Kensington SD5600T review: A premium Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C dock plagued by major performance issues

Kensington Sd5600t Source: Windows Key

Kensington has a wide diversity of PC accessories, including some of the all-time docking stations on the market. For case, our Kensington Surface Pro Dock review outlines the best way to plow your Surface Pro into a mini Surface Studio. More recently, my Kensington SD2500T review highlights a compact dock that works well with both USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 laptops.

There are more than than 20 dissimilar docks on Kensington'due south product landing page, then it'due south not too surprising that I've finally tested one that doesn't seem to work as intended. Hither's what you demand to know before y'all buy this dock.

Meliorate Options Exist

Kensington Sd5600t

Kensington SD5600T

Bottom line: The Kensington SD5600T is a well-built dock with plenty of ports, simply information technology's not guaranteed to piece of work all of the time. It oft refuses to recognize fastened accessories, including monitors, and it volition sometimes entirely turn down to connect to a laptop. At that place are better options out there, including others from Kensington'due south vast lineup.

Pros

Works with USB-C and Thunderbolt iii devices
Three-year warranty
15 total ports
Upward to 100W charging
Vertical and horizontal orientation

Cons

Major performance problems
No downstream Thunderbolt iii
Mesomorphic size

What I love most Kensington'south SD5600T Thunderbolt 3 dock

Kensington Sd5600t Review Source: Windows Central

The Kensington SD5600T is a well-built, if chunky, docking station. Its brushed aluminum beat out gives way to sleeky plastic panels that house the ports, with rubberized ends that permit you lot to set the dock upward vertically with an included steel stand. The stand is heavy enough that there's not really a risk of the dock tipping over, fifty-fifty when laden with cables. Many docks are sticking with horizontal only; the vertical capability helps salve space on your desk-bound.

Category	Spec
Connectedness	Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) USB-C Gen 2 (10Gbps) USB-C Gen one (5Gbps)
Front ports	USB-C 3.1 (Gen 2) USB-A 3.i (Gen 2) 3.5mm audio SD/microSD readers
Rear ports	Five USB-A 3.1 (Gen 1) Ethernet Two DisplayPort 1.2 Two HDMI ii.0 Thunderbolt 3 (Host)
Max display res	Dual 4K@60Hz (TB3) Dual 2K@60Hz (USB-C)
Power delivery	Up to 100W
Dimensions	Horizontal: 7.76 (W) x 4.09 (D) 10 one.45 (H) inches (197mm x 104mm 10 36.8mm)
Weight	ane.84 pounds (0.84kg)
Warranty	iii years

This is a USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 dock, meaning it volition work with more devices than a dock intended for just 1 interface. Depending on your laptop, docking capabilities will differ. A true Thunderbolt 3 connection allows for 40Gbps performance, whereas USB-C (Gen 2) hits 10Gbps and USB-C (Gen 1) hits only 5Gbps. This is standard stuff and applies to all docking stations that offer double connectivity. You're going to get upwardly to 100W of charging power back to your laptop, which is enough for near laptops, even with notebook-form detached graphics. It likely won't go along a gaming laptop charged, but information technology should do fine with Ultrabooks.

How this applies to external display support depends on the USB-C port in your laptop. As long equally it supports DisplayPort Alt Mode (ofttimes only called Alt Way), you're going to get some external display functionality. If your laptop'south USB-C port supports HBR3 transfer (by and large establish with DP ane.4), it'southward going to height out at a unmarried 4K display at a 60Hz refresh charge per unit or dual 2K displays each at a 30Hz refresh charge per unit. If the USB-C port supports HBR2 transfer (generally associated with DP 1.2), it will handle a single 4K display at 30Hz, or double FHD displays each at 60Hz. And for a true Thunderbolt iii connexion, the standard dual 4K displays at 60Hz still applies.

Kensington Sd5600t Review Source: Windows Central

Using the dock connected to a 2K and a 4K display, each with DisplayPort, posed no issues when the dock actually decided to work. And the addition of dual HDMI 2.0 ports in a docking world where they take largely been forgotten adds some much-needed versatility for anyone who isn't using a monitor with a DisplayPort connection. The alone USB-C port on the forepart of the dock doesn't support video, and there'due south no downstream Thunderbolt 3, so don't buy this dock expecting to set upward a USB-C monitor chain.

