Another limitation is that any DRM-protected streamed content from services such as Netflix, Disney+, or Apple TV+ will go black for most users. A workaround to this black screen is to view the content through Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge with hardware acceleration disabled.
The only way out of this hellstew was to buy a Thunderbolt dock and suck up the extra cost of that hardware (which could be upwards of $150), or use Windows or Linux, as those platforms have supported MST for over a decade.
These DisplayPort ports, along with all the other ports, are doing a lot of hard work.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
The Driverless Dual 4K — this name has a ring to it — has an Intel Hoover Ridge USB4 controller inside, a chip that supports native DisplayPort tunneling, so it doesn’t have to rely on software bodges. The spec sheet says each port supports up to 8K, but for dual-display setups there’s support for 4K up to 144Hz on M3, M4, and M5 MacBooks. However, this point is also where things get complicated, and the phrase “up to” does some heavy lifting.
Video needs a lot of bandwidth — a 4K stream at 144Hz with 10-bit color requires 40 Gbps. But DisplayPort 1.4 on this dock can only handle 25Gbps. To get around this issue, DisplayPort uses a codec called DSC (Display Stream Compression) that offers 3:1 visually lossless compression and lag that’s down in the microsecond range.
This approach offers performance close to Thunderbolt, without the Thunderbolt markup or the DisplayLink compromises.
However, 144Hz is only available in newer MacBooks that run M4 Pro/Max and M5 chips. Those with systems running the M4 or M3 chips will be limited to 60Hz (hence that “up to” qualifier). And if you have an earlier Mac running the M1 or M2 chip (and let’s not even think about the older Intel-based hardware), you’ll only get a mirrored output.
I’ve tested the above combinations, and this is exactly what you will get from the dock. And the good news is that the device delivers a high-quality dual-display experience with no lag and no DRM limitations.
Everything else
Along with the twin DisplayPort ports on the back of the dock, there’s a USB-C port that can be used for display purposes, a USB-A 2.0 to ease those worried about legacy support, a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port that supports Wake-on-LAN (WoL) and Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE), a USB-C port for connecting to the host system (this port has screw threads to keep the cable connected, at least on the dock end), and a power input port that’s rated for 21V/6.4A.
to help stop the dock from “accidentally” going home with someone else.
You have to spend a fair bit of time with a dock before giving it a single thumbs up. Once you’ve confirmed that it can deliver on what the spec sheet says it will do (and you’d be surprised how many units stumble at this basic hurdle), you need to spend more time with it to make sure it’s any good before it gets a second thumbs up. I don’t want to recommend a dock that can’t handle sustained usage, gets crazy hot, or dies prematurely.
are great touches for enterprise users.
ZDNET’s buying advice
There’s a lot of competition in the dock space — as ports have dwindled on laptops, the demand for a tool to add them back has skyrocketed — and while StarTech may have been the first to market with a driverless dock, there are quite a few around now. All of these docks are based on Intel’s Hoover Ridge, or the more expensive Goshen Ridge Thunderbolt 4 and Barlow Ridge Thunderbolt 5 chipsets (along with a load of non-Intel chipsets from companies such as Via Labs or Realtek).
Hoover Ridge docks like the StarTech Driverless Dual 4K dock are a good budget option for those who want a better dock for under $50 is great for those who want a cutting-edge dock, but don’t need a pro-grade Thunderbolt dock. I could see companies buying a boxful of these for use across a corporation. I could also see a freelancer buying one to carry between client sites. High-end pro users are probably best biting the bullet and going for a Thunderbolt 5 dock (StarTech has one for under $300.
StarTech is also a great brand, especially if you’re looking for something built for an enterprise or industrial setting. I have one of the company’s 240W industrial USB-C chargers
