Head-to-head · Best Thunderbolt 4 Docks

CalDigit TS4 vs Kensington SD5780T

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

The short answer

CalDigit TS4 comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.8 vs 4.3). The gap is mostly about Power users building a maxed-out, single-cable desk who want the most ports and charging power and do not mind paying for it. — read the strengths below before deciding.

Higher ratedRanked #1 in Best Thunderbolt 4 Docks

CalDigit TS4

4.8

$379.99as of Jun 7

The TS4 is the no-compromise flagship: 18 ports, 98W charging, 2.5GbE and a UHS-II card reader in one driver-free package that reviewers say nothing else matches. TechRadar awarded it a full five stars, Macworld gave it an Editors' Choice and XDA its top 'Best' badge. The only real downsides are the price and the lack of HDMI, but for a maxed-out desk it is the dock to beat.

Strengths

— Class-leading 18 ports, the most of any Thunderbolt 4 dock
— 98W charging to the host through a single Thunderbolt cable
— Native dual-display support plus 2.5GbE networking and UHS-II card reader

Watch-outs

— The most expensive dock here at around $400
— No HDMI ports, so you need DisplayPort cables or adapters
— Only adds a net of one extra Thunderbolt port versus the host

$379.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Ranked #4 in Best Thunderbolt 4 Docks

Kensington SD5780T

4.3

$244.55as of Jun 7

The SD5780T is the display-focused dock: HDMI 2.1 plus Thunderbolt outputs drive dual 4K or 6K monitors, backed by 96W charging and a three-year warranty. Windows Central called it Kensington's best dock yet and XDA marked it Recommended, noting it is well worth it around $300 or less. Its horizontal footprint and original high price are the drawbacks, but recent discounts make it a strong dual-display option.

Strengths

— Dual 4K/6K display support with HDMI 2.1 and Thunderbolt outputs
— Up to 96W charging for the host laptop
— Built-in SD card reader and broad port selection

Watch-outs

— Horizontal design takes up more desk space
— Originally launched at a high $350-plus price
— Fewer total ports than the CalDigit TS4 or Plugable TBT4-UDZ

$244.55 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

How they stack up

CalDigit TS4

The most port-dense dock here, beating the Plugable TBT4-UD5, OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock, Kensington SD5780T and Plugable TBT4-UDZ on sheer connectivity and charging power. The trade-off is price and the absence of HDMI — where the Plugable TBT4-UD5 and Kensington SD5780T include HDMI outputs, the TS4 relies on DisplayPort or its Thunderbolt ports.

Kensington SD5780T

Leans on display flexibility, pairing HDMI 2.1 with Thunderbolt outputs for dual 4K/6K screens — a step beyond the dual-4K HDMI of the Plugable TBT4-UD5. It carries fewer total ports than the CalDigit TS4 and Plugable TBT4-UDZ, and lacks the downstream Thunderbolt daisy-chaining of the OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock, but its three-year warranty and higher display ceiling set it apart.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	CalDigit TS4	Kensington SD5780T
Ports	18 total	11 total
Thunderbolt	3x Thunderbolt 4 downstream (40Gb/s)	Thunderbolt 4 (40Gb/s) host + downstream
USB	3x USB-C + 5x USB-A (10Gb/s)	—
Host Charging	98W Power Delivery	Up to 96W Power Delivery
Networking	2.5GbE Ethernet	Gigabit Ethernet
Displays	Single 8K@30Hz or dual 6K@60Hz	Dual 4K or 6K (HDMI 2.1 + Thunderbolt)
Card Reader	SD + microSD (UHS-II)	SD card reader
Compatibility	Mac, Windows, Chrome (driver-free)	Windows, Mac, USB4, Thunderbolt 3
Warranty	—	3-year

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