Use multiple monitors? Why I recommend this docking station for both Windows and Mac

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As the number of ports manufacturers want to put on devices decreases, docking stations have stepped in to fill the gap. They come in all sizes, from tiny to big.

But there’s also a third category: the monster docking stations that shout, “There’s no kill like overkill.” These setups typically feature cutting-edge hardware or are built with a high level of redundancy and future-proofing. 

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That’s exactly what the Anker Prime DL7400 docking station is designed for: the highest-end setups and folks who positively never want to be lacking in ports.

Note that my review unit here is a special-edition Black Myth: Wukong branded unit (an action role-playing game) that is otherwise functionally identical to the standard DL7400. 

First things first: this thing is huge. It’s got a size (7.68 × 3.62 × 1.85 in/195 × 92 × 47 mm) and weight (1.84 lbs/834 g) that gives it some definite presence. This docking station doesn’t just need a desk, it demands one!

It also needs an AC power source, because it’s a powerhouse of performance. On the inside, it has its own high-efficiency GaN power supply, eliminating the need for a bulky external one and helping keep your desk tidy. This allows it to run and maximum power without compromise, and without turning into a desktop heater — thanks to the active cooling. 

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The docking station itself is positively bursting with ports. On the front here are two USB-C ports capable of 100W maximum output and 10Gbps transfer speeds, a third USB-C port offering the same 100W output and 5Gbps data bandwidth, SD and TF (microSD) card slots, and a 3.5mm audio jack. 

On the back of the unit are more ports. There’s a 140W/10Gbps upstream USB-C port, two 8K/30Hz HDMI ports, an 8K/60Hz DisplayPort port, two USB-A ports, one good for 5Gbps and the other limited to 480Mbps, a 2.5G Ethernet port, and an AC input.

Note that the USB-C ports share a maximum power output of 160W.

This port layout allows the DL7400 to support triple monitors on both Windows and macOS (no Linux or ChromeOS support), and allows one to have up to 8K resolution and the others being up to 4K each (if you have problems with this, you need to make sure your systems are running the latest and greatest DisplayLink drivers). 

On the front is a hard-to-miss display that keeps you in the loop as to what the docking station is doing, and you can work your way through the interface using the knob on the side. 

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There’s a fair bit of information to delve into in all the on-screen menus, from port power output to the docking station’s performance mode, but it’s logically laid out to make it as easy to navigate as possible. If that gets too much, the docking station can be controlled using an app installed on the host system.

This is about as high-end as docking stations get, and it’s aimed at pros with a lot of displays and devices to power, or gamers who want to maximize screen real estate. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

I’ll be honest with you, the Anker Prime DL7400 is a behemoth of a docking station. More and more people want docking stations these days, but the market for a 14-port, triple-display, 8K-supporting, fan-cooled docking station that weighs close to 2 pounds and costs $300 is a niche product.

And yes, this docking station is $300 (on sale for $240 at the time of writing).

But it’s also a really capable docking station that can handle pretty much anything you can throw at it (except Thunderbolt connectivity — if you need that, you’re looking at something like the OWC 11-port Thunderbolt 5 unit, the iVANKY 23-in-1 FusionDock Max 2, or the Plugable Thunderbolt 5 docks. When you look at it that way, it’s a very reasonably-priced unit.