Best Thunderbolt 5 Dock for Mac Studio (2026)
Mac Studio with M5 Max lists up to five displays. Mac Studio with M5 Ultra lists up to eight displays at up to 6K at 60 Hz or 4K at 165 Hz, and up to four displays at up to 8K at 60 Hz, 5K at 120 Hz, or 4K at 240 Hz. Apple also says up to four displays can hang off one Thunderbolt port. The rear ports on both chips are Thunderbolt 5, up to 120 Gb/s. M5 Max’s front USB-C ports are USB 3 at up to 10 Gb/s. M5 Ultra’s front ports are Thunderbolt 5. A dock that should use the 120 Gb/s host rate plugs into a Thunderbolt 5 port. The Studio has its own power supply.
Use the CalDigit TS5. CalDigit’s TS5 manual lists one Thunderbolt 5 host port at up to 120 Gb/s, three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports at 80 Gb/s, and host charging up to 140W. The supply is 240W, DC input 20V at 12A. The box includes a 1 m Thunderbolt 5 cable. macOS 15 or later is the Mac requirement. CalDigit says maximum functionality wants a Thunderbolt 5 or USB4 v2 computer.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
Reviewed October 2026 · Specs checked against the manufacturer pages named below
Thunderbolt 5 host, up to 120 Gb/s. The Studio’s rear ports are that bus.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓TS4 is Thunderbolt 4 at 40 Gb/s, including on a Thunderbolt 5 Mac.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓UD-4VPD is USB4 at 40 Gb/s, with two HDMI 2.1 ports.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate affiliate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
How We Tested
Studio display limits come from Apple’s Mac Studio specifications. Dock rates come from CalDigit’s TS5 manual and TS4 specifications, and from Plugable’s UD-4VPD page.
The docks
CalDigit TS5 View on Amazon
| Host | Thunderbolt 5, up to 120 Gb/s |
|---|---|
| Downstream | Three Thunderbolt 5 ports at 80 Gb/s |
| Host charge | Up to 140W |
| Supply | 240W, DC 20V at 12A |
| OS | macOS 15 or newer |
The host cable goes in a rear Thunderbolt 5 port, or in a front Thunderbolt 5 port on the M5 Ultra. On the M5 Max, the front ports are USB 3 at 10 Gb/s, and the TS5’s 120 Gb/s host rate is the rear-port connection. Downstream Thunderbolt ports provide 15W each. The front USB-C port on the dock is 20W, and the other USB ports are 7.5W.
The 140W host-charging line is CalDigit’s laptop figure. The Studio runs from its own supply. Apple’s display ceiling is still the Studio table: up to four displays on one Thunderbolt port, and up to eight displays on M5 Ultra. CalDigit’s own chart lists display modes for M5 Max, including dual 6K at 120 Hz. Those are CalDigit’s rows. The Studio’s rows are Apple’s.
- Thunderbolt 5 is the Studio’s rear-port bus
- CalDigit lists 120 Gb/s on the host port in Bandwidth Boost
- Downstream ports are 15W each
- The box includes a 1 m Thunderbolt 5 cable
- 140W host charging is the laptop line
- The Studio uses its own power supply
- Maximum function wants a Thunderbolt 5 or USB4 v2 host
- M5 Max front ports are USB 3 at 10 Gb/s
CalDigit TS4 View on Amazon
| Host | Thunderbolt 4, 40 Gb/s |
|---|---|
| Ports | Three Thunderbolt 4 ports |
| Host charge | Up to 98W, 20V at 4.9A |
| Supply | 230W |
| Displays | CalDigit lists a single monitor up to 8K |
The TS4 has three Thunderbolt 4 ports at 40 Gb/s, host charging up to 98W at 20V and 4.9A, and a 230W supply. CalDigit lists 18 ports, including DisplayPort 1.4, UHS-II SD and microSD, and 2.5GbE. The host cable is a Thunderbolt 4 cable. The dock connects to Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, and USB4 computers.
The dock’s bus stays 40 Gb/s. The Studio’s Thunderbolt 5 ports are a wider bus, and this dock uses 40 Gb/s of it. Host charging at 98W is the laptop line. Display count on the Studio still follows Apple’s table, and a 40 Gb/s dock is a narrower pipe than the TS5 for that daisy-chain.
- 40 Gb/s is a known, stable host rate
- 98W is sustained, per CalDigit
- 18 ports on CalDigit’s count
- It connects to Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, and USB4 hosts
- The dock’s own bus is 40 Gb/s
- A Thunderbolt 5 Mac does not raise the dock to 120 Gb/s
- Host charging stops at 98W
- The Studio’s display count still follows Apple’s table
Plugable UD-4VPD View on Amazon
| Host | USB4, 40 Gb/s |
|---|---|
| Charge | 100W, 20V at 5A |
| Video | Two HDMI 2.1 ports, dual 4K at 120 Hz |
| Also | 2.5GbE, SD readers |
| Supply | 20V at 8.5A, 170W |
Plugable lists the host port as USB4 at 40 Gb/s, with 100W charging at 20V and 5A. Two HDMI 2.1 ports are specified for dual 4K at 120 Hz. The page also lists 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet and SD card readers. The supply is 20V at 8.5A, 170W. Plugable says a computer that needs more than 100W should keep its original supply connected.
On the Studio, this dock is the USB4 40 Gb/s path. The rear ports list USB4 up to 120 Gb/s, and the dock’s own link is 40 Gb/s. The Studio’s power supply stays in the Studio. The HDMI line is the reason to pick this dock when the displays are HDMI 2.1 screens at the 4K 120 Hz timing Plugable prints.
- USB4 at 40 Gb/s is printed
- Dual HDMI 2.1 is the video path Plugable lists
- 100W is 20V at 5A
- The dock has its own supply
- 40 Gb/s is the host ceiling
- Computers that need more than 100W keep their own supply
- The Studio’s Thunderbolt 5 bandwidth is a wider bus than this dock
- Plugable’s dual 4K 120 Hz line is the dock’s HDMI line
Buying Guide: a Thunderbolt 5 host cable in a Thunderbolt 5 port
Comparison Table
| Dock | Host bus | Host charge | Where it plugs in |
|---|---|---|---|
| CalDigit TS5 | Thunderbolt 5, up to 120 Gb/s | Up to 140W | Rear Thunderbolt 5 |
| CalDigit TS4 | Thunderbolt 4, 40 Gb/s | Up to 98W | Rear Thunderbolt 5, at 40 Gb/s |
| Plugable UD-4VPD | USB4, 40 Gb/s | 100W, 20V at 5A | Rear Thunderbolt 5, at 40 Gb/s |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the TS5 charge the Mac Studio?
The 140W line is CalDigit’s host-charging rating. The Studio uses its own power supply.
Can the TS4 use the Studio’s full Thunderbolt 5 rate?
The TS4 is a 40 Gb/s Thunderbolt 4 dock.
Where should the dock cable go on an M5 Max?
A rear Thunderbolt 5 port. The front USB-C ports on the M5 Max are USB 3 at up to 10 Gb/s.
How many displays can one Thunderbolt port feed?
Apple says the M5 Ultra supports up to four displays over a single Thunderbolt port, inside the eight-display total.
Final Verdict
The CalDigit TS5 is the Thunderbolt 5 dock, with a host port up to 120 Gb/s, for the Mac Studio’s rear Thunderbolt 5 ports. The CalDigit TS4 is the 40 Gb/s Thunderbolt 4 dock. The Plugable UD-4VPD is the USB4 dock at 40 Gb/s, with two HDMI 2.1 ports listed for dual 4K at 120 Hz.