Introduction
Apple's obsession with the "less is more" philosophy has reached an epic level. When the Thunderbolt 3 MacBook Pro lineup was introduced in late 2016, many decried the imposition of dongle life. The outrage was real. For most customers, fewer ports mean more costs. When your new Mac laptop only has USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, your existing peripherals need dongles and plenty of them. Even the mighty Apple felt bad enough to offer an early-adopter discount on many USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 adapters. People cried a bit less, but the pain still lingered.
Apple Thunderbolt 3/USB-C adapters vs. Mantiz Titan
Eighteen months have passed since the Thunderbolt 3 MacBook Pro launch. While computer peripherals with USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 connectivity are increasingly common, there's still the hassle and expense of making sure you have the right adapters for travel. Enter the Mantiz Titan, a Thunderbolt 3 docking solution that works as hard at home as it does on the road. The design aesthetic and matching space gray finish of this dock show its intention of being an inseparable companion to the MacBook Pro.
Hardware Specifics
Mantiz Titan Thunderbolt 3 Dock
| Specifications | |
| Price US$ |
$229 |
| PSU location-type |
external-AC |
| PSU max power | 120W |
| Power delivery (PD) |
87W |
| Expansion Ports |
2x DP 1.2, 1x HDMI 2.0a, 1x VGA 2x USB 3.0, 1x Ethernet |
| TB3 USB-C ports | 1 |
| Ports max bandwidth | 5Gbps |
| Size (in/mm, LxWxH) |
7.68 x 2.36 x 0.79 195 x 60 x 20 |
| Weight (kg/lb) | 0.39/0.87 |
| Updated firmware | 29.1 ✔ |
| TB3 cable length (cm) | 50 |
| Vendor page | link |
The Mantiz Titan Thunderbolt 3 dock is a handsome piece of kit. The diminutive footprint fits nicely in the palm of your hand. Similar to the Venus eGPU enclosure, this Titan TB3 dock is constructed using aluminum and is anodized in space gray to match the finish of Apple's newest "pro" Macs. The bottom cover is a light gray rubberized layer to keep the dock planted on a desk surface. It feels very similar to the rubber bottom of the retired white unibody MacBook. Mantiz managed to get the look and feel within striking distance of the MacBook Pro.
My only criticism is the panel gaps between the ports and their cutouts. Keep in mind my media sample is not the final production unit. The white line markings over Ethernet, VGA, DP2, HDMI, and USB 2 will be removed in the final product. These markings serve to indicate the ports that don't require the use of the power adapter. Unfortunately Intel & Apple did not sanction this USB bus-powered mode. Therefore the production units can only work with the power adapter plugged in. A nice accessory that comes with this TB3 dock is the microfiber carrying pouch. It's roomy enough to store the dock and its half meter Thunderbolt 3 cable.
fits in the hand = travel friendly
bottom cover & carrying pouch
At the front of the dock is the sole Thunderbolt 3 port. All expansion ports are in the rear. The first time I saw the layout, I immediately asked about the need for VGA output instead of DVI. Mantiz mentioned VGA is still a widely-used projector input. Apple itself has a USB-C adapter with VGA output. Mantiz more than made up for including an analog video output by providing three digital video output ports in the form of two DisplayPort 1.2 and one HDMI 2.0a. The Titan is capable of handling two 4K @ 60Hz monitors simultaneously by connecting both DisplayPorts or DisplayPort + HDMI port.
The data transmission expansion ports are two USB-A 3.0 and one gigabit Ethernet port. I wish there were more than two USB ports. The LAN port is nice to have, but a memory card slot would have been more beneficial. The SD slot was one of the more useful I/O in the retina MacBook Pro lineup. Furthest to the right of the rear I/O ports is the power plug. The Mantiz Titan comes with a 120W power adapter (19V 6.32A). This power brick is similar in volume to the dock but shorter and wider. Mantiz chose this PSU in order to provide 87W power delivery to match the requirement of the 15″ Thunderbolt 3 MacBook Pro.
