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Every Google user automatically gets 15GB of free Google Photos storage when they create a Google account. You can store your smartphone photos, videos, and screenshots in this space–either manually or through the automatic syncing from your phone. Each uploaded file can be labeled with keywords and descriptions, and you can combine multiple photos into albums or collections, and even create photo books. You can access your online photo library on your PC at photos.google.com or on your smartphone through the Google Photos app. Just make sure you’re logged in to your Google account. However, Google Photos is much more than just an online photo album. The service also includes numerous tools for editing photos, some of which even use artificial intelligence. In this guide, we’ll show you where AI comes into play during the editing process, how to use it on your PC and smartphone, and what kind of results you can expect. Editing photos with AI in your browser In the main view of Google Photos, you can see all your saved photos along with the date and place they were taken. To scroll quickly, move the mouse to the right edge of the screen to display the timeline, then click any date to jump to it. Clicking a photo opens it in full view. If you want to edit an image, click on the icon in the top-right corner of the full view. This opens a toolbar with editing options. Click the three stars to access “Suggestions,” the automatic editing feature, which includes various presets such as “Dynamic,” “Warm,” “Cold,” or “Vivid,” as well as the “Optimize” option. With this option, the AI applies the corrections independently. Note: Exactly which presets are offered to you for a photo depends on the image in question! However, the “Optimize” option is always available and, in our tests, consistently produced the best results. The edited images show noticeably more detail and depth than the alternatives. Foundry Google Photos offers further editing options in the “Tools” menu, which you can open by clicking the tool icon. However, not all options are available for every image. In general, Google Photos offers five functions here: Portrait lighting lets you adjust the exposure of a photo retrospectively by digitally changing the position of the light source. To do this, simply move the displayed circle with your finger and/or add additional light sources using additional markers. The slider regulates the intensity of the lighting. Blur softens the background, and you can set the intensity with the slider. The main subject is automatically detected and kept sharp in the foreground. Sky offers presets such as “Radiant” and “Stormy,” along with a slider to control intensity and adjust the sky’s appearance with a single click. Color focus reduces color saturation of the background while keeping the main subject in color. A slider is also available here to adjust the intensity. Finally, the HDR effect increases the brightness and contrast of a photo. Foundry Using AI-powered image editing on smartphones As we’ve shown, some of Google Photos’ AI features are also available in the browser. However, smartphones and tablets offer more functionality. The availability of specific tools depends not only on your device’s hardware but also on the subject of the photo. To access the AI tools, open the detailed view of a photo, and scroll until you find “Tools.” Depending on the subject, you’ll find options such as “Portrait lighting,” “Blur background,” “Sharpen,” “Zoom optimization,” “Magic eraser,” and “Color focus.” “Portrait lighting,” “Blur background,” and “Color focus,” work similarly to their desktop counterparts. However, with “Blur background,” you can also adjust the focus range in addition to the level of blurring, while “Portrait lighting” lets you equalize the lighting or add additional light sources to brighten a subject. “Sharpen,” on the other hand, is a function that’s only available in the Google Photos app. It helps improve images that are blurry due to motion or background depth. You can adjust the sharpness with a slider. The “Zoom optimization” feature is also exclusive to the app. It lets you crop images with your fingers, and Google Photos then automatically enhances the enlarged sections for improved sharpness. Foundry Using Magic Eraser and AI filters in the Photos app The magic eraser, introduced in the Google Photos app in 2023, is the service’s most impressive AI feature. It removes unwanted elements from your images. After selecting a photo and starting the Magic Eraser, Google first analyzes the