Thunderbolt 4 vs 5: Do You Really Need the Upgrade in 2026?
Category: Tech & Gear | Reading time: 12 min | Last updated: October 2026
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Thunderbolt 5 doubles the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4 and charges laptops harder. On paper it is a straightforward upgrade, and the newer dock is the obvious buy.
In practice, for most home office setups, it is the wrong one.
Two things are going on that the spec sheets do not tell you. The flagship Thunderbolt 5 dock has no monitor port on it, despite listings that suggest otherwise. And the 80Gb/s everyone quotes is shared across everything plugged in, with displays taking their cut first.
Here is what actually changes, who genuinely benefits, and how to tell which side of the line you are on.
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The quick answer
| Your situation | What to buy |
|---|---|
| Laptop has Thunderbolt 4, one or two normal monitors | Thunderbolt 4 dock |
| Laptop has Thunderbolt 5, want three monitors or very high refresh | Thunderbolt 5 dock |
| Need a monitor port you can plug straight into | Thunderbolt 4 dock |
| Fast external SSD plus multiple displays | Thunderbolt 5 dock, and read the bandwidth section |
| One monitor, keyboard, mouse, webcam | A USB-C dock, and save the money |
For most people reading this, the Thunderbolt 4 dock is the better buy and the USB-C dock is good enough.
What Thunderbolt 5 actually changes
| Thunderbolt 4 | Thunderbolt 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Bandwidth | 40Gb/s | 80Gb/s bi-directional |
| Display burst | Not available | Up to 120Gb/s with Bandwidth Boost |
| PCIe throughput | Lower | Up to 64Gb/s |
| Charging spec | Up to 100W typical | Up to 240W |
Bandwidth Boost is the headline feature and the least understood. When you connect bandwidth-hungry displays, Thunderbolt 5 reallocates capacity toward them, up to 120Gb/s. That is how triple 4K at 144Hz becomes possible.
Read that again, because the implication matters: the bandwidth is being moved, not created. Capacity that goes to your monitors comes out of what is left for everything else.
The DisplayPort trap
This one will cost people money, so it goes first.
The CalDigit TS5 has no DisplayPort connector and no HDMI connector. Not a smaller one, not a different version. There is no video socket on the dock.
Amazon’s listing makes this genuinely hard to spot. The port rundown includes the phrase “DisplayPort 2.1” in a list alongside the USB and card reader ports, which reads like a physical port. It is not. DisplayPort 2.1 is the protocol being carried over the Thunderbolt 5 ports. Independent reviews confirm the dock has no native video output.
So on the TS5, monitors connect one of two ways. A USB-C or Thunderbolt monitor plugs directly into a spare downstream Thunderbolt port. Anything with an HDMI or DisplayPort cable needs an adapter.
The TS4 has an actual DisplayPort 1.4 socket on the back. Plug a DisplayPort cable into it and you are finished.
If you own a normal monitor with a normal cable, that one difference may settle the entire decision for you, regardless of bandwidth.
The 80Gb/s is shared
Every Thunderbolt dock shares its host connection across everything plugged in. That is not new. What is new is how much Thunderbolt 5 marketing invites you to assume otherwise.
Reviewers consistently note that a fast drive on a downstream port will not automatically hit its rated speed, and that manufacturers publish interface ceilings rather than measured results with everything running at once. Almost nobody publishes real numbers.
One TS5 owner did. Running an M4 MacBook Air with two 1440p displays through the dock, they measured an external USB4 SSD both ways:
| Write | Read | |
|---|---|---|
| Direct to laptop | 2,383 MB/s | 3,141 MB/s |
| Through the dock, two displays active | 402 MB/s | 2,666 MB/s |
Write speed dropped by roughly 83 percent. Read held up far better.
That is a single setup rather than a controlled test, so treat it as a data point rather than a benchmark. But it lines up exactly with how Bandwidth Boost is documented to work. The displays got their allocation and the drive lived on what was left.
The practical takeaway: if you move large files to an external SSD while driving multiple displays, plug the drive into the laptop directly. That is true of any dock, and buying the faster one does not solve it.
Do you even have a Thunderbolt 5 host?
A Thunderbolt 5 dock on a Thunderbolt 4 laptop runs at Thunderbolt 4 speeds. You are buying capability you cannot use yet.
CalDigit is explicit about this. Maximum TS5 performance requires a Thunderbolt 5 or USB4 v2 host at 80Gb/s. On Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, standard USB4 or plain USB-C, you get reduced functionality.
