Also for non-Surface devices: Microsoft Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock
5.4.2023
Translation: machine translated
Microsoft has unveiled a new version of its docking station. The Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock comes without a proprietary connection. You can therefore also use it for devices with USB-C from other manufacturers.
Not everyone is enthusiastic about proprietary connections. So it's all the better that the latest Surface Dock does away with them. This is because you no longer connect it to your notebook or tablet via the Surface Connect port, but via a USB-C port. More precisely, via a Thunderbolt 4 port (compatible with USB 4). This means that the new docking station is also suitable for devices outside the Surface world.
The new dock is available immediately and offers the following features and connections:
- 165-watt power supply unit for a notebook power supply of up to 96 watts
- Connection to the notebook/tablet via Thunderbolt 4 cable with LED charging indicator and 80 centimetre length
- Ports on the front: 1 × USB-A (USB 3.1 Gen 2, 7.5 watts), 1 × USB-C (Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4)
- Ports on the rear: 2 × USB-A (USB 3.1 Gen 2, 7.5 watts), 2 × USB-C (Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4), 1 × 2.5 gigabit Ethernet port, 1 × 3.5 mm audio socket, 1 × Kensington port
- Nut for desk mount included
- Dimensions: 15 × 7.5 × 2.1 centimetres, 410 grams
A slot for SD cards is unfortunately missing. If you connect a device with Windows 11 to the dock, the display and connection settings are saved. This helps if you use the same dock with different devices.
Source: Microsoft
To use the docking station and its ports at full speed of up to 40 gigabits per second, you need a notebook with USB 4.0 or Thunderbolt 4. This also gives you the option of operating two 4K screens with a refresh rate of 60 hertz, for example. Microsoft points out that the dock was specially developed for devices such as the Surface Laptop 5, Laptop Studio, Surface Pro 8 and Surface Pro 9 (Intel version). However, it is also compatible with all other devices with a USB-C port.
It is unclear whether the new dock without Connect Port also means that there will be Surface devices without this connection in the future. But the chance of this happening seems to have increased today.
Cover image: Microsoft
Martin Jud
Senior Editor
martin.jud@digitecgalaxus.chI find my muse in everything. When I don’t, I draw inspiration from daydreaming. After all, if you dream, you don’t sleep through life.
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