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Out of all of the docking stations I’ve examined, the Baseus Spacemate RD1 Professional is among the most original, sporting options not generally seen on different docks.
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It instantly distinguishes itself with an adjustable wi-fi charging pad on high and a small, high-resolution show on the entrance. What’s nice is that these additions do not feel like gimmicks; they ship genuinely helpful data for busy work setups, along with all the advantages of a high-end docking station.
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All of the ports
The Spacemate RD1 Professional is a pretty big docking station with an intensive array of ports and controls:
Entrance:
- 2 × USB-C (as much as 100W PD)
- 2 × USB-A (5 Gbps)
- 240 x 240 show with management button (decision TBD)
Again:
- 2 × USB-C (10 Gbps)
- SD/TF card slot (V3.0)
- 2 × USB-A (480 Mbps)
- HDMI (as much as 4K@60Hz)
- HDMI (as much as 4K@120Hz)
- 1 Gigabit Ethernet
- Full-featured USB-C host port
- DC enter (as much as 100W PD)
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It is a fully-loaded docking station with quick USB ports for near-instant file transfers and a full-gigabit Ethernet connection for low-latency networking. For the typical person, that is overkill, however for energy customers, I believe it is almost good.
One thing you could not discover at first look is the warmth vents, that are a part of its cooling system. Spacemate RD1 makes use of a graphene-enhanced thermal construction together with vents to effectively dissipate warmth. In my expertise, the cooling system does a advantageous job of holding it cool. It acquired a bit of heat throughout testing, however by no means uncomfortably sizzling, and there have been no indicators of instability on account of overheating.
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What’s fascinating concerning the dock is that it ships with two interchangeable energy plugs: one for the US normal, the opposite for the European normal. Each connect by sliding over the adapter’s pegs on the entrance. I discovered the US plugs simple to take away: simply press the button on high, and it slides off.
The European plug, nonetheless, was surprisingly harder to detach. It makes use of the identical launch mechanism, however in my expertise, it acquired caught on the progs. I had to make use of a little bit of elbow grease to take away.
For all its strengths, my greatest grievance concerning the Spacemate RD1 Professional is its energy adapter. It is large; almost half the dimensions of the dock, and you may’t go away it behind. The gadget can not function off simply energy siphoned from a number laptop computer, it wants the adapter. Good luck discovering an area for it. I truly needed to unplug my desktop PC from an influence strip throughout testing simply to make room for each the adapter and my monitor’s energy cable.
You do not see this on a regular basis
By far probably the most eye-catching function is the Qi 2.2 wi-fi magnetic charging pad on high. It delivers as much as 25W of wi-fi charging energy and could be positioned in one in all three positions: fully flat, at roughly 45 levels, or almost upright. To get probably the most out of this pad, be certain your cell gadget helps the Qi normal; in any other case, you will be ready for a very long time. I positioned a 2026 Motorola Razr Extremely on high, which does not assist Qi2.2, and it took roughly 4 hours to achieve 50% cost from a completely depleted battery.
After that, I positioned an outdated iPhone 13 Mini (which helps Qi) on high, and the recharge time to 50% was almost minimize in half: 2 hours and 14 minutes, to be actual. It’s potential to realize greater speeds, offered your cell gadget helps Qi 2.2.
These numbers have been obtained whereas the Spacemate was in Charging Mode. In Charging Mode, almost all the gadget’s options are disabled apart from charging. You may’t switch recordsdata or output a video sign. In case you press and maintain the button above the show for 2 seconds, it switches over to Hybrid Mode.
Operational modes
Hybrid Mode is the default setting and permits all the dock’s performance. You may join exterior shows, switch recordsdata between units, and cost related {hardware}. Nonetheless, charging efficiency is proscribed in comparison with Charging Mode since energy is being distributed throughout a number of units.
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I wished to see how the Spacemate RD1 Professional dealt with real-life workloads, particularly multi-monitor setups and file transfers. Unsurprisingly, the dock did nice. It had no hassle driving high-resolution video alerts. Textual content regarded crisp on my HP Omen gaming monitor, colours regarded correct, and I did not encounter any unusual flickering or bizarre visible artifacts. It even adjusted the facet ratio of the laptop computer’s video sign to match the monitor’s.
File switch efficiency was equally spectacular. Shifting a 22GB film from a WD_Black SN770M SSD to my laptop computer took roughly 43 seconds, whereas a separate 85GB switch completed in roughly two minutes and 30 seconds.
One neat function is the small 240 x 240 pixel RGB show on the entrance. It generates a visible map of your setup, detailing what’s plugged in and the way energy is being distributed. You will see issues just like the setup’s host gadget, related peripherals, lively shows, and real-time energy supply.
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Multi-monitor assist varies relying on whether or not you are utilizing a Home windows or Mac gadget. Home windows customers get probably the most flexibility, since they will mirror a laptop computer’s display, lengthen the video sign throughout a number of screens, or have every display run an unbiased video sign.
On macOS, you possibly can solely mirror content material or lengthen the sign throughout the screens, however you possibly can’t have all three be unbiased from one another.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The Baseus Spacemate RD1 Professional is on the market from Amazon and Baseus for $300. To assist soften the sticker shock, Baseus is at present providing a promotional low cost on Amazon with the code BASEUSPR at checkout for $100 off.
Total, the Spacemate RD1 Professional is among the higher docking stations I’ve used, and positively probably the most distinctive. It’s a nice mixture of a beneficiant port choice, considerate thermal administration, and helpful extras like its Qi2 wi-fi charging pad. In case you’re on the lookout for a extra reasonably priced different, take into account the Baseus Nomos Air 12-in-1, with comparable options, just like the charging pad.
