The Surface Dock and Surface Dock 2 are accessories that allow you to connect multiple devices and peripherals to your Surface. You can attach devices like keyboards, mice, and webcams and push your Surface device's display output to multiple external monitors. 

Both docks also have Ethernet ports, allowing you to have a rock-solid connection to the internet. The device allows you to set up dock a permanent environment with of your devices and accessories and then plug the dock into your Surface using the Surface Connect port.

Specifications

The Surface Dock 2 is a few years old now, but has USB-C ports to work with modern devices, has better charging capabilities, and better support for external displays. It even has a longer cable than the original dock to make it easier to connect your Surface to the dock.

The Surface Dock 2 can power two 4K displays at once at 60Hz or two 5K displays at once at 30Hz. It also has a total power delivery of 199W, and 120 of those watts can charge your Surface device. The remaining 79W can help charge accessories attached to the dock.

In contrast, the original Surface Dock has a much lower set of specs. When pushing to external displays, the original Surface Dock caps at 4096x2160 at 30Hz or 2960x1440 at 60Hz. It also has a lower 90W for power delivery. As a result, the Surface Book 2 can sometimes drain power even while charging.

In addition to its better transfer speeds and port selection, the Surface Dock 2 has enterprise management tools that allow admins to allow access to specific sets of ports depending on authentication. Some of the specifications are outlined by Microsoft Mechanics in a video on the Surface Dock 2 if you'd like to see more details.

Compatibility

The downside to the Surface Dock 2 is that it only works with certain Surface devices. To use a Surface Dock 2, you need a Surface device made in 2017 or later. Based on this Microsoft support document, the following Surface devices are supported by the Surface Dock 2:

• Surface Book 3
• Surface Book 2
• Surface Pro 8
• Surface Pro 7+
• Surface Pro 7
• Surface Pro 6
• Surface Pro (5th Gen)
• Surface Pro (5th Gen) with LTE Advanced
• Surface Pro X
• Surface Laptop Studio
• Surface Laptop 4
• Surface Laptop 3
• Surface Laptop 2
• Surface Laptop (1st Gen)
• Surface Laptop Go (1st Gen)
• Surface Laptop Go 2
• Surface Go 3
• Surface Go 2
• Surface Go
• Surface Go 2 with LTE Advanced
• Surface Go with Advanced LTE

The Surface Dock 2 improves upon the original Surface Dock in just about every way. It's faster, has more modern ports, can push more resolution to external displays, supports audio in and out, and has more management tools. The Surface Dock 2 is pricey, but it's only $60 more than the original Surface Dock right now.

For that price difference, you're getting quite a few improvements. The only reason to grab an original Surface Dock is if you use an older Surface device that isn't compatible with the Surface Dock 2 or if you need to use Mini-DisplayPorts.

Be sure to check out our roundup of best Surface PCs too!

Which should you buy?

Ultimately, the Surface Dock you should buy comes down to what Surface you have. If you have a Surface that was made in 2017 and up, grab the Surface Dock 2 as you can guarantee full compatibility. If you've got an older Surface, the original Surface Dock will be your best bet. 

What you need to know

• Microsoft this month released firmware and driver updates for the Surface Dock 2.
• The downloads allow you to manually install updates offline or without Windows Update.
• You can download the updates now at Microsoft's support site.

Microsoft last week posted downloads for firmware and driver updates for the new Surface Dock 2. There's no word on what's fixed or improved with these updates. However, driver updates are available for every supported Surface device.

The update version is listed as 1.0, and the date published is June 9. Several files are available to download, with specific files containing drivers for select Surface devices. From Microsoft (via Reddit):

For home users, it's likely you're already receiving updates via Windows Update. These packages are mainly meant for PCs that are using a Surface Dock and aren't connected to the internet. It also gives IT managers more control over what is installed on specific systems they've deployed.

The Surface Dock 2 was introduced at Microsoft's spring hardware event, and it's the first update the dock has seen in years. The main additions to the Surface Dock 2 are four USB-C ports. The dock also supplies 199 watts of power to devices connected to it.

The Surface Dock 2 launched at a price of $260, though it's currently on sale for more than $50 off at Amazon and Best Buy.

What you need to know

• Microsoft's new lineup of Surface hardware is available for preorder on Amazon.
• You can preorder the Surface Go 2, Surface Book 3, Surface Dock 2, and Surface Earbuds now.
• The Surface Headphones 2 have not appeared for preorder on Amazon yet.

