Does laptop docking stations have any performance/speed impact?

Question

I'm considering getting a Laptop docking station (one of the below two options) as i'm tired of plugging in/out cables when I take my laptop to work etc. Laptop is a MSI GE60 with no propriety docking support.

• http://targus.com/au/dual-video-universal-docking-station-dock120auz
• http://www.j5create.com/our-products/docking-stations/jud480.html

I wanted to know if :

1. Are there any performance impacts in using them? Surely USB copy speeds must be affected?
2. Are there any other better ones than the two listed above (for around $200)?

Answer 1

This is a general note, I'll leave specifics of your selected docks to be reviewed by others here.

PS: On hindsight, I also note that while your questions is generic about dock performance the actual focus seems to be more towards what might be called universal docking stations. Maybe you want to update your question to reflect that.

• Confirm that you have the correct power supply (even if it works, lower power may cause performance impact)
• Laptop USB ports will be operational even if you are docked, in most cases; these ports should not be impacted (probably need some more checking on this point)
• For networking, check your Wifi, wired network configurations for correct behavior. You would want the laptop to switch properly as you engage and release from the dock

Having said this, I've been using Dell and ThinkPad docks with no impact on performance (on and off the dock is usually same performance). As a reference, my system moves to a wired-network and extended-display every time I dock.