DOCK/PORT HUB WD_BLACK D50: A FAST THUNDERBOLT 3 DOCK WITH INTERNAL STORAGE

If there's any reason to complain about modern MacBooks (especially the new M1-based models), it's the dearth of integrated ports. For all but the lightest-duty use, getting a dock to increase the connectivity options borders on necessity.

- JON L. JACOBI

While WD markets the Black_D50 reviewed here as a Thunderbolt 3 "gaming" dock, and the styling might not be aimed at Mac traditionalists (a gross understatement), it's an exceptionally capable dock, increasing the number of ports and providing very fast NVMe storage.

DESIGN AND FEATURES

The D50 is a squarish box measuring 4.72 inches high by 4.72 inches deep, and 2.17 inches wide. It's a powered (required) dock, so you can use it with Apple's Thunderbolt 1/2 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter. As to said power, the D50 has a rather prodigiously sized 180 watt/19.5-volt brick, which is not shown or mentioned on the product page—it measures approximately 6 inches long, just under 3 inches wide, and slightly less than an inch thick. It's also a bit weighty at around 10 ounces.

The size of the dock and of the power brick means you'll want to leave the D50 on your desk and not drag it with you on the road, unless it's a cross-country trip with plenty of room in your car's trunk.

The D50 is styled in WD's pseudo-sci-fi or military theme for its Black series. It's designed to attract gamers, but the look isn't so over the top that it's a turnoff. Actually, ditch the lettering on the outside and it's far less SyFy—the RGB lighting at the bottom might be a bit much (I like it for the fun factor), but you can turn that off or change it to a number of different schemes and colors.