I was planning on getting a Framework Laptop 16. I was going to use a laptop Dock to connect my desktop setup to it. Looks like the Framework 16 is capable of doing USB4 speeds. What kind of dock would I be looking for? It’s not compatible with Thunderbolt correct? I just want to get a USB - C dock with USB 4 correct?
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Thunderbolt 4 is just USB4 except with higher minimum requirements (many features of USB4 are optional) and a stringent certification process.
The Framework Laptop 16 supports most USB4 features so most Thunderbolt docks work fine. Although some docks (mainly CalDigit docks and other docks marketed for use with Mac) have issues with running multi-monitor setups.
USB4 allows the laptop to either send multiple display signals to the dock or to send a single display signal that the dock can then split to control multiple displays simultaneously. The AMD USB4 controllers that are in use in the Framework Laptop 16 only support the latter, which usually works fine but some Thunderbolt docks (mainly from CalDigit and other docks marketed for use with Macs) require the former method in order to work with multi-monitor setups.
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Thank you for clearing that up for me. I was looking at the Corsair TBT200. Might be a bit overkill but it has gotten good reviews from what I’ve seen.
I don’t think the Corsair has enough output to charge the laptop. I would find something with a minimum of 140W* output (or if you can find one, 240W) as those are the specifications for the Framework 16.
*Edit: minimum of 180W.
Afaik no docks are currently available with more than 100w power output (that don’t rely on proprietary charging protocols).
Higher is better, but if he’s not doing heavy GPU loads the Corsair dock will have plenty of power.
I would still be able to plug in the Framework charger to charge it while I use the dock correct? Yes, it’s another cable but not a huge deal.
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Afaik no docks are currently available with more than 100w power output (that don’t rely on proprietary charging protocols).
I’m seeing the same thing. The highest is 95w. The Dell can provide 180w to a Dell system but it’s only 95w for a non-Dell system.
Yep. That will work.
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I also use a dock and sometimes add the charger for that sweet extra juice.
The dock seems to not like it though when I plug in the charger and disconnects. So I sometimes need to power cycle the dock.
Couldn’t be the the laptop is trying to figure out where you want power from? It was going from the dock then you plug in the charger and the laptop sees more power from that so it disconnected the dock.
Does it happen if you plug the charger in first and then the dock?
It happens sometimes when I connect or disconnect the charger.
If I plug in both before turning on the laptop it’s fine. If I plug in the charger and then the dock it’s fine.
I kinda expected that USB PD stuff would not affect data transfer at all.
But it’s also not a big issue.
Hi there, I have the same concern as OP. Been burned in the past buying the wrong docking station and don’t want to repeat that with my new Framework 16. Do you think the Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma would also work? It’s TB - I hope it doesn’t fall in the category you describe as “mainly from CalDigit and other docks marketed for use with Macs”. 
Only 90W charging though, but I intend to use the “extra juice” from the Framework Laptop’s own charger all the time. Would that be an issue?
I have the”Mercury edition” of that Razer dock and it doesn’t work properly. USB devices are recognised, but displays are stuck at 640x480 and show as “Unknown display”. As far as I understand, the “Mercury edition” is just the same dock without RGB
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Thanks for the feedback, very helpful!
To be completely honest, considering I got burned once before (as I already mentioned) with a docking station that wasn’t ideal for my laptop, I am seriously thinking I should give up this idea. Too many factors at play and something could go wrong … In my previous case the laptop was a Dell Inspiron 7770 and the docking station itself was also by Dell, the D6000, but when 2 displays were plugged in I often got jittery screens, blackouts etc. It got so infuriating, I eventually stopped using the displays altogether (n.b.: those 2 external displays were also by Dell!)
So the moral of the story is that I am seriously, seriously considering not using a docking station at all (except maybe for minor USB peripherals like keyboard, mouse, etc), and instead plugging in the 2 displays directly into the Framework 16 - one of them can go at back (into the GPU module), and the other into an HDMI expansion bay I got. The only disadvantage of this setup would be having 2 unplug to extra cables when on the move, but this in my opinion vastly outweighs the cost/risk of using docking stations.
Unless anybody here knows of a solid, workable docking station that can work with the Framework Laptop 16 with the added dGPU and with 2 displays … Thoughts are always welcome!
EDIT: I am not too concerned about charging power because I don’t mind having the laptop plugged in to its charger simultaneously, so as not to rely solely on the docking station. I am well aware that it will be extremely difficult, if not downright impossible, to find the perfect docking station that can handle the FW L16 with 2 displays AND with the dGPU while at the same time being able to power it all.