image. You can then mark the unwanted area with your finger. You now have two options: You can leave the marked area “Erased,” and Google Photos will automatically fill the gap using the surrounding parts of the image. You can also “Hide” the selection. In this mode, the Magic Eraser changes the color of the selected area to make it less noticeable. If you’re happy with the result, save your changes. If not, repeat the process as often as necessary. Foundry Another AI-powered feature in Google Photos can be found in the detailed view of an image under “Edit.” This tool can be used not only to remove selected areas, but also to enlarge, reduce, move, or copy them to another part of the image. You can access the feature by tapping the color-changing icon in the bottom left corner of the “Edit” menu. Mark the desired image area by circling it, swiping over it, or tapping on it. You can then resize or reposition the selected area by spreading or pinching two fingers. Once it’s placed correctly, tap the arrow at the bottom right corner and Google Photos will start processing. Tick the box to save the result. Foundry If you tap the color-changing icon again in the same menu, Google Photos will display various AI filters. The available filters depend on the subject of the photo. For example, we applied “Golden Hour” for a warm, dramatic effect, and “Sky” to brighten it and add extra clouds. “Portrait,” on the other hand, blurs the background in various gradations. Another AI filter, called “Stylized,” transforms the photo into a drawing or painting. The results vary with each use. The AI generates up to four versions per filter, and you can request more with a single tap. Foundry Generative AI features: Remix and Reimagine Artificial intelligence is currently used in Google Photos mainly for image editing. However, the company has announced plans to add generative AI to future versions of the app. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case until recently, and we haven’t been able to test the revised editor announced in June 2025, which will include all tools under a new “Actions” menu. Still, we’d like to take this opportunity to introduce the upcoming AI features, which will be bundled under the “Create” menu. For example, you’ll soon be able to use the “Remix” feature to turn your photos into a 3D animation, an anime-style image, a sketch, or a comic. On the other hand, “Video from photo” will create six-second video clips from your photos, with options like “Subtle effect” (e.g., a smile) or “Good luck,” which adds more movement. Foundry With the “Reimagine” feature, you can use a text prompt to add new elements to an existing photo, such as “yellow flower meadow” or “stormy sky.” “Auto Frame,” found in the crop menu, lets you replace or extend a photo’s background if it’s been cropped too much. No more bad pictures Google Photos already offers a range of AI-powered image editing features that deliver impressive results. However, once generative AI is fully integrated and further developed, it won’t matter how well a photo was originally taken. AI will handle the rest. Read...

At a glance Top mini PC deal picks Acemagician S3A — $429 (20% off on Amazon, was $539) Kamrui Hyper H2 — $418 (45% off on Amazon, was $760) It’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday season! Some of the best discounts I’m seeing have been for mini PCs, and that’s perfectly fine with me because I absolutely love these tiny computers. They take up very little space on the desk, they offer excellent performance for the price, and they don’t cost too much. Did I mention they’re super easy to upgrade and they usually support at least three 4K displays? Now that’s a fantastic way to increase your workstation productivity without breaking the bank! Finding the right deals can be tricky, however, because there are so many things to consider from the configuration to the price. Fear not! I’ve been covering mini PC deals for a long time — and PCWorld has tested thousands of PCs over four decades — so let me help you out. I select our favorite deals by thoroughly examining the list of specs, overall design, user feedback, and general value. The RAM, SSD, and CPU all matter significantly in mini PCs, and if you’re not careful, you may select a “bare bones” rig that makes you bring your own memory and storage. None of our picks below will leave you in the lurch! Updated November 30, 2025 to reflect the latest deals and prices. Best Black Friday deals on Ryzen mini PCs Acemagician S3A, AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 512GB SSD, Radeon 