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.
 
Dec 12, 2021
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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.