In-Depth Analysis of Plugable’s USB-C Dual HDMI Dock: The Ultimate Upgrade for Windows Workstations

Key Takeaways

• Plugable USB-C Dual HDMI Docking Station is a solid choice for a single-cable setup, supporting dual 4K60 HDMI outputs and 65W charging.
• It lacks an SD card slot, but offers three USB-A ports, a USB-C port, and gigabit ethernet. Recommended for Windows and ChromeOS.
• The dock is perfect for multi-monitor setups with its native dual 4K60 HDMI outputs. It’s competitively priced at $150.

The Plugable USB-C Dual HDMI Docking Station packs 8-in-1 functionality, delivering dual 4K60 HDMI outputs and 65W of charging to your laptop-powered setup. While it’s lacking some ports we would have liked to have seen, this docking station is pretty robust for the price. While you won’t find an SD slot on this dock, you will find three USB-A ports, a secondary USB-C port, and gigabit ethernet. However, if you have a MacBook, then this dock likely isn’t for you as Plugable only recommends it for Windows and ChromeOS computers.

Plugable USB-C Dual HDMI Docking Station (UD-MSTH2)

7/ 10

The Plugable USB-C Dual HDMI Docking Station (UD-MSTH2) is a solid choice for your single-cable setup, so long as you use Windows or ChromeOS. It supports dual 4K60 HDMI outputs, has three total USB-A ports and an additional USB-C port. While there’s Gigabit Ethernet and 65W of charging, you won’t find any SD card slots here, so that’s something to keep in mind.

Ports

USB-C, USB-A, Ethernet, 3.5mm Audio

USB Power Delivery

65W

Power supply included

Yes

Max display res.

4K60

Pros

• 65W USB-C Charging
• Dual 4K60 HDMI Outputs
• Multiple USB-A Ports

Cons

• No SD Card Slot
• No Official macOS Support

$149.95 at Plugable $140 at Amazon

Plugable’s Docking Station Lets You Run Your Desk With a Single Cable

Sergio Rodriguez / How-To Geek

If you’re like me, then one of the main benefits of USB-C is being able to run your entire desk with a single cable. Well, Plugable’s dock makes that possible. With the included USB 10Gb/s USB-C to USB-C cable, you can enjoy all the benefits that the dock has to offer. On the back of the dock, you’ll find two USB-A ports, one 2.0 and the other 3.0 5Gbps, gigabit ethernet, and dual HDMI 2.0 ports capable of 4K60 output simultaneously. Of course, there’s also the USB-C port that connects to your host computer and provides 65W charging.

The nice thing about the multiple USB-C and A ports is that you can have things like your keyboard and mouse hooked up to the back of this dock, and still have access to both a USB-C and USB-A port on the front for charging your phone and plugging in a flash drive or SD card reader without having to unplug anything else. Plus, with the 3.5mm combo audio jack on the front, you can plug in speakers or headphones and always be ready to go with audio, both in and out, whenever you dock your computer at your desk.

Thankfully macOS Still Works Even if It Isn’t Officially Supported

Sergio Rodriguez / How-To Geek

It’s worth noting that Plugable recommends this dock to be used with Windows and ChromeOS computers, and not MacBooks, which is a pretty big letdown. I tested the dock with both my Windows laptop and a MacBook Pro, and found that it worked fairly well with the MacBook—you might run into issues with trying to run dual displays here. My M1 Max-powered MacBook Pro was able to drive a 1440p240 monitor at 1440p144 with ease and was still charged at 65W. While I can’t officially say all macOS setups are in the clear here, since Plugable does not officially support macOS, I can say that it does, in fact, function at least in my testing.

No SD Support Is a Disappointment

Sergio Rodriguez / How-To Geek

While macOS support might not be official, it still does work in some scenarios. However, there’s no way to rig an SD slot built into the dock, and that’s a disappointment. As someone who does occasional video and photo work, having native SD support on my devices is a huge benefit these days. Sure, I can use an external USB adapter, but in the quest for a simpler and more fluid setup, I just don’t want to have to deal with that anymore. With other docks in this price range offering both SD and microSD on the front, I really wish Plugable would have gone the extra few steps to build that in for the added convenience it would have offered.

Native Dual 4K60 HDMI Outputs Make This Dock Perfect for Multi-Monitor Setups

If you’re on the Windows or ChromeOS side of things (or have a MacBook and are willing to test), then this dock is perfect for those with multiple monitors. The fact that it can support dual 4K60 output natively without adapters makes it more capable than Plugable’s Thunderbolt 4 dock that’s nearly twice the price. And, unlike that more expensive dock, 4K60 matches the price point here. I wouldn’t expect to see 4K120 support on a dock like this, especially not with it being a more bandwidth-constrained USB 5Gb/s uplink connection.

Should You Buy Plugable’s USB-C Dock?

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Sergio Rodriguez / How-To Geek

The Plugable USB-C Dual HDMI Docking Station comes in at $150 from both Amazon and directly from Plugable. And, well, that’s an expected price with this feature set. It would have been nice to see the likes of SD card slots or official macOS support, but in the $150 range, there’s not much competition that offers 65W charging and dual display outputs. Stepping up another $15 gets you into Anker’s 13-in-1 dock which delivers 65W of charging, dual display outputs (though it’s with one HDMI and one DisplayPort), official macOS support, and both SD and microSD.

However, Anker’s dock only supports single output for a display when it comes to macOS, even though it can hook up an additional three monitors. Meaning, that unless you need 85W of power or SD support, Plugable’s dock is still a better option given the price.

At the end of the day, Plugable’s USB-C dock is a solid choice for your single-cable laptop setup, so long as you use Windows or ChromeOS. The dual 4K60 display outputs, 65W charging, gigabit ethernet, and multiple USB-C and A ports make it a great choice to simplify your desk this year.

Plugable USB-C Dual HDMI Docking Station (UD-MSTH2)

7/ 10

The Plugable USB-C Dual HDMI Docking Station (UD-MSTH2) is a solid choice for your single-cable setup, so long as you use Windows or ChromeOS. It supports dual 4K60 HDMI outputs, has three total USB-A ports and an additional USB-C port. While there’s Gigabit Ethernet and 65W of charging, you won’t find any SD card slots here, so that’s something to keep in mind.

$149.95 at Plugable $140 at Amazon