BenQ beCreatus DP1310 evaluation: A MacBook docking station for work and play

Worth When Reviewed

$299

Finest Costs As we speak: BenQ beCreatus DP1310 USB-C Hybrid Dock

$467

Screens have turn out to be so good, so massive, and so inexpensive that you just not essentially want two of them, one to your work gear and one to your playthings. That is the place docks come into play. They’ve lengthy been an integral a part of artists’ workstations, however there are actually additionally fashions focussing on leisure, such because the BenQ beCreatus DP1310, which units the bar extraordinarily excessive, particularly with its output choices.

As with most stationary docks, the beCreatus DP1310 is mostly a comparatively voluminous, anthracite-colored field. Other than the back and front, the housing is made from metallic, with the highest and backside being ribbed to extend the floor space, because the housing serves to dissipate warmth–the DP1310 will get fairly heat throughout operation.

Eugen Wegmann

Eugen Wegmann

Eugen Wegmann

The quick left facet is rubberized in order that the dock doesn’t slip simply while you stand it upright. There are additionally two rubber strips on the ribbed underside, which to my shock usually are not glued down and may also be positioned on the highest in case you actually wish to stand the dock the wrong way up. Nonetheless, the primary goal might be to have the ability to put them nearer collectively if you would like the dock to face on a smaller floor.

The entrance is made from darkish gray plastic and homes two USB-A ports with as much as 10Gbps knowledge throughput and seven.5 watts of energy, a USB-C port, additionally with 10Gbps throughput, however with 36 watts of energy, a 3.5 mm jack for a headset and a small standing LED that lights up blue or inexperienced relying on the supply.

Eugen Wegmann

Eugen Wegmann

Eugen Wegmann

The attention-catcher and one of many options that visually units the beCreatus DP1310 aside from comparable docks is a big inexperienced button that additionally features as an on/off change and lets you change the linked sources on the contact of a button. Its form means that it may be rotated, however sadly, it is a false impression.

If you happen to keep in mind the wild Nineties and early 2000s, you should still be acquainted with the idea of the boss button, which allowed you to superimpose a faux work display screen over video games comparable to “Moorhuhn” on the contact of a button in order that your boss couldn’t see that you just had been busy doing something apart from working. That is precisely how the DP1310’s inexperienced button works however as an precise {hardware} answer. You actually can change between work and pleasure on the contact of a button.

The rear is filled with a very powerful connections. There are two USB-A ports for a mouse and keyboard, one other USB-A port with 10Gbps throughput and seven.5 watts of energy, and a gigabit ethernet port.

The video connections are the place issues get attention-grabbing: The BenQ beCreatus DP1310 has an HDMI 2.1 enter, a USB-C port with DisplayPort help and 100 watts of energy supply, two HDMI outputs (one HDMI 2.0, one HDMI 2.1), and a DisplayPort output.

Eugen Wegmann

Eugen Wegmann

Eugen Wegmann

There’s additionally a hole plug socket, because the dock, which might distribute round 160 watts to linked units, is equipped with energy by a big, heavy 180-watt energy provide unit.

The dock doesn’t have a card reader, nor does it have any USB-C ports aside from the one on the entrance. The previous makes the DP1310 lower than superb for the artistic business, which it isn’t aimed toward anyway, whereas the latter is considerably extra critical, as many units, particularly webcams, now depend on USB-C ports. Additionally noteworthy: no Thunderbolt help.

BenQ beCreatus DP1310: Vary of features

What do you do with so many ports? Principally, there are (not less than) two software examples, maybe you possibly can consider one or two extra.

Mac and sport console with one show

The primary instance is the one BenQ primarily makes use of to advertise the beCreatus DP1310. In case you have restricted house, you should utilize your workstation as a gaming nook comparatively simply, which is especially attention-grabbing if you have already got quick, high-resolution displays. Due to the 2 HDMI 2.1 connections (enter and output), the DP1310 helps both 4K decision at 120Hz refresh fee or 8K at 60Hz, each with Dolby Atmos HDR know-how.

Whereas 8K/60Hz nonetheless largely falls into the class of goals of the longer term, 4K/120Hz has lengthy been a actuality, as each the Xbox Sequence X and the Sony Ps 5 help this mode on the supply facet and it has additionally lengthy since arrived on output units. LG’s well-liked OLED TVs have been in a position to output 120Hz natively since 2019, and laptop displays with related specs are actually out there from all well-known producers, particularly within the gaming sector.

The dock comes into play in case you don’t have house for a TV or don’t wish to purchase one (or use one of many small fashions of LG OLEDs as a monitor to your Mac) and wish to place your Xbox Sequence X or Ps 5 at your workstation. Join your high-performance monitor to the DP1310’S green-blue HDMI 2.1 output, your console to the inexperienced HDMI 2.1 enter, and your Mac to the blue USB-C port on the again. You may change between Mac and console utilizing the big inexperienced button on the entrance.

In case you have as much as three displays, you possibly can broaden the Mac output accordingly. Whereas I’ve no use for it myself, I can think about that streamers and builders will respect having the ability to shortly change forwards and backwards between a console and a big workspace.

The particular factor is that just one display screen can change between the console and Mac; the opposite two are at all times reserved for the laptop computer and may proceed for use even in case you are enjoying in your console.

Eugen Wegmann

Eugen Wegmann

Eugen Wegmann

Prolong Mac output to 3 displays

The second instance is expounded to the truth that because the introduction of the M-chips, the state of affairs with Macs supporting a number of exterior displays seems to be a little bit bleak and relies upon closely on the chip. While the state of affairs has improved considerably with the introduction of the M3 Professional and Max chips earlier this 12 months, it’s nonetheless so difficult that we have now an in depth information particularly for it. To summarise briefly: One of the simplest ways to do it’s with a dock.