Rear I/O arrangement
FSP 120W AC Power Adapter
Testings & Benchmarks
I've been using this Mantiz Titan Thunderbolt 3 dock for over a month. I took it on a three-day trip and got to use the dock in different arrangements. It really made Thunderbolt 3 technology look good. The two host computers I brought with were the late 2016 15" Apple MacBook Pro and the 2017 12.5" Toshiba Portege X20W-D. In short, the Mantiz Titan was essentially plug-and-play in both macOS High Sierra and Windows 10.
In Windows 10 [1709], there was no need to install any drivers. All functionalities of the Mantiz Titan Thunderbolt 3 dock worked as soon as I plugged it in. It was a pleasant surprise when macOS High Sierra [10.13.4] behaved the same way. I had concerns with whether the LAN port would work right out of the box. The Ethernet Controller is Intel I210 that works natively in macOS. Power delivery is confirmed at 87W as seen in macOS System Information » Power tree. I also checked the Thunderbolt version of this dock and it's 29.1.
During testing of display outputs through the four available video ports, I learned about the two display channels and their arrangement. Channel 1 powers the VGA and DP2 ports while Channel 2 handles DP1 & HDMI ports. Each channel is only able to provide video output to one port at a time. For example, when you plug in VGA & DP2 concurrently, only DP2 will work. Similarly with channel 2, DP1 & HDMI inserted at the same time results in only DP1 having output. To get dual display output, you have to mix and match one port from each channel. Dual 4K @ 60Hz is only possible with the pairing of DP2 from channel 1 with either HDMI or DP1 from channel 2.
Another convenience Thunderbolt 3 technology has introduced is universal power delivery. I now only need to bring along the 120W power adapter for the Mantiz Titan. It can charge both of my TB3 laptops (and any Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C devices for that matter). This non-proprietary charging feature makes not having the MagSafe port on the latest MacBook Pro suck less. Due to no moving components, there's no noise emission. On occasions, the top of the dock got warm to the touch but nothing was out of the ordinary.
matching space gray anodized aluminum with MBP
works well with Toshiba X20W-D in Windows
A fair question to ask is what advantage a Thunderbolt 3 dock like this Mantiz Titan offers over a USB-C dock to demand the higher cost. Due to Thunderbolt 3's much higher bandwidth compared to USB-C, there are two main advantages. The first is dual 4K @ 60Hz output. The second is concurrent use of two external solid state drives without one impinging on the other. Another extreme example would be the use alongside an external GPU. We've learned first generation eGPU enclosures with expansion I/O suffer from mouse and keyboard input lag. Connecting peripherals to a dedicated Thunderbolt 3 dock would afford full bandwidth for the external GPU and therefore maximize performance.
Conclusion
Taking the form of a Thunderbolt 3 expansion dock, the Mantiz Titan gives extra oomph to slender ultrabooks. It plays well with many peripherals and provides interconnectivity anywhere, anytime. Versatility is at the heart of the Mantiz Titan. At $219 MSRP [$189 group-buy], this TB3 dock is a great value as of spring 2018. Apple's Thunderbolt 3 Macs have undoubtedly donglified the simple life. The Mantiz Titan helps in simplifying the dongle life.
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Can this run three displays at lower resolution than 4K? (Say 3x 1080p?).
J
According to the bandwidth limitation, 4K x 60HZ x 1 =16GB, Max will be only support to Dual 4K @ 60Hz.
But 1080p x 60Hz would only use 4GB, the bandwidth could allow 8 of those, right?
That would make a great mini eGPU chassis (if doubled in size roughly, and obviously designed to accommodate)!
