supports up to 30W charging)
- DockWorks: Yes (for Windows only)
- Best For: A Thunderbolt 5 laptop running Windows 11 (23H2 or later) with USB-C PD 3.1 EPR support for up to 140W (28V/5A) charging, MacBook M-Series models with Pro and Max chips
- System Requirements: Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, USB4, and USB-C devices running Windows 11 (23H2 or later) or macOS (14.5 or later). Thunderbolt 5 is required for full specification support.
- Compatibility: macOS 14.5 or above, Windows 11 (23H2 or later)
- Audio: 1 x 3.5mm Combo Microphone & Headphone Port (front), 1 x 3.5mm Microphone port (rear), 1 x 3.5mm Headphone port (rear), 1 x TOSLINK audio port (rear)
- Data Transfer Speeds: Up to 80Gbps of bidirectional bandwidth, with Bandwidth Boost enabling up to 120Gbps for video-intensive usage
- Ethernet Speeds Supported (Mbps): 10, 100, 1000, 2500
- Maximum Resolution Supported: Triple 4K @ 144Hz(Win), Dual 8K @ 60Hz(Win), Dual 6K @ 60Hz(macOS)
- Security Slot Compatibility: Kensington Nano Security Slot, Kensington Security Slot
- Warranty: Limited 3-year warranty
Are you a manufacturer or distributor that would like us to test something out for review? Contact us, and we can let you know where to send the product, and we will try it out.
