Ascending to New Heights with the Ugreen Revodok Max 213 - An Unrivaled Thunderbolt 4 Dock Review

Key Takeaways

• The Ugreen Revodok Max 213 is a top-notch Thunderbolt 4 docking station with a wide range of ports and a sleek design.
• It offers excellent 4K and 8K video output, but Mac users with certain chips are limited to single displays.
• The charging ports are powerful, with the host port able to charge a MacBook Pro quickly, and other ports suitable for low-power devices.

The end-all-be-all of Thunderbolt 4 docking stations, the Ugreen Revodok Max 213 Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station has every port one could need for running an all-hands-on-deck video editing station, graphic design suite, or business command center. It’s also great for outputting 4K and 8K video, and for charging everyday devices.

Ugreen Revodok Max 213 Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station

8/ 10

$320 $400 Save $80

In the world of Thunderbolt 4 and USB docking stations, the Ugreen Revodok Max 213 is the stuff legends are made of. Oh, and super-fast transfer speeds, excellent charging capabilities, and terrific video performance are just a few of its laurels to boast about.

Brand

Ugreen

Connection

Thunderbolt 4

Ports

Thunderbolt 4, USB-C, USB-A, Ethernet, 3.5mm

Price

$400

Power supply included

Yes

Maximum display resolution

8K/30Hz

Weight

1.72 pounds (0.78kg)

Dimensions

5.85 x 3.79 x 2.05 inches (149mm x 97mm x 52mm)

Pros

• Loaded with useful video, data, and charging ports
• Ergonomic design and portable enough to travel with
• Simple plug-and-play connectivity
• Includes a 2.5Gb Ethernet port

Cons

• One of the most expensive Thunderbolt hubs out there
• No 8K capabilities for Mac users
• Limited to a single video output for standard M1, M2, and M3 Macs

Expand

$320 at Amazon $400 at Ugreen

Design: This is What a $400 Thunderbolt 4 Dock Should Look and Feel Like

Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek

The Revodok Max is a relatively lightweight docking station that is packed with ports and innovative tech. At 5.85 inches long, you’ll be able to position the hub both upright or lying down. Whether your desk or workstation will determine the vertical or horizontal placement or your own aesthetic preferences, I liked that Ugreen thought to include a set of four rubber stoppers on both the bottom and side of the station. This helps to keep the dock from scuffing up furniture and prevents it from sliding around on smoother surfaces.

I also like that Ugreen was upfront on the placement of its heat dissipation vents. You’ll find grating on both the top and bottom of the Revodok. The dock’s entire chassis is a cold-to-the-touch aluminum shell. Silica gel is also utilized, which helps to keep the internals as chilled as the exterior.

Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek

Speaking of the shell, the entire chassis is matte gray, with a slightly textured feel to the plating. As far as ports go, you’ll find them on the front and back of the device. The front-facing section (which is joined by a power button) includes a PD 20W USB-C port, two 10Gbps USB-A terminals, an SD and microSD card slot, and a 3.5mm port for connecting headphones.

On the back of the Revodok, you’ll find two 5Gbps USB-A ports, two 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 (TB4) ports, a 90W USB-C host port, a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port, a DisplayPort 1.4 connection, and the DC power input. Other box contents should include user manuals and a 180W power supply.

Display: Brilliant 4K and 8K Performance with a Few Caveats

Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek

One of the best features of the Revodok Max 213 is its ability to output 4K and 8K video across dual displays at respectable frame rates. There’s a caveat for Mac users: If your machine uses a standard M1, M2, or M3 chip, you’ll be limited to a single TB4 or DisplayPort connection, capped at 4K/60Hz.

If you’re using a Mac with any other type of M-Series processor (M1 Pro or Max, M2 Pro or Max, M3 Pro or Max, or an Intel chip), you’ll be able to output a 4K/60Hz signal to two displays at once using a combination of two TB4 connections, or one TB4 and the DisplayPort output.

