Anker Prime Charging Docking Station (14-in-1, Dual Display, 160W) review

The Anker Prime 14-in-1 is a power-first desktop dock. It connects to the laptop over one USB-C 10Gbps upstream port and supplies up to 100W to that laptop. Total dock output is 160W. It has two HDMI 2.0 ports, one gigabit Ethernet port, a combo audio jack and a mix of USB-A and USB-C ports.

The display outputs are native HDMI, not DisplayLink. That means no extra display driver is involved. It also means what you get depends on the laptop and its operating system.

This is the strongest part of the spec sheet. The upstream port delivers up to 100W to the connected laptop. The dock has an integrated GaN AC-DC power module, so it does not lean on the laptop for power. The power cable is not removable, which matters if you want to swap in a longer lead or tidy a desk.

Beyond the laptop connection, two downstream USB-C ports can charge devices at up to 100W each. A USB-A port adds 12W. Owners praise the charging and data performance, saying 10Gbps data and 100W USB-C charging suit most professionals.

One caution: the Amazon UK listing says the dock cannot charge Lenovo Legion laptops. If you own one, check that before buying.

Anker's figures for the two HDMI 2.0 ports differ. They are listed at 4K@60Hz. Anker's more detailed note gives 2K@60Hz with a DisplayPort 1.4 laptop, or 1080p@60Hz with a DisplayPort 1.2 laptop. Treat the lower figures as the safer planning assumption, and check which DisplayPort version your laptop supports.

On macOS the limits are clearer. The two external monitors show identical content, which is screen mirroring only. Owners list this, along with limited multi-monitor support, as a complaint. With that restriction, a Mac user who wants two separate extended desktops should look at other docks.

The port count is generous, and the faster ports are well chosen. There are two downstream USB-C data ports at 10Gbps and one USB-A at 10Gbps. That gives you room for fast external storage and a couple of high-speed peripherals at once.

The other three USB-A ports run at 480Mbps. They suit keyboards, mice and receivers, but not storage you care about. Thunderbolt 4 is supported, but the dock caps it at 10Gbps. The upstream link is 10Gbps too, so everything shares that single connection back to the laptop.

There is no SD or microSD card reader, and owners flag that as a complaint. Photographers and video editors would need a separate reader. The audio combo jack is present.

Wired networking is one RJ45 port at 1000Mbps. That is gigabit, which is fine for office networks and general work. It is not 2.5GbE, so it will not suit anyone who wants faster than gigabit transfers over a wired link.

Anker lists support for Windows 10 and 11, macOS 11 or later, and ChromeOS. Linux is not on that list, so Linux users have no manufacturer-stated support to rely on.

Owners say the fan is quiet and runs only under high load. That suits a desk where the dock sits close to you. The same owners complain about the plastic build, which wobbles when pressed. If the dock will sit untouched behind a monitor, that matters less. If you plug and unplug cables often, it may be more noticeable.

The dock's strengths are charging and data. It charges the laptop at up to 100W, adds fast USB-C and USB-A ports, and has its own built-in power module. The limits are clear in the specs and owner reports: macOS gets mirroring only, the display resolution figures conflict, there is no card reader, and Ethernet stops at gigabit. Buy it for the power and data side, and check your laptop and display needs first.