review – Let’s be real here. If you use your computer (desktop or laptop) for anything other than surfing the web, the available ports may not be enough. My work laptop is a 16-inch MacBook Pro, and even its plethora of USB-C ports (4) can’t keep up. I use double the amount. Two monitors (one doubles as a Wacom Cintiq UHD27), 3 external hard drives, a pair of Shinola/Barefoot USB speakers and a constantly charging iPhone exceeds the maximum capacity of the available ports. So what to do? Get a hub and that’s all you have to do. There’s a company called Orico looking to fill the port gap with their new TB3-S2 multi-function dock — and then some. But is it enough? This depends on.
What is it?
The Orico TB3-S2 Multi-Function Docking Station is exactly what its name suggests: a docking station with multiple ports. It comes with 10GB USB-C, Thunderbolt 3 (8K), Thunderbolt 3 (4K), Display Port (8K), 1000 Mbps GigE LAN, audio mini plug, and 3 USB A (two 5W and one 10W).
There are two internal SSD slots on the NVMe/NGFF chip, and each HD space can handle up to 2TB (4TB total). For me, this is a big deal.
The shell is aluminum alloy with built-in heat sink. The power cord has an external power brick that allows the Orico dock to be smaller than others.
Glasses
- Thunderbolt 3 ports x 3
- USB-C port
- USB A (5W) x 2
- USB A (10W)
- 1000 Mbps LAN
- Mini plug port
Design and Features
The first thing you notice when unboxing the Orico Thunderbolt TB3 Dock is its weight. This thing is made of aluminum alloy, giving it a sturdy, premium feel.shell Yes Radiators – Stylish and Stylish and Functionality – a good thing as the hub can get a little hot. It sits on four small rubber feet that allow for some airflow underneath and also keep it from sliding on the tabletop.
Connecting the hub to my work MacBook Pro was seamless. I don’t need to install anything on the mac. The manual states that Windows users need to manually connect the hub on first use. Since I’m an unapologetic Apple snob, I can’t talk about how well it works on PCs.
I admit I’m not what some would call a power user.I don’t have an 8K monitor (if anyone?) or even 4K. But I do have a lot of peripherals and two (2K) monitors that I rely on for a lot of Photoshop work. The good news is that the TB-3 dock has a display port, and my Wacom Cintiq tablet is also my primary monitor. Better news is that I don’t use DB to DB cables. Instead, I use a DB to USB-C cable between the Cintiq and the TB-3 dock. This works perfectly, so if it’s not broken, why fix it?
The three front USB A ports were handy for connecting anything I needed to use at the time. Connect various accessories at different times as needed. It’s always good to have USB A, because USB-C isn’t widespread yet.
In my backyard studio building, I run an ethernet cable from the hub to my extension router, which is hardwired through an underground CAT-7 cable to our modem to our 100 feet away house. Even through the Orico TB3-S2 Thunderbolt 3 Dock, downloads were consistently faster than the 400Mb I paid for. This is a victory!
The TB-3 hub has up to 4TB of SSD chip capacity. Orico didn’t provide any SSD chips, so I bought a 500GB chip and installed it myself. The bottom of the hub has a removable plate that exposes where the chips should go. Installation is simple, although there is no information about installation in the manual. Also, the manual text is too small to read. However, the chip driver is flawless, quickly! And I think my original Thunderbolt G-Drive was fast. If TB SSD chips weren’t that expensive, I’d buy two 2TB chips and use the Orico as my primary backup drive. This is useful.
what do I like
- quality build
- good port selection
- High-resolution monitor support
- Silent built-in fan (I can’t hear it)
what would i change
- The latest Thunderbolt 4 is not supported
final thoughts
there is one a lot of hubs on the market. Which one you get depends entirely on your requirements. There’s always a peripheral with a weird connector that your hub doesn’t support, or your hub is missing a port. There is no perfect hub. That said, if the Orico TB3-S2 Thunderbolt 3 Dock has the ports you need, you can’t go wrong—especially with the added SSD capability.may be you were able Have your digital cake, eat it too!
price: $399.99
Where to buy: new egg, ebayand Amazon
source: Samples of this product are provided by Orico.