Maybe I should ask this question in the Docking Station megathread …
I went to the product page for that dock and immediately see a lot of mentions of MacOS and also see the following sentence “Connect up to 2x4K displays on PC or Intel Mac”. That implies to me that it is in the category.
Thunderbolt can control multi-monitor setups in 2 ways: Sending multiple separate display signals over the Thunderbolt signal or sending a single display signal that can be split using MST to control multiple displays.
Intel MacBooks have good support for sending two separate display signals over Thunderbolt, however when sending a single display signal and splitting it with MST they have severe limitations (ex. Both displays must be displaying the same image). So typically any dock that mentions supporting dual displays on Mac uses the method that sends multiple display signals over Thunderbolt directly.
However AMD has the opposite situation from Macs. They work excellent with having a single display signal that gets split. However with multiple display signals people have reported mixed results (not working at all, working only at extremely low resolution, etc).
The Dell D6000 uses a 3rd method altogether for running the external displays: DisplayLink
A DisplayLink chip is essentially a GPU that has been simplified to the bare minimum. When you connect a computer to a dock with a DisplayLink chip what happens is the DisplayLink chip communicates with the main GPU in the system resulting in the main GPU doing 98% of the work and the DisplayLink chip handling controlling the monitors.
One of my family members has a D6000 and for him it works great. However I understand that many people have found it (and other DisplayLink based docks) to be highly finicky.
There is a performance penalty to using the dGPU through a dock connected to a port on the side of the laptop, however the one port on the back of the laptop has very limited capabilities (it is designed for full performance display output and not much else).
I think that many docks overcomplicate things by trying to offer unnecessary functionality. For example most docks have USB 3.0. However achieving USB 3.0 on a dock either requires cutting display bandwidth in half or requires much more expensive and complicated controller chips, whereas USB 2.0 is much easier to implement without issues. Personally the only USB devices I connect to my dock are my keyboard and mouse so I view a dock having USB 3.0 as a big red flag. The rear port on the FW16 doesn’t even support USB 3.0 so those docks usually either don’t work or limit displays to half bandwidth for no gain.
I suggest (although haven’t personally tried) this adapter as the way it works is relatively simply internally compared to other docks and should allow for dual displays with high bandwidth on the rear port. And has 2 USB 2.0 ports for USB peripherals. Although the laptop only supports charging through the side ports so the power port on that adapter won’t work if plugged in the back.
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This may not be super helpful, because I don’t know that it will do what you want it to do. But I bring it up because you say you don’t mind having to still plug in your charger.
I was looking at hubs/docks, but still intended to power/charge the laptop with the 180W charger, just to be sure I had compatibility and maximum power.
I picked up an Anker 556, USB 4 hub and it works great. It has an HDMI port and a DisplayPort, but I haven’t tried it with two monitors. I have a 4K, 60Hz monitor connected via HDMI, I use the two USB A ports for keyboard and USB DAC/Amp, and the USB C port I use for external SSDs, memory card readers, etc.
When I set the laptop on the desk I plug in the Anker hub and the USB cable from the 180W charger. The Anker does support USB PD pass-through charging. I think up to 60 watts, but I’d just as soon plug in the 180W charger, even if the hub could support 100 watts.
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I’ve been using the Caldigit TS4 and its been working perfectly with my FW 16. I’ve been pushing a 3440x1440p ultra wide and a 1440p second monitor with it and its never had a problem. All my USB peripherals, ethernet, SD card, headphone jack, etc connected to the dock just work too. For what its worth, I’m legally obligated to say I’m using Linux so I have no clue how well it’d work with Windows.
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Lol. Welcome to the community!
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Thank you sir, I will have a look at your suggestion and maybe try it out.
2× displays through the rear port, which is designed for high bandwidth displays in the first place, sounds exactly like the solution I need. No charging through that port is not an issue - as I said, I’ll probably have the laptop plugged in anyway.
The peripherals I use are also pretty simple, in short just a keyboard + a mouse + a headset, each with their added stand or mount where applicable (all by Razer):
- Huntsman V2 Analog Keyboard
- Viper Ultimate Mouse + Mouse Dock Chroma + Firefly V2 pad
- Blackshark V2 Pro headset + Base Station V2 Chroma
Thanks also for your answer, although I would really, really like to know whether it works nicely with 2 displays. Are you using Linux as well?
@Matthew_Mccarthy I’m not that much of a wiz and have no idea whether using Linux will be such a massive difference but I am assuming it will be, considering I’m on Windows 11 (forgot to mention, sorry). Thanks for the insight though.