I can add to this. 6. Over the time the fan begins to be running more and more (maybe it is dust build-up, but vacuuming, at least without opening, does not help with the issue), and it makes constant up-and-down spinning, (like several times per SECOND, it is horrible) and it is loud when it runs at full speed. 7. Some versions of the dock don't have a split DC / thunderbolt at the laptop end. If that thunderbolt port breaks, the dock is useless. Ask me how I know. 8. The placement of the various ports makes zero sense. 9. There is no HDMI output. Most monitors have more HDMI inputs than DP inputs, yet most laptops, GPUs and docks have more DP outputs. Makes zero sense to me. 10 (half points). It is heavy, and while this often indicates of lots / high quality components, in this case, it is because there is just a huge metallic heat spreader (resembles a soviet era washing machine). Maybe they should have instead opted for a larger (and thus quieter) fan than to try build up the heat inside just then having to push it away with a tiny fan. 11. It is made by HP. A while back (like 10 years?) HP decided to cut corners to cut costs, and it shows. Even their wanna-be high end products are garbage. These just get broken very easily. Ask me how I know. 12. The 24-hour on-site warranty is closer to 24-day on-site warranty. Once again, ask me how I know. By the way, you can configure the top button to not make the computer go to sleep. HP does get one positive mention from me in that they provide good service guides for at least their wanna-be high end products.
I just bought one, and what do you mean by "If that thunderbolt port breaks, the dock is useless." I think if the port breaks every other dock becomes useless.
@@luckiestone at least in my laptop, there are multiple thunderbolt ports. But of course, only one of them is next to the power connector. So in case that particular thunderbolt port breaks, I cannot plug the thunderbolt connector of the dock to another, still functioning thunderbolt port on the laptop. If the cable was such that you can split it, you could still use another thunderbolt port. Some of the HP dock versions have this splittable cable end (the power plug and thunderbolt plug stay together with a magnet), but not all.
@@fintux got it, the non-splitable cable is weird. But if a combo cable is broken, any 100W 40G TB3 cable will be ok to replace it. The front calble of all HP TB docks are swapable. Unscrew one screm and take off the bottom cover, all will be done within 2 minutes. 230W module with only TB cable will just work as a 120W one.
It depends on your requirements, this dock will happily drive 2 x 4k monitors which may be a challenge for other docks. 1. The cable could be longer but easily changed. 2. The top button used to be a minor pain but where my dock now sits it's very rare for it to be accidentally knocked. It's useful for powering on my x360 laptop which is permanently folded and has a keyboard button for power which is out of sight. 3. 3 x USB-A and 2 x USB-C is more than enough for me. 3.5 Never noticed the LED. 4. The fan is a known issue, see below. 5. Certainly overpriced. The HP USB-C dock or one of the old rectangular HP Thunderbolt docks (secondhand around £30) will service most needs. I've had my dock nearly 3 years and I never noticed any real noise from the fan in the dock. Then one evening it started whining loudly waking us up in a different room. Pulling the power lead out, even though the laptop was off, was the quick fix. The noise has been intermittent but gradually getting more common to the point today where after 10 mins it has a constant loud whine. I have taken the dock apart and the fan has a lot of dust stuck between the blades. I've given it a through clean with a toothbrush and the brushless fan seems to now spin without any resistance. I'm hoping that does the trick, if not I'll probably disconnect it. There aren't too many components on the board in the "thermal area" so fingers crossed 🙂
Really good to hear you’re happy with it. I’m now using mine at work, which does help with a lot of the problems I had with it when used in a bedroom. Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed comment; people will find what you’ve said really useful 👍
@@Endpoint101 Glad the feedback helps. An update on the fan, the clean has helped and then yesterday evening it started whining again. The laptop had been on all day and the dock was nice and quiet. Strangely, the dock fan started its racket soon after the laptop was switched off, when it was under no real load. When I took the dock apart after a day's use it wasn't even warm inside. I believe the G5 dock is a similar design and has no fan. I think I'll remove the fan completely to provide a small air gap over the "thermal area" and see how it runs. We have some HP USB-C docks at work which should support my setup, so I'm going to keep one on standby just in case.
A further update on the fan noise. It has been quiet, fortunate as I've forgotten to pull the plug at night and its not woken the house. Today the noise, and it is loud, started as soon as I plugged the power lead in. With Teams meetings planned I quickly disassembled the dock and removed the fan completely. I could have just disconnected it but I figured an air gap may help. After being unplugged all night it must be triggered by load rather than any thermal sensor. I found replacement fans from China on eBay, so for £12 all in I'll be trying one of them out just to be on the safe side. They look identical, the OEM is made in China, so will report back if it's a cheap fix.
I've got that dock, and the fan drives me crazy (even though mine isn't broken yet). The dock came from my employer, and I've got my private PC in the room as well. That one is a beast with water cooling, big GPU and all, and it's barely audible during normal use. But then, for no apparent reason at all, the dock's fan starts (laptop being off, fully charged and all... 20C in the room), and it's louder than the beast of a PC! With that most annoying whiny-tiny-fan sound. Colossal design fail!
