CalDigit’s new Thunderbolt 5 docks bring plenty of ports

CalDigit is well-known for its Thunderbolt docks that don’t skimp on ports. After debuting a compact but well-equipped Thunderbolt 5 dock at CES 2025, the company is finally upgrading its larger docks with Thunderbolt 5 and boosting the number of ports offered. While the cheaper Thunderbolt Station 5 (TS5) maxes out at 15 ports, the […]

Apr 8, 2025 - 15:32

CalDigit’s new Thunderbolt 5 docks bring plenty of ports

The CalDigit TS5 Plus dock seen from the front and back. — The CalDigit TS5 Plus dock offers a total of 20 ports. | Image: CalDigit

CalDigit is well-known for its Thunderbolt docks that don’t skimp on ports. After debuting a compact but well-equipped Thunderbolt 5 dock at CES 2025, the company is finally upgrading its larger docks with Thunderbolt 5 and boosting the number of ports offered. While the cheaper Thunderbolt Station 5 (TS5) maxes out at 15 ports, the pricier TS5 Plus offers 20 – two more than the Thunderbolt 4 dock that CalDigit launched three years ago.

The TS5 Plus will be available in late April 2025 and will be priced at $499.99. Its connectivity includes three Thunderbolt 5 ports, five USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, five USB-A ports, SD and microSD memory card slots, a 10Gb ethernet port, and a headphone jack. DigiCalc says its new TS5 Plus is “the first Thunderbolt dock to feature dual 10Gb/s USB controllers… allowing for increased USB bandwidth.”

Three of the dock’s ports can charge devices at speeds of up to 36W while the primary host device gets 140W of power, enough to keep even a MacBook Pro powered. All three Thunderbolt 5 ports offer transfer speeds of up to 80Gbps, with a 120Gbps Bandwidth Boost option. Windows users can connect up to three external 4K displays using TS5 Plus, while Mac users can connect a pair of displays running at 8K 60Hz or 4K 240Hz resolutions.

The more affordable TS5 will launch a bit later in May 2025 for $369.99. Its 15 ports include four Thunderbolt 5 ports, three USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two USB-A ports, a 2.5Gb ethernet port, plus memory card slots and a headphone jack.

Performance is nearly identical to the TS5 Plus, including 80Gbps transfer speeds that can be boosted to 120Gbps and 140W of power for a host device. However, there’s a slight step down to 20W and 15W of power delivery through its USB-C ports.

When asked if President Trump’s tariffs would have an effect on its pricing, CalDigit’s marketing executive Kosta Panagos told The Verge in an email that the company was monitoring the situation. ”As of right now we are moving forward with the current pricing we have in place for the newly announced Thunderbolt 5 docks, and for our existing product range. However, we are monitoring the situation with the tariffs, and if necessary we may have to adjust, but as of right now we expect to maintain the current pricing.”