Amazon is currently shipping the 11-port Razer USB-C docking station for $120 USD. The dock is notable for its numerous port options relative to the slim size and portable weight — hallmark advantages of many Razer products. The manufacturer has sent us a sample for our honest thoughts.
First impression when handling the dock is the high quality of the all-metal design. Its chassis is firm on all sides with no warping or depressions when attempting to twist the unit. There are no moving parts, after all, and so the rigid construction is no surprise.
Perhaps the most useful feature of the Razer dock is its support for 85 W passthrough Power Delivery. This means that if your laptop can charge via USB-C, then you can connect your USB-C AC adapter to the Razer dock instead for a true single dock desk solution. For example, we're able to charge the Blade 14 while simultaneously outputting video to an external HDMI monitor through the dock. Charging is slower this way for our H-series CPU, but most U-series-based laptops will charge at normal speeds.
USB-C PD also allows for compatibility with smartphones especially for those that support video-out via USB-C. Most Samsung Galaxy and Huawei smartphones, for example, can both charge and output video simultaneously when connected to the Razer dock just like on our above example with a laptop. If you carry a USB-C-powered portable monitor, then you'll have yourself a smartphone desktop solution useful for airports or waiting rooms. For example, we're able to connect our old Huawei Mate 10 Pro to the Razer dock to charge and output EMUI to an external monitor via HDMI simultaneously.
There is one notable limitation to keep in mind. While the Razer dock integrates a healthy selection of ports, the two USB-C ports do not support DisplayPort meaning any external monitors must connect via HDMI. It's not a huge problem, but most newer monitors are moving away from HDMI in favor of DisplayPort and USB-C. The USB-C ports on the dock are not created equal either as only one of the ports supports PD-in while the other does not.
Another aspect that Razer could improve upon relates to the lack of any Chroma support which has become a key feature on most other Razer products. RGB lighting could be used to convey charging or activity status in addition to light synchronization with other Razer devices. The all-black or all-white design may be sleek and minimalist, but no Chroma is a missed opportunity especially for a gamer-centric dock retailing for over $100.
Competing established brands like Anker and Baseus offer cheaper docks with great build quality similar to the Razer even if they may not look as sleek or sexy. This Baseus 10-in-1 dock, for example, features almost as many ports for half the price. You're paying for the style points if going for the Razer and we think it could use a bit more style to justify the higher price premium.
Specifications:
- USB-C 3.2 (10 Gbps)
- USB-C 3.2 (10 Gbps, 85 W to 100 W Power Delivery)
- 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2
- 2x USB-A 2.0
- HDMI (up to 4K@60)
- 1x RJ-45 (1 Gbps)
- Full-size SD reader (85 MB/s)
- MicroSD reader (85 MB/s)
- 3.5 mm headset
- 130 x 70 x 15.5 mm
- 185 g
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