I tested the world’s first Thunderbolt 5 dock, and it’s as fast and capable as promised

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Kensington’s new SD5000T5 EQ Docking Station goes on sale on September 21 for $400. 
• It is one of the first devices to support the Thunderbolt 5 standard, meaning it supports charging speeds of up to 140W and can send a video signal out to three 4K displays.
• The device’s bulk and high cost may turn people away.

Back in September 2023, Intel announced the next generation of the Thunderbolt connectivity standard: the aptly named Thunderbolt 5. The company promised that updated hardware would support quick data transfer speeds and lightning-fast power delivery.

Also: The best laptop docking stations you can buy 

It’s been a year since then, and we’re finally starting to see devices supporting the standard. One of the best gadgets out there is Kensington’s new SD5000TS Thunderbolt 5 Triple 4K Docking Station. It’s a mouthful of a name, but the moniker fits — the machine can do a lot. It’s a docking station with all the hardware and software features to turn a laptop into a proper desktop PC setup.

View at Kensington

The first thing I noticed when I took the device out of the box was how big it was. It measures 8.9 x 3.8 x 1.6 inches. People with small desks may have a hard time finding a place for it.

The second thing I noticed was the ridges on the end. These fins do more than just look cool. They increase the surface volume for effective heat dissipation. Docking stations can get quite warm, especially since they typically sit at the center of a computer setup. Lower temperatures ensure better performance.

On the front and back are 12 individual ports, including the Thunderbolt 5 inputs, a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port, and a headphone jack. Only one of the Thunderbolt 5 ports offers 140W power delivery — the input with the laptop and lightning bolt icons above it.

Also: This 11-in-1 docking station instally decluttered my desk and is 44% off

I plugged in a dead laptop to see how fast the port can charge. The battery charged to 50% in about 45 minutes.

The other ports are downstream ports meant for transferring data. They can still charge laptops and other devices, albeit more slowly. 

As I already mentioned, the docking station can also send a video signal out to three 4K displays. I own two high-resolution monitors, so I can only confirm that Kensington’s device supported them without issue. Using my laptop as a source, I played a 4K YouTube livestream on one screen and a 4K movie on the other. The image quality on both displays was equally good.

Also: This 12-in-1 Thunderbolt dock has a surpsrise power feature for Windows users

For fast file transfers, you’ll want to use the two USB-A ports on the back because they can reach speeds up to 10Gbps. I sent a 10GB Google Takeout file from the laptop to my main desktop via the dock. The process only took a few seconds. The Ethernet port offers 25Gbps, although I had trouble setting it up properly.

ZDNET’s buying advice

Kensington’s SD5000TS will be available from September 21 for $400. It is rather expensive, although I would argue it is worth the price. The docking station is quite useful for people who prefer using a laptop. That said, your computer must either be running Windows 11 or macOS 14.5 as the docking station does not support older devices. 

If that’s a dealbreaker, we also recommend the CalDigit TS4. It’s even more expensive, but it supports the older Thunderbolt 4 standard and comes highly recommended. A great but cheaper option is the Baseus 10-in-1 Docking Station.