Razer Thunderbolt 5 Dock Review

Best prices today: Razer Thunderbolt 5 Dock Mercury

You probably know Razer as a brand that serves PC players, but in recent years the company has branched itself with a more discreet fare that is aimed at benefits and ads. That’s the case with Razer Thunderbolt 5 dock, and while it still retains some elements of the gamer aesthetic, it looks surprising at home on a Mac lover’s desk.

Razer has offered Dokker with Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 connection before, but this is its first foray to a world of Thunderbolt 5. Price for $ 390 for Mercury Colorway tested here (or $ 400 for the black version with RGB lighting), this device gives you to connect a large number of peripherals with just a single thunder 5 cable in the box). Not only does it release gates on your computer, but it reduces cable root on your desk – of course you give to hide the cables coming out of the back of Razer’s dock.

Razer Thunderbolt 5 Dock: Design

Before we get to all the rich connection, it’s worth exploring the look and feeling of the dock. The first thing you will notice when you unboxing razers device is its solid, robust construction. It is made of anodized aluminum and there is absolutely no giving or bending everywhere you see – redirecting how many times you might bump it with cables and plugs all day. There is a rubberized cushion on the bottom to prevent it from slipping and it weighs in a hefty 522g, according to our scales.

I reviewed the Mercury model, which is a similar shade of silver as Apple’s Desktop Mac series. There is a Razer logo printed on the top, with honey -bumped openings on the left and right edges, reminiscent of the Power Mac G5’s front grid. Each port (Bar SD card slot, which is on the right side) is located on the back of the dock, giving a seamless look on your desk when viewed from the front. There is not even a power indicator light. If you are looking for something that will merge with your existing Apple Kit, Razer’s dock fits the bill.

Alex Blake/Foundry

The disadvantage of this discreet look is that you have to tilt around behind the dock every time you want to add or remove a connection. You will consider how often you are likely to do it every day before buying.

And don’t be fooled into thinking that minimalism extends to any facet of Razer’s dock. Its power stone is a monstrosity, as large as the dock itself and weighs almost double and overturns the scales of 937 g. You will have to hide it out of sight if you want to preserve the low -key illusion.

Alex Blake/Foundry

Only the black version comes with integrated RGB lighting on the underside. The silver model lacks lighting completely, although it may not be a problem if you prefer an underrated look.

Razer Thunderbolt 5 Dock: Features

The main attraction of this dock over older models is the inclusion of Thunderbolt 5. This gives you data transfer rates of up to 120 Gbps, which is far more than the 40 Gbps on which Thunderbolt 4 peaks. If you need quick transfer rates this is an immediate advantage.

Alex Blake/Foundry

It gives you plenty of connection, though some rival docks offer more. Also note that USB-A ports are a little tight when connecting peripheral devices, although the other slots are fine.

The inclusion of gigabit ethernet is a bit disappointing as it is not uncommon to see the Thunderbolt Docks package in an Ethernet plug with speeds of up to 2.5 Gbps or even 10 Gbps. Although not everyone has access to 2.5 GB Ethernet or faster, including a port at that speed helps add a degree of future -proofing.

In addition to these gates, Razer’s unit has an extra party trick: a built-in M.2 SSD slot capable of handling drive up to 8 TB in size. You can find this on the underside of dock: Lift a hatch away and you will see a 2280 M.2 SSD plug capable of flame PCIE Gen 4 × 4 speeds. It is a big boost for Macs where upgrading storage after purchase is notoriously difficult (or impossible). This means that there is no need for an unclear external storage drive that takes up even more space on your desk as you can get the extension you need integrated into the dock itself.

The mentioned side grids previously have a practical use as heat exhaust points for the device. Razer has built an active cooling fan in the dock to prevent it from dragging and overheating, and in practice this is certainly noticeable and slightly distracting. Hopefully you don’t hear it too often, but it’s not the quiet fan of the world.

There are also 140W power supply, which is enough to charge even the beefest 16-inch MacBook Pro. Razer told us that Dock is adjusting his output -wattage based on what you connect it, so an iPhone 17 receives, for example, 40W. Each device gets the maximum amount it can handle, so don’t have to worry about any slow trickle charging.