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CalDigit TS5 Plus vs Plugable UD-6950Z: Comparison

CalDigit TS5 Plus and Plugable UD-6950Z separate most on total ports: CalDigit TS5 Plus at 20, Plugable UD-6950Z at 12, 40% in favour of CalDigit TS5 Plus. They match on 5 other specifications, including host cable captive, ethernet and bus powered.

CalDigit TS5 Plus (Thunderbolt 5 / 20 Ports / 140W Host Charging / Dual 8K@60Hz / 10GbE / ~$500)
CalDigitCalDigit TS5 Plus
Plugable UD-6950Z (USB-C/USB-A / 11 Ports / 60W Host Charging / Triple 4K@30Hz DisplayLink / Windows/Mac / ~$200)
PlugablePlugable UD-6950Z

Specs

Specification
CalDigit TS5 Plus (Thunderbolt 5 / 20 Ports / 140W Host Charging / Dual 8K@60Hz / 10GbE / ~$500)
CalDigit TS5 Plus
Plugable UD-6950Z (USB-C/USB-A / 11 Ports / 60W Host Charging / Triple 4K@30Hz DisplayLink / Windows/Mac / ~$200)
Plugable UD-6950Z
Connection TypeThunderbolt 5USB-C or USB-A (DisplayLink software driver)
Port Configuration1x TB5 host, 2x TB5 downstream (80Gbps), 5x USB-C 10Gbps, 5x USB-A 10Gbps, DisplayPort 2.1, 10GbE, SD/microSD UHS-II, front/rear 3.5mm audio1x USB upstream (USB-C and USB-A cables included), 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.2 (DisplayLink), 6x USB-A 5Gbps, 1x GbE, 3.5mm headset jack
Thunderbolt Version5None
Max Display SupportQuad 4KDual display
Max Display ResolutionSingle 8K (DSC); dual 6K@120Hz; quad 4K@144HzDual 4K@60Hz (DisplayLink)
Host Cable CaptiveNoNo
Host Cable Length1 m0.9 m
Total Ports2012-40%
Power Delivery140 W0 W
Host Power Delivery140 W0 W
EthernetYesYes
External PSU Wattage330 W40 W
Bus PoweredNoNo
Video PathThunderbolt NativeDisplayLink
DisplayLink Driver RequiredNoYes
Max Displays Windows32
Max Displays Mac Base12
Max Displays Mac Pro Max42
Max Single Display Resolution8K4K
Max Dual Display Resolution6K4K
Max Dual Display Refresh120 Hz60 Hz
HDMI Port Count02
HDMI VersionNone2.0
DisplayPort Port Count12
DisplayPort Version2.11.2
Downstream Thunderbolt Port Count20
USB-A Port Count56
USB-C Data Port Count50
Max USB Data Rate10Gbps5Gbps
Ethernet Speed10GbE1GbE
Audio Jack ConfigurationFront Combo Plus Rear In And OutSingle Combo
macOS SupportedYesYes
Windows SupportedYesYes
Weight900 g350 g
BrandCalDigitPlugable
ModelTS5 PlusUD-6950Z
Price~$500~$200
Source URLhttps://www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-5-dock-ts5-plus/https://plugable.com/products/ud-6950z

Verdict

CalDigit TS5 Plus

10 / 10 Expert Rating

Best overall Thunderbolt 5 dock — most ports, best charging, dual 8K@60Hz, and 10GbE for buyers who refuse to compromise.

Plugable UD-6950Z

7 / 10 Expert Rating

The most display-flexible DisplayLink dock here, ideal for triple-monitor setups on older hardware.

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