Docking stations are everywhere these days. In an age of hotdesking, having a dock that can drive multiple monitors and extra USB ports means you can turn a laptop into a workstation. The latest dock to land on my desk for review comes from BenQ’s beCreatus brand.
The BenQ beCreatus DP1310 hybrid dock must be one of the best-looking desk gadgets on the market. It’s about the size of a small paperback book. Featuring stylish ribbing on its aluminum alloy casing for more efficient cooling, this stunning dock has a large green button on the front for video switching between HDMI and USB. This makes it easy to switch from your laptop to your gaming console. The green button is also the main power switch for turning the dock on and off.
The dock can be used vertically or horizontally and features non-slip rubber pads to stop it from sliding around the desktop when plugging or unplugging peripherals. It has support for up to three displays with either HDMI or USB-C inputs.
Connecting to the host computer is via a USB-C cable and there is the option to also connect with an HDMI cable from a gaming console with output resolutions up to 4K at 120Hz refresh rate or even 8K resolution at 60Hz. To use the triple display function on the DP1310, you will need to download the DisplayLink driver for macOS or Windows.
There is also a second HMDI and a DisplayPort for running up to three screens on compatible operating systems. There is support for external monitors with Apple Macs with M1 and M2 silicon.
The dock connects to its host laptop or desktop via USB-C and has support for up to 100W PD. In addition, the rear of the dock also has an Ethernet Gigabit port, a USB-A 10Gbps port and a couple of legacy USB-A ports for mice and keyboards. The rear also has the power input connector for the dock’s DC power supply.
At the front of the DP1310 are two USB-A 10Gbps ports and a single USB-C 10Gbps port that can also pump out 36W of power for charging a smartphone or tablet. The last output is a TRRS 3.5mm audio jack for connecting headphones or a headset. It’s a clean design and looks superb on the desk.
The dock is packaged exquisitely with a paper sleeve to protect its surface. The package also includes a beefy power supply with mains cable. The box also contains a USB-C cable for connecting to the host computer and an HDMI 2.1 cable which is certified for 8K resolution.
The DP1310 is very much plug-and-play. Just connect the power supply and the data cable to the host machine and you are good to go. The beCreatus DP1310 doesn’t have as many ports as some models on the market but I think it has more than enough for most laptop users. The main benefit is cable rationalization and a tidier desk as everything can be routed from the host computer through one cable.
Verdict: For me, the beauty of the beCreatus DP1310 is its presence on a desk. It’s such a good-looking dock and it feels incredibly well made. All the USB ports can be used for power at 7.5W for the USB A ports and 36W for the front USB-C port. The 100W power supply will run and charge your laptop so there’s no need to carry a power supply with you to work. Yes, you can get docks with a few more ports, but for most people, the DP1310 is more than enough and if you appreciate superb industrial design; it’s a winner.
Pricing & Availability: The BenQ beCreatus DP1310 is available now and costs $299 from Amazon.com or £289 from Amazon UK.
Tech Specs:
- Connection: USB-C IN x 1 / HDMI 2.1 IN x 1
- Total displays output: x3.
- Maximum output resolution: 4K 60Hz (USB-C IN) 8K 60Hz (HDMI 2.1 IN) 4K 60Hz.
- Maximum laptop charge: 100W fast charging.
- Maximum USB transfer speed: 10 Gbps / 5 Gbps.
- Maximum charging USB devices: USB-C PD 36W (for pad, mobile phone).
- Networking: Gigabit ethernet RJ-45 (10/100/1000M).
- Audio: 3.5mm audio jack (IN/OUT).
- Casing material: Aluminum alloy and plastic.
- Compatibility: Windows, macOS (Intel/M1/M2), Ubuntu, Android, ChromeOS.
