Latest Cable Matters Thunderbolt 3 dock has nine inputs, is 4K60-ready, more

Simon Walsh | May 5 2020 - 3:55 pm PT

Hot on the heels of Plugable’s latest Thunderbolt 3 Dock, Cable Matters has now unveiled an all-new hybrid offering. Unlike the company’s other Thunderbolt 3 docks, this model also supports PCs and Chromebooks that only have 10Gbps USB-C. The latest Cable Matters Thunderbolt 3 dock can run up to two 4K displays at 60Hz using a single cable. While performing that task using two DisplayPort inputs, users will also have access to I/O ranging from USB-C and USB-A to 3.5mm and Gigabit Ethernet. Continue reading to learn more.

Cable Matters Thunderbolt 3 dock has 9 inputs

With nine inputs in tow, the new Cable Matters Thunderbolt 3 dock is aims to offer enough I/O to satisfy most user’s needs. Given the fact that Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C share the same form-factor, Cable Matters has adopted Intel’s Titan Ridge chipset to ensure its new offering can support both port types unlike the dock that preceded it.

It’s ready to rumble with full-blown Thunderbolt 3 at 40Gbps as well as Windows and Linux PCs with 10Gbps USB-C ports. If you’re operating a computer with the latter 4K displays will top out at 30Hz, but two 1080p screens can be powered at 60Hz.

The full list of I/O includes two DisplayPort, two USB-C, three USB-A, one 3.5mm headphone or microphone, and a single Gigabit Ethernet port. Since Cable Matters’ new dock is bus-powered, it is also able to channel 60-watts of passthrough charging to a connected MacBook, PC, or Chromebook.

Pricing and availability

The all-new Cable Matters Thunderbolt 3 dock (107034-SIL) is available now for $199.99 at Amazon. Shipping delays have yet to set it, allowing interested parties to order now and receive it within a pretty reasonable timeframe.

9to5Toys’ Take

For quite a while now I have been taking every chance I get to eliminate my reliance on external peripherals. These attempts have been largely successful, but there always seems to be an instance where I need to use a legacy port or two and hubs come in handy for this.

I reviewed AUKEY’s USB-C Hub and found it can take care of all my needs, but it’s not ideal for folks that need more power and want to have an entire desk ready to be fired up with a single cable. This kind of setup is where the new Cable Matters dock is arguably best-suited, but I’d likely lean towards Plugable’s more expensive 14-port hub. At any rate, it’s a nice addition to the Cable Matters lineup.