2017 13" MacBook Pro Touchbar + [email protected] (AKiTiO Thunder3) + Win10
2017 13" MacBook Pro Touch Bar + [email protected] (Sonnet Breakaway Box) + Win10
2017 13" MacBook Pro Touch Bar + GTX1070 (debating 2070 upgrade) @32Gbps-TB3 (Razer Core V1) + Win10
2017 13" MacBook Pro Touch Bar + Vega 56 @32Gbps-TB3 (Razer Core V1) + Win10 & macOS 10.14+
We would like to host a group buy for 50 Members with the Price "$ 189 " with free shipping to N.A, EU, Asia.
PM us, we will revert the coupon code.
Shipping: From April 26th.
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Thats super decent of you guys! Sadly I dont actually need one. Beautiful design though, gives me yet more hope for your mini eGPU...
(my worst photoshop ever)
(please John)
2017 13" MacBook Pro Touchbar + [email protected] (AKiTiO Thunder3) + Win10
2017 13" MacBook Pro Touch Bar + [email protected] (Sonnet Breakaway Box) + Win10
2017 13" MacBook Pro Touch Bar + GTX1070 (debating 2070 upgrade) @32Gbps-TB3 (Razer Core V1) + Win10
2017 13" MacBook Pro Touch Bar + Vega 56 @32Gbps-TB3 (Razer Core V1) + Win10 & macOS 10.14+
It looks very good and NICE offer, and with nice specs, but there are things that I miss.
Must have:
1) More USBs. I use a lot of USB devices. and 2 is definitely not enough for me (3 minimum, but 5 should be much better).
2) VGA?? I think is a waste of space/circuitry (for other things). This is a huge mistake from my POV. If you have TB3, you are not usually dealing with VGA stuff. I understand there are a lot of projectors with VGA if you are going to do conferences in some universities/venues, but this is not definitely a portable device (but to have it in your desk not moving it) and I consider it useless. And aesthetically is not pretty these days.
3) TB3 port to daisy chain (for example, the only way to do [email protected]@4:4:4, considering DP 1.2) along with other things. I consider it a MUST.
4) 1 USB-C port (yes another one, not the TB3). Avoiding adapters.
5) MicroSD reader. Again, if I invest in a dock (which are really expensive), I don't want ANY other adapter (really important for me, not more adapters).
Bonuses (not must have, but great to have it):
- USB 3.1 (great addition)
- DP 1.4 (there are new TB3 controllers which allows that)
- Less bulkier PSU/integrated one (like mac mini).
- Silver color (I don't like space grey fashion).
- Even for more performance, it doesn't bother me to connect 2 TB3 and make the dock faster and with less bottlenecks (using a lot of connections at the same time) using more than one TB3 bandwidth (that could be really cool in order to speed up things).
This is just my personal opinion, which are just my reasons, and not saying that is a bad product (which I am sure it is good, as I have the Mantiz Venus and I think that is a good product).
Having a product with the previous things I said, I would buy it 100%.
If it were a combo power brick and TB3 dock I'd be a lot more impressed. That way you could just carry it in place of any chargers/power bricks and then it would live up to its promise.
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It looks very good and NICE offer, and with nice specs, but there are things that I miss.
Must have:
1) More USBs. I use a lot of USB devices. and 2 is definitely not enough for me (3 minimum, but 5 should be much better).
2) VGA?? I think is a waste of space/circuitry (for other things). This is a huge mistake from my POV. If you have TB3, you are not usually dealing with VGA stuff. I understand there are a lot of projectors with VGA if you are going to do conferences in some universities/venues, but this is not definitely a portable device (but to have it in your desk not moving it) and I consider it useless. And aesthetically is not pretty these days.
3) TB3 port to daisy chain (for example, the only way to do [email protected]@4:4:4, considering DP 1.2) along with other things. I consider it a MUST.
4) 1 USB-C port (yes another one, not the TB3). Avoiding adapters.
