I see two Alt-Mode USB-C docking stations of interest. The taller one (2016) has 2 x USB-2, 2 USB-3, 1 USB-C, and a microphone jack and delivers 60W. The mini version has a 4 USB-3, and delivers 85W. Are these the only difference besides the form factor? Is performance likely to be the same. Do either have a fan or run hotter?
I am considering an alt-mode dock for my xps 9360 or a t-bolt dock. If I am only using a single external monitor the alt-mode dock should be fine. If I want to hookip more than one monitor the t-bolt dock is better. Is that right?
Hi John,
Thanks for posting!
We offer two USB-C docking stations, our UD-CA1A dock with 60W of charging power -> https://plugable.com/products/ud-ca1a/ and our UD-CAM Mini Dock with 85W of charging power -> https://plugable.com/products/ud-cam The differences are as you describe in terms of the different charging power, USB port configuration and different audio jack arrangement. Other than those differences, they should perform identically (neither unit has a fan).
If you are only using one external display, our USB-C docks are the better choice as they are less expensive. If you wish to use up to two external displays, a Thunderbolt 3 dock like our TBT3-UDV -> https://plugable.com/products/tbt3-udv/ is an alternative for your Dell XPS 13 9360 with Thunderbolt 3.
The TBT3-UDV supports one display out of the box (either DisplayPort or HDMI using an included DisplayPort to HDMI adapter), and a second display can be added using our either our USB-C to HDMI cable -> https://plugable.com/products/usbc-hd… or USB-C to DisplayPort cable -> https://plugable.com/products/usbc-dp, purchased separately and depending on your second monitor’s available inputs. I made a short video that shows how all this works if you need it -> https://plugable.com/products/tbt3-ud…
Should you elect to proceed with a purchase and find that the dock does not meet your needs or expectations, we do offer a 30-day no-hassle return policy for all products sold by Plugable and fulfilled by Amazon.
Thank you,
Bob
Plugable Technologies
www.plugable.com/support