Microsoft's Surface Go 2, Surface Book 3, Surface Earbuds, and Surface Dock 2 are all available for preorder on Amazon. Microsoft recently announced its newest additions to the Surface family, and you can preorder them now to get them as early as possible. The Surface Go 2 starts at $400, the Surface Book 3 starts $1,599 and the Surface Earbuds cost $200. You can also preorder the Surface Dock 2 for $260. At the moment, the Surface Headphones 2 are not available for preorder on Amazon but you can preorder them from Microsoft.

The Surface Go 2 has a larger display than the original Surface Go while keeping the same body size and shape. Microsoft accomplished this by making the bezels thinner and expanding the display. The Surface Go 2 is available with either Intel Pentium Gold processors or more powerful Intel Core m3 processors. Our initial benchmarks show that the Core m3 version stacks up very well against the cheaper Pentium Gold version. Though at this time only the Pentium Gold version appears for preorder on Amazon.

The Surface Book 3 keeps the external design and look of the Surface Book 2 but has several internal improvements. The CPU and GPU that you can get inside are more powerful, and there are more GPU options. Though, like the Surface Go 2's listing, only some options appear on Amazon at this time.

The Surface Earbuds are a newcomer to the Surface family. They feature omnisonic speakers for high quality audio and support haptic gestures for navigating playback. They also integrate with Office 365, allowing you to perform tasks such as dictating documents.

The Surface Dock 2 is a refresh of the original Surface Dock. It supports faster transfer speeds than the original dock and includes several USB-C ports. It also can deliver up to 120 watts of power to connected Surface devices, meaning your device won't run out of power while you have it docked.

What ports does the Surface Dock 2 offer?

We've been waiting for an updated Surface Dock for years, and it's finally here in the form of the Surface Dock 2. Most notably, it brings a modern selection of ports, better charging capabilities, a longer connection cable, and better external display support. It still uses the proprietary Surface Connect port to hook up to Surface devices, and it should have no issues working with the Surface Laptop 2.

The front of the dock has two USB-C 3.2 ports, each with 15W of charging power for connected accessories. The back holds the majority of ports, with Ethernet, dual USB-A 3.2 (10Gbps), dual USB-C 3.2, and 3.5mm audio. The side of the dock has a Kensington lock slot for increased security in an office environment.

The dual rear USB-C ports are meant to connect external displays, and the Dock 2 is capable of powering up to two 4K displays each at a 60Hz refresh rate or two 5K displays, each at a 30Hz refresh rate. If you want to turn your Surface Laptop 2 into a workstation with high-res monitors, you should have no issues.

What about charging and other compatibility?

The Surface Dock 2 can now offer up to 120W of charging back to a connected laptop, up from 90W in the original Surface Dock. That's more than enough to keep the Laptop 2 topped up, allowing you to simply unplug and hit the road without worrying about the battery's charge.

The Surface Dock 2 should work with any Surface products released 2017 or later, so along with the Surface Laptop 2, these devices make up the compatibility list:

• Surface Book 2
• Surface Book 3
• Surface Pro (2017)
• Surface Pro 6
• Surface Pro 7
• Surface Pro X
• Surface Go
• Surface Go 2
• Surface Laptop
• Surface Laptop 3
• Surface Studio 2

Get the Surface Dock 2 and add ports to your Surface Laptop 2

The Surface Dock 2 will allow you to use wired internet with your Surface Laptop 2, as well as connect dual external 4K displays at 60Hz for a truly powerful workstation. Your devices will charge while connected, as will your Surface Laptop 2.

A worthwhile update

It's been a long time coming, but the Surface Dock has finally been updated. The refreshed Surface Dock 2 brings modern ports, longer cable, and some high-end capabilities the first Surface Dock just couldn't reach.

In terms of external display support, the Microsoft Mechanics video embedded above shows how the Surface Dock 2 is capable of handling either two 4K displays at 60 frames-per-second (FPS), also known as 60Hz, or dual 5K displays at 30FPS (or 30Hz). External displays are handled through the dual USB-C 3.2 ports on the back of the Surface Dock 2.

Compared to the Surface Dock, this is a big step up. The original docking station could handle either one 4K display at 60Hz, or some combination of 4K display at 30Hz coupled with a 2K display at 60Hz (with adjustments possible by lowering resolution or refresh of one display and raising resolution or refresh rate of the other). Now, with the Surface Dock 2, there's no need to worry about anything below dual 4K at 60Hz.

As for other connectivity, the Surface Dock 2 includes two front-facing USB-C 3.2 ports with 15W of charging power each, two rear-facing USB-A 3.2 ports (10Gbps), Ethernet, 3.5mm audio, and a Kensington lock slot.

What's up with charging and compatibility?