Windows users get the luck of the draw with the Max 213, but there are a couple of limitations here too. You’ll be able to output video to two monitors at up to 4K/60Hz, and the host connection from your laptop can be TB4, TB3, or USB 4. However, if you’re only outputting video to a single display, your laptop will need to have a full-function USB-C port. This means the USB-C host connection will need to be able to transfer power, data, audio, and video.

I’m betting this full-function USB-C debacle has less to do with resolution limitations, and more to do with the fact that the Max 213 can transmit an 8K/30Hz signal from a full-function USB-C connection. Another small limitation is that the Max 213 maxes out at 4K/60Hz, when competitive TB4 hubs , such as the Targus HyperDrive, can deliver 4K at up to 120Hz when compatible hardware is used.

As for the Max 213, for best compatibility, you’ll want to be using a Windows laptop running Windows 10 OS and above, and Macs running Mac OS 11.4 and above. You can also use the Max 213 to transmit video from tablets, but you’ll be confined to a single 4K/60Hz output.

Charging: Even the Non-Charging Ports Will Charge Devices

Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek

On paper, the Revodok Max 213 has two charging ports: the 90W USB-C host connection, and a 20W USB-C 3.2 port. I’ve tested several powerful USB and Thunderbolt hubs, and 90W for a host port seems to be the norm for most devices. That being said, I was able to use the Max 213 to charge my late 2020 MacBook Pro (with an M1 chip) from 50% battery to fully charged in about 50 minutes.

This checks out, considering my MacBook doesn’t actually support the fast charging capability, which was introduced on the 2021 14-inch MacBook Pro.

The 20W USB-C port was fantastic for charging my iPhone 12 and my girlfriend’s iPad, and I’m willing to bet these are the types of devices Ugreen designed that connection for. I was also curious if you could charge devices using the other TB4 and USB-A ports. It turns out you can, but you’ll be limited to 15W using TB4, and only 7.5W using USB-A.

With those types of numbers, it’s probably best to reserve those charging ports for devices like earbud cases, book-lights, and other low-power hardware.

Transfer Speeds: Other Thunderbolt 4 Hub Makers Should Envy Ugreen

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As Ugreen’s flagship TB4 hub, I was expecting big numbers for the device’s transfer speeds, and I wasn’t disappointed. First and foremost, the USB-C host port delivers the fastest performance. At up to 40Gbps, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any TB4 or USB hub that can send data this quickly. But do keep in mind that in order to reach these byte heights though, you’ll want to be using certified Thunderbolt 4 cables for your host device.

Whether you’re transferring immense media files, or enormous batches of smaller files at once, a full-function 40Gbps pathway is going to deliver lightning-fast results. The Max 213’s other TB4 and USB connections are capable of transferring data at 20Gbps for the USB-C 3.2 connection, and 5 to 10Gbps across all other USB-C and USB-A ports .

Ugreen claims that the Max 213’s 4.0-certified SD and microSD card reader is able to transfer data at up to 312Mbps. I also just appreciate the fact that Ugreen thought to include card slots for the types of content creators who still work with physical storage mediums.

I can’t pass up the opportunity to discuss the 2.5Gb Ethernet port. This may not be a connection everyone uses, but if you’re working with a bunch of big byte projects and media files that are stored on a network-attached storage device, you’ll be happy to have this fast port to keep your workflow operating at peak performance.

Should You Buy the Ugreen Revodok Max 213 Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station?

While it’s pricier than most of the Thunderbolt 4 competition, the Ugreen Revodok Max 213 Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station is one of the best TB4 hubs money can buy. Not only does it deliver blistering-fast transfer and charging speeds, but it’s also designed to easily fit into most workstations. It’s outfitted with enough venting to shed the heat of whatever resource-draining projects you want to throw at it.

HD Video Converter Factory Pro

Ugreen Revodok Max 213 Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station

8/ 10

$320 $400 Save $80

In the world of Thunderbolt 4 and USB docking stations, the Ugreen Revodok Max 213 is the stuff legends are made of. Oh, and super-fast transfer speeds, excellent charging capabilities, and terrific video performance are just a few of its laurels to boast about.

$320 at Amazon $400 at Ugreen