We use those at my office and I agree with every complaint!! I never noticed the fan noise at the office, but did when I took one home during the pandemic, loud enough that I started unplugging it at night. Honestly, the only positive things I can say about it is that it has decent monitor connection options, most docks don't have 4 outputs, this one does! Also being a Thunderbolt device means you are less likely to bottleneck the uplink to the laptop.
I've had one of these for about three or four years. I've never noticed any fan related concerns, but I do agree that it could do with more USB type A ports: there is another one on the side, making a total of three. All USB type C cables that support both Thunderbolt and power are going to be stiff. If you only need to power your laptop up to 100W, you don't need to use the barrel connector/cable so you can separate it, and clip it back, so only the USB type C cable is of concern. 100W is (or was until very recently) a limitation of the USB Power Delivery spec. You can extend the cable if you purchase a proper cable extension that will support both 100W PD and Thunderbolt 3. The best two aspects of this dock are (1) it works with both Thunderbolt and non-Thunderbolt USB type C with alt-mode DP, and (2) it has awesome true multi-monitor support including over its two rear USB type C connections (even though only one of them is marked with a DisplayPort logo). Some docks use DisplayLink technology to achieve multi-monitor support, but it can be quite a compromise in some use cases. I run a UHD monitor at 4k60p over one of its DisplayPort connectors, and two WQXGA LG +view monitors both at 2560x1600 each over USB C, all simultaneously. Both rear USB C ports support Alt mode DP as well as powering those +view monitors. I'm not aware of any other TB dock with support for USB type C alt-mode DP monitors. If you go for a "cheap USB-C hub", what did you have in mind? Almost none of them support 4k60p, and certainly none that I'm aware of will support 4k60p and multi-monitor simultaneously. Invariably in my experience of about a dozen different "cheap USB-C hubs" are almost always quite a compromise with hidden limitations and surprises. I have one exception, but again although it'll run 4k60p, it won't support multi-monitor at the same time.
I really appreciate such a detailed comment. It's great you have a good use-case for the dock & that it's working out for you. Anyone thinking of buying the dock should be sure of their needs & whether a cheap dock will suffice (like for 1080p 30pfs) or whether a more expensive dock like the HP G2 will be needed. In my case, it was total overkill, but was given to me by work, when an extra power adapter & Anker hub would have been fine.
Maybe I'm missing something, but I feel like a cheap USB-C hub is far better value for money, and doesn't have any of the downsides I've listed above. What do you think?
The G5 dock is not much better. In fact you very quickly hit the USB bandwidth limit for the hardware you have connected as well. The G5 doesn't have a fan inside from what I'm aware though. I haven't found any decent USB-C 'docks' because they all seem to use similar hardware and have similar problems. They're all over £100 too!
In the end I’ve been using this USB-C hub (and a standard powered USB hub for extra ports), which cuts down on the clutter.. ruclips.net/video/ktmjBcabRlw/видео.html
I’ll see what I can do.. it’ll still be difficult to judge due to microphone/playback levels. It is quite quiet.. but you can certainly tell it’s on, and it annoyed me more that it’d come on even when the laptop wasn’t powered up! That was especially annoying since my wfh setup is in the bedroom 😔
Endpoint, I 100% agree on what you're saying. Where I work, we've ordered 300-400 hundreds of these thunderbolt G2 Euro 230 watts docks, and they are not good. Fan noise, 2 monitor connected to Display port blinks, sometime like a lightshow. Thick connection cable, irritating top flat button, that when you fiddle with the dock, easily set the computer in sleep mode, or turns it off. We've reset it, updated firmwares on them but they still keeps failing. HP support doesn't say much about the problems, just sending another unit to you. I guess they know very well of these problems
Agreed the power data cable is a little stiff. My ask would have been longer and disconnect from dock or as with later docks the option of C cable full connect to the computer. But to your complaint of USB A learn to count. Two on that side and one on another side. Oh you found it. But what speed are they? How about when you start connecting through that external hub? They share, split that bandwidth. I have a 10 port A and C hub pluged to C/Lightening port so the devices share the bandwidth and none of the individual devices would need more. That brings up price. It is high and for the amount you should be able to buy with the ports you need. That might include DVI, Display port, AND the devices I added externally for more ports, reading cards, etc. and of much better quality/capability. That is being able to read the system or device demand of any connected device and deliver bandwidth according to demand. On the other hand, my ZBook studio would just be a laptop with a charging brick and meager connectivity Instead of sporting several HDD, a 32" 4K monitor and 22" monitor, external sound, etc. Plenty of power to quick charge Apple Ultra and 15 Pro MAX simultaneously doing whatever.
