j5create USB-C Triple Display Docking Station (JCD543)
j5create USB-C Triple Display Docking Station retails for S$199 on Hachi.tech.
As the product name implies, the JCD543 is a USB-C docking station that supports up to three monitors alongside with other ports.
The design is elongated because it comes with 13 ports. It measures (W x H x D) 82.5 x 23.4 x 350 (mm) and weighs 300g.
The USB-C cable can be neatly hidden beneath the cover while not being used.
Triple display support is made possible by USB Alternate Mode or Alt Mode in short. Alt Mode is a functional extension of USB-C that enables the USB connection to carry non-USB signals. This is exceptionally useful for display signals. You will need to install drivers on your computer for Alt Mode to work correctly.
You can read more on linustechtips: Guide to Display Cables / Adapters (v2).
It comes with a 45cm long USB-C cable.
Cable gutters are on both sides of the dock for the cable to pass through, allowing the cable cover to be closed while in use.
The list of the ports are as follows:
- 1x USB-C Power Delivery (PD) 3.0 Port (For Charging Only)
- 1x Gigabit Ethernet Port
- 1x SD Card Slot
- 1x microSD Card Slot
- 1x USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Port
- 3x USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Ports
- 2x HDMI Port (Up To 4K at 30 Hz)
- 1x DisplayPort (Up To 4K at 30 Hz)
- 1x VGA Port (Up To 1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz)
- 1x 3.5mm Audio/Microphone Port
JCD543 is bus-powered, which means it draws its power from the USB connection and doesn’t require an external power source. However, it is always recommended to plug in a power source. In this case, JCD543 is powered by USB-C Power Delivery (PD), which supports up to 100W.
The graphics card on your laptop needs to be able to support three monitors and hence Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV). If you have noticed, there are four video ports, two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, and one VGA port. However, you can only use three of them. Either HDMI port or DisplayPort and HDMI port and VGA port. The HDMI ports and DisplayPort supports 4K (3840 × 2160) resolution at 30 Hz while the VGA port support Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution at 60 Hz.
