The new Macs with an M1 processor have turned out to be a surprise that after almost a year after their presentation, it continues to amaze by the professional work capabilities that can be achieved with equipment that are inexpensive but very powerful.
Especially the MacBook Pro , the MacBook Air and the Mac Mini are very capable computers and economical. With a small defect: due to their size and because they are portable or small, they do not necessarily have the number of ports necessary to connect all accessories and peripherals for professional work.
It certainly helps a lot that the ports are USB-C, because it opens up a world of expansion possibilities. And that's where the Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock comes in . A new accessory dedicated to productivity and very focused on Mac, made by the company that we know thoroughly for its gaming products. I've been testing one for the last few days and these are my impressions.
Razer Thunderbolt 4 Mercury Dock – Full Connectivity
According to Razer , the Thunderbolt 4 Mercury Dock offers full connectivity for Mac and they are right. It has ten ports, all offering very high speed transfers. With two 4K video outputs or one in 8K and even the ability to charge the laptop at a power of up to 90W. The accessory has:
4 Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB-C) 3 second generation USB-A 3.2 ports 1 Gigabit Ethernet port 1 3.5 mm port for analog audio output 1 SD memory reader (UHS- II) The dock includes a 135 W adapter to guarantee enough power for all ports and to be able to charge a laptop connected via USB-C.
Total integration
I have commented on it in some video, my audiovisual content production equipment is a Mac Mini, where it is extremely important to have a good amount of accessories and peripherals connected, but above all, that they work at the highest possible speed.
If I connect a camera to stream videos, it should be as fast as possible, just like connected external drives to work on video editing. Similarly, reading SD memories, and especially 4K 10-bit file transfer should be fast. And above all, I shouldn't feel like I'm waiting too long, especially with projects where fast publishing is vital.
And that's where the Razer Thunderbolt 4 Mercury dock has performed perfectly. It is always connected to the Mac mini, integrating 100% with the design, or if I use it together with my MacBook Pro, which allows me to do without the charger if I use it during a trip, since it also works for me to charge the laptop.
For professional work, the range of products that Razer is launching is of high quality and high performance. I don't have to worry that after a few months it starts to fail or that I am not getting 100% performance from my work teams. Let's remember: the laptop or computer may have high speeds in its ports, but if the dock or expansion accessory is not of good quality, we will lose some of that transfer along the way. And when it comes to professional work, we can't afford it.
Razer Thunderbolt 4 Mercury – High-quality, future-proof build
If we go for professional teams, particularly for expansion, it is not just about their performance. It's not just about the speed or number of ports available. It is useless if the team is not well built.
There the Razer Thunderbolt 4 Mercury also surprises. Its aluminum housing and construction is quite durable, it blends seamlessly and discreetly into the work area. It is one of those accessories that, years later, will work like the first day without any effort.
And when I say many years, I don't just mean it from the outside. The ports that Razer has included in the dock support both older Thunderbolt devices but they are also USB 4. So, even if I update my Macs, the accessory will continue to work as fast as my computers .
The Razer Thunderbolt 4 Mercury dock is available for 319.99 euros and comes complemented with the Razer USB-C GaN charger, capable of charging various high-voltage devices such as MacBooks, iPads and iPhones. Available in black and white colors and is equipped with 2 USB-C ports and 2 USB-A ports.