I have the same model. and I haven't noticed any noise issues. cooling works only while charging the laptop. I have been using it for more than a year as the main hub for my Macbook, everything works just fine. I also sometimes use it to connect a steam deck. everything just works, just connected one wire. this is a fantastic thing for me. I don't know what setup you have. but I'm using a ThinkVision monitor with Thunderbolt that has 4 USBs that I connect all my peripherals to. the hub still has 2 USB-C and 3 USB-A, which I rarely use. regarding the connection wire, its length and place, I consider it very subjective. but the wire can be easily replaced by choosing a suitable one or by buying an original one with a length of up to 5 meters. I can only say one thing that there is no need to save money, I used the Chinese analogue Baseus 17 in 1 and this crap broke in half a year.
I have the HP Thunderbolt G2 Dock 120W for a year now and I like it so far. For me it’s very useful. I’m using two 4K @60Hz screens, hi-res audio speakers over usb, webcam, keyboard/mouse and 1 Gbit ethernet and it works flawlessly. I connected a KVM switch anyway because I’m sharing this setup for a desktop PC as well. Which of course doesn’t support USB-c connectivity due to the external graphics card. So all my USB-devices are on that switch which goes via one cable to my dock and one cable to the desktop. I get 940 Mbits download and upload, because I have 1 Gbit fiber. Both my HP Elitebook 955 G7 with Ryzen and MacBook Pro connect perfectly fine to this dock. The downside is that my MacBook doesn’t support MST, so I have to switch the usb-c to hdmi from the right to the left usb-c port with thunderbolt to use the second monitor in extended mode. Honestly I didn’t expect my Ryzen work laptop to support dual 4K @60 Hz over one cable since it doesn’t have Thunderbolt. Over the past year this setup has been very reliable and I’m using it around 40 hours per week. The LED is indeed very bright and I have to unplug the USB-C cable as well because of the fan which keeps spinning even if the device is turned off. The fan itself is in my experience not that noisy. From what I heard you can swap the USB-C cable with a longer one, however these are pretty expensive in my case because it has to support at least Thunderbolt 3 with 100 Watts charging. On the contrary you get 3 additional multifunctional USB-C ports, which is not bad on top of the 3 USB-A ports. Overall I can recommend it in a similar case like mine with having two monitors, however if you have one monitor and want more USB ports it’s better to search an alternative like you said
Thank you for taking the time to write this amount of detail. Great to see the dock *is* actually good for certain setups.. people will need to figure out whether they’re hitting your use case, or can go for a cheaper USB hub/adapter.
I just ditched mine (issued at work) in favor of a csb-c to dp adapter and usb-a hub. The thing is noisier (constant drone too) than the Probook it came with and constantly locks up until hard reset.
Have you had the opportunity to compare the G2 and G4 versions? I'm wondering if the fan issue been fixed? I've been through a number of reviews and not all state exactly which version they are reviewing, and if I'm not mixing up products, it seems the fan might be removed altogether? I tend to agree with the complaint on low number of ports. I would kind of be able to work around it, if I insert the keyboard/mouse dongle directly in the laptop, and then use the two USB-ports in the dock for an external hard drive and and a DVD/RW-drive. But I would prefer to have the dongle in the dock. If opting for the "HP USB-C Dock G5" be, is loosing thunderbolt capability the only downside? With future compatibility in mind, you might want to keep thunderbolt though.
I use this dock, the version with single USB-C/thunderbolt cable going to laptop. It's almost perfect for my setup. I have it and the laptop far off to side, with a 5k monitor and the laptop lid shut. Cheapo regular USB-C docks can't drive my monitor at 5k 60hz. This thunderbolt one can. The power button is useful as I don't need to open the lid of the laptop to turn the computer on. Front cable makes it easy to unplug and plug in the laptop without digging for the cable at the back. I also use the Ethernet, which is better then my WiFi especially with the laptop lid closed.
Great to hear you like it :) I'm now using mine at work, and in that situation some of the annoyances go away, but I think it's still expensive for what it is.
@@Endpoint101 It is pricey, though on par with other Thunderbolt docks, such as the gold standard Caldigit TS3 plus. Fortunately mine is part of a work from home set up, and work paid for it.
How strange, I have a G2 provided by work but it only has one cable going into the laptop. I must admit I hadn't noticed the led as it's oriented to the side but I agree that the fan is the worst. Why is it louder than the laptop itself? Crazy. I have a smart plug which switches off the dock when the laptop turns off but obviously doesn't help when it's in use. The power brick is also enormous and has an annoying buzz
Having a smart plug to turn it off is a good idea, but totally agree, it's pretty bad. I'd be very annoyed if I'd paid for it.. in fact, I'd have sent it back!
There are two models depending on your laptop's power needs. The USB-C cable can provide up to 100 watts of power delivery. If you have a laptop that needs more, like a Z-Book, then they sell a different model that has a dedicated power cable coupled with the USB-C.
@@Endpoint101 No problem, I believe it does in fact require power at all times from all online sources I've checked. I'd best avoid this particular one anyways since you've pointed out the problems encountered.
