Brilliant laptop accessory: Alza unveiled a 12-in-1 docking station, featuring three HDMI outputs and a reasonable price

Alza has expanded its range of accessories with the best-equipped docking station it sells under the AlzaPower brand to date. The Metal USB-C Dock Station 12-in-1 Triple Screen for 1 990 Kč transforms a single USB-C port of a laptop into twelve connectors, including three HDMI outputs.

Quick summary:
✅ Makes sense if you have a laptop with one or two USB-C ports and want to work on two monitors with a keyboard, network, and card reader at home and in the office.
⚠️ Consider that the adapter is not included in the package, and without a 100 W power source, the station will not run at full capacity. Additionally, three monitors will only extend the desktop under Windows.
💡 For 1 990 Kč, you get the best-equipped model of the entire AlzaPower Metal series; the difference compared to weaker variants is one hundred to seven hundred crowns.

Why this docking station is interesting

Most inexpensive docking stations handle one external monitor and a couple of USB ports. The new AlzaPower Metal 12-in-1 goes further, offering three HDMI 2.0 outputs, four USB ports, gigabit Ethernet, an SD and microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm jack. It targets people who use their laptop as their primary work machine and connect it to a multi-monitor setup at home without wanting to pay three times as much for a Thunderbolt dock.

Key parameters explained in plain language

Three HDMI connectors do not mean three full-fledged 4K screens at 60 Hz. The manufacturer states one monitor at 4K resolution at 60 Hz, then under Windows, two monitors in a 2× 4K / 60 Hz configuration, or three monitors in a combination of 1× 4K / 60 Hz plus 2× 4K / 30 Hz. Thirty hertz is sufficient for office work with texts and spreadsheets, but not for anything with moving images. Data ports handle up to 10 Gb/s, so external SSDs are not bottlenecked, and laptop power is supplied via Power Delivery 3.0 with up to 85 W output.

Practical aspects: ports, design, compatibility

The connector layout is robust. You have two USB-A ports (one at 10 Gb/s, the other at 5 Gb/s) and one data USB-C at 10 Gb/s. The second USB-C connector is for power, so don’t count on it as an additional spot for a flash drive in your regular setup. The SD and microSD card reader works simultaneously, which photographers will appreciate, and the RJ45 with 1 Gb/s speed also supports Wake-On-LAN. The body is made of an aluminum alloy and measures 55 × 157 × 14 mm, runs in Plug & Play mode without drivers, and Alza provides a 36-month warranty. Samsung DeX from Galaxy S8 and above is also supported.

What to watch out for

Three things not immediately visible in the description. The power adapter is not included in the package, and Alza itself warns that the typical 67 W of adapters supplied with laptops is not enough. For full operation, you need a power source with at least 100 W output, which means several hundred more in cost. Second thing: the maximum monitor configuration requires DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode with DSC support on the laptop side. Older machines before 2019 will not run three screens. And third: on macOS, connected monitors only mirror the same image; extending the desktop to three displays is only possible on Windows via MST mode.

When it doesn’t make sense

If one external monitor and a couple of USB ports are enough for you, there’s no reason to pay extra for three HDMI outputs. The 6-in-1 variant costs 1 290 Kč, and the 8-in-1 comes in at 1 390 Kč. The 12-in-1 model also doesn’t make sense if you have a MacBook and want different content on the displays, because macOS only duplicates the image. And if you’re gaming or editing video on a powerful laptop, be aware that 85 W under full load might not be enough, and the machine will slowly lose battery even with the dock.

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative or other laptop accessories, check out the current Alza Days, where discounted docking stations, cables, and monitors regularly appear. The offer changes according to stock availability.

Verdict: who it’s worth it for

The AlzaPower Metal 12-in-1 Triple Screen for 1 990 Kč is a purchase for someone who uses a USB-C laptop as their only computer and connects it at home to a setup with two monitors, a network, and peripherals. The port-to-price ratio in this category is good, and the three-year warranty reduces risk. Before ordering, however, verify if your laptop supports DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode, and add a 100-watt adapter, which is not included in the package, to your budget.

How many monitors do you have connected to your laptop, and is a docking station or an adapter sufficient for that?