As talked about above, you possibly can join three displays to the BenQ beCreatus DP1310: two through HDMI and one through DisplayPort. Your MacBook, alternatively, might be linked as normal through USB-C, which additionally provides it with energy. As with many comparable docks, you want the DisplayLink driver for this, however it’s out there freed from cost.

Whereas the beCreatus DP1310 is actually appropriate for this software, there are additionally smaller and cheaper options. If you happen to solely want to attach extra screens to your Mac, it is best to subsequently check out different docks. Nonetheless, there are additionally different docks in the identical measurement and value class, which is why the BenQ mannequin matches in fairly nicely.

BenQ beCreatus DP1310: No KVM change

Probably the most annoying factor in regards to the beCreatus DP1310 is that it’s explicitly designed to be used with a console. As such, it additionally doesn’t act as a KVM change, which is why you possibly can’t merely use it to arrange a hybrid Home windows PC and Mac workstation with only one set of peripherals. A KVM change lets you use the identical peripherals (mouse and keyboard in addition to displays) with two totally different units, on this case, a Mac and a Home windows PC.

I notice it is a barely totally different area of interest, however I can’t think about it could have been that rather more cumbersome or costly to implement this characteristic as nicely. And the icing on the cake could be if I may additionally join my Xbox or Ps inside this hybrid set-up.

Eugen Wegmann

Eugen Wegmann

Eugen Wegmann

BenQ beCreatus DP1310: Efficiency

Video

There’s little to say in regards to the video connections. Right here, the beCreatus DP1310 delivers what it guarantees: 4K/120Hz (examined with an Xbox Sequence X and an LG OLED B1 from 2021) is output by the beCreatus with none issues. I used to be unable to check 8K/60 Hz on account of an absence of {hardware}. However as I stated, 8K will not be very widespread anyway and gained’t catch on any time quickly.

The most important shortcoming of the output issues switching between the 2 sources. This isn’t instantaneous, as you’d anticipate, however takes just below 8 seconds on common. That will not sound like a lot, however have you ever ever pressed a button after which needed to look ahead to one thing to occur? It looks as if an eternity.

Of explicit curiosity to MacBook customers is the flexibility to attach as much as three exterior shows with the dock with out having to pay the additional value for a mannequin with an M2 or M3 Max chip. This fashion, you possibly can even broaden a M1 MacBook Professional with three screens, every with 4K decision and 60Hz refresh fee. This not solely works in clamshell mode, the place you’re employed along with your MacBook closed and use it with an exterior mouse and keyboard, but additionally unfolded. This lets you broaden your MacBook setup to a full 4 screens in case you want that a lot house.

If you happen to then change to your console, you’ll lose one display screen on the MacBook, however you possibly can nonetheless use it with the remaining two screens. In fact, it’s as much as you what you do on it: handle the chat of your Twitch stream, show the walkthrough for the sport within the browser, watch a TV present on the facet.

Whereas the operate itself labored easily throughout testing (even with an older MacBook) I had just a few obstacles when setting it up. After putting in the DisplayLink driver, one display screen wouldn’t work in any respect, after restarting the dock it did work however displayed psychedelic colours on one half and after one other restart (and after each restart) all the pieces lastly ran easily. So it’s good to know that “have you ever tried turning it off an on once more?” remains to be legitimate.

USB speeds

So far as the velocity of the USB ports is anxious, there are hardly any surprises with the DP1310. General, the velocity examined with the Blackmagic Disk Pace Take a look at is in actuality considerably decrease than the USB normal really used. Nonetheless, it isn’t solely depending on the know-how used, but additionally on the gadget with which it’s examined and even the cable with which it’s linked.

For my checks, I used a 1TB Samsung T7 USB-C SSD, which isn’t the quickest SSD available on the market. Linked on to a M3 MacBook Professional M3 Professional, it achieves common learn speeds of 720MBps and write speeds of 835MBps, which is already nicely beneath the USB specification. In distinction, the identical SSD on the identical MacBook looped by means of the beCreatus DP1310 achieves common learn speeds of 680MBps and write speeds of 820MBps.

This corresponds to a distinction of 6 p.c in learn velocity and solely 2 p.c in write velocity, which is totally negligible. It may subsequently be assumed that higher-performance storage units than the Samsung T7 deviate simply as little from what the connection really delivers.

Eugen Wegmann

Eugen Wegmann

Eugen Wegmann

BenQ beCreatus DP1310: Worth and availability

Like most high-performance or extremely specialised docks, the beCreatus DP1310 will not be precisely low-cost. The producer’s value is US$299/UK£309 and additionally it is uncommon to seek out it for much less on third-party retailers, though it needs to be talked about that the worth isn’t out of the vary for such a specialised dock.

For this value, you get the dock with the aforementioned specs, a huge and heavy 180-watt energy provide with an influence cable, a totally specified USB-C cable and a totally specified HDMI 2.1 cable. The truth that BenQ contains the final two alone have to be credited to the corporate, as there may be an unimaginable quantity of snake oil on Amazon, particularly in terms of USB-C cables. So having the proper cables proper within the field is one much less downside it’s a must to cope with.

Do you have to purchase the BenQ beCreatus DP1310?

The BenQ beCreatus DP1310 is the proper dock if you wish to add a sport console to your workstation setup. To get the very best setup, your setup ought to encompass not less than a 4K display screen with 60Hz and a MacBook. In case you have a desktop Mac, you often have sufficient connections anyway and may do with out docks.

It’s additionally nice for including as much as three exterior shows to your present MacBook workstation, even when your mannequin doesn’t really help it. If you happen to merely wish to broaden your vary of connections, there are additionally extra appropriate (and extra inexpensive) docks.

This text initially appeared on Macwelt and was translated by Roman Loyola.