I have had the HP Z Laptop for almost two years, and this G2 Hub comes with it. The annoying things mentioned in this video is spot on. In my case, I share office with two others and the fan noise from the dock itself is INSANE. The fan control seems to be completely nuts, making the only two modes either OFF or FULL. There is no logic in when the fan runs, so even with the laptop disconnected from the hub, it can switch on and off every two seconds for no reason. There is no easing/stepping in the fan control transitions .. Making it really intrusive. Have patiently been waiting for a firmware update or any reply from HP on their own support forums (They are completely absent). DO NOT Buy this hub unless you work in a industrial noisy environment! My new years resolution is to build a gigantic slingshot and shoot this docking station into outer space.
Thank you for posting about your experience with this dock. It's really interesting to hear how bad the fan is for you.. I wonder if it can be replaced.
Seem apart for all the things you correctly pointed out, this device has a very high failure rat as you can understand by looking at sites like eBay and seeing how many of these are offered for Part Only/Non functional. My take of HP in general is = PASS! No Run Away! :)
Thanks for pointing this out.. I wasn't aware, and lots of other people may not know either. Mine is still ok for now, and is used at work so some of the sucky things aren't too bad in an office environment.
@@Endpoint101 seriously. I have one of these from work. it consistently flakes out - loses all connectivity with the laptop bar the power source. it is a known problem apparently, and the only solution is multiple resets, hard resets, unplugging everything, plugging everything back in. Its a warning for any private consumer - avoid this product at all cost.
I have had 2 die on me in the past 7 months and they are backordered at my company and have been for 7 months. Looking for a way to hook up a regular docking station. Not sure if it can be done. Expensive as hell too
Other docks from other producers (Lenovo or Dell) are even worse, this at least has both VGA and USB-C video output from where I can go out at 4K @60 Hz ( this because I haven't more displayport available on the 4k monitor) and it's quite impressive. Also you can't complain about the led and the cable; led are just there on this kind of device; regarding cable, thunderbolt cable are quite complicated and delivery power and a lot of thing, they are quite rigid and short and of course is on the front to reach your laptop. The only complain you can say it's the fan but actually I almost never heard that.
I hate the power button on top of the dock. Anyone knows how to disable this? Today I shutdown my laptop accidentally 5 times. Terrible design to put the power button on the whole top of the dock. Power buttons should be as tiny as possible to avoid accidental pressed.
Hi! Great video. But one question: if i connect my omen hp laptop (with rtx 4060) to the usbc tunderbolt and the docking sation to 3 monitor, is the control direct from nvidia rtx 4060 direct?
This thing is driving me batty! I don't understand what the ethernet port is for. Do you? I am using wifi for my laptop's network/internet connection and my router is in another room. Also, it has 2 x Dp ports and 2 x hdmi ports and I have 1 monitor that has Dp and 1 that is HDMI and instructions say max 2 x monitors. What if I had added another DP or hdmi monitor? Shouldn't it support up to 4 monitors (combination 2 x dp and 2 x hdmi)? I am also hoping to be able to switch laptops as I have 2 x Hp that both have thunderbolt usb-c. Finally, can one use the laptops' hdmi for adding monitors while using this device to exceed the max two. And, if I use wireless keyboard and wireless mouse will they be recognized when switching laptops? Finally,, we aren't supposed to attach any device with storage, such as thumb drives, external hard drives and smartphones, to the work laptop. But, i would like use this with my personal laptop and chromebook. Will my company be able to detect storage devices attached to this thing? Ayayaya!
Hmm, I think they would be able to detect anything you plug into it.. since the devices will be listed in Windows, which is running audit software, and will report back what it sees.
@@Endpoint101 I found some additional documentation. Says the maximum number of external monitors is two. As for the eternity, would be nice to hardware this Thunderbolt to my router but am unable to move my network equipment.
@@Endpoint101 and thanks! Now I am looking for a way to power and attach multiple casting devices to my networked TV - Chrome cast, Roku and an Amazon Firestick. Two seem to charge hot, so would be nice if it had an on/off power switch. Any ideas?
![Thunderbolt 3 vs. USB-C - What Is The Difference? [Simple Guide]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ilQTUWKQRMA/mqdefault.jpg)
I can add to this.
6. Over the time the fan begins to be running more and more (maybe it is dust build-up, but vacuuming, at least without opening, does not help with the issue), and it makes constant up-and-down spinning, (like several times per SECOND, it is horrible) and it is loud when it runs at full speed.
7. Some versions of the dock don't have a split DC / thunderbolt at the laptop end. If that thunderbolt port breaks, the dock is useless. Ask me how I know.
8. The placement of the various ports makes zero sense.
9. There is no HDMI output. Most monitors have more HDMI inputs than DP inputs, yet most laptops, GPUs and docks have more DP outputs. Makes zero sense to me.
10 (half points). It is heavy, and while this often indicates of lots / high quality components, in this case, it is because there is just a huge metallic heat spreader (resembles a soviet era washing machine). Maybe they should have instead opted for a larger (and thus quieter) fan than to try build up the heat inside just then having to push it away with a tiny fan.