5) MicroSD reader. Again, if I invest in a dock (which are really expensive), I don't want ANY other adapter (really important for me, not more adapters).Bonuses (not must have, but great to have it):
- USB 3.1 (great addition)
- DP 1.4 (there are new TB3 controllers which allows that)
- Less bulkier PSU/integrated one (like mac mini).
- Silver color (I don't like space grey fashion).
- Even for more performance, it doesn't bother me to connect 2 TB3 and make the dock faster and with less bottlenecks (using a lot of connections at the same time) using more than one TB3 bandwidth (that could be really cool in order to speed up things).This is just my personal opinion, which are just my reasons, and not saying that is a bad product (which I am sure it is good, as I have the Mantiz Venus and I think that is a good product).
Having a product with the previous things I said, I would buy it 100%.
1. Wish we can design more USB, but all USB actually are sharing the 5G USB 3.1 Gen1. and we also need to consider about the power consumption 4.5W/PerUSB, we dont want to be too large for the adapter.
2. VGA is for the office some old projectors. still popular in Asia.
3. I specially remove the Daisy chain and make it to be another DP. Certainly the Daisy Chain type C port can be output to a 5K display directly but according to the Thunderblt 40GB bandwidth in total, it means it will be only output " SINGLE" 5K. and for the current Mantiz Titan, you still can use 2 DP to be one 5K output. so actually it is the same. And thinking about the advantage, while you are doing the dual display output, you will never " purchase " any adapter for your 2nd monitor. ( Daisy chain design unit is: One DP + One Typc C) with that kinds of Dock you will need to have the C-DP, or C-HDMI adapter to link with your 2nd Monitor.
4. for charging? We still prefer to keep the adapter small. 120W for now.
5. considering about the dock design, it is a trade off.
1. Wish we can design more USB, but all USB actually are sharing the 5G USB 3.1 Gen1. and we also need to consider about the power consumption 4.5W/PerUSB, we dont want to be too large for the adapter.
2. VGA is for the office some old projectors. still popular in Asia.
3. I specially remove the Daisy chain and make it to be another DP. Certainly the Daisy Chain type C port can be output to a 5K display directly but according to the Thunderblt 40GB bandwidth in total, it means it will be only output " SINGLE" 5K. and for the current Mantiz Titan, you still can use 2 DP to be one 5K output. so actually it is the same. And thinking about the advantage, while you are doing the dual display output, you will never " purchase " any adapter for your 2nd monitor. ( Daisy chain design unit is: One DP + One Typc C) with that kinds of Dock you will need to have the C-DP, or C-HDMI adapter to link with your 2nd Monitor.
4. for charging? We still prefer to keep the adapter small. 120W for now.
5. considering about the dock design, it is a trade off.
1. I have seen a lot of docks with 4 and 5 USBs. It shouldn't be a big deal... And for me 2 is nothing, and I personally would end up with an external hub...
2. IMHO it is just a waste. It is way better to have for example the microsd card. I would never pay for a dock having VGA lacking a lot of other features. You sacrifice space (it is the bigger connector outside, and inside I am sure the complication of that analogue video adapter in the circuit), and therefore other really good features because of that... In my opinion a nonsense, and a deal breaker.
3. First, I disagree, it is much better to have one TB3, rather than 2 DP for a 5K monitor. I specially don't want to mess with 2 cables for one monitor, if I can use one.
Second, as per what I said about using 2 TB3 connections for a dock (the cable is really thin, so not bothered having 2 of this), the problem of bandwidth disappears (just matter of using 2 TB3 instead of one)... So it is doable... It depends how you want to do it. And if you use 2 TB3, you don't need any extra adapter, as you could have 2 DP and 2 TB3...
And third, if you included DP 1.4 you can use 5k straight away for each DP... So, yes, there are possibilities...
Having all of that, I don't care to pay an extra more. If I didn't get one till now, is because I think there are expensive and incomplete... but with all that I am saying, I wouldn't mind to pay without any doubt.
