Buy the TS5 or TS5 Plus if your computer has Thunderbolt 5, for example a MacBook Pro or Mac mini with M4 Pro, or a MacBook Pro with M4 Max, M5 Pro or M5 Max. CalDigit says the TS5 needs an 80Gb/s Thunderbolt 5 or USB4 v2 host connection for its full performance and features. Three or four displays through the dock are only listed for M5 Pro and M5 Max Macs and supported Thunderbolt 5 Windows PCs. On a Thunderbolt 4 computer (MacBook Air M4 or M5, base MacBook Pro M4 or M5, Mac mini M4, Thunderbolt 4 PCs) the link is still 40Gb/s and CalDigit lists no triple displays, so the TS4 already covers dual displays. It also keeps a built-in DisplayPort 1.4 port and 98W charging, and supports older systems (macOS 11.4, Windows 10). The TS5 is the choice there mainly if you need 140W charging, want to keep the dock for a future Thunderbolt 5 computer, or need macOS 15 or later anyway. The TS5 Plus is a separate, larger model with DisplayPort 2.1, 10GbE, 36W downstream ports and more USB ports. It does not work with plain USB-C (5/10Gb/s) computers or Thunderbolt 3 Windows PCs. This page maps CalDigit, Apple and Intel documentation only. NYBreaking did not physically test this.
Manufacturer documentation · Not physically tested by NYBreaking1. Start with the computer’s port, not the dock
This page follows CalDigit’s TS4, TS5 and TS5 Plus product pages, Apple’s tech specs and Intel’s Thunderbolt overview. It is not a claim that NYBreaking tested any of these docks.
- Thunderbolt 5 computers: Intel lists up to 80 Gbps bidirectional bandwidth and Bandwidth Boost up to 120 Gbps (with 40 Gbps in the other direction) for video-heavy traffic. Apple’s tech specs list three Thunderbolt 5 ports on the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro or M4 Max and with M5 Pro or M5 Max, and on the Mac mini with M4 Pro.
- Thunderbolt 4 computers: Intel lists 40 Gbps. Apple lists Thunderbolt 4 ports on the MacBook Air M4 and M5, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with base M4 or base M5 and the Mac mini with M4.
- CalDigit states that to get the maximum performance and features from the TS5 and TS5 Plus, an 80Gb/s Thunderbolt 5 or USB4 v2 host connection is required. A Thunderbolt 5 dock on a Thunderbolt 4 computer still works at the computer’s level. See Thunderbolt 5 dock on a Thunderbolt 4 laptop.
- Not sure which port you have? Use check that your laptop port is Thunderbolt or USB4.
2. Decision table by computer (no prices)
| Your computer | TS4 | TS5 | TS5 Plus | What decides it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mac with M5 Pro or M5 Max (Thunderbolt 5) | Dual displays | Up to 3 displays; 4 on M5 Max | Up to 3 displays; 4 on M5 Max | CalDigit lists three displays on M5 Pro and four on M5 Max (one must be a daisy-chainable Thunderbolt display) for TS5 / TS5 Plus only |
| Mac with M4 Pro or M4 Max (Thunderbolt 5) | Dual displays | Dual displays | Dual displays | CalDigit: M4 Macs do not support triple displays through one Thunderbolt 5 connection. TB5 docks add the 80Gb/s link, 64Gb/s PCIe for storage and 140W charging |
| MacBook Air M4 / M5, base MacBook Pro M4 / M5, Mac mini M4 (Thunderbolt 4) | Dual displays | Dual displays | Dual displays | 40Gb/s host link either way; TS4 has a built-in DisplayPort 1.4, TS5 has no DisplayPort port; TS5 / TS5 Plus need macOS 15 or later |
| Thunderbolt 5 Windows PC | Dual displays | Up to 3 displays | Up to 3 displays | CalDigit: three displays on supported Thunderbolt 5 Windows hosts; USB 20Gb/s data path on supported TB5 Windows PCs (TS5 / TS5 Plus) |
| Thunderbolt 4 Windows PC | Dual displays; Windows 10 (20H2)+ | Dual displays; Windows 11, Intel 12th Gen+, Thunderbolt NVM 43.3+ | Same as TS5 | CalDigit: Thunderbolt 4 hosts cannot connect three displays natively |
| Thunderbolt 3 Windows PC | Compatible | Minimum listed for Windows is Thunderbolt 4 | Not compatible | CalDigit lists the TS5 Plus as not compatible with Thunderbolt 3 Windows PCs |
| USB4 PC | Compatible; Ethernet needs PCIe support | Compatible; Ethernet needs PCIe tunneling | PCIe tunneling required | Ask the PC maker whether its USB4 port supports PCIe |
| Plain USB-C laptop or tablet (not Thunderbolt / USB4) | Compatible; features depend on the host | Compatible; features depend on the host | Not compatible | CalDigit: TS5 Plus does not support 5Gb/s or 10Gb/s USB-C hosts |
Display counts are CalDigit’s dock tables. Your computer’s own limit, set by Apple or the PC maker, still applies. For Mac limits by chip see MacBook M5 external monitor limits and MacBook Pro M4 Pro and three monitors.
