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iVANKY FusionDock Max 1 evaluation: Entrance
The FusionDock Max 1 from iVANKY is a brand new Thunderbolt dock with double the bandwidth of every other presently transport dock — nevertheless it comes at a worth.
AppleInsider has reviewed so many Thunderbolt docks. We have accomplished greater than anyone else, we predict.
We have seen all the vary of options, worth, storage, and sheer port addition throughout dozens and dozens of critiques for the final eight years. The iVANKY FusionDock Max 1 is the primary one we have seen that makes use of two Thunderbolt ports from the host machine, and we’re undecided how a lot that issues.
The FusionDock Max 1 from iVANKY is a Thunderbolt 4 dock that is geared toward Apple professionals working Apple Silicon. These two ports from the host, and two Thunderbolt controller chips contained in the dock, present extra exterior monitor assist than we have seen in a dock but.
iVANKY FusionDock Max 1 evaluation: The iVANKY dock standing up subsequent to the MacBook Professional
However all this comes at a literal steep price.
FusionDock Max 1 Thunderbolt Dock evaluation – Design
Clad in an enclosure with a “floating” look, the FusionDock Max 1 appears like an upscale Thunderbolt 4 dock. It is clearly obtained essentially the most uncommon design of the present crop, besides, it will possibly nonetheless be put in mendacity flat or vertically, and it has copious quantities of ports on the entrance and rear.
The corporate says the floating design helps with warmth dissipation, however we’re skeptical about that. There is not any extra dock floor space uncovered to air versus one with rubberized ft.
iVANKY FusionDock Max 1 evaluation: AirPods Professional, Magic Mouse, and iPhone 15 Professional Max for scale
Included within the field is a 0.7m twin USB-C cable, in addition to an influence twine and a 180W energy adapter.
FusionDock Max 1 Thunderbolt Dock evaluation – Ports and connectivity
There are a complete of 20 ports on the dock, protecting the everyday array of connection sorts customers might want.
On the entrance are a pair of downstream USB-C ports with 15W of energy and supporting as much as 40Gbps of bandwidth, in addition to two USB-C 10Gbps ports with one having 20W energy supply assist, a pair of USB-A 10Gbps connections, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There are additionally SD and TFT UHS-II card slots.
Across the again, the connection choices are much more in depth. The record begins with a pair of upstream USB-C 40Gbps connections with 100W of energy supply, alongside a pair of downstream USB-C ports with 40Gbps of bandwidth and 15W of energy.
iVANKY FusionDock Max 1 evaluation
Then there are one other three USB-A 10Gbps ports, a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet connection, an Optical Toslink Audio port, and a 3.5mm Line Out jack. There are additionally two HDMI 2.0 ports, in addition to a Safety Slot and an influence enter port.
This does really feel like a good cut up between the front-accessible ports and those you do not essentially must actively entry on a regular basis on the rear. The choice itself covers all the main bases, and the addition of optical audio is uncommon and useful.
All of the ports work as you’d count on, and ship the marketed velocity. Thus far, so good.
iVANKY FusionDock Max 1 evaluation: rear
The dock ships with a cool dual-Thunderbolt 4 cable, pre-spaced to suit the hole in Apple Silicon ports. It is a good inclusion, contemplating most docks are used with Apple’s laptops.
If you happen to should join the dock to a desktop, that is doable. Two Thunderbolt 4 cables will do effective — however we do not suggest the dock for this use. Apart from the Mac mini, the Mac Studio has sufficient ports to do what most customers must do, and there is in all probability no want for this dock in that situation.
FusionDock Max 1 Thunderbolt Dock evaluation – Improbable Mac monitor assist
The corporate’s promoting supplies have some extent — the principle purpose for purchasing this Thunderbolt dock is the exterior monitor assist.
iVANKY FusionDock Max 1 evaluation: A number of cables linked to be used
All 4 of the USB-C 40Gbps ports are able to servicing a 6K show at 60Hz, with as much as 4 such screens ready for use — assuming the host {hardware} helps that. You would additionally combine and match the 2 HDMI ports for extra connection choices whereas conserving the USB-C ports clear for different functions.
After all, a part of it will rely upon the sort of {hardware} you are truly hooking as much as the dock.
For a begin, to reap the benefits of the dock in any respect, and its twin Thunderbolt 4 chips that deal with all of the connectivity, you’ll be able to solely use Apple Silicon Macs. It isn’t suitable with Macs that use Intel chips, nor PCs. In any respect.
