CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt 3 Dock review

The CalDigit TS3 Plus suits a Thunderbolt laptop desk that still needs five USB-A sockets, an SD reader and optical digital audio alongside up to two independent 4K 60 Hz monitors. Its useful distinction is the mixture of connections, rather than its age or a total-port headline. It is a poor match for an ordinary USB-C computer, a requirement for two native HDMI sockets, or a laptop that must receive more than 87 W through the dock.

Check the Thunderbolt host before planning the desk

CalDigit explicitly supports Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 Mac and Windows computers. A USB-C connector by itself is insufficient: the TS3 Plus is not a general USB-C fallback dock. That matters when a household or office intends to share one workstation between a Thunderbolt laptop and a cheaper USB-C laptop. The cable can fit both while only one provides the required connection.

The published system requirements name macOS 10.12 or later and Windows 10 or later. Windows users also need the appropriate computer firmware and Thunderbolt drivers. CalDigit says Mac users do not need dock drivers for ordinary operation, but its SuperDrive support is a separate exception requiring an installation. Do not turn that exception into either a promise that every accessory needs no software or a claim that the dock uses DisplayLink graphics.

Two screens require two appropriate routes

The practical dual-monitor arrangement is one display through the built-in DisplayPort 1.2 connector and another through the spare Thunderbolt 3 port. A compatible USB-C or Thunderbolt monitor can use that second port directly. An HDMI monitor needs the appropriate separate adapter; converting the built-in DisplayPort output to HDMI requires an active adapter. There are no HDMI sockets on the dock itself.

CalDigit documents dual extended 4K 60 Hz for suitable hosts. It also warns that some Windows Thunderbolt 3 computers provide only one DisplayPort stream, so the computer's implementation remains part of the purchase decision. A pair of compatible monitors does not repair a restricted source connection.

For Apple silicon, the exact product page confirms one external display through the dock on base M1 and M2 computers, and two on M1 Pro and M1 Max. Buying the TS3 Plus does not remove those limits. Keep the chip distinction when using the setup finder; a single “MacBook” answer is too broad to establish an independent two-screen arrangement.

Choose the right socket for each USB device

The five USB-A sockets are specified at up to 5 Gbps. The two dedicated USB-C data sockets differ: the rear connection is up to 10 Gbps, while the front one is up to 5 Gbps. Put a suitable faster USB SSD on the rear data connection if that interface capability is important. The front USB-C connection offers convenience without the same ceiling.

Those two dedicated USB-C sockets do not carry display video. The spare Thunderbolt socket has a different role and can serve a display or another supported device. Map the connections before counting spare ports: using it for the second monitor leaves it occupied. None of the quoted interface rates is a measured file-copy result, and the 40 Gbps Thunderbolt link does not make each ordinary USB socket a 40 Gbps connection.

The SD reader supports UHS-II, but the dock has no microSD slot. A camera workflow built around microSD therefore needs an adapter or another reader. Gigabit Ethernet and separate analog audio connections join the optical S/PDIF output, which makes this layout relevant to a desk with an existing digital-audio receiver. Check that actual connection requirement rather than assuming newer docks preserve it.

Allow for the power brick and the charging ceiling

The current package lists a 180 W power adapter, a power cord and a certified Thunderbolt cable. The adapter's rating is not the laptop's allowance: CalDigit specifies up to 87 W to the host. Its download notes identify the firmware update needed by older units for that charging level and say it is unnecessary for units purchased after November 2020. A used unit deserves that check.

CalDigit recommends the laptop's own charger for demanding CPU or GPU workloads when the computer's normal supply exceeds 87 W. That is a sensible reason to choose a different power arrangement even if every data port fits. The compact dock body also does not eliminate the separate brick or the cable space behind it.

Shortlist TS3 Plus for a confirmed Thunderbolt host, the required screen routes and a useful combination of USB-A, SD and optical audio. For a portable USB4 arrangement with built-in HDMI plus DisplayPort and different charging requirements, compare the separately documented Anker 556 A83A8. These are different desk designs, so compare the connections you will actually use.

Sources: CalDigit TS3 Plus specifications and FAQ; official TS3 Plus operating manual; CalDigit firmware and manual download notes. This assessment uses documented specifications and setup constraints; it does not report hands-on performance or durability testing.