The difference shows up immediately in displays. On a Thunderbolt 5 Windows host, the TS5 supports up to triple 4K at 144Hz. On a Thunderbolt 4 host, that drops to dual 6K at 60Hz with no three-monitor option.
Check your laptop’s port specification before anything else. There is one legitimate reason to buy ahead of your hardware, which is that you plan to replace the laptop soon and would rather buy the dock once.
CalDigit TS4, the Thunderbolt 4 pick
Three more ports than the TS5 and a real video output. For a home office with a monitor or two, a keyboard, a mouse, a webcam and a drive, this covers everything without an adapter in sight.
Display support depends on your machine. Windows gets a single display up to 8K or dual 4K at 60Hz. On macOS, M1 through M4 Pro, Max and Ultra chips drive dual 6K at 60Hz. Non-Pro M1 through M3 Macs are limited to a single external display, and that is the laptop’s limitation rather than the dock’s.
The charging ceiling is 98W, which covers most laptops but falls short of the 140W a 16 inch MacBook Pro can draw. It will still charge, just not at full speed under heavy load.
“I’ve been through my fair share of docks over the past few months. I first bought the Minisopuru dock, which was amazing at first but then started to give me issues, including overheating, and would often times just not work when I plugged in my computer. I then moved to the new BenQ dock, which was also great at first but then started acting super funky and not connecting. Finally I decided to go with the TS4. It is by far the cleanest, reliable and fast dock I have ever used. It connects as soon as I plug in my computer without fail. It also never overheats and just works.”
Who it’s for: Anyone on a Thunderbolt 4 laptop who wants one cable to handle everything.
Pros:
- Built-in DisplayPort 1.4, no adapter needed
- Eighteen ports, eight of them USB at 10Gb/s
- Reliable connection on wake, a common failure point on cheaper docks
- 2.5GbE
Cons:
- 98W charging is short of what the largest laptops want
- Will not reach Thunderbolt 5 speeds on a newer host
- Non-Pro Apple silicon still limited to one display
CalDigit TS5, the Thunderbolt 5 pick
Buy this one for a specific reason, not as a default upgrade.
The real reasons are three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports, which matters if you run multiple fast peripherals, and 140W host charging, which is what a 16 inch MacBook Pro actually wants. On a Thunderbolt 5 Windows host it will also drive triple 4K at 144Hz, which Thunderbolt 4 cannot do.
The 240W internal supply is worth understanding. It means the dock keeps delivering full power to every port while charging the laptop, rather than rationing when things get busy.
Remember the video situation. There is no DisplayPort or HDMI socket, so every monitor goes through a Thunderbolt port or an adapter. And note that the TS5 skips two features found on the TS5 Plus: Thunderbolt Share and a built-in M.2 SSD slot. Its Ethernet is 2.5Gb where the Plus offers 10Gb.
“The CalDigit TS5 has been a fantastic dock and has replaced my UGREEN USB-C hub. I use two 1440p monitors with my M4 MacBook Air, and I wanted proper resolution and refresh rates from both. The UGREEN hub worked well with one monitor, but not both. I also use an external USB4 SSD, which is why I needed three downstream Thunderbolt ports. One caveat: with both displays connected through the dock, SSD write speed drops significantly. The drive still works, but the docked setup clearly limits write performance. For anything that needs fast external-SSD writes, I connect the drive directly.”
Who it’s for: Thunderbolt 5 laptops, large MacBook Pros needing 140W, or anyone running three displays.
Pros:
- 140W host charging from a 240W supply
- Three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports at 80Gb/s
- Triple 4K at 144Hz on a Thunderbolt 5 Windows host
- Aluminium chassis acts as a heat sink
Cons:
- No DisplayPort or HDMI socket, every monitor needs a Thunderbolt port or adapter
- Three fewer ports than the TS4
- Runs at Thunderbolt 4 speeds on a Thunderbolt 4 laptop
- No Thunderbolt Share or M.2 slot, and 2.5GbE rather than the Plus model’s 10Gb
You might not need Thunderbolt at all
Worth asking before spending flagship money. Thunderbolt earns its price with high bandwidth peripherals and multiple high-resolution displays. If your desk is one monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, a webcam and a wired network connection, a USB-C dock does the same job.
The detachable hub is the clever part. The six-in-one section snaps off and goes in a bag, so one purchase covers the desk and travel instead of two.
Two limitations to be straight about. Ethernet is Gigabit rather than the 2.5GbE on both CalDigit docks. And on macOS, multiple external displays run in mirrored mode only, which is an Apple restriction on USB-C docks rather than an Anker fault. If you need two genuinely separate screens on a Mac, you need Thunderbolt.
