Dell XPS 9520 With Docking Station?

I just purchased a dell xps 15 9520 but haven't received it yet.


Specs are

Windows 11 Pro

i7-12700H 32gb ddr5 ram

1tb ssd

nvidia 3050

1920x1200 resolution




I notice that this laptop has 1 usb-c port, 2 thunderbolt 4 ports and that is all. My current laptop, the xps 15 9550, has hdmi port, thunderbolt port, 2 usb a ports.



With my xps 15 9550, I connect 2 external monitors without any dock station. The 32' 4k samsung monitor is connected by usb-c to displayport cable. The 24' 1920x1200 monitor is connected by hdmi to dvi cable. But my hdmi port got fried so i can no longer use this port but before this happened, no issue connecting 2 external monitors this way.


The 2 usb a ports I have. One port I connect a wireless mouse usb. The other port, I connect a sabrent four port hub to it. So with that, I connect wired keyboard, cable matters ethernet adapter so I could use wireless internet... and the other 2 ports, I would use it for usb flash drive and something else. Thus even if I had just one usb-a port on it, the sabrent port hub would be enough for the wireless mouse, wired keyboard and the ethernet for wired internet as one other port, I would not always use.

- - - Updated - - -

1. Now how am i suppose to connect the same exact devices on this 9520? I read I will have to buy a docking station no matter what if i want 2 external monitors right since 1 of the thunderbolt has to be used for charging laptop and another one would be used for my usb a devices? However, heard its possible if daisychaining but possible here? But what about connecting the usb a devices? So I would use the usb-c port for charging my laptop? My old xps 9550 used a barrel charger and now they are going with usb-c on the 9520. So there would be 1 usb c port used.



1st Thunderbolt 4. So I would buy something like below this to connect 2 external monitors? This plugable seem to support 2 external monitors whether displayport or hdmi and up to 4k and 60hz.


Amazon.com




2. 2nd Thunderbolt 4 Port - I would have to use this 2nd thunderbolt 4 port to connect the wireless mouse, wired keyboard etc right? However, what cable or adapter would I need for this because the sabrent usb four port hub cannot connect to the thunderbolt 4 port correct? Dell does seem to supply a usb-c to usb-a adapter but that would not work here? Also they give a usb-c to hdmi adapter but again useless here since I want 2 external monitors right? Now the easiest way to do this would get a dell dock station but those cost like $400 right?



3. Now the easiest way to do this would get a dell dock station but those cost like $400 right? But would either of these work that cost $200 or $161?


Visiontek vt4000

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/visi...pc-accessories



Dell D3100

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell...pc-accessories

If you are buying the new XPS direct from Dell, maybe best thing would be to return it and get what you really need, Otherwise look over the Dell XPS laptop forum and see what others are using or better ask your question there.

Since you are buying a high $$ machine, I would go with the high $$ Dell.

fireberd said:

If you are buying the new XPS direct from Dell, maybe best thing would be to return it and get what you really need, Otherwise look over the Dell XPS laptop forum and see what others are using or better ask your question there.

Since you are buying a high $$ machine, I would go with the high $$ Dell.

Well this dell xps 15 9520 is very fast so i want to go with that.


But i have to buy some kind of dock station to connect 2 external monitors. So want to know what is the cheapest way to do this without paying over $400 for a dell dock station. Could I buy that plugable 4k dock for $120 and that would work?

Docking stations and uses are a hot subject on the Dell forums. I still think you should ask on there and see what others there think or are using. I'm on the Dell forums but primarily on Desktops and docking is not an issue.

Thanks. Yea I know docks are a hot topic here. The thing is I wouldn't even buy one if I had enough ports on the laptop for 2 external monitors. Again this xps 9520 has only 3 ports... usb-c, 2 thunderbolt 4 ports. It doesn't even have a hdmi or usb-a port. If it had even just 1 usb-a port, I could use 2 external monitors by using each of the 2 thunderbolt 4 ports.... and the usb-c port would be used for charging the laptop.


Anyone here have this device or laptop with similar ports?


Someone else mentioned I could actually get 2 external monitors connected by buying adapters as oppose to the 4k plugable dock for $120. I don't want to spend $400 plus on a dell dock. I want to know if there is a cheaper option for this and it seem the 4k plugable dock is the best option that doesn't cost that much? Or is there for less?

spunk said:

You can get a Dell Docking station Sorry! Something went wrong! But it doesn't need to be a Dell docking station, you can use any USB-C/Thunderbolt Universal docking station.

Hey. Well which exact usb-c/thunderbolt would work then?


I have exchanged lot of messages with another poster who is extremely knowledgeable about dell xps and dell dock stations.



