iVanky FusionDock Max 2 review: 23-port, 3x display pro warship of a Thunderbolt 5 dock

Macworld

At a glanceExpert's Rating

Pros

23 top-end ports, including four Thunderbolt 5

Only Mac dock to natively support three displays

2.5Gb Ethernet

Active cooling

240W Power Delivery

Cons

Takes two Mac ports for maximum advantage

Fan may produce noise in exacting studio environments

Our Verdict
Actively cooled, the 23-port iVanky FusionDock Max 2 is built for long editing sessions and heavy workflows, has an unmatched number of connections, stands alone in its native support for three external displays.

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Only one dock has ever really competed directly with the iconic CalDigit Thunderbolt Stations: the 21-port iVanky FusionDock Max outgunned the 18-port CalDigit TS4 and with two Thunderbolt chips supported up to four external displays.

Thunderbolt 5 brought us the 20-port CalDigit TS5 Plus, and now throwing down the “Ultimate Dock” gauntlet is the 23-port iVanky FusionDock Max 2.

We’ll compare the two later in this review, but first let’s look at everything the FusionDock Max 2 offers to the highest echelon of Mac professionals.

If you own an Intel Mac or any Windows/Chrome laptop, you must look elsewhere as the FusionDock Max 2 works only with Apple Silicon M-series Macs, including not just the MacBook Pro but Mac Studio and Mac mini as well.

The extra-special advantage this dock has over other Thunderbolt 5 docks is its combination of a Thunderbolt 5 controller with an additional DP-Alt chip to natively deliver up to three external displays—a feat that usually takes two docks or a docking station that requires third-party DisplayLink compression software installation on the Mac.

In terms of raw power and number of ports, this dock may be overkill for many but even mere Mac mortals with deep pockets might have their heads turned by everything on offer here. And there’s a lot on offer: in some cases, maybe too much!




Simon Jary

Specs and features

We thought the mighty CalDigit TS5 Plus was remarkable packing 20 ports, including ten USB, but the FusionDock Max 2 fits 23 ports into a similarly sized case. All 23 function simultaneously.

All the ports are clearly labeled, which is helpful as there are so many!

One upstream Thunderbolt 5 port (80Gbps, 140W)

Three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports (80Gbps, 15W)

One USB-C port (10Gbps, 30W)

Four USB-C ports (10Gbps, 7.5W)

One USB-A port (10Gbps, 7.5W)

Three USB-A ports (5Gbps, 7.5W)

Three USB-A ports (480Mbps, 2.5W)

One HDMI 2.0

Ethernet (2.5Gb)

UHS-II SD card reader (312MBps)

UHS-II microSD card reader (312MBps)

One 3.5mm combo audio In/Out jack (front)

One 3.5mm Audio Out audio jack (back)

One optical audio

330W power supply

With a port deck armed like a cross between a nineteenth century multi-cannon Man Of War and a big-gun steam dreadnought, the FusionDock Max 2 should first be judged on its firepower. This top-of-the-range Thunderbolt 5 dock has two more ports than the FusionDock Max 1 and three more ports than the CalDigit TS5.

In terms of the big guns, there are three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports; with one TB5 port reserved for connecting to the Mac (upstream).

Thunderbolt 5 blows the old guard out of the water with its 80Gbps data-transfer bandwidth doubling that of 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4. With Bandwidth Boost, this port can switch to a unidirectional 120Gbps for the most demanding video needs.

For the Mac, Thunderbolt 4 was not much of a boost from Thunderbolt 3, but the latest standard is a giant leap in comparison.

For example, if you need to connect high performance SSDs or RAID devices Thunderbolt 5 rewards you with a PCIe performance that is doubled to 64Gbps PCIe 4.0, and the dock supports (theoretical) transfer speeds up to 6,200MBps.

The upstream PD 3.1 TB5 port can supply up to 140W to the connected MacBook, which is powerful enough to fast-charge the top-end 16-inch model. Each of the downstream ports can deliver 15W.

