Plugable 5-Display Dock (UD-7400PD) review: 5-display Mac bliss

Best Prices Today: Plugable 5 Display USB-C Dock (UD-7400PD)

The Plugable 5 Display USB-C Dock (US-7400PD) is a DisplayLink docking station that has the most impressive display options on any dock we’ve tested. It’s the first dock to support five simultaneous display outputs, including four 4K and one 8K, while delivering up to 140W to the connected laptop.

This feat is achieved through installing DisplayLink software on the Mac, which is a reasonably painless process. Previously DisplayLink docks supported up to four external monitors, but this is the first we’ve tested that can handle five.

There are docks with more ports but the 11 here offer impressive charging options as well as future-proof 2.5Gb Ethernet for faster wired network access.

Specs and features

• One upstream USB-C port (10Gbps, 140W)
• One USB-C port (10Gbps, 30W)
• Three USB-C ports (10Gbps, 15W)
• One USB-A port (10Gbps, 7.5W)
• One USB-A port (10Gbps, 4.5W)
• One HDMI 2.1 video port
• One HDMI 2.0a video port
• Ethernet (2.5Gb)
• 3.5mm combo Audio jack (front)
• 180W power supply

While this dock connects to the computer via USB-C, Macs come with faster Thunderbolt ports that boast higher bandwidth—40GBps for Thunderbolt 4 or 80Gbps with Thunderbolt 5—plus other pro benefits.

The Plugable dock’s 10Gbps USB-C connection works seamlessly with the Mac’s Thunderbolt ports but is not as fast at transferring data. For most people, a 10Gbps connection is fine, but if you need super-fast data-transfer speeds you should instead consider a Thunderbolt docking station rather than one that uses USB-C. See our recommendations for the best Thunderbolt docks for Mac.

In comparison, the Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station with DisplayLink supports four displays for the M3 MacBook Air (while shut in Clamshell Mode), but the M1 and M2 MacBooks are limited to three (one at 6K and two at 4K). At the time of writing no DisplayLink dock uses the most recent Thunderbolt 5 standard.

As the UD-7400PD’s super-power is the five displays and no other dock can match it, you will likely not mind the lack of Thunderbolt if you need that many monitors. The downstream USB-C ports at the back match Thunderbolt’s 15W power output so it’s only bandwidth bandits who will care.

The Plugable dock offers a healthy seven USB ports, all at the speedy (for USB-C) 10Gbps—not as fast at Thunderbolt but fast enough at transferring data for most users. One of those is the “upstream” USB-C port that you connect to your Mac. It’s located at the back—rather than the front as was fashionable for some time—and we much prefer it hidden there rather than messing up the front with a permanently dangling cable.

This host connection can passthrough power to your laptop at a huge 140W (PD 3.1), which is the fastest you’ll find or even need as it’s enough to fast-charge the top-end 16-inch MacBook Pro.

At the front of the dock, one of the USB-C ports can output power to a connected device at 30W, which is perfect if you want to fast-charge an iPhone or even an iPad. This saves you finding another power outlet for your phone when working at your desk.

The three “downstream” USB-C ports at the back support DisplayLink video and are there to connect some of the external displays but instead could be used to connect other devices if you don’t need all five possible monitors. Each can output at a Thunderbolt-like 15W.

If you want to connect to a wired network for a more stable and faster connection than that offered by Wi-Fi this dock is equipped with a 2.5Gb Ethernet (2.5GbE) port. Such faster network connections are fast becoming the norm for modern docks even if take-up in the real world is not yet widespread. It’s one of few DisplayLink docks that boast 2.5Gb Ethernet at this time.

To get the full benefit of the 2.5x speed boost your network needs to be at least 2.5GbE—but even if your network is still rated at Gigabit Ethernet (1GbE) the faster variants are backwards compatible. This means the dock is ready for you when your home or office network does catch up.

Also at the front, there’s a TRRS audio jack port for headphones, speaker or mic. TRRS (Tip-Ring-Ring-Sleeve) connectors can handle both audio and microphone signals simultaneously.

What this dock lacks that most other docks offer is any card reader for low-cost portable storage. Many docks have either an SD card reader, microSD card reader or both.

While these offer the user easy access to affordable portable storage, the Pro MacBooks come with their own, even if it is throttled back in speed to 250MBps—so only MacBook Air users might miss it. They could buy a card reader adapter and attach it to one of the USB-C ports; if any are spare, of course.

