Alogic’s New DisplayLink Dock Can Drive Up To Four External Displays

You’re not a proper computer accessory brand these days unless you have a good docking station to offer your customers. Docking stations can turn a laptop with limited ports into a well-connected computer with every connection imaginable. Docks are ideal for hotdesk employees and great for people working from home with laptops with limited connectivity.

Alogic is the latest brand to unveil its advanced docking station in the form of the new Quad Display Universal Docking Station, which we’ll call DUCDV4 for short. The new dock can support two external 4K screens and two 1080p HD displays. Using the dock, you can drive up to four external screens from your computer, probably more than most people need.

Having two 4K monitor outputs is a popular setup with video content creators and professional photographers. A multi-display arrangement gives you a global view of a software package, while the second screen can display close-up edits or even something completely different, like your email client. Multiple displays are also helpful for traders who need extra displays to view financial charts and market rates in real-time.

Setting up the Alogic DUCDV4 docking station is straightforward because it supports DisplayLink technology. The dock has a DisplayPort that can drive displays up to 4K (3,840 x 2160) with a refresh rate of 60Hz. Alongside the DisplayPort, three HDMI ports can drive three separate displays. One of the displays can be 4K @ 60Hz and two HD displays (1,920 x 1080) with a refresh rate of 60Hz.

To get the dock up and running, the user must install DisplayLink’s universal drivers on their host computer before connecting up the external displays. The Alogic dock can work with macOS, Windows PCs and Chrome OS. The dock can connect with Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C ports and provides most of the ports you’d need to work at home or at a hotdesk.

The DUCDV4 supports laptop charging up to 85W by using Alogic’s optional DCG1X100 - 100W Rapid Power Inline USB-C GaN charger. Alternatively, you can use the power adapter for your laptop. The dock’s additional ports include a single USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 with a data transfer speed of 5Gbps. There are two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, also with 5Gbps speeds, while for peripherals like mice and keyboards, there is also a pair of USB-A 2.0 with rates of 480Mbps.

As well as the five USB ports, the DUCDV4 also includes a Gigabit Ethernet port plus a 3.5mm audio jack supporting both input and output; this means it can be used with an analog headset. Finally, the DUCDV4 has two memory card slots for reading SD and microSD cards when transferring photos or video files to a host computer.

Verdict: The Alogic DUCDV4 Quad Display Universal Docking Station is a well-made piece of kit. It feels well-made and the layout is comprehensive. For those who must have Thunderbolt4 or USB4 certification, it may not be suitable, but for most users, it’s more than adequate and only needs the installation of DisplayLink drivers. If you’re looking for a good quality, all-purpose docking station, the Alogic DUCDV4 supplies most of what you need at a sensible price.

Pricing & Availability: The Alogic DUCDV4 Quad Display Universal Docking Station is available now and costs $239.99 / £199.99.

More info: www.alogic.co

Tech Specs:

• Inputs: 1 x USB-C port for laptop connection, 1 x USB-C USB PD power input for connection of optional power adapter.
• Output: 3 x HDMI (1x 2.0 + 2x 1.4b) 1x DisplayPort (DP1.4), 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gps), 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gps), 2 x USB-A 2.0, 1 x 3.5mm combo audio/microphone jack, 1 x RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet, 1 x SD card reader (SD 2.5), 1 x Micro SD Card Reader (SD 2.5).
• Dimensions (W x D x H): 172 x 82 x 27mm.
• Weight: 435g.
• Compatibility: Windows, macOS, ChromeOS.
• Warranty: Two years.
• Accessories: DV4 Docking Station, 80cm USB-C Cable, USB C-to-A adapter, Quick Start Guide.