4. No, for USB-C. Just an extra USB-C port. But if has charging, the better. Not related with the PSU (which I could prefer if the connection were USB-C, no doubt, but I was not saying that).
5. It is a trade off, OK. Pretty sad. For me it is a mistake, the trade off should be not include the VGA despite just few people would use such old projectors, and many of them are claiming for a microsd because Apple decided to remove it, as well as other connectors, and therefore the need of a dock...
According to the bandwidth limitation, 4K x 60HZ x 1 =16GB, Max will be only support to Dual 4K @ 60Hz.
But 1080p x 60Hz would only use 4GB, the bandwidth could allow 8 of those, right?
The limitation would be of the dock itself. I have a USB C to mDP adapter with 3 1080P screens with no issues. If one of those DPs supported DP++ then you could get a DP hub and do it that way.
Pending: Add my system information and expected eGPU configuration to my signature to give context to my posts
Correct. But consider there are only two DO source from thunderbolt chip so it could be only output two displays Maximum.
How so?
Pending: Add my system information and expected eGPU configuration to my signature to give context to my posts
Yeah, if this thing had 3 DP, or even 2 DP + 1 USB-C (So I can run triple, FreeSync), it would have been an insta-buy.
J
I know this config works. TB3 > TB2 adapter > Akitio with 970 > WD my DUO > mDP to DP HUB x3. I drive 3 x 1080p displays plus 2 from the 970 just fine.
This config also works USBc > mDP adapter > mDP to DP hub.
I also have a TB3 dock that I can also test my USBc mDP adapter on but I have no worries about that working either as long as I don't go over the 3 Display limit of my Intel HD 620.
That's why Im always so confused why you can't find a USBc to 3x DP adapter or any combo of 3 display outs that all work at the same time. It's very doable but maybe it wont pass a certification. Not sure
Pending: Add my system information and expected eGPU configuration to my signature to give context to my posts
I will just chime in to agree with some above posters - there's no need for a TB3 dock to have VGA. If you've got a TB3 laptop & a VGA-only projector you're hooking up to then you probably should have spent your $200 on a new projector. If you're at the office & need to hook up to a VGA projector in a conference room, you're not lugging your dock (with power supply) from your desk to the conference room.
Additional requirement for me from a product like this will be a USB-C port w/ Power Delivery so iPhone 8 or similar can charge at full speed.
Pending: Add my system information and expected eGPU configuration to my signature to give context to my posts
As someone who does a lot of conf room shuffling around - in that context the intent is not to carry your dock around, but to have it as a budget-friendly "presenter dock". You walk in the meeting room, plug in the TB3 connector, and you get power, video (even if it's a crummy VGA) and network through a single dock. USB-C to HDMI/Displayport is always easier to find than VGA, which will be a big active dongle if done separately. That eliminates a whole lot of setting up/forgotten charger/cable time.
So while I understand that a VGA-out is not necessarily a benefit for high-tech road-warriors who largely deal with recent consumer projectors meant for EU/US markets, I can certainly appreciate it from a company/corp-world perspective. Whether it was perhaps better to have two products (one for consumer, one for enterprise) or if the manufacturing cost synergy justifies it is another discussion altogether.
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As someone who does a lot of conf room shuffling around - in that context the intent is not to carry your dock around, but to have it as a budget-friendly "presenter dock". You walk in the meeting room, plug in the TB3 connector, and you get power, video (even if it's a crummy VGA) and network through a single dock. USB-C to HDMI/Displayport is always easier to find than VGA, which will be a big active dongle if done separately. That eliminates a whole lot of setting up/forgotten charger/cable time.
So while I understand that a VGA-out is not necessarily a benefit for high-tech road-warriors who largely deal with recent consumer projectors meant for EU/US markets, I can certainly appreciate it from a company/corp-world perspective. Whether it was perhaps better to have two products (one for consumer, one for enterprise) or if the manufacturing cost synergy justifies it is another discussion altogether.