The original Surface Dock was capable of delivering up to 90W, which was, in some cases, a problem for power-hungry Surface devices, like the Surface Book 2. The Surface Dock 2, however, boosts available charging power up to 120W. This will make it much better suited to handle the power needs of something like the new Surface Book 3.

In terms of compatibility, the new Surface Dock 2 won't work with all Surface products. Microsoft claims it is compatible with anything released in 2017 or later, which should include:

• Surface Book 2
• Surface Book 3
• Surface Pro (2017)
• Surface Pro 6
• Surface Pro 7
• Surface Pro X
• Surface Go
• Surface Go 2
• Surface Laptop
• Surface Laptop 2
• Surface Laptop 3
• Surface Studio 2

However, dual 4K at 60Hz support will only work with the following, whereas the rest support dual 4K at 30Hz maximum:

• Surface Book 3
• Surface Go 2
• Surface Pro 7
• Surface Pro X
• Surface Laptop 3

Microsoft launched a whole load of new Surface devices today. With the new Surface Book 3, Surface Go 2, and Surface Headphone 2 finally breaking cover, alongside a ton of other products, you're bound to have some questions, and we have answers.

Windows Central's Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden will go live on YouTube and Mixer today at 1 PM ET to answer any questions you may have about the new Surface gear announced today. We've already had some hands on time with the Surface Go 2, Surface Headphones 2, and Surface Earbuds, but we'll be fielding questions about everything else as well.

You can watch along on this page via the video embed above, or join us directly on YouTube and Mixer starting at 1 PM ET.

What you need to know

• Microsoft announced the new Surface Book 3, Surface Go 2, and Surface Dock 2 today.
• Microsoft Mechanics released a trio of videos diving deeper into the technical specs of each.
• The videos offer some insight into the new chips in each PC, how the Surface Dock 2 performs, and more.

Microsoft unveiled a load of new Surface gear today, and now Microsoft Mechanics is offering a deeper dive into some of the devices. The folks at Microsoft Mechanics took a closer look at the new Surface Book 3, Surface Go 2, and Surface Dock 2 with a trio of new videos, talking more of the technical specs and improvements for each. Check them out in the gallery below.

The Surface Go 2 and Surface Book 3 both received some significant hardware upgrades over their predecessors. The Surface Book 3 now sports 10th Gen Intel chips and up to NVIDIA Quadro graphics. The Surface Go 2, meanwhile, received a new Intel Core m3 option, along with a larger display area and more.

You can preorder the Surface Book 3 and Surface Go 2 from Microsoft now, with prices starting at $399 for the Surface Go 2 and $1,599 for the Surface Book 3. Both are expected to launch in stores on May 12.

Microsoft announces new Surface PCs and accessories for spring 2020

Alongside the Surface Book 3, Surface Go 2, and other Surface devices, Microsoft announced the Surface Dock 2. The Surface Dock 2 is a refresh of the original Surface Dock and adds USB-C ports, faster transfer speeds, and other new functionality. Microsoft highlights a category of new features in a Microsoft Mechanics video, enterprise controls. You can use Surface Enterprise Management mode to control the functionality of devices connected to the dock.

You can set the Surface Dock to support different functions depending on the device that connects to it. For example, you can opt to have unauthenticated devices use Ethernet but not have access to USB data or audio. In the same example, you could separately choose to have authenticated devices work with USB data, Ethernet, and audio. Admins can manage these settings either locally or through Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager.

The same Microsoft Mechanics video also shared some details about the Surface Dock 2, including the fact that it can drive two 4K displays at 60Hz or two 5K displays at 30Hz. It also shows how updating the Surface Dock 2 is easier. The Surface Dock 2 natively supports Windows Update and can automatically update. Updating the Surface Dock 2 doesn't require restarting devices anymore. Instead, it just briefly resets the dock.

To use the Surface Dock 2, you need to use Surface devices released in 2017 or later. You can read more about the Surface Dock 2 here.

What you need to know

• Microsoft launched its new Surface Dock 2 and USB-C Travel Hub today.
• Both sport USB-C ports, along with USB-A and ethernet ports.
• The Surface Dock 2 and USB-C Travel Hub will be available for $260 and $100, and hit stores on May 26.

Microsoft first started adding USB-C ports to its Surface lineup last year, and now its accessories are catching up. The company debuted the new Surface Dock 2 and USB-C Travel Hub today alongside the launch of the Surface Book 3 and Surface Go 2. Both give you quick access to additional ports for your Surface device, including USB-C, ethernet, USB-A, and more.

Surface Dock 2

The most striking update is the Surface Dock 2, which marks its first major revision in years. Like the original, the new dock supplies power to your Surface while adding additional ports, making it a solid choice for a desk dock you can use when you aren't on the go. According to Microsoft, the new dock "delivers faster charging, higher data transfer rates, and the enterprise management tools people have been asking for."

