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Plugable Launches Dual DisplayPort/HDMI 4K Laptop Dock
Having a good docking station is an important part of working on a laptop. And while it’s standard for bigger offices to provide docks, with so many of us now working from home due to the pandemic, those of us who rely on their work laptops now might have to fend for themselves instead. Enter the Plugable UD-3900Z and UD-6950Z, two new laptop docks that launch today and separate themselves from the pack through an extensive array of display options.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Row 0 - Cell 0
UD-3900Z
UD-6950Z
Video Connections
2 x HDMI
2x HDMI or DisplayPort
Ports
4x USB 2.0, 3x USB 3.0, RJ-45 Ethernet, 3.5mm combo audio/mic jack
6 x USB 3.0, RJ-45 Ethernet, 3.5mm combo audio/mic jack
Which one of these you’ll want to get depends on your monitor setup. The UD-3900Z is built for FHD displays, while the UD-6950Z focuses on 4K. Each has room for two displays at once, meaning you can easily use two monitors at the same time. But while the 3900Z limits itself to HDMI, the 6950Z’s display connections take either HDMI or DisplayPort.
That means the UD-3900Z supports up to two 1920 x 1200 monitors (each running at 60 Hz), while the UD-6950Z supports up to two 4K (3840 x 2160) monitors (each running at 60 Hz. meaning you won't be running two of the best 4K gaming monitors on market).
(Image credit: Pluggable)
That means that if you don’t have 4K monitors, the UD-3900Z is a pretty simple bet, and easy to use as well. It can take up to two monitors and simply uses two HDMI ports to do so. The UD-6950Z is a bit more of an oddity. While it has 4 video ports (2 DisplayPort and 2 HDMI), it can only connect your laptop to two monitors at a time, rather than using all of them at once to connect 4 monitors. Each of its two video connections simply gives you the option of either DisplayPort or HDMI, rather than letting you use both at once in the same connection. On top of this, you’ll also get plenty of ports with either hub. The UD-3900Z has four USB 2.0 ports, three USB 3.0 ports, one RJ-45 Ethernet port, and one 3.5mm combo audio/mic jack. Meanwhile, the UD-6950Z comes with 6 USB 3.0 ports, one RJ-45 Ethernet port, and one 3.5mm combo audio/mic jack. Both of these stations mark upgrades to Plugable’s existing USB 3.0 UD-3900 Universal Laptop Docking Station, which is currently the best-selling laptop dock on Amazon and only has 1 HDMI port and 1 DVI/VGA port.
Michelle Ehrhardt is an editor at Tom's Hardware. She's been following tech since her family got a Gateway running Windows 95, and is now on her third custom-built system. Her work has been published in publications like Paste, The Atlantic, and Kill Screen, just to name a few. She also holds a master's degree in game design from NYU.
