The Anker Prime 14-in-1 Docking Station is an Anker docking station that turns your laptop into a full workstation with a single connection. With fourteen ports, this docking station offers two HDMI outputs for dual-monitor support, an Ethernet jack, an audio combo jack, and a mix of USB-C and USB-A ports. With 160W of power delivery, you can charge four devices at the same time while every other device connected through the dock is operating. The docking station also includes a small front display that shows what’s connected to each port, and since it stands upright, it takes up virtually no space on your desk.
Head over to Amazon to get the Anker Prime 14-in-1 Docking Station for just $170, down from its usual price of $270. That’s a $100 discount and 37% off.
A docking station that supports multiple devices and more
A docking station addresses the issue of attaching six items to a computer, meaning your monitors, keyboard, mouse, external hard drive, wired network, and headphones, every time you sit down at a desk. You connect the provided USB-C cable from the docking station to your computer once, and then you can connect all of those things through that single connection. When you leave and unplug the cable, all of those items detach at the same time.
The dual HDMI ports handle the video for the monitors. Each port provides HDMI 2.0 output, which lets each one run a 4K display at 60Hz or lower resolutions, depending on your laptop’s DisplayPort version. For example, if your laptop has DisplayPort 1.4, it can support two displays at 2K and 60Hz. If your laptop has the older DisplayPort 1.2, it’ll only support driving both displays at 1080p and 60Hz. Mac users should also know that macOS mirrors the same image to both monitors rather than extending across them.
The 160W is split across four charging ports, with three USB-C ports capable of 100W each and one USB-A port at 12W. Anker says this charges a 16-inch MacBook Pro to full in an hour and 55 minutes. Power distribution adjusts automatically based on what’s plugged in, so you don’t need to configure anything on your end. The AC power module is built into the dock, so there’s no separate brick sitting on the floor under your desk.
Data speeds vary by port, which is worth knowing before you plug things in. Two USB-C ports and one USB-A port move data at 10Gbps, which is what you want for an external SSD. The other three USB-A ports are 480Mbps, which is fine for a keyboard, a mouse, or a webcam.
The front screen shows real-time charging speed, transfer speed, HDMI status, and alerts if something isn’t working right; a short press of the power button cycles through those views. The Anker Prime 14-in-1 Docking Station is $170 right now instead of $270, and it works with Windows and macOS but not with Linux.
