If you’ve ever tried to hook up three external monitors to your laptop without paying Thunderbolt prices or installing third-party display drivers, you’ll know what a pain the whole process can be. Plugable’s latest workstation hub aims to fix that.
Connecting several high-resolution monitors to a laptop usually means choosing between an expensive Thunderbolt dock or installing third-party display drivers like DisplayLink. Computer accessory brand Plugable Technologies is offering a middle-ground solution with its newly announced UD-MSTH3, a driver-free USB-C docking station that’s been designed specifically for Windows and ChromeOS power users.
By harnessing native Multi-Stream Transport technology, the UD-MSTH3 can deliver true plug-and-play multi-monitor setups. Plug in one USB-C cable and you’ve got yourself a workstation across up to three screens.
What Can It Drive?
The big draw of the UD-MSTH3 is its flexible HDMI video output. The dock can run in Dual Display Mode, driving up to two 4K displays at a smooth 60Hz refresh rate. In Triple Display Mode, the dock can drive one 4K display at 60Hz, alongside a couple of monitors running at 1080p with a 60Hz refresh rate.
On select modern laptops that support Display Stream Compression, the dock can drive two 4K displays at 60Hz screens, plus a third 4K display running at 30Hz. To get maximum bandwidth across all three HDMI 2.0 ports, users will need a modern laptop with an Intel 12th Gen processor or AMD 6000-series chip, or newer.
Unfortunately, Apple’s macOS lacks native MST support, so plugging the dock into a Mac will only provide one extended display. Any extra screens connected will simply mirror the first. Mac users who want a multi-monitor setup will need a Thunderbolt or DisplayLink compatible dock.
Heavyweight Power Delivery
Beyond the UD-MSTH3’s display capabilities, the new dock offers 100W host charging that can keep the batteries of power-hungry laptops topped up under full workload. Plugable supplies a 150W power supply in the box.
On the front of the dock is a dedicated 30W USB-C port for charging smartphones and tablets. Other features include a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port for lag-free video calls and faster local network transfers. There are slots for SD and microSD card readers, five additional USB-A/USB-C data ports, plus a 3.5mm combo audio jack for microphones and headphones.
The dock’s chassis can sit flat or stand vertically to save precious desk space, plus it has integrated Kensington lock slots for ensuring the dock stays where it should be, a particularly useful feature for hybrid working or hot-desking environments.
Pricing and Availability:
The Plugable UD-MSTH3 docking station is available now from Amazon and Plugable.com priced at $149.99. To sweeten the launch, Plugable is running an immediate 30% discount, taking the price down to $104.99 for early buyers.
Tech Specs:
- Video outputs: 3 x HDMI 2.0 ports.
- Max Display Config: Up to 2x 4K @ 60Hz or 1x 4K @ 60Hz + 2x 1080p @ 60Hz
- Host Power Delivery: Up to 100W.
- Fast Charge Port: Front USB-C (up to 30W).
- Networking: 2.5Gbps Ethernet.
- Data Ports (Front): 2 x 10Gbps USB-C, 1 x 10Gbps USB-A.
- Data Ports (Rear): 2 x 5Gbps USB-A, 1 x USB-A 2.0.
- Card Readers: SD and microSD.
- Compatibility: Windows & ChromeOS (Full-featured USB-C, USB4, TB4/5).
- Warranty: 2-year warranty.