He tells me that $119 plugable 4k dock isn't going to be good because it is a displayport. He said because my xps 9520 has a nvidia rtx 3050 video card this might be an issue. I had mentioned i saw a message on the plugable 4k dock on amazon that says not recommended for gaming or if you use a gaming graphics card. So the best options are



1. Dell wd22tb4 -$410+tax. Right now it is on sale now. But this would solve all my issues and if i wanted to, I could even connect three 4k monitors at 60hz. But I don't need to at this point as I don't even have that many monitors. This certainly is the most expensive option as it has enough usb a ports and ethernet port.

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell...pc-accessories



2. Wavlink -$100.

2 Displaylink to Displaylink cables so $10 x 2 = $20.

$17 Sabrent USB Four Port Hub.

$137+tax total

Amazon.com...



I had suggested this because someone else mentioned this and he said this would work. He said I would have to buy 2 displayport to displayport cables and that would be good enough. I also have to buy another sabrent usb four port hub probably. I would be connecting to a 32' 4k monitor that has displayport/hdmi port. The other monitor is a 24' 1920x1200 monitor that has displayport, dvi and VGA port. This would be the safest and simple way right? However, one big issue I have with this is I cannot this wavlink or the cables because I'm in the US now and those 2 monitors are outside the US. I do have a 20' 1600x1200 monitor that uses dvi or vga and a 43' LG 1080P tv that only takes hdmi I believe.



So would you recommend against this since if i buy 2 displayport to displayport cables and the wavlink, it isn't good because I can't test it out? I did consider getting a displayport to dvi cable instead of 2 displayport to displayport cables because that way I could test my xps 9520 with the 20' 1600x1200? Because if it works on this monitor, it will work on the 24' 1920x1200 monitor right? So might as well buy 1 displayport to displayport cable and 1 displayport to dvi cable?

- - - Updated - - -

3. The third and final option is an Anker usb c hub. But there are many of them.
Anker 655 C Hub 8 in 1 - $96

Amazon.com...



Anker 555 C Hub 8 in 1 - $80

Amazon.com...



Anker USB C Hub - Powerexpand 8 in 1 - $100

Amazon.com...



Anker USB C Hub - Powerexpand 11 in 1 - $95

Amazon.com...



Can anyone explain to me what is the difference between the 555 and 655 which makes it cost a good amount less? The ports seem to be exactly the same? I am confused why the anker 11 in 1 only cost $95 since it gives an additional usb a port so it has 3 usb a ports?



Now would the anker usb-c hub be better or worst than the wavlink? With the wavlink, you would be connecting 2 monitors to it. Thus you will be using your thunderbolt4 port with it. Then you would be using the usb-c port on the 9520 for laptop charging. The last thunderbolt4 port could be used with your dell supplied usb-c to usb-a dongle and you connect the sabrent usb port hub to it to connect your wireless mouse, wired keyboard etc.



So with the anker. The setup will look like this. You will use the same usb-c port to charge the dell xps 9520 laptop. The thunderbolt4 port will be you connecting your usb-c to displayport link to the 32' 4k samsung monitor. Now with the anker... you would be connecting the hdmi to dvi cable to the 24' 1920x1200 monitor. So with this anker adapter, you connect only 1 external monitor as oppose to 2 monitors with the wavlink. There is the ethernet port for you to connect for wired internet. But with the 8 in 1 anker, there is only 2 usb a ports. I would want 3 or 4 usb-a ports. So could I plug the sabrent usb 4 port hub to one of the 2 usa port hubs int he anker to thus give it more usb a ports? Any concern about overload to it? Or not because it would only be 1 monitor, ethernet cable, and just the usb-a devices? But the anker 11 in 1 would have 3 usb a ports so that would mean I don't even need a sabrent 4 port hub?



The thing is if i get an anker usb-c hub as oppose to wavlink hub, not only do I don't need to buy new cables because I already have the cables needed, but I would be able to test my 20' 1600x1200 monitor here in the US with that anker usb-c correct? So if that works, it will work with the 24' 1920x1200 monitor that i don't have access to. Because I know when I connect the usb-c to displayport to the 32' 4k samsung monitor that I don't have access to now, well that would work because it is the same connection I used for it.



Now can anyone please take a look at my 2 posts and give me their opinion? Should i go with the simple more expensive Dell dock, the wavlink option... or the anker option? And if anker option, which anker out of those 4 anker usb-c? Thank you!

I can't verify for sure on this model, but on most with an intel CPU video and a separate video card, the Intel video is primary and separate video only used for things such as gaming. I saw a post on the Dell laptop support section yesterday where a user bought a new laptop and disabled the Intel video in the BIOS and now the screen is blank at power on and can't access BIOS. That user had to open the PC and do a CMOS memory reset to restore (reset) BIOS back to default.

I have a Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming 5577 laptop. It holds true to the Intel CPU video is prime.

One final consideration on PC accessories, like many things you get what you pay for.