The SD4880P EQ USB-C 17-1 Dock for Windows is the latest docking station from Kensington. Built for the ultimate plug-and-play experience, the Kensington SD4880P EQ USB-C 17-1 Dock offers a lot of flexibility and adaptability for power users looking for an all-in-one connection solution. With support for up to 4 external displays, 10 ports for device power delivery and a driverless setup, the SD4880P EQ USB-C 17-1 Dock aims to be the go-to solution for professionals.
Powered by an external 180W power supply, the SD4880P is exceptionally easy to set up. After connecting all of the devices and powering the unit, a single USB-C Gen 3.2 connects the dock to a compatible laptop (more on this in a moment). Thanks to a fully driverless setup, once connected, Windows 10 or 11 simply recognizes all of the connected devices and goes to work.
There is no need to download or install additional software, and no dock configuration is required to use it. For those interested, there is an optional software suite called DockWorks that gives a greater amount of control over networking but is unnecessary for everyday productivity. It is the definition of a plug-and-play experience.
“Built for the ultimate plug-and-play experience, the SD4880P offers a lot of flexibility and adaptability for power users looking for an all-in-one connection solution.”
As for physical design, the SD4880P is a fairly straightforward affair. Weighing 1.33 lbs, the SD4880P measures 8.37” L x 4.13” W x 1.46” H and has a fairly small desktop footprint at 34.16” squared. Other than a single blue LED power indicator light, Kensington has designed the SD4880P for function, not fashion. As a result, its minimalistic design fits right at home in a professional office environment.
As for functionality, it seems that Kensington has doubled down on how much can be packed into a single dock. The 17 ports allow for a serious amount of connectivity to a laptop. Starting with the display options, the SD4880P offers 2 x DisplayPort V1.4 and 2 x HDMI 2.1 ports. How they are leveraged will depend entirely on what port configuration the connected device supports.
For example, those with Thunderbolt 3 or 4 will be able to use all four display ports simultaneously with varying resolutions and configurations based on the device’s output capabilities. Essentially, the dock is limited by your device, as opposed to the other way around. This is a key point to remember, as not all devices can leverage the full potential of the SD4880P.
If you have a laptop that supports DSC v1.2, you can expect to produce up to 8k@30Hz on a single display with ease. While there is no 8K display in the office I was able to test the 4K@30Hz with two 4K displays (four are supported but were not accessible for testing). it worked exceptionally well. Alternatively, you can swap to lower res monitors, in my case, a series of 1080p displays, and easily support four monitors at 120Hz refresh. In both tests, everything performed seamlessly without any additional configuration. The dock simply adapted to whatever setup was plugged in. The biggest variable in all of this, of course, is the device connecting to the dock.
This is an intentional design choice that comes with both positives and drawbacks. On the positive side, users can be up and running in mere moments with a full setup ready for whatever work is ahead of them. Everything is plug-and-play with the SD4880P. Each device connected simply runs through the normal Windows 10 or 11 setup and it’s ready to go. The downside here is that while all features like 4 monitor setups are available you’ll not be able to leverage the full use of the dock if your system cannot already handle a four display output.
This is the cost of a plug-and-play experience. Alternatively, other docks can allow your system to go beyond its original design, such as allowing an M1 Macbook Pro to display on multiple monitors with ease. These, however, require additional drivers, software support and, in some cases, configuration to set up and use properly. They also tend to be limited in I/O selection, generally limiting The user to a basic keyboard, mouse and one external USB-powered device.
“Everything is plug-and-play with the SD4880P, each device connected simply runs through the normal Windows 10 or 11 setup and it’s ready to go.”
This is one of the reasons Kensington chose the former design over the latter. While the dock is essentially limited by the capabilities of your system regarding display outputs, it compensates for the sheer amount of I/O it provides to the user. The front panel plays host to 3 USB-C 3.2 Gen2 with various levels of wattage charging capabilities along with 2 USB-A 3.2 Gen2, an SD card Slot with UHS-II, SD4.0 Support and a single 3.5mm audio combo jack. This alone provides an incredible amount of connection support with optional multiple-device charging capabilities.
The Back panel, along with the aforementioned display port options, supports 2 additional USB-C 3.2 Gen2 ports and 4 USB-A 3.2 Gen2 ports. However, it doesn’t stop there. Kensington also included an RJ45 jack with up to 2500 Mbps network support, ensuring that your docked device receives the maximum connection speeds. There is an incredible amount of I/O to work with, and it’s all nicely packaged in a relatively small desktop footprint.
The SD4880P is best leveraged for high-end, high-performance laptops with DSC v1.2 support. As such, the Kensington SD4880P EQ is designed with a singular purpose, and while it is incredible when used in these scenarios, it’s important to understand that the user experience will vary depending on the device connected. This isn’t a critique but rather a note to check your specs before considering any dock.
The SD4880P EQ USB-C Dock is an impressive piece of hardware that helps elevate a productivity setup by allowing high-performance laptops to utilize their full potential. Packed with some impressive I/O and charging options there is a lot to like about this plug-and-play dock. While it delivers on all its promises, it’s important to understand the cost of this type of experience. With that said, if you’re in the market for an all-in-one Docking station and have the right device to leverage it, the SD4880P EQ is a powerhouse that delivers.