780M iGPU, triple 4K support — $429 (20% off on Amazon, was $539) Beelink SER5, AMD Ryzen 5 6800U, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, triple 4K support — $369 (20% off on Amazon, was $459) Acemagician Kron K1, AMD Ryzen 5 7430U, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, triple 4K support — $256 (20% off on Amazon, was $319) Bosgame P3, AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, triple 4K support — $440 (20% off on Amazon, was $550) Bosgame P3 Lite, AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, 24GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, Radeon 680M, triple 4K support — $386.66 (19% off on Amazon, was $479.95) Geekom A6, AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, quad 4K support — $423.20 (20% off on Amazon, was $529) Geekom A5, AMD Ryzen 7 5825U, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, quad 4K support — $331 (17% off on Amazon, was $399) GMKtec M7, AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 6850H, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, quad 4K support, Oculink — $395 (29% off on Amazon, was $560) GMKtec M5 Ultra, AMD Ryzen 7 7730U, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, triple 4K support — $380 (24% of on Amazon) Geekom A9 Max, AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB SSD, quad 4K support — $949 (21% off on Amazon, was $1,199) Geekom A9, AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB SSD, Radeon 780M, quad 4K support — $679.20 (20% off on Amazon, was $849) Top pick: These are all amazing discounts for excellent mini PCs at every budget, but if I were to pick a single deal, I’d go for the Acemagician S3A for $399 because that’s a great price for the specs. It’s more than capable of handling your daily workload, browsing, streaming, and even gaming thanks to the Radeon 780M integrated graphics. If you’re willing to spend an extra hundred, the Geekom AX8 Max is even better with twice the memory and storage for greater performance. Best Black Friday deals on Intel mini PCs Acemagic V1, Intel N150, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, dual 4K support — $187.24 (41% off on Amazon, was $319) HP Elite 805, Intel Core i5, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, dual 4K support — $480 (20% off on Amazon, was $600) Acemagic M1, Intel Core i9 11900H, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, triple 4K support — $460 (43% off on Amazon, was $800) Kamrui Hyper H2, Intel Core i9-11900H, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, triple 4K support — $418 (45% off on Amazon, was $760) Geekom GT2 Mega, Intel Core Ultra 9 285H, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB SSD, Intel Arc 140T iGPU, quad 4K support — $949 (27% off on Amazon, was $1,299) Top pick: If you’re looking for a mini PC you’ll use for years to come that can handle all your tasks and then some, the Kamrui Hyper H2 has the absolute best price-performance among these deals with that 45% discount. If you don’t want to spend a ton of money and just need a simple machine for browsing and email, the Acemagic V1 gives you 1TB of storage space and enough RAM to run Windows 11 without choking. Other best Black Friday tech deals Check out our other roundups for the best PC-related Black Friday deals going on in a wide span of categories! LIVE real-time Black Friday deals, picked by PCWorld’s experts Best Amazon Black Friday tech deals Best Buy’s best Black Friday tech deals Best Black Friday laptop deals Best Black Friday Chromebook deals Best Black Friday desktop computer deals Best Black Friday monitor deals Best Black Friday USB flash drive deals Best Black Friday SSD and storage deals Best Black Friday Thunderbolt dock deals Best Black Friday power bank deals Best Black Friday office chair and desk deals Best Black Friday VPN deals FAQ 1. When is Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025? This year, Black Friday lands on November 28th. Cyber Monday is December 1. 2. What are some things you need to consider when getting a mini PC? The first thing you have to check off your list is just what configuration you need to get your job done. Are you going to use your new mini PC for browsing only? Do you want it to be able to juggle a bunch of apps and not choke on 50 browser tabs? Do you want to do some light gaming in your downtime? There are devices for each and every one of these scenarios, and they’re all quite affordable. The best part is that mini PCs are… well, small, and that they support multiple monitors out of the box, so you won’t need to pay for extra hubs. 3. Can a mini PC replace a desktop computer? For most people, the answer is “yes”! Mini PCs are definitely powerful enough to replace desktops for most users, especially if you’re going to use it for work, browsing, or streaming movies. If you want something for photo and video editing, or even gaming, there are models that allow you to do that, but they’ll cost a bit more. 