Display ceilings are 4K at 60Hz on a single monitor, dual 2K at 60Hz, or triple 1080p at 60Hz.
“I considered many different docking stations for my new MacBook Pro and my Lenovo T14 running Windows 11. I needed sufficient power delivery to charge either computer and enough ports for an external monitor, USB keyboard, USB audio interface, MIDI controller and webcam. The Anker Nano met all my needs with a port to spare. Everything came right up with no issues and has been running solidly for 2 months. I can switch between the 2 computers without any hiccups. I was concerned the detachable hub would make it more fragile, but it’s very solidly built and actually a clever design.”
Who it’s for: One or two displays, normal peripherals, and no interest in paying for headroom.
Pros:
- Detachable hub covers desk and travel in one purchase
- Two HDMI and a DisplayPort, so most monitors plug straight in
- 100W charging
- Costs a fraction of either Thunderbolt dock
Cons:
- Gigabit Ethernet rather than 2.5GbE
- Mirrored mode only for multiple external displays on macOS
- Lower display ceilings than Thunderbolt
For more options, our best docking station guide covers the range, and our USB hub guide covers simpler setups.
Do you need new cables?
If you buy a Thunderbolt 5 dock, yes. Thunderbolt 5 docks ship with a certified cable, but a spare or a longer run needs a cable rated for it. A Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 cable will connect and will cap you at 40Gb/s.
Certification is the thing to check. Thunderbolt 5 carries 240W and 80Gb/s, and an uncertified cable claiming those numbers is a problem you will spend an afternoon diagnosing.
Staying on Thunderbolt 4? A USB4 40Gb/s cable does everything a Thunderbolt 4 dock can use, usually for less, and the thinner ones route much more easily. We cover why cable thickness matters in our standing desk cable management guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Thunderbolt 5 worth it over Thunderbolt 4?
Only if you have a Thunderbolt 5 host and a specific need: three displays, very high refresh rates, 140W charging, or several fast Thunderbolt peripherals at once. On a Thunderbolt 4 laptop a Thunderbolt 5 dock runs at Thunderbolt 4 speeds, so you gain nothing today.
Will a Thunderbolt 5 dock work with a Thunderbolt 4 laptop?
Yes, at reduced capability. CalDigit states that full TS5 performance needs a Thunderbolt 5 or USB4 v2 host at 80Gb/s. On Thunderbolt 4 you drop to dual 6K at 60Hz with no triple display support.
Does the CalDigit TS5 have a DisplayPort?
No, and this trips people up. Listings mention DisplayPort 2.1, but that is the protocol carried over the Thunderbolt ports, not a socket. The TS5 has no DisplayPort or HDMI connector. Monitors connect through a downstream Thunderbolt port or an adapter. The TS4 does have a physical DisplayPort 1.4.
Why is my external SSD slower through a dock?
Every device shares the host connection, and Thunderbolt 5’s Bandwidth Boost deliberately shifts capacity toward displays when they need it. One TS5 owner measured an external SSD dropping from about 2,383 MB/s write directly to roughly 402 MB/s through the dock with two displays running. Plug fast drives into the laptop directly when write speed matters.
Do I need a new cable for Thunderbolt 5?
For 80Gb/s or 240W charging, yes, and it must be certified. Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 cables work but cap at 40Gb/s. Docks include a certified cable, so you only need one for a spare or a longer run.
Can I run three monitors from a dock?
It depends on the host more than the dock. A Thunderbolt 5 Windows host with the TS5 manages triple 4K at 144Hz. macOS does not support triple displays through these docks. On a USB-C dock, multiple external displays on macOS mirror rather than extend. Our dual monitor setup guide covers what each platform allows.
Is 98W enough to charge my laptop?
For most, yes. Ultrabooks and 14 inch machines draw well under it. A 16 inch MacBook Pro can pull 140W, so it will charge from a 98W dock but more slowly under heavy load. That is the clearest reason to pick the TS5 regardless of Thunderbolt version.
Sources and references
- CalDigit TS5 dock review, Windows Central
- CalDigit TS5 Review: Who Should Buy This 15-Port Dock?, ThunderboltLaptop
- CalDigit TS4 Review: Still Worth It After Thunderbolt 5?, ThunderboltLaptop
- CalDigit TS5 Plus Review, StorageReview
- Best Docking Station for Laptop, Home Office Nomad
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Prices change often. Check current pricing at checkout. Last updated October 2026.