11. It is made by HP. A while back (like 10 years?) HP decided to cut corners to cut costs, and it shows. Even their wanna-be high end products are garbage. These just get broken very easily. Ask me how I know.
12. The 24-hour on-site warranty is closer to 24-day on-site warranty. Once again, ask me how I know.
By the way, you can configure the top button to not make the computer go to sleep.
HP does get one positive mention from me in that they provide good service guides for at least their wanna-be high end products.
Thank you for such a great comment; it's so good I've pinned it to the top of the comments area!
@@Endpoint101 I'm glad to hear that!
I just bought one, and what do you mean by "If that thunderbolt port breaks, the dock is useless." I think if the port breaks every other dock becomes useless.
@@luckiestone at least in my laptop, there are multiple thunderbolt ports. But of course, only one of them is next to the power connector. So in case that particular thunderbolt port breaks, I cannot plug the thunderbolt connector of the dock to another, still functioning thunderbolt port on the laptop. If the cable was such that you can split it, you could still use another thunderbolt port. Some of the HP dock versions have this splittable cable end (the power plug and thunderbolt plug stay together with a magnet), but not all.
@@fintux got it, the non-splitable cable is weird. But if a combo cable is broken, any 100W 40G TB3 cable will be ok to replace it. The front calble of all HP TB docks are swapable. Unscrew one screm and take off the bottom cover, all will be done within 2 minutes. 230W module with only TB cable will just work as a 120W one.
It depends on your requirements, this dock will happily drive 2 x 4k monitors which may be a challenge for other docks.
1. The cable could be longer but easily changed.
2. The top button used to be a minor pain but where my dock now sits it's very rare for it to be accidentally knocked. It's useful for powering on my x360 laptop which is permanently folded and has a keyboard button for power which is out of sight.
3. 3 x USB-A and 2 x USB-C is more than enough for me.
3.5 Never noticed the LED.
4. The fan is a known issue, see below.
5. Certainly overpriced. The HP USB-C dock or one of the old rectangular HP Thunderbolt docks (secondhand around £30) will service most needs.
I've had my dock nearly 3 years and I never noticed any real noise from the fan in the dock. Then one evening it started whining loudly waking us up in a different room. Pulling the power lead out, even though the laptop was off, was the quick fix. The noise has been intermittent but gradually getting more common to the point today where after 10 mins it has a constant loud whine.
I have taken the dock apart and the fan has a lot of dust stuck between the blades. I've given it a through clean with a toothbrush and the brushless fan seems to now spin without any resistance. I'm hoping that does the trick, if not I'll probably disconnect it. There aren't too many components on the board in the "thermal area" so fingers crossed 🙂
Really good to hear you’re happy with it. I’m now using mine at work, which does help with a lot of the problems I had with it when used in a bedroom. Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed comment; people will find what you’ve said really useful 👍
@@Endpoint101 Glad the feedback helps. An update on the fan, the clean has helped and then yesterday evening it started whining again. The laptop had been on all day and the dock was nice and quiet. Strangely, the dock fan started its racket soon after the laptop was switched off, when it was under no real load.
When I took the dock apart after a day's use it wasn't even warm inside. I believe the G5 dock is a similar design and has no fan. I think I'll remove the fan completely to provide a small air gap over the "thermal area" and see how it runs. We have some HP USB-C docks at work which should support my setup, so I'm going to keep one on standby just in case.
A further update on the fan noise. It has been quiet, fortunate as I've forgotten to pull the plug at night and its not woken the house. Today the noise, and it is loud, started as soon as I plugged the power lead in. With Teams meetings planned I quickly disassembled the dock and removed the fan completely. I could have just disconnected it but I figured an air gap may help. After being unplugged all night it must be triggered by load rather than any thermal sensor.
I found replacement fans from China on eBay, so for £12 all in I'll be trying one of them out just to be on the safe side. They look identical, the OEM is made in China, so will report back if it's a cheap fix.
Oh wow. Great to hear your experience with this. Keep us posted with how you get on 🙂
I've got that dock, and the fan drives me crazy (even though mine isn't broken yet). The dock came from my employer, and I've got my private PC in the room as well. That one is a beast with water cooling, big GPU and all, and it's barely audible during normal use. But then, for no apparent reason at all, the dock's fan starts (laptop being off, fully charged and all... 20C in the room), and it's louder than the beast of a PC! With that most annoying whiny-tiny-fan sound. Colossal design fail!
We use those at my office and I agree with every complaint!! I never noticed the fan noise at the office, but did when I took one home during the pandemic, loud enough that I started unplugging it at night. Honestly, the only positive things I can say about it is that it has decent monitor connection options, most docks don't have 4 outputs, this one does! Also being a Thunderbolt device means you are less likely to bottleneck the uplink to the laptop.
