Engadget’s review describes Keychron’s first Thunderbolt 5 dock as an unusually sensible move from a company better known for keyboards.
The $350 accessory centers on Thunderbolt 5’s headline capabilities. Engadget says it supports 80Gbps data transfers, a 120Gbps boost mode, dual 8K monitor support and up to 140W of upstream power delivery.
14 connections and a practical layout
A big part of the appeal, in Engadget’s telling, is the port selection. The review says the dock has 14 connections in total, including three Thunderbolt 5 ports, two HDMI outputs, five USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, full-size SD and microSD card slots, 2.5Gb Ethernet, a 3.5mm audio jack and a Kensington security lock.
Engadget also highlights the physical design. The dock has rubber feet on two sides, allowing it to sit upright or flat, and the review praises its aluminum construction. The side panels double as heatsinks, which Engadget says lets the dock run without a fan.
Multi-display support comes with caveats
Display support is one of the more notable parts of the review. Engadget says the dock can support up to four displays simultaneously over HDMI and Thunderbolt.
That setup gets more complicated on macOS. The review notes that if two monitors are connected through the dock’s HDMI ports on a Mac, the screens will mirror rather than extend. Engadget adds that Windows is a little more flexible in this context, with dual-HDMI support being more common.
There is also a limit on the HDMI outputs themselves. Engadget says they top out at 4K/60Hz regardless of configuration, so users who want 8K output or higher refresh rates would need to use Thunderbolt connections for display output.
What the review liked — and what it didn’t
Engadget’s strongest praise is for the dock’s day-to-day reliability and build. The review says it recognized every storage device plugged into it and delivered maximum or near-maximum transfer speeds even when moving files from multiple sources at the same time. It also praises the dock’s weight and stability on a desk, along with its silent operation.
The downsides are mostly about features Keychron left out. Engadget lists the lack of an internal SSD bay and the absence of DisplayPort connectivity among the main drawbacks. In its wrap-up, the review suggests that an NVMe SSD slot might have lifted the dock above some rivals, though likely at a higher price.
Engadget compares the dock with CalDigit’s TS5, Razer’s Thunderbolt 5 Dock Chroma and Anker’s Prime TB5. Its overall verdict is that Keychron’s first dock is a strong, practical entry rather than a spec-sheet outlier.