+1. This is exactly what I was saying, it is not a dock to carry... (and I don't think is intended to the enterprise, but consumers) and a cheap adapter make the work for this particular and exceptional situation. So VGA, pointless.
And even more lacking a lot of things that I think should be in a $200 dock, as I said, I will not spend in a dock in which I still need to use other adapters.
What I am sure, and I don't have any doubt, that this will be a quality product, because the finish of the Mantiz Venus is good, but not my cup of tea.
why cant this device use apple power brick(thunderbolt 3) instead of proprietary one....?
Pending: Add my system information and expected eGPU configuration to my signature to give context to my posts
why cant this device use apple power brick(thunderbolt 3) instead of proprietary one....?
The logic is simple, 13" MBP is with 60W Type C adatper and 15" is with 87W. We really like to save the cost not to bundle an AC adapter, but since this device supply 87W to the laptop, how will a 13" MBP use its 60W charger to make Mantiz Titan work. So, finally we gave up to use type C charger.
I know this config works. TB3 > TB2 adapter > Akitio with 970 > WD my DUO > mDP to DP HUB x3. I drive 3 x 1080p displays plus 2 from the 970 just fine.
This config also works USBc > mDP adapter > mDP to DP hub.
I also have a TB3 dock that I can also test my USBc mDP adapter on but I have no worries about that working either as long as I don't go over the 3 Display limit of my Intel HD 620.
That's why Im always so confused why you can't find a USBc to 3x DP adapter or any combo of 3 display outs that all work at the same time. It's very doable but maybe it wont pass a certification. Not sure
USB c to 3 DP = 16G bandwidh x 3 =48G, it had been over the 40G limitation. but of course if the display is only with 1080p, that's different story.
Yeah, if this thing had 3 DP, or even 2 DP + 1 USB-C (So I can run triple, FreeSync), it would have been an insta-buy.
J
it wont be possible in thunderbolt architecture.
Each TB3 chip had contained two DP source, there will be several kinds of configuration in designs,
TB3 chip --2 x DP sources or TB3 chip -1DP + 1 Type C ( that type C can be output to a DP or Type C downstream port )
Mantiz Titan we used the TB3 chip--2 x DP source, it means, if any user who has 2nd monitor, they don't need to buy a type C to HDMI or Type C to DP adapter. they can use Mantiz Titan 2 DP or 1DP+ HDMI, 1VGA + HDMI, 1DP + VGA, four kinds of configs , there's no any extra adapter to make the 2nd monitor lighting up.
it is not for cost saving consideration. The point is,
1. 13" user cannot use their stock charger. ( PD 87W for laptop , 2 USB =10w, Thunderbolt chip & others are 20W approx ) total power consumption is about 117W.
2. We've survey the type C adapter which is more than 100W, that's not able to be found any. Biggest one we saw is 90W for the time bening.
I have just received my Mantiz Titan thunderbolt 3 dock, but unfortunately I cannot recommend it. The coil whine that this dock produces is insane. As soon as I plug it in the coil whine starts, and it does not stop or get any less annoying. It is a shame because otherwise this could have been a good product.
Pending: Add my system information and expected eGPU configuration to my signature to give context to my posts
this is a really good price for a tb3 dock. but unfortunately it suffers the same drawback as most existing tb3 docks: only two usb ports. am i the only one who owns more usb peripherals?
on the other hand there are 4 display connectors, even a vga... common we are in 2018 no one needs vga!
furthermore connections that are missing and stat of the art:
-audio (analog and digital)
-cardreader
please consider next time to evaluate what connections are needed typically instead of building in whats technically easy/cheap!
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i agree, this specs are not useful for for me either. and i'm sad to hear that there are technical considerations why it was not designed more useful.
it seems to me this product was designed in a way to satisfy easy of building instead of cover the needs of users. as OWC shows it is absolute possible to build such a dock: https://www.owcdigital.com/products/thunderbolt-3-dock
furthermore i guess most users here are not in an asia region or wont carry around a tb3 dock for presentations on a old vga beamer. for that dongles are much better suitable!