I've had one of these for about three or four years. I've never noticed any fan related concerns, but I do agree that it could do with more USB type A ports: there is another one on the side, making a total of three. All USB type C cables that support both Thunderbolt and power are going to be stiff. If you only need to power your laptop up to 100W, you don't need to use the barrel connector/cable so you can separate it, and clip it back, so only the USB type C cable is of concern. 100W is (or was until very recently) a limitation of the USB Power Delivery spec. You can extend the cable if you purchase a proper cable extension that will support both 100W PD and Thunderbolt 3.
The best two aspects of this dock are (1) it works with both Thunderbolt and non-Thunderbolt USB type C with alt-mode DP, and (2) it has awesome true multi-monitor support including over its two rear USB type C connections (even though only one of them is marked with a DisplayPort logo). Some docks use DisplayLink technology to achieve multi-monitor support, but it can be quite a compromise in some use cases.
I run a UHD monitor at 4k60p over one of its DisplayPort connectors, and two WQXGA LG +view monitors both at 2560x1600 each over USB C, all simultaneously. Both rear USB C ports support Alt mode DP as well as powering those +view monitors.
I'm not aware of any other TB dock with support for USB type C alt-mode DP monitors.
If you go for a "cheap USB-C hub", what did you have in mind? Almost none of them support 4k60p, and certainly none that I'm aware of will support 4k60p and multi-monitor simultaneously. Invariably in my experience of about a dozen different "cheap USB-C hubs" are almost always quite a compromise with hidden limitations and surprises. I have one exception, but again although it'll run 4k60p, it won't support multi-monitor at the same time.
I really appreciate such a detailed comment. It's great you have a good use-case for the dock & that it's working out for you. Anyone thinking of buying the dock should be sure of their needs & whether a cheap dock will suffice (like for 1080p 30pfs) or whether a more expensive dock like the HP G2 will be needed. In my case, it was total overkill, but was given to me by work, when an extra power adapter & Anker hub would have been fine.
Maybe I'm missing something, but I feel like a cheap USB-C hub is far better value for money, and doesn't have any of the downsides I've listed above. What do you think?
The G5 dock is not much better. In fact you very quickly hit the USB bandwidth limit for the hardware you have connected as well. The G5 doesn't have a fan inside from what I'm aware though.
I haven't found any decent USB-C 'docks' because they all seem to use similar hardware and have similar problems. They're all over £100 too!
In the end I’ve been using this USB-C hub (and a standard powered USB hub for extra ports), which cuts down on the clutter.. ruclips.net/video/ktmjBcabRlw/видео.html
@@Endpoint101 It's a good little device, I wish USB-C 'clicked' or 'clamped' into place a bit more securely as it slips out of my phone a lot D:
@Endpoint101 please do a video with the fan operational so I can judge its loudness
I’ll see what I can do.. it’ll still be difficult to judge due to microphone/playback levels. It is quite quiet.. but you can certainly tell it’s on, and it annoyed me more that it’d come on even when the laptop wasn’t powered up! That was especially annoying since my wfh setup is in the bedroom 😔
Endpoint, I 100% agree on what you're saying. Where I work, we've ordered 300-400 hundreds of these thunderbolt G2 Euro 230 watts docks, and they are not good. Fan noise, 2 monitor connected to Display port blinks, sometime like a lightshow. Thick connection cable, irritating top flat button, that when you fiddle with the dock, easily set the computer in sleep mode, or turns it off. We've reset it, updated firmwares on them but they still keeps failing. HP support doesn't say much about the problems, just sending another unit to you. I guess they know very well of these problems
Agreed the power data cable is a little stiff. My ask would have been longer and disconnect from dock or as with later docks the option of C cable full connect to the computer.
But to your complaint of USB A learn to count. Two on that side and one on another side. Oh you found it. But what speed are they? How about when you start connecting through that external hub? They share, split that bandwidth.
I have a 10 port A and C hub pluged to C/Lightening port so the devices share the bandwidth and none of the individual devices would need more.
That brings up price. It is high and for the amount you should be able to buy with the ports you need. That might include DVI, Display port, AND the devices I added externally for more ports, reading cards, etc. and of much better quality/capability. That is being able to read the system or device demand of any connected device and deliver bandwidth according to demand.
On the other hand, my ZBook studio would just be a laptop with a charging brick and meager connectivity Instead of sporting several HDD, a 32" 4K monitor and 22" monitor, external sound, etc. Plenty of power to quick charge Apple Ultra and 15 Pro MAX simultaneously doing whatever.
I have the same model. and I haven't noticed any noise issues. cooling works only while charging the laptop. I have been using it for more than a year as the main hub for my Macbook, everything works just fine. I also sometimes use it to connect a steam deck. everything just works, just connected one wire. this is a fantastic thing for me.
I don't know what setup you have. but I'm using a ThinkVision monitor with Thunderbolt that has 4 USBs that I connect all my peripherals to. the hub still has 2 USB-C and 3 USB-A, which I rarely use.
regarding the connection wire, its length and place, I consider it very subjective. but the wire can be easily replaced by choosing a suitable one or by buying an original one with a length of up to 5 meters.
I can only say one thing that there is no need to save money, I used the Chinese analogue Baseus 17 in 1 and this crap broke in half a year.