3. Ports side by side
| TS4 | TS5 | TS5 Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Host port | Thunderbolt 4 (40Gb/s), rear | Thunderbolt 5 (up to 120Gb/s), rear | Thunderbolt 5 (up to 120Gb/s), rear |
| Downstream Thunderbolt | 2 × Thunderbolt 4 (40Gb/s) | 3 × Thunderbolt 5 (80Gb/s) | 2 × Thunderbolt 5 (80Gb/s) |
| Built-in video port | 1 × DisplayPort 1.4 | None (use the Thunderbolt 5 ports) | 1 × DisplayPort 2.1 |
| USB-C data (10Gb/s) | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| USB-A | 5 × 10Gb/s | 1 × 10Gb/s + 1 × USB 2.0 | 5 × 10Gb/s |
| Ethernet | 2.5GbE | 2.5GbE | 10GbE (Windows driver download) |
| Card readers and audio | SD 4.0 + microSD 4.0 (UHS-II); front combo, rear in and rear out | Same | Same |
| Max PCIe bandwidth (CalDigit table) | 32Gb/s | 64Gb/s | 64Gb/s |
| In the box | 0.8m Thunderbolt 4 cable, 230W power supply | 1.0m Thunderbolt 5 cable, 240W power supply | 1.0m Thunderbolt 5 cable, 330W power supply |
| Minimum macOS | macOS 11.4 | macOS 15 | macOS 15 |
- On all three, CalDigit says the USB-C and USB-A ports are data only. Monitors go on the spare Thunderbolt ports (or the DisplayPort port on TS4 and TS5 Plus).
- The TS5 Plus has dual 10Gb/s USB controllers. CalDigit says the second controller only works on Thunderbolt hosts and USB4 hosts that support PCIe.
- Port counts differ between CalDigit pages: the TS4 page says 18 ports, while CalDigit’s newer TS4 / TS5 / TS5 Plus comparison table lists 19 / 15 / 20. The interface lists above are taken from each product’s own spec sheet.
4. Power delivery: 98W vs 140W
- Host charging: TS4 up to 98W; TS5 and TS5 Plus up to 140W. CalDigit says each dock only supplies the wattage the computer asks for. It describes 140W as ideal for the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro or M4 Max, which it says requires 140W.
- For a 16-inch MacBook Pro with a Max chip on the TS4, CalDigit says 98W will power and charge it in the majority of scenarios. It recommends connecting the MacBook Pro’s own charger under heavy CPU / GPU load with power-hungry bus-powered devices attached.
- Downstream Thunderbolt ports: 15W each on TS4 and TS5; 36W each on TS5 Plus. Front USB-C: 20W on TS4 and TS5, 36W on TS5 Plus. Other USB ports: 7.5W.
- Desktop Macs: CalDigit says a Mac mini, iMac or desktop computer gets no power over the Thunderbolt connection from the TS4 or TS5, so charging wattage doesn’t matter there. See best dock for Mac mini M4.
5. Display support: what each dock adds
- TS4: CalDigit lists dual displays on base M4 / M5, M1–M5 Pro and Max, M1–M3 Ultra and Intel Macs, and on Thunderbolt 3 / 4 Windows PCs. Its FAQ gives a single display up to 8K 30Hz (higher with DSC on supported hosts). It gives dual displays up to 4K 60Hz on most dual-display computers. The FAQ names 6K 60Hz with DSC only for M1 Pro, M1 Max and M1 Ultra.