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Historically, you’ve had two options to expand the port capabilities of your laptop: an inexpensive USB-C dongle or a more powerful, pricey Thunderbolt docking station. A third option is quietly emerging, trying to split the difference. A DisplayLink docking station (sometimes called a USB-C dock) uses data compression to offer the capabilities of a Thunderbolt dock over a standard USB-C or Thunderbolt cable. Why buy one? DisplayLink docking stations work great for normal day-to-day productivity, and historically the docks are cheaper and more stable than older Thunderbolt 3 desktop docks. They’re an upgrade over our picks for the best USB-C hubs dongles, and less expensive than the best Thunderbolt docking stations for your laptop. They can even support more displays than a native Thunderbolt dock. They’re just not suited for gaming. If you need a fuller explanation of how DisplayLink works and what it offers, you’ll find that directly under our two recommended DisplayLink docks, below. You’ll also find a FAQ with answers to questions you might have. I base my recommendations on hands-on testing of the DisplayLink docking stations. Why you should trust me: I’ve worked as a technology journalist for about 30 years, and at PCWorld for the last decade. I’ve tested dozens of USB-C hubs, Thunderbolt docks, and DisplayLink docking stations. I use a docking station in my daily work, connected to multiple 4K displays, and I typically review a handful of new products each month. Updated Nov. 24, 2025 with some additional details from Synaptics. Look for the DisplayLink logo to identify it as a DisplayLink dock.Mark Hachman / IDG The best DisplayLink docking stations Though I’ve tested a number of DisplayLink docking stations for laptops, I have two recommended docks. They’re the same picks that appear on PCWorld’s list of the best Thunderbolt desktop docks for your laptop. Ugreen 9-in-1 USB-C (Revodok) Docking Station CM615 – Best USB-C DisplayLink dock Pros Terrific price and value Excellent stability Great display port flexibility Support for two 4K60 displays Cons Have to provide your own power supply Can warm to somewhat alarming temperatures A lack of naming consistency Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $109.98 View Deal eBay $129 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Who should buy the Ugreen 9-in-1 USB-C (Revodok) Docking Station CM615 Like some of the premium Thunderbolt docks, Ugreen’s DisplayLink dock provides options to use either HDMI or DisplayPort to connect a display, allowing you to use your existing display cables and save some money. Like most DisplayLink docks, this dock was unusually stable, with no flickering between displays — one of the reasons I like DisplayLink docks. Some other Thunderbolt docks offer the same flexibility to shift between monitors, but not many. Ugreen’s dock does so affordably. Ugreen 9-in-1 USB-C (Revodok) Docking Station CM615: other considerations If you’re not worried about hunting down the proper software driver (because Ugreen, bless them, does not make it apparent that it needs one) than I would recommend that you buy this dock. It offers many of the features of more expensive Thunderbolt docks at an affordable price. Read our full Ugreen 9-in-1 USB-C (Revodok) Docking Station CM615 review Plugable USB-C Dual 4K Display Horizontal Docking Station (UD-6950PDH) – Best USB-C DisplayLink dock runner-up Pros Terrific value for office workers Great display flexibility Plenty of USB-A ports SD/microSD card slots, too 100W of charging power Cons No USB-C ports No dedicated charging ports Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $179.95 View Deal B&H $199 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Who should buy the Plugable USB-C Dual 4K Display Horizontal Docking Station If you’re a home office worker who doesn’t want or need to game, this dock will suit you just fine. Plugable’s USB-C Dual 4K Display dock takes Plugable’s traditional approach: provide dedicated display interfaces, and let the user choose between which cables they’ll need to connect to their display. The dock is a pretty simple affair, with a pair of legacy USB-A ports and