I'm really glad it works well for you :)
I have the HP Thunderbolt G2 Dock 120W for a year now and I like it so far. For me it’s very useful. I’m using two 4K @60Hz screens, hi-res audio speakers over usb, webcam, keyboard/mouse and 1 Gbit ethernet and it works flawlessly. I connected a KVM switch anyway because I’m sharing this setup for a desktop PC as well. Which of course doesn’t support USB-c connectivity due to the external graphics card. So all my USB-devices are on that switch which goes via one cable to my dock and one cable to the desktop. I get 940 Mbits download and upload, because I have 1 Gbit fiber. Both my HP Elitebook 955 G7 with Ryzen and MacBook Pro connect perfectly fine to this dock. The downside is that my MacBook doesn’t support MST, so I have to switch the usb-c to hdmi from the right to the left usb-c port with thunderbolt to use the second monitor in extended mode. Honestly I didn’t expect my Ryzen work laptop to support dual 4K @60 Hz over one cable since it doesn’t have Thunderbolt. Over the past year this setup has been very reliable and I’m using it around 40 hours per week.
The LED is indeed very bright and I have to unplug the USB-C cable as well because of the fan which keeps spinning even if the device is turned off. The fan itself is in my experience not that noisy. From what I heard you can swap the USB-C cable with a longer one, however these are pretty expensive in my case because it has to support at least Thunderbolt 3 with 100 Watts charging. On the contrary you get 3 additional multifunctional USB-C ports, which is not bad on top of the 3 USB-A ports. Overall I can recommend it in a similar case like mine with having two monitors, however if you have one monitor and want more USB ports it’s better to search an alternative like you said
Thank you for taking the time to write this amount of detail. Great to see the dock *is* actually good for certain setups.. people will need to figure out whether they’re hitting your use case, or can go for a cheaper USB hub/adapter.
Does this device have to be connected to a network/internet via ethernet to be able to keep my laptop on the network? My router is in another room.
I just ditched mine (issued at work) in favor of a csb-c to dp adapter and usb-a hub.
The thing is noisier (constant drone too) than the Probook it came with and constantly locks up until hard reset.
Have you had the opportunity to compare the G2 and G4 versions? I'm wondering if the fan issue been fixed? I've been through a number of reviews and not all state exactly which version they are reviewing, and if I'm not mixing up products, it seems the fan might be removed altogether?
I tend to agree with the complaint on low number of ports. I would kind of be able to work around it, if I insert the keyboard/mouse dongle directly in the laptop, and then use the two USB-ports in the dock for an external hard drive and and a DVD/RW-drive. But I would prefer to have the dongle in the dock.
If opting for the "HP USB-C Dock G5" be, is loosing thunderbolt capability the only downside? With future compatibility in mind, you might want to keep thunderbolt though.
I use this dock, the version with single USB-C/thunderbolt cable going to laptop.
It's almost perfect for my setup. I have it and the laptop far off to side, with a 5k monitor and the laptop lid shut.
Cheapo regular USB-C docks can't drive my monitor at 5k 60hz. This thunderbolt one can.
The power button is useful as I don't need to open the lid of the laptop to turn the computer on.
Front cable makes it easy to unplug and plug in the laptop without digging for the cable at the back.
I also use the Ethernet, which is better then my WiFi especially with the laptop lid closed.
Great to hear you like it :) I'm now using mine at work, and in that situation some of the annoyances go away, but I think it's still expensive for what it is.
@@Endpoint101 It is pricey, though on par with other Thunderbolt docks, such as the gold standard Caldigit TS3 plus.
Fortunately mine is part of a work from home set up, and work paid for it.
Thanks for the information. Great video! Fast and easy! Tip-Top👍
You're welcome :)
How strange, I have a G2 provided by work but it only has one cable going into the laptop. I must admit I hadn't noticed the led as it's oriented to the side but I agree that the fan is the worst. Why is it louder than the laptop itself? Crazy. I have a smart plug which switches off the dock when the laptop turns off but obviously doesn't help when it's in use. The power brick is also enormous and has an annoying buzz
Having a smart plug to turn it off is a good idea, but totally agree, it's pretty bad. I'd be very annoyed if I'd paid for it.. in fact, I'd have sent it back!
There are two models depending on your laptop's power needs. The USB-C cable can provide up to 100 watts of power delivery. If you have a laptop that needs more, like a Z-Book, then they sell a different model that has a dedicated power cable coupled with the USB-C.
Will these hubs work without power? If there is no access to a spare mains supply, can I just plug this into my laptop and utilise the display port?
I don’t think so no.. and I can’t check until I’m back in the office in about 2-3 weeks.
@@Endpoint101 No problem, I believe it does in fact require power at all times from all online sources I've checked. I'd best avoid this particular one anyways since you've pointed out the problems encountered.
I have had the HP Z Laptop for almost two years, and this G2 Hub comes with it. The annoying things mentioned in this video is spot on. In my case, I share office with two others and the fan noise from the dock itself is INSANE. The fan control seems to be completely nuts, making the only two modes either OFF or FULL.
