CalDigit TS5 and Element 5 Hub Review: Two Thunderbolt 5 Docks for Apple's Latest Macs

CalDigit is champion known for its docks and hubs, and it has 2 options designed for Apple's latest Macs. I reviewed the larger $500 20-port TS5 Plus past summer, and for the past mates of weeks, I've been investigating the $400 15-port TS5 that launched a spot aboriginal than the premium model, and the smaller $250 Element 5 Hub.

TS5

The TS5 is astir apt the Thunderbolt 5 dock that I would urge if idiosyncratic connected the thoroughfare came up to maine and asked which Thunderbolt 5 dock to buy. It's smaller and takes up little abstraction connected a table than the TS5 Plus, it has nary fans similar immoderate competing docks, and it has a utile larboard selection. With immoderate exceptions, it'll conscionable the needs of astir people.


Thunderbolt 5 docks are perfect for Apple's Thunderbolt 5 Macs (the M4 Pro, M4 Max, M5 Pro, and M5 Max), but they're besides backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 Macs, truthful you tin usage the TS5 with astir immoderate Mac to adhd ports for displays and accessories.

Ports connected the front:

• Audio jack


• USB-C with 10Gb/s speeds and 7.5W


• USB-C with 10Gb/s speeds and 20W


• MicroSD paper slot (UHS-II)


• SD paper slot (UHS-II)

Ports connected the back:

• Audio in/out


• USB-C larboard with 10Gb/s speeds and 7.5W


• USB-A larboard with 10Gb/s speeds and 7.5W


• USB-A larboard with 480Mb/s speeds and 7.5W


• 2.5 GbE


• Three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports with 15W charging


• One upstream Thunderbolt 5 larboard with 140W charging

The TS5 does not person dual USB controllers similar the TS5 Plus, it has 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet alternatively of 10GbE, it doesn't person DisplayPort, and it has 3 less USB-A ports and 2 less USB-C ports than the TS5 Plus. The TS5 has 3 downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports alternatively of two, truthful it beats the TS5 Plus (which lone has two), but the higher-end TS5 Plus has much charging power. The beforehand USB-C larboard connected the TS5 Plus is 36W, arsenic are the 2 downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports astatine the back.


The TS5 has the aforesaid wide plan that CalDigit has utilized for its past respective docks. It's made from a abstraction grey aluminum worldly with ribbing connected the apical and sides for dissipating heat. Though it has nary fan, it ne'er got beyond lukewarm successful my testing, and I was amazed astatine however chill it stayed. The TS5 Plus ran overmuch warmer erstwhile I tested it, but the smaller TS5 wouldn't support maine cozy connected a freezing night.

The dock's plan blends successful good with a table setup, but similar astir Thunderbolt 5 docks, it's not going to crook immoderate heads. I don't person abstraction grey instrumentality truthful the colour doesn't lucifer my MacBook oregon my Studio Display, but it doesn't look excessively retired of place. I privation accessory makers would follow bolder, brighter colors, but I'm guessing grey and achromatic are what sell.

CalDigit's TS5 dock is astir 5.5 inches tall, 4.5 inches wide, and a small nether 2 inches thick. It fits good nether a display, and it tin beryllium positioned either upright oregon connected its side. There is simply a abstracted 240W powerfulness brick, and that's emblematic for astir Thunderbolt 5 docks. Along with the powerfulness supply, CalDigit includes a braided 1-meter Thunderbolt 5 cable, and I admit the cablegram upgrade due to the fact that not each docks travel with bully cables.

One happening I admit astir CalDigit implicit immoderate different dock makers is the info the website provides. I deliberation the mean idiosyncratic astir apt finds hubs and docks somewhat confusing, particularly erstwhile it comes to determining which displays and however galore outer displays a dock supports with a fixed Mac. CalDigit has an extended chart with each Apple silicon Macs listed, truthful it's reasonably casual to spot what your Mac volition support. Thunderbolt 5 supports up to 80Gb/s speeds with bandwidth boost up to 120Gb/s for displays, doubly that of Thunderbolt 4.


The TS5 supports up to 4 6K 60Hz displays, but lone if you're utilizing a Mac with an M5 Max chip. It'll besides tally dual 8K 60Hz displays, dual 4K 240Hz displays, oregon 4 4K displays with up to a 144Hz refresh rate. When utilized with an M5 Pro Mac, the dock supports up to 3 6K 60Hz displays, and for Macs with earlier Pro/Max chips, the dock is constricted to dual displays. You tin powerfulness dual 8K 60Hz displays utilizing the TS5 with an M4 Max oregon M5 Max Mac, portion different machines headdress retired with 2 6K 60Hz displays. The basal M-series chips person antithetic enactment depending connected procreation too. The M4 and M5 chips tin enactment 2 outer displays up to 6K astatine 60Hz with the TS5, but M1 and M2 chips lone enactment one. The M3 is simply a peculiar objection due to the fact that it supports 2 displays erstwhile the Mac is successful clamshell mode, oregon 1 with the show open.

I tested with a ‌Studio Display‌ and a ‌Studio Display‌ XDR, some of which are 5K displays. I besides tested with a ‌Studio Display‌ and a 32-inch 120Hz OLED display, and I didn't tally into immoderate issues with either setup.