Here's a look at the ports included on the Surface Dock 2:

• 2x front-facing USB-C ports.
• 2x rear-facing, video-enabled USB-C ports
• 2x rear-facing USB-A 3.2 (10Gbps) ports
• 1x Gigabit ethernet port
• 1x 3.5mm audio in/out port
• Kensington compatible lock

The old Surface Dock delivered 90W of power to Surface devices through the magnetic connector. That presented a problem in some situations for the Surface Book 2, which could draw more power than the dock could supply. The Surface Dock 2 ups power delivery to connected Surface devices to 120 watts, while providing a total of 199 watts to help power any other devices connected to the dock.

Microsoft says the Surface Dock 2 can drive two 4K displays at 60Hz, or two 5K displays at 30Hz.

The Surface Dock 2 can also now be managed in enterprise situations. You can now individually disable USB data, audio, or ethernet on the dock for devices without required certificates. When a managed device with required certificates connects to a dock, it can then unlock additional capabilities. These settings can be managed locally, or through Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager.

The dock also received some tweaks that make it easier to update. It natively supports Windows Update. You also won't have to restart or disconnect and reconnect your device after updating the dock.

As far as compatibility is concerned, Microsoft says the Surface Dock 2 is compatible with Surface Book 3, Surface Pro 7, Surface Pro X, Surface Laptop 3, and Surface Go 2. It is not compatible with Surface Studio, Surface Hub, Surface Pro 3 or 4, or Surface Book (first gen). The dock also supports USB-C Fast Charging.

The Surface Dock 2 is expected to launch in stores on May 26.

Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub

Where the Surface Dock 2 is meant to give you port flexibility at your desk, the new Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub opens up more possibilities on the go. However, whereas the Surface Dock 2 is built specifically for Surface devices with a Surface Connect port, the USB-C Travel Hub works with any modern PC with a USB-C port.

The hub is relatively small, measuring in at 3.5 inches (89mm) long by 1.9 inches (48mm) wide and .59 inches (15mm) thick. It's also pretty light, weighing in at 3.5 ounces (99.2 grams). Despite its portable size, however, you get plenty of ports to work with. Here's a look:

• 1x USB-C (10Gbps data transfers and pass-through accessory charging)
• 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps data transfers and pass-through accessory charging)
• 1x Gigabit ethernet port
• 1x HDMI 2.0 port
• 1x VGA port
• 1x 3.5mm audio in/out jack

Because it operates over a USB-C connection, you can use the Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub with Windows 10, MacOS, Google Chrome, and Android devices. For devices like the Surface Pro X, which only comes with two USB-C ports, the added expandability could come in handy.

The Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub is expected to launch in stores on May 26.

What you need to know

• Retailer listings recently surfaced for a new Surface Dock and what could be Surface Book 3 and Surface Go 2.
• Most of the listings are no longer publicly viewable.
• The appearance of the listings suggests a new slate of Surface devices could be close to launch.

A new batch of retailer listings in Europe over the weekend have outed a batch of new Surface devices that could be close to launch. As spotted by German blog DrWindows, it appears a new Surface Dock 2 may be in the works. Likewise, Dan S. Charlton's tech blog caught several retailer listings for what could be Surface Book 3 and Surface Go 2 configurations.

The Surface Dock 2 is still available to view at Shopmat.be, but there's no accompanying image or technical information. However, DrWindows speculates that we could see Microsoft add USB-C ports to this refresh. It's been five years since the original Surface Dock launched, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Microsoft adopt USB-C for any major refresh here.

While all of the unreleased products were briefly searchable, they're no longer visible without direct links to the listings. However, there were previously configurations for a Surface "Project T" and "Project U," which could be the 13.5-inch and 15-inch Surface Book 3 based on their pricing. Project T showed five configurations ranging from €1,617 to €2,616, while Project U ranged from €2,234 to €3,441.

Rounding things out is Surface "Project V", which showed five configurations ranging between €407 and €847. Based on this pricing, it's expected that this may be a potential Surface Go 2.

As for what to expect in each, recent reports have suggested Surface Book 3 will move to Intel's 10th Gen processors and NVIDIA GTX 16-series GPUs. The Surface Go 2 is expected to have a base configuration with an Intel Pentium Gold chip, but may also offer a Core M processor.

With the uncertainty around events right now, it's unclear whether we'll see Microsoft hold some sort of digital event for whatever it has planned. However, we're expecting to see the launch of Microsoft's Surface Earbuds and, potentially, a follow-up to the Surface Headphones, as well.

All the new Microsoft hardware we expect to see in 2020