Not including the backwards-compatible Thunderbolt ports, the FusionDock carries an incredible 12 plainer USB ports: six at 10Gbps, three at 5Gbps, and the remaining at the puny USB 2.0 speed of 480Mbps. Five of these are USB-C (and remember that that the three downstream Thunderbolt can also operate as Type C if you desire) and seven are old-school legacy USB-A.

In my opinion, seven USB-A ports are more than should ever be required—and certainly four at such a low bandwidth. Sure, you might need a couple of USB-A for older flash drives and memory sticks, but the sort of professional needing Thunderbolt 5 power shouldn’t need seven of these or storage devices requiring the older format. They could be used for a wired keyboard and mouse, but I’d expect most people to use wireless nowadays—unless the user is concerned about the potential instability of Bluetooth signal interference.

Anyway, there are seven of them for you to use if you need them. The five USB-C plus three Thunderbolt ports should be enough of the more modern variety. Given the choice I’d have swapped four USB-A for a couple more USB-C. No matter, 12 USB ports is more than you’ll find anywhere else, and more than enough is better than too few.

If this dock doesn’t save you from hot-swapping devices, you are certainly pushing the limits!




iVanky

Dual-chip tech

The original FusionDock Max had an impressive trick up its alloy sleeve: it packed in two Thunderbolt 4 chips, allowing for four downstream and two upstream TB ports, as well as two HDMI ports.

The Max 2 doesn’t have two Thunderbolt 5 chips but one TB5 and an additional DP-Alt chip. This means it is effectively both a Thunderbolt 5 dock and a DP Alt-Mode dock inside one enclosure. In essence, it’s two independent dock printed circuit board assemblies (PCBA) integrated together.

To achieve native three-display support you do need to use two of the Mac’s Thunderbolt 5 ports to connect to the dock. The Thunderbolt and HDMI ports are for video: not the plain USB-C ports.

By connecting to two TB5/USB-C ports on the MacBook, the limitation that a single USB-C port can only output two displays is bypassed, allowing triple external display support. At the same time, using two upstream USB-C connections provides significantly more bandwidth, avoiding the bottlenecks that often occur with single-port docks.




Simon Jary

Triple display: Native vs DisplayLink

One of the central purposes of a docking station is to support running multiple external displays without using up all the MacBook’s own ports. The dual-chip FusionDock Max 2 is the leader of the pack when it comes to natively supporting up to three displays.

If you don’t mind installing third-party compression software such as DisplayLink there are docks that support up to five displays via a single connection. DisplayLink may, however, introduce noticeable latency in some situations or on certain monitors, so high-end studios and professionals will always prefer a native solution. Also, native Thunderbolt output supports up to 4K at 240Hz, whereas DisplayLink is limited to 4K at 60Hz.

Native (without help from third-party software) video provides smoother, full-resolution lag-free video with higher refresh rates (4K at 240Hz), which makes it ideal for video editing and gaming. DisplayLink’s max is 60Hz—fine for most of us but nowhere near enough for video pros and gamers. Natively, the Mac’s GPU can be utilized for processing, so reducing CPU system resource load usage.

Third-party DisplayLink in a dedicated dock or adapter sends compressed video data over USB connection, and bypasses Apple’s native display output limitations, so allowing you to connect multiple external displays to Mac models that officially support only one or two (for example, the base single-display M1 and M2 models).

However, as well as leaning on the CPU more, DisplayLink can introduce noticeable lag with rapidly changing content such as fast-moving video or gaming. It also suffers from restrictions to DRM (Digital Rights Management) protected content as used by streamers such as Netflix and Apple TV that DisplayLink can.




Simon Jary

The Max 2 requires two connections to the Mac—one Thunderbolt and one USB-C—but no extra software for the purest multi-display support.