Unmatched display options

The Plugable UD-7400PD gets its numerical name from the Synaptics DisplayLink DL-7400 chipset, which is what enables so many displays once the DisplayLink software is installed on the Mac. We have tested one other USB-C dock with the DL-7400 chipset, the Wavlink USB-C DisplayLink dock, but this maxed out at four displays despite having more dedicated video ports than the Plugable.

On the Plugable dock there are two dedicated HDMI video ports, one version 2.1 (for 8K) and one 2.0.

To support three 8K displays there is a specific configuration that must be followed. The HDMI 2.1 port supports up to 8K 30Hz. At least one of the displays must be connected to this port. Then use the three USB-C DisplayLink enabled ports to connect the other displays. Each of these supports at least 4K at 60Hz, so adjust the settings appropriately in your Mac to achieve the 8K across the displays.

DisplayLink allows even the basic M1 MacBook access to this many displays, although we suspect that anyone desiring or actually needing so many monitors probably has a more powerful laptop than that model.

DisplayLink uses clever compression technology to get around Apple’s built-in display limitations that don’t allow the MST (Multi-Stream Transport) technology that lets Windows PCs run up to four displays with ease without the need for extra software.

Installing DisplayLink on your Mac is largely painless. There’s a URL printed in the Quick Start Guide that will take you to the download link, and Plugable has instructions on its site that will walk you through the process.

MacBooks with an M-series Max processor don’t need DisplayLink to connect up to four monitors, so you could look at a dock with more ports—for example, the 20-port CalDigit TS5 Plus or Sonnet Echo 13—if you don’t need all five offered by the UD-7400PD.

MacBook Pros with Pro variants of the M1, M2 or M3 processors are limited to two external displays. DisplayLink opens the opportunity to add three to five external displays.

One downside to DisplayLink worth noting is that it doesn’t support HDCP (copy-protected) content playback from streaming services such as Netflix, Prime Video, iTunes and Hulu, including on the computer’s own built-in screen. This is true of all DisplayLink docks and not just this one.

If you are keen on a DisplayPort connection rather than HDMI, the Wavlink USB-C DisplayLink dock (also based on the 7400 chipset) is a better fit—although it can manage just (!) four displays rather than five.

If you need five, the Plugable UD-7400PD really is the only dock that is going to make this possible.

Design and build

The Plugable UD-7400PD is a long, slim horizontal aluminum case that measures 8.3 x 3.7 x 0.7 inches (21 x 9.5 x 1.7cm).

The front-mounted power button means you can easily turn off the power supply to the MacBook without the need to pull out the cable every night to preserve your laptop’s battery health.

At the side there is a lock slot for physical security.

IT management, hotdesking via DockTag

The UD-7400PD introduces Plugable’s new DockTag technology—a web-based solution designed for hotdesking and real-time IT asset management in mixed-platform offices.

Key DockTag features include:

• IT Information Display: Shows serial number, MAC address, model number, and on-screen instructions without requiring local software.
• Remote Support & Self-Diagnosis: A built-in QR code gives users instant access to setup guides, driver downloads, and support resources. Context-aware messages (e.g., “Please connect host computer” or “Please install DisplayLink software”) appear based on connection status.
• Remote Management: Through the DockTag web portal, IT admins can register docks, track hardware over time, and schedule maintenance remotely.
• Hotdesking: Users can reserve a workstation by scanning the dock’s QR code upon arrival. IT and facilities teams gain real-time insight into workspace occupancy, enabling better layout optimization and reduced wasted space.

Price

The Plugable UD-7400PD Docking Station costs $279.99, which is the same as the four-screen Wavlink DL7400 DisplayLink dock. (It’s not yet available in the U.K.)

It’s expensive for a non-Thunderbolt dock but if you can cope with USB-C at 10Gbps, it’s the only game in town that supports five displays on a Mac.

If you prefer Thunderbolt connections and can live with four external displays, consider the Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station with DisplayLink.

If you need only two or even three external displays, look at our other recommended DisplayLink docks for cheaper options.

Should you buy the Plugable UD-7400PD Docking Station?

For a non-Thunderbolt dock the Plugable UD-7400PD offers something no other dock can match: support for up to five external displays, no matter which M-series processor powers your Mac. Its set of seven 10Gbps USB ports offer power and the 2.5Gb Ethernet connection is impressive for a DisplayLink dock, too.

Best Prices Today: Plugable 5 Display USB-C Dock (UD-7400PD)