A monitor-centric USB dock
BenQ beCreatus DP1310: 30-second review
BenQ is a brand best known for displays, but the BenQ beCreatus DP1310 is a USB-C dock designed to connect multiple monitors (some BenQ-made, perhaps) to a laptop via USB-C.
Unlike many competitor devices, this unit looks much more like HiFi hardware than computer equipment, with the on/off button on the front giving a distinct volume control appearance.
Despite its looks, this USB-C docking station was designed to connect a laptop using USB-C to power and peripherals with a single cable. While the ports appear identical, this isn’t a Thunderbolt dock for those with that port on their laptop.
It offers a triple monitor connection with two HDMI ports and one DisplayPort, four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, one of which is USB-C, dual USB 2.0, a LAN port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The caveat to the port selection is that this is all driven from a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C downlink from the laptop, so a 10Gbps line is divided between all those potential devices.
In short, the more things you connect, the smaller a bandwidth slice of the pie each will get.
Using the display outputs also requires a software driver for DisplayLink to be installed on the host system, or it won’t work.
As well-made as the BenQ DP1310 is and lovely, it is an expensive USB-C dock that can’t negate some of the significant limitations of using USB-C technology in this way come with inherently.
However, with 100W charging provided for the connected laptop, it will work with the more demanding systems and charge them while in use. Also, the ability to control a second HDMI source may attract some game developers.BenQ beCreatus DP1310: Price and availability
How much does it cost? $299/£309/€ 360
When is it out? It is starting to be available now
Where can you get it? Through online retailers like Amazon.
The price for the BenQ DP1310 is reasonably consistent across regions. Using Amazon as the source, it costs $299 in the USA, £309 in the UK, and €360 across most of Europe. With exchange adjustments, this is one of those common examples of a product being cheaper in the USA than in Europe.
The snag with that price is that Thunderbolt docks are cheaper than this, like the $287.99 StarTech Thunderbolt 3 Dock.
Those wanting a cheap USB-C dock without the 100W charging can get the Belkin 14-part USB-C Docking Station for about half the asking price of the BenQ.
From a value perspective, the BenQ has a hill to climb.
Value: 3 / 5BenQ beCreatus DP1310: SpecsBenQ beCreatus DP1310 Design
Compact and stylish
Passively cooled
Unique port selection
At 550g, the BenQ DP1310 feels heavier than expected for a small aluminium box of 156 x 103 x 40mm, making it much smaller than typical USB-C docks.
The source of the heft is balanced between the internal components and a substantial aluminium case, capped front and back by plastic facia.
The extruded metal tube that provides most of the enclosure has a corrugated profile to help radiate heat and avoid the need for cooling fans and air vents.
Rubber feet are on both the base and the end, providing some choice as to how it can be orientated, and vertical would work well on a busy desktop.
The stylists behind this design clearly thought about HiFi when they designed this dock, as the large green power button. Sadly, this doesn’t rotate, which might be a missed opportunity.
It is dual function, but not in the way you might expect. Pressing it for three seconds powers the dock, and after it’s on, click it once the video output mode changes.
Along with the dramatic power button, the front has two 10Gbps USB Type-A ports, a single USB-C 10Gbps port with up to 36W power output (ideal for phone charging), and a 3.5mm headphone jack socket.
The rear has another Type-A 10Gbps port, two USB 2.0 ports for the mouse and keyboard, the USB-C downstream from the laptop, a 1Gbit LAN port, three HDMI ports and one DisplayPort.
Just to confuse matters, it doesn’t have four display outputs since one of the HDMI ports is an input.