Unfortunately, the dock can’t override the built-in display limits of your Mac. The maximum number of external displays is still determined by your Mac’s processor and Apple’s own display engine limits. To check your Mac’s display potential, see Apple’s “How many displays can be connected to MacBook Pro”.

For three displays, you’ll need a Mac with at least a Max M-series processor: so M1/M2/M3/M4 Max. Even Pro M-series Macs are limited to dual 4K/60Hz support.

The three displays can be 2x 5K/60Hz plus one 4K/60Hz or 3x 4K/60Hz monitors.

Mac users on base M4/M5 and Pro and Max M-series Macs can connect up to two 6K displays, but only Max supports dual 6K and a single 4K.

For dual or single 8K/60Hz displays a Max chip is required.

To show the display possibilities it’s easiest to check out this grid of possibilities for each type of Mac.




iVanky

On the TS5 Plus CalDigit sacrificed the third downstream Thunderbolt port for a top-end DisplayPort 2.1 video connection. iVanky gives you the option of adding a DP or HDMI adapter to use with its included third TB port. Native Thunderbolt output supports up to 4K at 240Hz, which is not possible via an HDMI port.

Power station

Thunderbolt 5 has higher power delivery (PD) than Thunderbolt 4: to the connected laptop at least 140W with support for up to 240W; up from TB4’s minimum 100W and max 140W.

The FusionDock Max 2 can power a connected laptop at up to 140W, enough to fast-charge a top-end 16-inch MacBook Pro. To achieve this, make sure you use the included 1m TB5 cable or Apple’s MagSafe 3 cable.

The external power supply can deliver a maximum of 240W. If you were to use all the dock’s ports at full power it would require 282.5W so you may hit the limit. The dock’s active-cooling fans will also use up some of that 240 of power.

The CalDigit TS5 Plus has fewer ports but an unmatched 330W power supply pumping out up to 330W—enough to cope with a full power demand, so the wattage going into the laptop needs never fluctuate to accommodate other hungry devices.

That’s not quite the case with the iVanky dock but it’s unlikely all the ports would be in use at one time anyway.

The 30W USB-C port at the front of the dock is handy if you want to fast-charge your iPhone or iPad. The TS5 Plus has a 35W front port, and the Sonnet Echo 13 has one of its TB5 ports with a 60W rating. 30W should be enough, though.

Unlike the TS5 Plus the Max 2 has a power button at the front that makes it easier to turn off power to the connected laptop if you want to better preserve its battery life.




Simon Jary

Network speeds

Pro studios are turning to networks much faster than the long-traditional Gigabit Ethernet (1GbE), with 2.5GbE, 5GbE or even 10GbE speeds.

Recent pro docks include a 2.5 gigabit Ethernet (2.5GbE) port as standard, and the FusionDock Max 2 matches this with its LAN port. The CalDigit TS5 Plus goes all the way to 10GbE, which will appeal to those with networks at that speed or planning a future upgrade.

The faster variants of Ethernet are backwards compatible all the way back to Gigabit Ethernet.




Simon Jary

Storage

Some recent docking stations—such as the Sonnet Echo 13—include built-in SSD storage so that the dock itself operated like a speedy external disk drive.

Neither the FusionDock Max 2 nor the TS5 have this feature but both offer fast 312MBps UHS-II SD and microSD card readers at the front for you to slip in and out your own portable and inexpensive storage cards. That’s faster than the 250MBps SDXC card slot built into Apple’s current MacBook Pro.

Design

While the CalDigit docks are cased in the iconic vertical or horizontal aluminum shell, the iVanky docks take a horizontal-only approach but also in a fine-looking design that has a clever floating aluminum chassis with built-in fan for active thermal management engineered to dissipate heat.

The orange-trimmed copper-alloy midframe is therefore cooler. iVanky claims that the FusionDock Max 2’s surface can stay up to 68°F (20°C) cooler than typical Thunderbolt 5 docks thanks to the suspended-chassis airflow and cooling fan that creates extra thermal headroom and should ensure fewer drops and throttling, even under extreme demand.