MacBook Pro 15" 2017, AMD RP560
Devil Box + MSI GTX 1080Ti Gaming X
Bricked thanks to rEFInd:
MacBook Pro 15" Late 2013, GT 750M
this is a really good price for a tb3 dock. but unfortunately it suffers the same drawback as most existing tb3 docks: only two usb ports. am i the only one who owns more usb peripherals?
on the other hand there are 4 display connectors, even a vga... common we are in 2018 no one needs vga!furthermore connections that are missing and stat of the art:
-audio (analog and digital)
-cardreaderplease consider next time to evaluate what connections are needed typically instead of building in whats technically easy/cheap!
Is it the thing you want ??
I have just received my Mantiz Titan thunderbolt 3 dock, but unfortunately I cannot recommend it. The coil whine that this dock produces is insane. As soon as I plug it in the coil whine starts, and it does not stop or get any less annoying. It is a shame because otherwise this could have been a good product.
You can ask for the RMA from us.
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i agree, this specs are not useful for for me either. and i'm sad to hear that there are technical considerations why it was not designed more useful.
it seems to me this product was designed in a way to satisfy easy of building instead of cover the needs of users. as OWC shows it is absolute possible to build such a dock: https://www.owcdigital.com/products/thunderbolt-3-dockfurthermore i guess most users here are not in an asia region or wont carry around a tb3 dock for presentations on a old vga beamer. for that dongles are much better suitable!
PPL kept asking why VGA there in a modern TB3 dock. It is not really to fulfill the need of the " Asian old projector " , think about how many 1080P monitor there and with the VGA + HDMI configuration, we still are able to make the dual displays concept workable in that scenario. Mantiz Titan is mainly for a video Dock with 87W to Laptop from $ 189~219. Compared with that kinds of full dock by selling $299, why not just add 100 to buy Mantiz Venus egpu?
we can see the OWC USB 3.1 Dock had been reached to 149, so we want to create a lowest and affordable price , meet the most important advantage of Thunderbolt large bandwidth , support the dual 4K @ 60HZ + A usb 3.0 GenI hub, + Gigabit lan. We made it affordable, meet the most requirement from users instead of making the SPDIF, lots USB but still share the same 5G bandwidth and firewire. Compared with Firewire, I'd rather to have my VGA to suppor the 1080P monitor & projector...
Titan is a dock for display with power and some connection, and if you keep this in minds it is awesome.
eGPU.it | LG 34" 4K 34UC88 curved ultrawide display
MacBook Pro 2018 Touch Bar i7 quad-core 2.7Ghz - 16GB RAM - 512GB PCIe SSD --> my Mantiz Venus extreme mod with Sapphire Nitro+ RX Vega 64
Hi,
It looks like this is a great product. I have two questions:
- Does this dock limit the number of maximum displays that the MBP can drive? I ask this question because I own a Caldigt TS3+, 1 4K display, and 2 FHD ones. As soon as 1 plug my 4K display on the dock I can't run the 3 displays simultaneously (the third is, of course, plugged directly on the MBP). The only configuration which works is: plug the 4K screen directly on the MBP then plug the dock with the 2 FHD. I plan to upgrade my setup with 3 4K screens so the Caldigit won't be usable anymore. May this dock introduce such restriction?
- Can this dock drive an eGPU with 3 4K screens without any limitations on his usage(ability to power the MBP 15", use of USB peripherals, audio...) ? 2D work exclusively (no gaming, no video editing, no 3D rendering), but heavy multitasking with a lot of terminals, huge code editor and many development software/tools running.