Dual card readers on the front of the dock brand information technology easy for those working with removable storage to transfer information dorsum and forth. Both SD and microSD readers are UHS-II, meaning you can await read speeds somewhere around 285 MB/due south and write speeds around 155 MB/s. After testing, it seems both readers are using the same controller, so don't expect to read and write from them both simultaneously.

There are two Kensington lock slots — standard and nano — on the backside of the dock, adding some modicum of security for professionals using the dock in an office setting. Kensington sells a VESA mounting accessory that can get the dock upwards off your desk-bound and behind your monitor if you're seriously short of flat surfaces.

What I dislike about Kensington's SD5600T Thunderbolt 3 dock

Kensington Sd5600t Review Source: Windows Central

The Kensington SD5600T never worked well plenty that I'd consider keeping it on my desk-bound.

The dock is well built, information technology has a generous share of ports, and it can stand vertically or horizontally. Unfortunately, the time I spent using it as the centerpiece for my mean solar day-to-day performance resulted in more frustration than work. I'thou using it at present to connect a display, webcam, mouse, SD card, Ethernet cable, and to charge my phone. Information technology seems stable at the moment, simply I didn't simply sit down down and plug in the host cable. Following is a rundown of the troubleshooting I attempted.

I tested the SD5600T primarily with Dell's XPS xiii 9300, first with Windows version 1909. After reaching out to Kensington's live-conversation back up — which was prompt and polite — I updated to Windows version 20H2 at their recommendation. All drivers from Dell, including all Thunderbolt 3 drivers, were updated, and I ensured Kensington'southward DockWorks software was upwards to appointment. Unfortunately, there was not much of a change to the problems I volition lay out in a moment. The host cablevision included with the dock was used to connect my laptop.

I likewise tested using HP's Omen 15 and Lenovo's latest ThinkPad X1 Carbon. Though they seemed to connect much faster to the dock, there were still major problems with connected accessories and brandish recognition. I moved dorsum to the XPS xiii to continue testing.

Kensington Sd5600t Review Source: Windows Fundamental

The dock will sometimes refuse to recognize that it's been attached to a PC. To gear up, the dock's power cable must be reset, and even then, it sometimes takes a few tries. If the dock does recognize information technology's fastened to a PC, it can take up to 45 seconds to accept over and start sending a message to the external display. At to the lowest degree this was the case with the XPS xiii.

With the external display(s) lit upwards, the dock volition often refuse to recognize any other fastened accessories. What webcam? What mouse? What SD card? You get the picture. Sometimes unplugging the accessories and plugging them back in works, but other times the power cablevision and host cable must exist asunder and reset before plugging in any accessories. The Ethernet port will lite upwardly equally though it's sending and receiving data, but there's no sign on my PC that at that place's anything just Wi-Fi.

I could continue with numerous smaller grievances, but the lesser line here is that I'g non going to recommend the SD5600T in a market absolutely filled to burst with other docking options. Kensington itself makes a ton of great docks that would be a far better fit than this i.

Should yous buy Kensington's SD5600T?

Kensington Sd5600t Review Source: Windows Central

When the Kensington SD5600T works, information technology's a solid dock. Nonetheless, most of the fourth dimension, I tin't just sit down down, plug in the host cable, and expect it to work. That's essentially the get-go thing most people expect for in a docking station, so when it frequently takes 10 or 15 minutes of unplugging accessories, resetting power, and niggling with the host cable, at that place is a trouble. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon seemed to offer the best stability, even without DockWorks software and to-the-24-hour interval driver updates, and then your experience could differ. But spending effectually $260 for a dock that might work is a large inquire.

Kensington'south SD2500T Nano is a compact Thunderbolt iii and USB-C dock that worked without issue from the showtime. There'southward besides the CalDigit USB-C Pro Dock with Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C connectivity. Both received the Windows Central Recommended Laurels, and both are available at a lower cost. If none of these are quite what yous're looking for, our roundup of the all-time Thunderbolt 3 docks has many more than options.

Better Options Be

Kensington Sd5600t

Kensington SD5600T

Despite testing with multiple laptops, the Kensington SD5600T didn't practice its intended job well plenty to deserve a recommendation. Check out other docking stations for the best results.

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