New laptop advice for use with docking station

Dec 12, 2021
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So I just got an Acer Nitro 5 (AN515-45), and discovered that I didn't understand USB-C as well as I thought. Figured it having a type 2 connector meant it would be compatible with my dock, but this model doesn't have display capability over USB-C. So docking just isn't an option. Since I intended to use it with a docking setup I already have, I'm planning on returning it, but need to figure out what to replace it with.

Dock is a Wavlink. If I understand this properly now, I need at least a thunderbolt 3 port to fully use this.

My budget is around $2k-$2200, in the US. Priority is gaming, but I also use it for software development (nothing taxing, mostly LAMP and MEAN stuff with VS Code) and digital art. (Have an XP-Pen tablet and Clip Studio Paint).

I was planning on getting something that's core i7, has a GeForce 3070+, and at least a 1TB SSD.

Priority is on longevity, I don't want to have to replace this for as long as possible. Since I intend to use it docked more often than not don't have strong opinions on display quality, size, or battery life.

Any advice appreciated. Thanks.
 
you can clearly see that the item is labeled "WavLink USB C Docking Station".
connecting the hub to a USB type-c port is all that is needed and the only way it can function.
it does not even mention Thunderbolt anywhere in it's description or specifications.
Thunderbolt is not a separate type of port, it's a protocol that a USB-C port can support. A USB-C port that doesn't support thunderbolt can only transfer a max of 10GPBS. And isn't even necessarily capable of supporting display data, as I learned. Need to know exactly which type of USB-C port you have.