standard gigabit Ethernet connection. Interestingly, Plugable has recast this dock as a Mac-dedicated device, with a grayish tint to boot. (That’s what you’ll see on the Amazon page.) It’s really not — it will work on Macs and Windows PCs just fine, though you’ll need the Windows driver for it instead. Plugable USB-C Dual 4K Display Horizontal Docking Station: further considerations For whatever reason (maybe the bandwidth that a 10Gbps port consumes?) USB-C ports aren’t common on DisplayLink docks. (The Ugreen dock that we’ve picked as our favorite has one; this dock does not.) This is going to sound redundant, but just keep in mind that these docks are terrific for video playback or office work, but gaming is beyond them. Read our full Plugable USB-C Dual 4K Display Horizontal Docking Station (UD-6950PDH) review Other DisplayLink reviews and features Laptop docking stations may evolve into “AI Docks”: Synaptics believes its high-speed signaling finesse can give it a leg up in future devices. DisplayLink goes ‘Pro’ to highlight even faster speeds: Synaptics’ DL-7000 chip will be rolling out in new DisplayLink docks. Plugable Thunderbolt Docking Station with DisplayLink (TBT-6950PD) review: Add up to four external displays and fast ports with this quality DisplayLink Thunderbolt 4 dock. It’s time to start docking phones again, DisplayLink says: Modern smartphones are powerful enough to try out this technology again, DisplayLink thinks. DisplayLink USB-C docks: How DisplayLink works USB-C hubs, Thunderbolt desktop docks, and now DisplayLink docking stations have emerged because of two factors: the growing ubiquity of do-anything USB-C ports, and the realization by laptop makers that they can use these ports to eliminate all the dedicated HDMI, microUSB, SD card slots, and USB-A ports that can clutter up their notebook PCs. DisplayLink docks provide some of the native functions of a Thunderbolt dock, namely the ability to drive multiple high-resolution displays. Because of the inherent bandwidth limitations, DisplayLink docking stations offer a good choice for office workers, who can use those extra displays for static applications like email, chat, spreadsheets, or office work. A USB-C port typically provides 10Gbps of bandwidth. Thunderbolt 3/4, which runs over the same physical USB-C port, supplies 40Gbps. In the real world, that typically means that a USB-C dongle can connect to a single 4K display (at 30Hz) while Thunderbolt can connect to two 4K displays, at 60Hz. DisplayLink can you give the advantages of a 40Gbps Thunderbolt connection via just a 10Gbps USB-C interface. How? Data compression. A DisplayLink dock can either use a “traditional” 10Gbps USB-C connection, or take advantage of the extra bandwidth provided by an existing Thunderbolt 3 or 4 port. Either way, it uses data compression to squeeze more data throughput over the port. We use data compression every day, in photos and streamed video from YouTube and Netflix, and never notice. It’s the same here; your Windows desktop and applications will look the same. Two similar products with different characteristics: a Lention USB-C hub (left), which has been previously featured among PCWorld’s u003ca href=`https://www.pcworld.com/article/402858/the-best-usb-c-hubs-for-your-laptop-tablet-or-2-in-1.html`u003erecommended USB-C hubsu003c/au003e, and the u003ca href=`` data-product=`699911` data-manufacturer=`10079` class=`product-link`u003eHP Thunderbolt G4 Docku003c/au003e, part of PCWorld’s recommended u003ca href=`https://www.pcworld.com/article/393714/best-thunderbolt-docks-for-a-laptop-pc.html`u003ebest Thunderbolt docksu003c/au003e. DisplayLink is a technology owned by Synaptics, meaning it’s a proprietary standard. Each DisplayLink dock has a special DisplayLink chip built inside of it. (DisplayLink docks rarely, if ever, publish which Synaptics chip they use, so a DisplayLink dock’s capabilities may vary by product.) DisplayLink USB-C docks: Pros and cons DisplayLink’s data compression means there are two negatives to the technology, which we’ll get out of the way. While USB-C and Thunderbolt work out of the box, DisplayLink requires a software driver. Without it, it will function as a generic USB-C dock. I’ve never seen any DisplayLink docks use their own unique drivers (though they may). In any case, you can use Synaptics’ official DisplayLink drivers. Most dock makers publish this information right up front, but not all do. (Be sure to reboot after installing it.) DisplayLink works perfectly well for email, Word, Excel, and anything static, like a web page. But it does have limitations: 