There is 1 5K show regulation that imaginable buyers should beryllium alert of, and that's enactment for the LG UltraFine 5K monitors. The dock does not enactment dual LG UltraFine 5K displays unless utilized with an M5 Max MacBook Pro.

I utilized each larboard astatine erstwhile and show was arsenic expected, but I did tally into an contented with the TS5 not recognizing SSDs. SSDs that I plugged into the 2 USB-C ports weren't popping up, but a Thunderbolt 5 SSD was fine. Unplugging the dock and plugging it successful again didn't work, but restarting my Mac did. I've had the aforesaid occupation intermittently, but aft the archetypal time, unplugging the dock and past plugging it backmost successful seemed to work. It doesn't hap each time, but losing SSD connectivity done the USB-C ports is simply a hassle.


The TS5 has 140W big charging, which is much than capable for each of Apple's notebooks. The Thunderbolt 5 ports and the 10Gb/s USB-C and USB-A ports person offline charging truthful you tin complaint accessories with the dock erstwhile your Mac isn't connected.

Element 5 Hub

I besides spent a abbreviated magnitude of clip with CalDigit's $250 Element 5 Hub, which is an awesome small device. It's arsenic tiny arsenic the 180W powerfulness ceramic it comes with, and it's the Thunderbolt 5 enactment to get if you request minimal ports.


The Element 5 Hub has 4 Thunderbolt 5 ports (one upstream, 3 downstream), 2 USB-C ports, and 3 USB-A ports. 90W big charging is disposable for a connected Mac, which is capable to support my 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ charged. The downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports person 15W for accessories, and the USB-C ports connection 7.5W. Like the TS5, the ports enactment adjacent erstwhile the hub isn't connected to a big computer.

Since determination are 3 Thunderbolt 5 ports, the Element 5 Hub tin thrust the aforesaid fig of displays arsenic the TS5. It doesn't person arsenic galore USB-C ports, nary SD paper slots, and nary audio jack, but if each you request is Thunderbolt and a mates of USB-C/USB-A ports, this is the mode to go.


I emotion however small abstraction the Element 5 takes up connected my desk, truthful overmuch truthful that I whitethorn follow 1 for semipermanent use. I bash usage SD paper slots, but the smaller size whitethorn beryllium worthy the sacrifice. The Element 5 is 2.75 inches wide, 4.5 inches long, and an inch thick. It's astir the aforesaid size arsenic my Thunderbolt 5 SSD, and smaller than an iPhone. If you privation compact, get this dock.

Bottom Line

I similar the TS5 implicit the TS5 Plus due to the fact that of the other Thunderbolt 5 larboard connected the TS5. I tin link 2 displays and inactive person a larboard for a Thunderbolt 5 SSD, which isn't the lawsuit with the TS5 Plus. Unfortunately, I'm continually moving into occupation wherever SSDs connected to the USB-C ports connected the dock don't work, and that makes it hard to urge to idiosyncratic who needs to usage it for retention purposes. I tin conscionable restart the dock, but I shouldn't person to. TB5 SSDs are fine, truthful are USB-C SSDs connected done a Thunderbolt port.

CalDigit's much costly TS5 Plus is simply a amended enactment than the TS5 if you request DisplayPort 2.1, 10GbE, oregon an absurd fig of USB-A ports (five for the TS5 Plus vs 2 for the TS5). The TS5 Plus besides has dual 10Gb/s USB controllers, which is utile if you privation to tally aggregate high-speed SSDs oregon drives astatine the aforesaid time.

If you lone request a constricted fig of ports, I'd decidedly urge checking retired the Element 5 Hub. It's compact, but inactive includes 4 Thunderbolt 5 ports, 3 USB-A ports, and 2 USB-C ports. I didn't look to person the aforesaid SSD occupation with the TS5 Plus oregon the Element 5.

I similar CalDigit's Thunderbolt 5 docks implicit competing docks from Anker and Satechi, chiefly due to the fact that CalDigit doesn't see fans and its docks run silently. The SSD occupation mightiness beryllium my peculiar dock oregon my ‌MacBook Pro‌, but if you prime up a TS5, get it from a spot with a instrumentality argumentation conscionable successful case.

I similar each of the docks I've tried truthful far, though, and they've each been bully options with nary large problems. I'd prime Anker's Prime Thunderbolt 5 dock if I wanted a dock with nary outer powerfulness supply, oregon Satechi's CubeDock if I wanted a built-in SSD oregon had a Mac mini and wanted to lucifer it.

Thunderbolt 4 docks are cheaper than Thunderbolt 5 options, but if you person a Thunderbolt 5 Mac oregon are readying to get 1 successful the adjacent twelvemonth oregon two, it's worthy going for Thunderbolt 5 for the upgraded bandwidth.

How to Buy

The CalDigit TS5 tin beryllium purchased from the CalDigit website oregon from Amazon for $400.

The Element 5 Hub is available from the CalDigit website oregon from Amazon for $250.

Note: CalDigit provided MacRumors with a TS5 and Element 5 Hub for the intent of this review. No different compensation was received.
This article, "CalDigit TS5 and Element 5 Hub Review: Two Thunderbolt 5 Docks for Apple's Latest Macs" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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