Thunderbolt 4 dock/dongle that supports USB 3.2 Gen 2x2

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Level 1

4 points

Thunderbolt 4 dock/dongle that supports USB 3.2 Gen 2x2

Hello guys,

I own a M2 Max MacBook 2023 with Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps) ports. I have to work with a bunch of external SSDs that run up to 16 Gbps over USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20Gbps).

Since Thunderbolt 4 is not backwards compatible with the USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 standard, I can get maximum speeds of 10Gbps if I plug the SSDs directly in my laptop.

I am looking for a docking station, dongle or whatever external device that support two USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports and connects via thunderbolt to my MacBook. Any recommendations?

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 14.5

Posted on Jul 31, 2024 12:34 PM

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Answer 1

sashe_to Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 31, 2024 1:55 PM in response to Tesserax

Yea I did that. They support only USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C Port up to 10Gb/s (1250MB/s) and Thunderbolt 3/4. In other words I will get the same type of ports that are build in in my MacBook. They're not compatible with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2

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Answer 2

Tesserax

Level 10

152,404 points

Jul 31, 2024 2:09 PM in response to sashe_to

Ok, I do know that the M3 Max MacBook Pro comes with Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 ports that do support up to 40 Gbps throughput.

If you verified that you are only getting 10 Gbps when these drives are connected directly to your Mac, adding any hub should not make any difference. You will still only see 10 Gbps. In this case the interaction between these drives and your Mac is the limiting factor. As such, I'm not sure what I can suggest that you try.

At least with OWC, you can try them, and if not satisfied, they have an excellent return policy. Better still, you can contact them directly and ask. They should be able to tell you if they have something that could work for you.

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Answer 3

Tesserax

Level 10

152,404 points

Jul 31, 2024 1:49 PM in response to sashe_to

I suggest that you take a look at the OWC line of Thunderbolt hubs & docks to see if they offer something that will meet your goals.

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