There is no logic in when the fan runs, so even with the laptop disconnected from the hub, it can switch on and off every two seconds for no reason. There is no easing/stepping in the fan control transitions .. Making it really intrusive.
Have patiently been waiting for a firmware update or any reply from HP on their own support forums (They are completely absent). DO NOT Buy this hub unless you work in a industrial noisy environment!
My new years resolution is to build a gigantic slingshot and shoot this docking station into outer space.
Thank you for posting about your experience with this dock. It's really interesting to hear how bad the fan is for you.. I wonder if it can be replaced.
Seem apart for all the things you correctly pointed out, this device has a very high failure rat as you can understand by looking at sites like eBay and seeing how many of these are offered for Part Only/Non functional.
My take of HP in general is = PASS! No Run Away! :)
Thanks for pointing this out.. I wasn't aware, and lots of other people may not know either. Mine is still ok for now, and is used at work so some of the sucky things aren't too bad in an office environment.
you forgot the main issue... thing doesn't work.
🤣
@@Endpoint101 seriously. I have one of these from work. it consistently flakes out - loses all connectivity with the laptop bar the power source. it is a known problem apparently, and the only solution is multiple resets, hard resets, unplugging everything, plugging everything back in. Its a warning for any private consumer - avoid this product at all cost.
Mine went back in the box (also from work) and the £12 adapter I’m using now is perfect & so much better than the hub!
@@MarkKnezevic You should disable thunderbolt security in bios and everything should work fine.
I have had 2 die on me in the past 7 months and they are backordered at my company and have been for 7 months. Looking for a way to hook up a regular docking station. Not sure if it can be done. Expensive as hell too
Other docks from other producers (Lenovo or Dell) are even worse, this at least has both VGA and USB-C video output from where I can go out at 4K @60 Hz ( this because I haven't more displayport available on the 4k monitor) and it's quite impressive. Also you can't complain about the led and the cable; led are just there on this kind of device; regarding cable, thunderbolt cable are quite complicated and delivery power and a lot of thing, they are quite rigid and short and of course is on the front to reach your laptop. The only complain you can say it's the fan but actually I almost never heard that.
I hate the power button on top of the dock. Anyone knows how to disable this? Today I shutdown my laptop accidentally 5 times. Terrible design to put the power button on the whole top of the dock. Power buttons should be as tiny as possible to avoid accidental pressed.
Ikr! It’s a really bad design.. so easy to catch it by accident.
Update the firmware which will put a delay on when its pressed. So man idiots here commenting on something they know nothing about.
Hi! Great video. But one question: if i connect my omen hp laptop (with rtx 4060) to the usbc tunderbolt and the docking sation to 3 monitor, is the control direct from nvidia rtx 4060 direct?
ive bought two of these for 50$ a piece. They are just great !
Bargain!
How? Ebay or something?
Yeah the fan actually woke me up at night. Ridiculous.
Ikr! 😔
yes..after a year... this is total shit box I have ever purchased.. not working audio no video ... only charging left..
This thing is driving me batty! I don't understand what the ethernet port is for. Do you? I am using wifi for my laptop's network/internet connection and my router is in another room. Also, it has 2 x Dp ports and 2 x hdmi ports and I have 1 monitor that has Dp and 1 that is HDMI and instructions say max 2 x monitors. What if I had added another DP or hdmi monitor? Shouldn't it support up to 4 monitors (combination 2 x dp and 2 x hdmi)? I am also hoping to be able to switch laptops as I have 2 x Hp that both have thunderbolt usb-c. Finally, can one use the laptops' hdmi for adding monitors while using this device to exceed the max two. And, if I use wireless keyboard and wireless mouse will they be recognized when switching laptops? Finally,, we aren't supposed to attach any device with storage, such as thumb drives, external hard drives and smartphones, to the work laptop. But, i would like use this with my personal laptop and chromebook. Will my company be able to detect storage devices attached to this thing? Ayayaya!
Hmm, I think they would be able to detect anything you plug into it.. since the devices will be listed in Windows, which is running audit software, and will report back what it sees.
@@Endpoint101 I found some additional documentation. Says the maximum number of external monitors is two. As for the eternity, would be nice to hardware this Thunderbolt to my router but am unable to move my network equipment.
@@Endpoint101 and thanks! Now I am looking for a way to power and attach multiple casting devices to my networked TV - Chrome cast, Roku and an Amazon Firestick. Two seem to charge hot, so would be nice if it had an on/off power switch. Any ideas?
No way
This thing is a game changer
Nothing compared to it until now
Not even close
Glad you’re finding it a good investment 🙂
@@Endpoint101
What can I say
Please advise with better options
It's HP lol what did you expect 💀
🤣
If that LED bothers you, you have other problems to worry about bud.
😂 True!
Hi how about the ethernet how to connect?
Plug in the cable?
God, you must ne a delight to live with. 😂
Oh absolutely 😂