Whenever you do join a Mac to it, the kind of Apple Silicon chip used may also have an effect on what sort of shows are supported.
For the M1, M2, and M3, non-Professional, Max, or Extremely, the dock will solely deal with a single show as much as 6K60Hz.
The dock will take care of two 6K60Hz shows for the Professional variations of every chip. When utilizing the Max or Extremely variants, the dock is ready to drive 4 6K60Hz screens on the identical time.
We examined with a pair of Studio Shows and two different 4K60 displays from different producers concurrently, and it really works as promised. Alas, it wasn’t doable to check with 4 Professional Shows XDR, as we aren’t made of cash, so we’ll take their phrase for it on this level.
FusionDock Max 1 Thunderbolt Dock evaluation – Energy
As a docking system, the FusionDock Max 1 wants to supply enough energy to its linked {hardware}. Outfitted with a 180W energy adapter, it will possibly present numerous power to peripherals and different gadgets.
The upstream USB-C connection can ship as much as 96W of energy supply, recharging all of Apple’s MacBook Professional lineup. It is not the equal to the MagSafe port on Apple Silicon, however we discovered that it will get the job accomplished.
iVANKY FusionDock Max 1 evaluation: Joined USB Sort-C connectors
The entrance 20W USB-C port is the highest-powered one of many remaining connections, with different downstream 40Gbps USB-C ports managing 15W, and different USB-A and USB-C ports offering 7.5W.
That 20W USB-C connection can be useful to recharge an iPhone, particularly because it’s mounted to the entrance of the dock. Nevertheless, the truth that USB-C ports could be powered at 20W, 15W, or 7.5W could be complicated to customers trying on the entrance of the dock, save for the 20W one indicated by the PD label.
FusionDock Max 1 Thunderbolt Dock evaluation — simply not sufficient for the cash
The iVANKY FusionDock Max 1 is a good dock in a vacuum. We just like the connectivity choices very a lot, and the number of ports do what they are saying that they will do, with the ability that they promise they will assist.
The most important drawback with this dock is the sheer worth of it. That $549 retail worth is totally brutal. There are typically reductions obtainable on Amazon, however even the $399 which you could purchase the dock for with the code offered on the backside of this evaluation at press time is steep for what you get, contemplating almost each different Thunderbolt dock producers are additionally consistently working gross sales.
And, it’s particularly for the M1 Max by way of M3 Max MacBook Professional. Different fashions needn’t apply for the four-monitor assist. It technically works on Mac Studio and Mac Professional, nevertheless it’s a bring-your-own-cable scenario, including extra to the already-steep worth.
iVANKY FusionDock Max 1 evaluation: Directions on which video ports to make use of, when
So, it is a conundrum. We love this dock, it appears nice, and it performs very effectively. It is good to only hold the utmost quantity of displays doable off of it, with out worrying about bandwidth in any respect.
There are simply roughly equal Thunderbolt dock choices for much much less cash, and in some instances you should buy two of these different choices and nonetheless have sufficient left over afterwards typically for a small SSD.
We’re deeply impressed with the {hardware} and engineering within the FusionDock Max 1 Thunderbolt Dock. We’re extremely turned off by the value and specificity to at least one specific MacBook Professional mannequin.
iVANKY FusionDock Max 1 evaluation: The FusionDock Max 1 in its field
FusionDock Max 1 Thunderbolt Dock evaluation – Professionals
A number of legacy ports
Nice energy provisions to all of these ports
Full port velocity underneath almost each situation
Enticing design
FusionDock Max 1 Thunderbolt Dock evaluation – Cons
Even discounted, simply far too costly
Serves no actual goal for every other mannequin than a Max MacBook Professional
All issues thought-about, the FusionDock Max 1 Thunderbolt Dock will get a Ranking: 3 out of 5. We love the {hardware} on this dock, however that worth, the cabling scenario for something apart from a MacBook, and the truth that it’s explicitly aimed on the Max MacBook Professional fashions are main points. If you may get it at $350 or so, and completely should have that quad-monitor assist from the dock, it is value that, and a better rating is to ensure that that specific situation.
However in any other case, it is simply too costly for what it delivers.
The place to purchase the FusionDock Max 1 Thunderbolt Dock
The iVANKY FusionDock Max 1 Thunderbolt Dock is obtainable from iVANKY straight, with promo code FORINSIDER knocking $150 off, for a last price of $399.
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