10Gbps is a nice chunk of bandwidth. But pushing a ton of data across it will cause images to stutter and hitch. In practice, this means that PC gaming on a DisplayLink dock is iffy: A slow-paced game like Baldur’s Gate 3 should be fine, but a frantic shooter like Battlefield or Helldivers 2 probably won’t give you a good experience at all. Playing 4K video from Netflix or YouTube? It shouldn’t be a problem. Playing 4K video while copying files from a hard drive and downloading a file? Everything will work, albeit slowly. The big advantage for me is that DisplayLink tends to be really stable. Older Thunderbolt 3 hardware can be a little glitchy when connecting to multiple displays. In my experience, DisplayLink docks aren’t. That matters to some people. DisplayLink (often with a DisplayLink 4K logo on it) can also connect to multiple displays, even more than Thunderbolt. I don’t have room to neatly show off a photo of three or even four displays, but trust me — I’ve tried it on multiple occasions, and it works. The hitch is that your laptop has to be capable of rendering on four displays, and you’ll typically need to close your laptop to do so. That may mean adjusting the Windows Control Panel to tell your laptop to leave it up and running. This is only necessary if you are running four 4K displays with a DisplayLink dock. Mark Hachman / IDG Can I get a bit nerdy for a second? When you use a DisplayLink dock to connect to more than two displays, there’s even more magic going on behind the scenes. Take a DisplayLink dock like the Plugable UD-6950PDZ, which supports three 4K displays at 60Hz. It uses Synaptics’ most advanced chip, the DL-6950. But the DL-6950 only supports a pair of displays. To enable a third external display, the dock is using DisplayLink for two displays, and your laptop’s own “normal” DisplayPort connection (called DisplayPort Alt Mode) to drive the third. That brings up the final point that I always have to make: Recent hardware is best. A standard DisplayLink docks works best on, say, a 10th- or 11th-gen Core processor or a complementary AMD Ryzen laptop. With anything more advanced — 12th-, 13th-, and 14th-gen — you should have a pretty ideal experience. To be fair, Synaptics feels that you should be able to use older hardware with DisplayPort, and it should just work. “Regardless of your PC’s specs or age, DisplayLink docks will efficiently allocate bandwidth to handle your network connection and other peripherals, ensuring optimal performance,” a Synaptics representative says. That’s a fair objection. But I’m still more comfortable recommending more modern hardware, perhaps because I’m a little gun-shy after using other USB-C hardware. Unlike other Thunderbolt docks we’ve tested, Plugable’s UD-ULTC4K highlights not only which port is which but which I/O protocol each port is associated with. Note the “Alt Mode” label on the bottom ports.Mark Hachman / IDG How I test DisplayLink docking stations I use the same methodology to test DisplayLink docks as I do to test Thunderbolt docking stations. Here’s a synopsis. First, I take the dock from its packaging and evaluate its construction. I measure the cord length and check the dock’s physical dimensions with a ruler. I’ll then read the manual: Does the dock need any drivers? (Yes it will.) Are there links? What does the manual say about the dock’s capabilities, in terms of power and speed? Next, I take a USB key or two and connect them to the available USB ports to determine if they have enough space to allow several to be connected at the same time. I then examine the display ports, find the appropriate cables, and then connect the dock to the laptop. I use a series of laptops with various generations of AMD and Intel hardware, and check to see if the experience is the same on each one. If it isn’t, I make notes. I then measure the power output of the ports, using a USB multimeter, a smartphone, and a laptop to measure how much power the dock delivers to a laptop. Finally, I check to see how well the dock performs under load. I use a specific test laptop for this purpose for repeatable results. I stream a 4K60 YouTube video using the Ethernet port on the dock (if it has one) and note any dropped frames. I usually check with a pre-recorded 4K60 video running from an SSD. I then run PCMark 10’s SSD storage benchmark off of a test SSD, connected to the dock. I measure the score, then measure the score again while streaming a video. I then copy a large, multigigabyte folder of various files from my laptop across the bus and measure the time it takes to do so. I repeat the test while streaming video. Finally, I check the operation and performance of any SD card slots the dock has and listen to audio through the audio jack, to make sure it works. FAQ 1. Should you buy a DisplayLink USB-C dock? Not all DisplayLink docks are created equal, which is why we test them. But for office workers on Windows, absolutely. For gamers, give it a pass. DisplayLink docking station offers a chance to expand your PC’s I/O capabilities, even with hardware that doesn’t support Thunderbolt. If you aren’t comfortable with this, feel free to return to the relative safety of a either a generic USB-C dongle or a powerful Thunderbolt dock: Both offer simplicity and a known experience. 