- TS5 and TS5 Plus: CalDigit lists dual displays on base M4 / M5 and on M1–M4 Pro and Max. It lists three displays on M5 Pro and M5 Max and on supported Thunderbolt 5 Windows PCs, and four on M5 Max, where one display must be daisy-chainable Thunderbolt. Its comparison table marks three 4K 144Hz displays, four 4K 144Hz displays (M5 Max) and dual 6K 120Hz (M5 Max) as TS5 / TS5 Plus only.
- CalDigit also says Thunderbolt 4 Windows or Mac hosts do not support triple displays, and M4 Macs do not support triple displays through one Thunderbolt 5 connection. A dock can’t raise a computer’s native display limit.
- HDMI: the TS4 page says Macs output up to HDMI 2.0b over Thunderbolt (4K 60Hz through an HDMI adapter). The newer TS5 Plus page says M2 and later Macs can reach HDMI 2.1 over Thunderbolt on macOS 26 or later with a suitable adapter. For higher refresh rates, CalDigit points to USB-C or DisplayPort connections. If a 4K screen drops to 30Hz, see 4K monitor stuck at 30Hz through a dock.
6. TS5 vs TS5 Plus: the official difference
CalDigit sells them as two separate products and compares them in one table.
- Video: TS5 has three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports and no DisplayPort port. TS5 Plus has two downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports plus a DisplayPort 2.1 port. For three displays on an M5 Pro, CalDigit’s TS5 Plus page uses the two Thunderbolt 5 ports plus the DisplayPort connector.
- Networking and USB: TS5 Plus has 10GbE (TS5: 2.5GbE), five USB-C and five USB-A 10Gb/s ports, and dual USB controllers.
- Power: both charge the host at up to 140W. TS5 Plus gives 36W on its downstream Thunderbolt ports and front USB-C port.
- Compatibility: the TS5 accepts plain USB-C hosts; the TS5 Plus does not (5Gb/s and 10Gb/s USB-C hosts) and is not compatible with Thunderbolt 3 Windows PCs. USB4 hosts need PCIe tunneling for the TS5 Plus.
- Size: the TS5 Plus chassis is larger (6.10 × 1.85 × 5.03 in vs 5.55 × 1.65 × 4.46 in) and comes with a 330W power supply.
Profiles: CalDigit TS4 · CalDigit TS5 · CalDigit TS5 Plus · TS4 vs Anker 778 vs Plugable TBT4-UDZ.
7. What this comparison does not settle
- CalDigit’s display tables are reference data. CalDigit itself says results may vary with OS updates and that you should check with the computer maker. Your monitor’s inputs, DSC support and cable matter too.
- Prices and regional bundles change and are deliberately left out. The decision table is based on host and port needs only.
- Review quotes and Thunderbolt-dock rankings on retailer or press sites are not used as evidence here.
Only CalDigit product pages, Apple tech specs and Intel’s Thunderbolt overview are sources. NYBreaking did not test any TS4, TS5, TS5 Plus, computer, cable or monitor.
Sources you can inspect
- CalDigit: Thunderbolt Station 4 (TS4) product page and technical specifications (ports, 98W host charging, dual displays, Mac mini power FAQ) ↗
- CalDigit: TS5 Thunderbolt 5 dock product page, specifications and TS4 / TS5 / TS5 Plus comparison table ↗
- CalDigit: TS5 Plus Thunderbolt 5 dock product page and specifications (DisplayPort 2.1, 10GbE, 36W ports, host requirements) ↗
- Intel: Thunderbolt technology overview (Thunderbolt 5 80 Gbps bidirectional, Bandwidth Boost 120 Gbps; Thunderbolt 4 40 Gbps) ↗
- Apple Support: MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4, 2024) Tech Specs (three Thunderbolt 4 ports) ↗
- Apple Support: MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4 Pro or M4 Max, 2024) Tech Specs (three Thunderbolt 5 ports) ↗
- Apple Support: MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5) Tech Specs (three Thunderbolt 4 ports) ↗
- Apple Support: MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5 Pro or M5 Max) Tech Specs (three Thunderbolt 5 ports) ↗
- Apple Support: MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025) Tech Specs (two Thunderbolt 4 ports) ↗
- Apple Support: MacBook Air (13-inch, M5) Tech Specs (two Thunderbolt 4 ports) ↗
- Apple Support: Mac mini (2024) Tech Specs (M4 and M4 Pro display support, front and back ports) ↗
Based on official documentation reviewed 2026-11-11. Steps are general; follow the manual for your exact model. No physical test by NYBreaking. Undocumented third-party dock behavior is not invented here. Published by Feroz Sheikh.
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