Microsoft is fully embracing the Thunderbolt 4 ecosystem of its latest Surface Pro 9, Surface Laptop 5, and Surface Laptop Studio by launching an all-new dock. This dock, which is based around the Thunderbolt 4/USB4 spec, will help deliver a more cohesive experience at your desk when using both Microsoft Surface product and other compatible devices, thanks to the use of an open standard here. Want to learn all of the ports that it brings and what functions the Microsoft Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock has? Keep reading to find out all we know.
Microsoft’s new Thunderbolt 4 dock works with basically any computer
Microsoft has finally gone away from the long-loathed Surface Connector as a connection standard with its latest lineup of premium portable computers and fully embraced the Thunderbolt 4 ecosystem. As part of this, you can now use any Thunderbolt 4-compatible dock with your Surface devices, but also, that makes Microsoft’s official accessories compatible with a lot more computers as well.
The latest Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock has a lot to like about it, and could honestly become a go-to for those that want to connect their Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 computer to a variety of peripherals. For starters, it features two 4K60 monitor outputs and up to 96W of charging, which is enough to power just about any USB-C devices on the market. On top of that, there are a total of three USB-C ports (two of which are DisplayPort Alt-enabled), three USB-A ports, and 3.5mm audio output. If that’s not enough, a 2.5G Ethernet port is also available for multi-gig networking out of the box, and all of this is brought to your computer through a single Thunderbolt 4 cable.
Now, a unique function here is that Windows 11 remembers the settings of previously-connected peripherals, so the dock will recall various display and connection settings of each device that the dock plugs into. That makes it even more versatile, and great for those who might have a work and personal computer that use the same dock depending on the time of day.
You’ll also find functions like being able to update the firmware through Windows Update, Wake on LAN from Modern Standby, and MAC address passthrough on top of Surface Enterprise Management Mode.
The Microsoft Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock is already available for purchase and comes in with a cost of $299.99.
Electronicsforward’ Take
The Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock looks pretty impressive, all things considered. While it carries a hefty price tag, it also comes feature-packed. The inclusion of 2.5GbE is notable here as is the support of dual 4K60 monitors and a total of three USB-A ports. The three USB-C ports is nice, but the fact that two of them are required for external displays is a little sad, as that leaves only one for connecting other peripherals like phones or webcams.
All-in-all, however, the Microsoft Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock is a solid choice for your Windows-powered setup, though it remains to be seen whether it’ll work with macOS or not.
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