2. How do I know if my dock is a DisplayLink dock? It should prominently feature a DisplayLink logo, which we include a photo of earlier in the story. Not always, though. Shopping for a DisplayLink dock can be a bit confusing, too, since the term “DisplayLink dock” isn’t really in vogue. Instead, vendors will sometimes use “USB-C dock” instead. Just read the documentation closely and look for the label. 3. How much should a DisplayLink docking station cost? DisplayLink was a much cheaper alternative to Thunderbolt docks during the height of the work-from-home years. Then, a Thunderbolt dock would cost about $300, and a DisplayLink dock about $150 to $200 or so. Prices for both have come down some, with DisplayLink docks starting for as low as $125. 4. How many devices can a DisplayLink dock support? You’ll usually see close to as many ports on a DisplayLink dock as you will on a Thunderbolt dock, and maybe more. In general, DisplayLink is just fine for connecting multiple devices simultaneously. It’s when they’re all in use, transferring data, that the bus may get clogged and transfer rates may slow down. 5. What’s better, a DisplayLink dock or a Thunderbolt dock? For now, there’s a case to be made that a DisplayLink dock is a better value: They’re generally cheaper, more stable, and offer the potential for more displays. But if you’re a gamer, the answer is not the same. Gamers should buy a Thunderbolt dock instead. The game changes, though, when Thunderbolt 5 debuts later in 2024. Then, Thunderbolt 5 bandwidth will shoot up to 80Gbps in both directions, allowing those docks to connect to four 4K displays at 144Hz refresh rates and offer improved charging. Again, Synaptics is competitive; its most recent DL-7000 chip allows four 4K displays to be connected at 120Hz. 6. Can a DisplayLink dock charge your laptop and your smartphone? If the DisplayLink docking station ships with its own external power brick, it should be able to, yes. Most DisplayLink docks supply the same amount of power as a Thunderbolt dock (a maximum of 90 to 95W to your laptop, and hopefully enough power to fast-charge a smartphone.) 7. Is a DisplayLink docking station plug and play? Not really. You’ll need a driver from Synaptics or the dock maker to enable the dock’s full functionality. 8. What’s DSC and HBR3? I’ve heard that those are a competitor to DisplayLink. Display Stream Compression with High Bandwidth Rate 3 (DSC with HBR3) is a more open version of DisplayLink. It doesn’t require a software driver, but you won’t see this technology advertised at all. However, you will find it in products like the Kensington SD5800T, which uses Thunderbolt 4 and DSC to enable four external 4K displays. Basically, the same rules apply. If you own a recent, modern laptop, you may have one with DSC inside: It’s found within laptops with an Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics chip, or as part of Intel’s “Tiger Lake” platform, aka the 11th-gen Core chips. But this is absolutely not a feature that laptop makers advertise, either. 9. Are DisplayLink and DisplayPort the same thing? No, they’re not, though the names are confusingly similar. DisplayPort is a physical display connector as well as a display protocol. Your laptop can route DisplayPort display protocols over Thunderbolt without ever using the connector itself. DisplayPort can also be routed over a USB-C connection encoded with DisplayLink, too. 10. Is a DisplayLink dock good for gaming? Not especially. It’s best for productivity, which uses a number of windows with static applications. Any time you push gobs and gobs of data over the DisplayLink bus, as you would with gaming, you risk the connection being saturated and your game reduced to a stuttery mess. You may be able to “game” with a slow-paced game or one that doesn’t use a lot of fast-paced motion or detailed graphics, but it’s risky. Buy a Thunderbolt dock instead. Read...