The integrated rubber feet lift the dock from the desk further allowing for air to flow under it.

CalDigit’s docks don’t include fans as some can add noise, which is not ideal in music or video studio environments where pro users need absolute silence.

Even sturdier looking, the Max 2 is a little larger than the Max 1 but otherwise quite similar in design, except that the dock has the cooling elements all around the dock.

It measures 7.4 inches (18.9cm) long, 4 inches (10.1cm) wide, and 2.17 inches (5.5cm) deep. It weighs in at 2.4lbs (1.1kg).

The ports are well placed. The upstream Thunderbolt 5 and DP-Alt ports that connect to your laptop are labelled at the back, avoiding probable cable mess from the front.

The Power button is of course facing you, and front facing are the two card readers and eight USB ports including the 30W USB-C for iPhone or iPad fast charging, as well as the Audio In/Out jack.

At the back is everything else: 3.5mm audio In and the optical audio port; the three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports; HDMI; two 10Gbps USB-C and two USB-A.




Simon Jary

Price

The top-of-the-range Thunderbolt 5 docking stations come at a premium price point but you do get a lot for your money.

The iVanky FusionDock Max 2 is priced at $449.99 in the US, £499.99 in the UK, and €499.99 in Europe.

The $439 Sonnet Echo 13 that includes an integrated 1TB SSD is cheaper, as is the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock ($329) and best value of all the $299 Plugable TBT-UDT3 Dock. Either may make more sense if you don’t need the native three-display support or so many USB ports. Take a look at all the best Thunderbolt 5 docks in our roundup that also includes Thunderbolt 4 hubs and docks.

If multiple monitors are the big draw, then also consider DisplayLink docks that can support up to five but require third-party compression software that the top-end professionals may avoid in case any latency is involved but is find for most users.

The FusionDock Max 2 includes a 1.2m Thunderbolt 5 cable and the same-length dual USB-C cable.

Duke of docks: FusionDock Max 2 vs TS5 Plus




Simon Jary




CalDigit TS5 Plus vs iVanky FusionMax 2 dock ports.Simon Jary

The closest rival to the Max 2 is the CalDigit TS5 Plus, which costs a little more ($499) than the FusionDock Max 2 ($449). Read our full CalDigit TS5 Plus review. See the port arrangements for both pictured above.

Supported displays

FusionDock: Up to 3

TS5 Plus: Up to 2

Number of ports:

FusionDock: 23

TS5 Plus: 20

Thunderbolt port power:

FusionDock: 15W

TS5 Plus: 36W

Total power:

FusionDock: 240W

TS5 Plus: 330W

Ethernet speed:

FusionDock: 2.5Gb

TS5 Plus: 10Gb

The TS5 Plus wins on the absolute top-end in some cases—the TS5 Plus has 10GbE compared to the 2.5GbE and all its USB ports are 10Gbps—but only the FusionDock Max 2 can offer the three native displays. While the former has plenty of USB ports, the iVanky has a super abundance.

If you need the most displays at the highest refresh rates the Fusion Dock Max 2 is an easy winner with its native support for three when matched with the top-end Macs.

The compromise is that you have to use two of the Mac’s Thunderbolt port to connect to the Max 2, which somewhat defeats the elegance of having a single cable connected to your Mac to connect all your devices but it’s necessary for those three native displays.

Should you buy the iVanky FusionDock Max 2?

Actively cooled, the 23-port iVanky FusionDock Max 2 is built for long editing sessions and heavy workflows, and has an unmatched number of connections, beating even the 20-port CalDigit TS5 Plus for number of ports. It could be argued that 12 USB ports is overkill, but they are there if you need them.

The TS5 Plus is more powerful in terms of wattage and network speed but only the FusionDock Max 2 can natively support three displays out of the box for Mac professionals demanding bandwidth and multiple-monitor support.