Review
A Thunderbolt 3 desk dock with 15 ports, up to 87 W of laptop charging, dual 4K 60 Hz display support and a 180 W power adapter.
A powered Thunderbolt 3 dock with fifteen ports, up to 87 W of laptop charging and dual 4K display support.
Full product researchThe CalDigit TS3 Plus is a powered Thunderbolt 3 dock with fifteen ports, up to 87 W of laptop charging and support for two displays at up to 4K 60 Hz each. It is a desk device that needs a socket: the recorded power source is an external power supply, a 180 W adapter.
This review works from the specifications recorded against the product, each carrying the manufacturer page it was read from. No dock was connected for this page, so nothing here describes how it behaves with a particular machine or how a display behaves on it.
The recorded protocol is Thunderbolt 3. The CalDigit TS4 in the catalogue records Thunderbolt 4, with eighteen ports, up to 98 W of charging, 2.5 GbE Ethernet and support for up to 6K on macOS with dual 6K on Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max.
The TS3 Plus's own display record is two displays at up to 4K 60 Hz each, or one display at up to 5K 60 Hz over Thunderbolt. There is an important condition on that figure, and the manufacturer states it. Apple M1 and M2 laptops support only one external display through their Thunderbolt port, while M1 Pro and M1 Max support two. On a base M1 or M2 Mac the recorded two-display capability is not available, whatever the dock is capable of.
The recorded port count is fifteen. The recorded USB ports are 5 USB-A at 5 Gb/s, 1 USB-C at 10 Gb/s at the rear and 1 USB-C at 5 Gb/s at the front. The recorded card readers are SD 4.0 UHS-II at up to 312 MB/s, and no microSD slot is recorded for this dock. The recorded Ethernet is 1 GbE.
The recorded operating systems are macOS 10.12 or later and Windows 10 or later. The recorded features are multiple display support, being a powered dock and wired Ethernet, which between them describe what this device is for.
The recorded laptop charging is up to 87 W, and the recorded power source is an external power supply with a 180 W adapter. The adapter is larger than the 87 W figure because it also feeds the dock's own ports and the host connection.
The recorded dimensions are 131 by 40 by 98.44 mm and the recorded weight is 0.47 kg. The TS4 records 141 by 42 by 113 mm and 0.64 kg, so the TS3 Plus is the smaller and lighter box of the two.
No price is recorded for the TS3 Plus or for the TS4. No figure is recorded for how the 87 W of charging divides when the dock's own ports are drawing power at the same time, and no sustained transfer rate is recorded for the card reader beyond the stated 312 MB/s. No display mode list is recorded for either dock, and no compatibility statement is recorded for a Thunderbolt 4 host, which is the question a buyer with a recent laptop has to ask.
The recorded audience is users with a Thunderbolt 3 laptop who want a desk dock that charges the machine and drives two displays. The recorded fifteen ports, the recorded 87 W of charging, the recorded dual display support and the recorded 1 GbE Ethernet are the values behind that fit, and the recorded external power supply is the condition attached to it.
Methodology
How the products below were evaluated and chosen.
What we checked
The recorded protocol, port count, laptop charging, Ethernet, power source, display support, card readers, USB ports, dimensions, weight and operating systems, together with the manufacturer's own statement about how many external displays Apple M1 and M2 laptops accept. Every value carries its source and its verification state.
Products
Why it is here: The subject of this review. Its recorded Thunderbolt 3 protocol, 15 ports, up to 87 W of laptop charging, 1 GbE Ethernet and 180 W power adapter define what this dock is.
Protocol: Thunderbolt 3
Why it is here: The later dock from the same manufacturer. It records Thunderbolt 4, 18 ports, up to 98 W of charging, 2.5 GbE Ethernet and dual 6K on Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max against the TS3 Plus's Thunderbolt 3 and dual 4K 60 Hz.
Protocol: Thunderbolt 4
Why it is here: The portable alternative in the same category. It is recorded as bus powered with one HDMI output at 125 g, where the TS3 Plus needs an external supply and records support for two displays.
Port count: 8-in-1
Trade-offs
Published per product so you can see which side of the comparison each point belongs to.
Advantages
Limitations
Fit
Each product is matched to the reader who should pick it, and to the reader who should not.
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FAQ
Thunderbolt 3 is the recorded protocol. The CalDigit TS4 in the catalogue records Thunderbolt 4 instead, and the catalogue holds no compatibility statement between the two protocols.
Source:CalDigit TS3 Plus page
The recorded display support is two displays at up to 4K 60 Hz each, or one display at up to 5K 60 Hz over Thunderbolt. The manufacturer adds that Apple M1 and M2 laptops accept only one external display through the Thunderbolt port, while M1 Pro and M1 Max accept two.
Source:CalDigit TS3 Plus page
Yes. The recorded power source is an external power supply, a 180 W adapter, and being a powered dock is in the recorded feature list.
Source:CalDigit TS3 Plus page
The recorded laptop charging figure is up to 87 W, and the recorded external power supply is a 180 W adapter, which also feeds the dock's own ports and the host connection.
Source:CalDigit TS3 Plus page
The recorded card readers are SD 4.0 UHS-II at up to 312 MB/s. Only an SD slot is recorded for this dock, where the TS4 records SD 4.0 and microSD 4.0 UHS-II.
Source:CalDigit TS3 Plus page
1 GbE is the recorded Ethernet figure, against the 2.5 GbE recorded for the CalDigit TS4 in the same category.
Source:CalDigit TS3 Plus page
Keep researching
The TS3 Plus records Thunderbolt 3, 15 ports, up to 87 W of charging and 1 GbE. The TS4 records Thunderbolt 4, 18 ports, up to 98 W and 2.5 GbE Ethernet.
The recorded alternatives to the CalDigit TS3 Plus are the Thunderbolt 4 CalDigit TS4 and the bus powered Anker 555, a portable hub.
The catalogue holds no compatibility statement between the TS3 Plus and a Thunderbolt 4 host. It records the TS3 Plus as Thunderbolt 3.
