There have been other threads here for other MacBook Pro models, but it is my understanding that the 16" ships with a 96W USB-C Power Adapter, and so far everything I’ve seen seems to be for lower wattage Macs.
All I am looking for is the ability to connect USB-A and USB-C devices.
I have the AUKEY USB C Hub 7 in 1 Type C Hub with 3 USB 3.0 Ports but some devices do not seem to like being powered into it. It does not seem to keep my 12.9" iPad Pro fully charged and my Stream Deck sometimes acts as if it has been unplugged and re-plugged. This makes me hesitant to connect external hard drives through it.
I would like a powered dock, ideally.
The OWC 14 Ports / Thunderbolt 3 Dock seems highly regarded, but in looking more closely at reviews and comments, it appears that it only supplies 60W to the computer, which doesn’t seem like it would be enough…
But then when I look in the System Information.app I see this when plugged in using the cable Apple included with it:
AC Charger Information:
Name
Status
Connected
Yes
ID
0x7002
Wattage (W)
55
Family
0xe000400a
Name
96W USB-C Power Adapter
Manufacturer
Apple Inc.
Charging
Yes
which looks like it is only using 55W (then again it is mostly idle right now).
Anyone know enough about this stuff to advise me on whether the OWC will work? Or others that might?
I may have misinterpreted the threads that you reference but, the general sense that I have is that, when possible, the MBP 16in should be powered on a port separate from the dock itself to avoid the potential for overheating issues.
I never planned to get the 16" MacBook Pro before our current … situation … so I never paid all that much attention to anything about them. Now, of course, I wish I had, and feel like I’m playing catch-up.
All of them seem to send 60W to the MacBook, so I guess that must be sufficient.
I think I’m going to try the OWC USB-C Dock since my needs are primarily for USB-A and USB-C ports, I don’t think I need what the Thunderbolt or “Pro” docks offer.
The Caldigit TS3 PLUS does up to 87 watt charging.
My MBP was supplied with an 87 watt charger but I occasionally used it with a 30watt supply.
Using only the laptop, not plugged into anything else, the 30watts was usually sufficient to charge it very slowly if I wasn’t hammering it with LR / PS for sustained periods.
With an external monitor plugged in that 30w wasn’t quite enough to convincingly put charge into it and it’d constantly hover between charging & draining the battery. 30w down from 87w is quite a drop though.
I suspect that with a max of 87watts being supplied, it’d maybe not charge or probably charge slowly while under heavy load but you’d probably get away with it for the most part.
Yipes at the cost of some of these. I just use this $25 hub https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FX2LW35
I don’t charge through it (why bother when the computer has 4 USB-C ports) although it will pass 87W. Anyway has 1 Ethernet (gigabit), 1 HDMI, 1 SD, 1 micro SD, 1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0. It basically gives me back everything I had built-in my old 2011 MBP plus HDMI that always took a dongle.