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Thunderbolt 5 Dock Packs Powerful Features, Hefty Price Tag
14 Nov
Summary
- Kensington's Thunderbolt 5 docking station offers 19 ports, including CompactFlash slot
- Dock supports up to 140W power delivery, but most laptops max out at 80-85W
- Dock includes M.2 SSD slot, optical audio, and dedicated hotkeys
As of November 14th, 2025, Kensington has begun shipping a new Thunderbolt 5 docking station, the SD7100TS, which offers a wealth of features for high-end users. Priced at $450, the dock is roughly double the cost of current Thunderbolt 4 docks, but it packs in 19 ports, including a rare CompactFlash slot that may appeal to photographers.
The dock also includes an M.2 SSD slot, optical audio input, and two dedicated hotkeys that can be customized for various functions. While Thunderbolt 5 is a newer technology, it is not yet widely adopted, as the 2026 laptop platforms from Intel, AMD, and others will only support it via a more expensive discrete chip.
Despite the high price, Kensington's dock offers some unique capabilities, such as the ability to charge devices even when the dock is not connected to a laptop. However, the dock's power delivery capabilities, which can reach up to 140W, may not be fully utilized by most laptops, which typically max out at 80-85W. This suggests that the dock's advanced features cater more to high-end creative professionals than the average user.
