The ASUS Chromebook CX9 is undoubtedly the best Chromebook you can buy today. We reviewed this Chromebook and came away incredibly impressed. A distinguishing feature of the CX9 are its two Thunderbolt 4 ports. It’s not very common to see a Chromebook with a single Thunderbolt 3 port, let alone two of the newer Thunderbolt 4 ports. This really sets the CX9 apart in terms of connecting peripherals.
If you plan to use the CX9 as your main work machine, you’ll want to get a quality dock to connect your monitor and other devices. With Thunderbolt 4, you get more robust connectivity and of course power delivery that can charge the CX9 while connected. This is particularly useful if you use the touchscreen often and frequently need to charge when your device is docked. In this guide we’ll take a look at the best docks available for the ASUS Chromebook CX9.
Keep in mind that Thunderbolt 4 is still in its infancy, so there aren’t many Thunderbolt 4 docks available. To be complete, we’ve included as many Thunderbolt 4 options as possible, as well as more basic docks for those on a budget.
Thunderbolt 4 docks
- The CalDigit Element Hub is one of the few Thunderbolt 4 docks available today that helps in expanding the number of Thunderbolt and USB Type-A ports on your laptop, Mac, or desktop PC. It’s backward compatible with Thunderbolt 3, USB-C, and USB 4, and offers support for dual-4K or a single 8K monitor and power delivery of 60W to charge various devices including laptops, smartphones, etc.
- Kensington is known for its device security solutions but it also makes docks and hubs. Their latest offering is the SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station. The dock offers a total of 11 ports including an SD card reader, four Thunderbolt 4 ports, four USB-A ports (one 5V/1.5A charging port on the front, and three Gen2 10Gbps ports on the rear), a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm audio combo jack.
- Anker is a well-known and reliable brand when it comes to charging accessories and USB hubs. The company offers the PowerExpand 5-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 Mini Dock which, as the name suggests, is a small Thunderbolt 4 dock capable of expanding your connectivity. It features an 85W Thunderbolt 4 upstream port, three Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports, and 1 USB-A port.
Thunderbolt 3/USB-C docks
- The Tiergrade USB C Chromebook docking station is perfect for power users. It offers the widest selection of ports, including two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, two USB 3.0 Type-C ports, two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort port, an RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port, 3.5mm headphone and mic jacks, a S/PDIF audio port and a USB 3.0 Type-C port with 60W power delivery. On top of that, the dock also includes a full-size SD card reader and a microSD card reader.
- The Baseus 16-in-1 Chromebook docking station is a cheaper alternative to the Tiergrade dock with a slightly different port selection. It includes three USB 3.0 Type-A ports, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, two USB 3.0 Type-C ports, a USB type-C port with pass-through charging support, an RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port, a 3.5mm headphone/mic combo jack, a microSD card slot, and an SD card slot. For display connectivity, it features a VGA port and an HDMI port. However, it only supports screen mirroring for dual external displays.
- The NOVOO 8-in-1 USB C dock is the tiniest Chromebook Docking Station on this list, earning it the most portable title. Despite its tiny size, it packs 3 USB 3.0 Type-A ports, an Ethernet port, a USB Type-C port with up to 100W passthrough charging, an HDMI port, and an SD card reader. That's a lot of ports for something as tiny as this. Makes me wonder why some fruity OEMs can't offer more than two USB Type- C ports on their laptops.
- If you're not willing to spend $40 on a tiny USB C hub, then the Anker PowerExpand+ should be a better option. It's slightly larger than the NOVOO USB C dock, but features the same number of ports. This includes two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a USB Type-C port for data, a USB Type-C port with pass-through charging support at up to 100W, an HDMI port, and an SD card reader. It should get the job done if you have basic needs.
- The Sabrent Chromebook docking station is a good choice for Chromebooks with a detachable keyboard as it features a stand that you can use to prop up your Chromebook when you're not using the included keyboard. In terms of ports, it offers two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, two USB Type-A 2.4A fast charging ports, an HDMI port, a DVI port, a USB 3.0 input, 3.5mm headphone and mic jacks, and a RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port.
- The Targus Chromebook docking station is a good 2-in-1 option that not only offers a decent selection of ports but also doubles up as an ergonomic stand. It includes 4 USB 3.0 Type-A ports, two DisplayPort ports, 2 HDMI 2.0 ports, a USB Type-C port with 60W pass-through charging support, a headphone / mic combo jack, and a RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port.
Those are our picks for the best docking stations to use with the ASUS Chromebook CX9. If it’s in your budget, a Thunderbolt 4 dock will give you the best overall performance. With super fast data transfer, support for multiple high resolution monitors, and built-in charging, Thunderbolt 4 is the way to go. For those on a tighter budget, many of the USB-C docks and dongles from Anker are under $50 and offer connectivity on the go. Let us know your favorite Thunderbolt or USB-C dock in the comments below.
The post Best docks for ASUS Chromebook CX9: Anker, Caldigit, and more appeared first on xda-developers.
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