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Out of each the docking stations I've tested, the Baseus Spacemate RD1 Pro is 1 of the astir unique, sporting features not commonly seen connected different docks.
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It instantly distinguishes itself with an adjustable wireless charging pad connected apical and a small, high-resolution show connected the front. What's large is that these additions don't consciousness similar gimmicks; they present genuinely utile accusation for engaged enactment setups, successful summation to each the benefits of a high-end docking station.
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All the ports
The Spacemate RD1 Pro is simply a reasonably ample docking presumption with an extended array of ports and controls:
Front:
- 2 × USB-C (up to 100W PD)
- 2 × USB-A (5 Gbps)
- 240 x 240 show with power fastener (resolution TBD)
Back:
- 2 × USB-C (10 Gbps)
- SD/TF paper slot (V3.0)
- 2 × USB-A (480 Mbps)
- HDMI (up to 4K@60Hz)
- HDMI (up to 4K@120Hz)
- 1 Gigabit Ethernet
- Full-featured USB-C big larboard
- DC input (up to 100W PD)
It's a fully-loaded docking presumption with accelerated USB ports for near-instant record transfers and a full-gigabit Ethernet transportation for low-latency networking. For the mean user, this is overkill, but for powerfulness users, I deliberation it's astir perfect.
Something you whitethorn not announcement astatine archetypal glimpse is the vigor vents, which are portion of its cooling system. Spacemate RD1 uses a graphene-enhanced thermal operation on with vents to efficiently dissipate heat. In my experience, the cooling strategy does a good occupation of keeping it cool. It got a small lukewarm during testing, but ne'er uncomfortably hot, and determination were nary signs of instability owed to overheating.
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What's absorbing astir the dock is that it ships with 2 interchangeable powerfulness plugs: 1 for the US standard, the different for the European standard. Both connect by sliding implicit the adapter's pegs connected the front. I recovered the US plugs casual to remove: conscionable property the fastener connected top, and it slides off.
The European plug, however, was amazingly much hard to detach. It uses the aforesaid merchandise mechanism, but successful my experience, it got stuck connected the progs. I had to usage a spot of elbow grease to remove.
For each its strengths, my biggest ailment astir the Spacemate RD1 Pro is its powerfulness adapter. It's huge; astir fractional the size of the dock, and you can't permission it behind. The instrumentality cannot run disconnected conscionable powerfulness siphoned from a big laptop, it needs the adapter. Good luck uncovering a abstraction for it. I really had to unplug my desktop PC from a powerfulness portion during investigating conscionable to marque country for some the adapter and my monitor's powerfulness cable.
You don't spot this everyday
By acold the astir eye-catching diagnostic is the Qi 2.2 wireless magnetic charging pad connected top. It delivers up to 25W of wireless charging powerfulness and tin beryllium positioned successful 1 of 3 positions: wholly flat, astatine astir 45 degrees, oregon astir upright. To get the astir retired of this pad, beryllium definite your mobile instrumentality supports the Qi standard; otherwise, you'll beryllium waiting for a agelong time. I placed a 2026 Motorola Razr Ultra connected top, which doesn't enactment Qi2.2, and it took astir 4 hours to scope 50% complaint from a afloat depleted battery.
After that, I placed an aged iPhone 13 Mini (which supports Qi) connected top, and the recharge clip to 50% was astir chopped successful half: 2 hours and 14 minutes, to beryllium exact. It is imaginable to execute higher speeds, provided your mobile instrumentality supports Qi 2.2.
These numbers were obtained portion the Spacemate was successful Charging Mode. In Charging Mode, astir each of the device's features are disabled but for charging. You can't transportation files oregon output a video signal. If you property and clasp the fastener supra the show for 2 seconds, it switches implicit to Hybrid Mode.
Operational modes
Hybrid Mode is the default mounting and enables each of the dock's functionality. You tin link outer displays, transportation files betwixt devices, and complaint connected hardware. However, charging show is constricted compared to Charging Mode since powerfulness is being distributed crossed aggregate devices.
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I wanted to spot however the Spacemate RD1 Pro handled real-life workloads, specifically multi-monitor setups and record transfers. Unsurprisingly, the dock did great. It had nary occupation driving high-resolution video signals. Text looked crisp connected my HP Omen gaming monitor, colors looked accurate, and I didn't brushwood immoderate unusual flickering oregon weird ocular artifacts. It adjacent adjusted the facet ratio of the laptop's video awesome to lucifer the monitor's.
File transportation show was arsenic impressive. Moving a 22GB movie from a WD_Black SN770M SSD to my laptop took astir 43 seconds, portion a abstracted 85GB transportation finished successful astir 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
One neat diagnostic is the tiny 240 x 240 pixel RGB show connected the front. It generates a ocular representation of your setup, detailing what is plugged successful and however powerfulness is being distributed. You'll spot things similar the setup's big device, connected peripherals, progressive displays, and real-time powerfulness delivery.
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Multi-monitor enactment varies depending connected whether you're utilizing a Windows oregon Mac device. Windows users get the astir flexibility, since they tin reflector a laptop's screen, widen the video awesome crossed aggregate monitors, oregon person each surface tally an autarkic video signal.
On macOS, you tin lone reflector contented oregon widen the awesome crossed the monitors, but you can't person each 3 beryllium autarkic from each other.
ZDNET's buying advice
The Baseus Spacemate RD1 Pro is disposable from Amazon and Baseus for $300. To assistance soften the sticker shock, it's presently connected merchantability for person to $190, which makes it overmuch easier for maine to recommend.
Overall, the Spacemate RD1 Pro is 1 of the amended docking stations I've used, and surely the astir unique. It is simply a large operation of a generous enactment of ports, thoughtful thermal management, and utile extras similar its Qi2 wireless charging pad. If you're looking for a much affordable alternative, see the Baseus Nomos Air 12-in-1, which offers akin features, including a charging pad.
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