Pending: Add my system information and expected eGPU configuration to my signature to give context to my posts
Yeah, if this thing had 3 DP, or even 2 DP + 1 USB-C (So I can run triple, FreeSync), it would have been an insta-buy.
it wont be possible in thunderbolt architecture.
Each TB3 chip had contained two DP source, there will be several kinds of configuration in designs,
TB3 chip --2 x DP sources or TB3 chip -1DP + 1 Type C ( that type C can be output to a DP or Type C downstream port )
Mantiz Titan we used the TB3 chip--2 x DP source, it means, if any user who has 2nd monitor, they don't need to buy a type C to HDMI or Type C to DP adapter. they can use Mantiz Titan 2 DP or 1DP+ HDMI, 1VGA + HDMI, 1DP + VGA, four kinds of configs , there's no any extra adapter to make the 2nd monitor lighting up.
The two DisplayPort inputs to the TB3 chip are DisplayPort 1.2. Both DisplayPort 1.2 inputs can use MST to support more than one display. Thunderbolt doesn't care whether the DisplayPort signals are SST or MST. You need a display that supports MST (they have a DisplayPort output for daisy chaining) or a MST hub. The number of displays allowed is only limited by the DisplayPort bandwidth (17.28 Gbps per DisplayPort 1.2 port) and the graphics driver. The macOS graphics drivers don't support MST for multiple displays but they do support MST in old 4K displays that use one stream for the left half of the screen and another stream for the right half. The macOS graphics drivers support dual DisplayPort for 5K screens like the LG UltraFine 5K (over Thunderbolt) and Dell UP2715K (two DisplayPort cables).
The Mantiz Titan has 4 display outputs, but it does not have a built-in MST hub, so you can only use two of the outputs at once (an MST hub wouldn't be useful to macOS). The dock includes a built-in active DisplayPort 1.2 to HDMI 2.0a converter and a built-in DisplayPort to VGA adapter so you don't need additional dongles. Most Thunderbolt 3 docks only support HDMI 1.4 because they use the limited passive DP dual mode method? I guess a DisplayPort 1.2 dual mode supporting HDMI 2.0 doesn't exist because HDMI 2.0 uses 6 Gbps per lane which is greater than the 5.4 Gbps of DisplayPort 1.2. DisplayPort 1.3 dual mode is supposed to support HDMI 2.0 but I don't know of a passive adapter that does that.
Does this dock limit the number of maximum displays that the MBP can drive? I ask this question because I own a Caldigt TS3+, 1 4K display, and 2 FHD ones. As soon as 1 plug my 4K display on the dock I can't run the 3 displays simultaneously (the third is, of course, plugged directly on the MBP). The only configuration which works is: plug the 4K screen directly on the MBP then plug the dock with the 2 FHD. I plan to upgrade my setup with 3 4K screens so the Caldigit won't be usable anymore. May this dock introduce such restriction?
Each side of the MacBook Pro has a Thunderbolt 3 controller. Each Thunderbolt controller supports two displays. Therefore, you must make sure the dock with it's two displays is connected to a different side of the MacBook Pro than the third display. If the 4K display is an old MST display, then it counts as two displays.
Can this dock drive an eGPU with 3 4K screens without any limitations on his usage(ability to power the MBP 15", use of USB peripherals, audio...) ? 2D work exclusively (no gaming, no video editing, no 3D rendering), but heavy multitasking with a lot of terminals, huge code editor and many development software/tools running.
The dock doesn't have a second Thunderbolt connector so it must be at the end of the Thunderbolt chain. Many eGPU's also have only one Thunderbolt 3 port (anyone tell me why Intel imposed this limitation on eGPU's?) so it has to be connected to a different Thunderbolt port. For best gaming/video performance, the displays should be connected directly to the eGPU's graphics card, therefore the only useful ports on the dock will be the USB and ethernet ports (unless you want to connect more than the 4+ displays supported by the eGPU's graphics card).
Pending: Add my system information and expected eGPU configuration to my signature to give context to my posts