Spectre X360 13 (Late 2017) DisplayPort Adapter / Thunderbolt Dock

I have purchased one of the above referenced units and am interested in hearing the experiences of others who have tried USB-C -> DisplayPort adapters or Thunderbolt 3 docks with these units.

I would like at the outset to connect an external monitor (not 4K) to the system but would also like to option to connect other peripherals and as we all know there's really a limited number of native USB-C devices out there.

There are a variety of reports on the compatibility of various adapters and docks (or the lack of compatibility) and unfortunately HP don't certify any particular adapter as working so the only way to know is to draw on the experience of other people.

(experience of people with the 15" versions of these laptops is probably relevant as well)

Thanks in advance for any input people can share on their experiences.

 

Just buy any one you see on amazon. If it makes you feel better I'll send you the link to one I use with my 13 inch model. I use this with a 3 port DP hub to run 3 monitors. Works fine.

https://www.amazon.com/ARKTEK-Thund...778&sr=8-6&keywords=usb+c+to+mini+displayport

Also have used the IOGear USBc dock to with mDP to run my 144hz 1080p monitor, also no issues there


If you are looking for full size display port. I use this one too on my MacBook pro and HP with no issues at any res I have tried. from 1080p 144hz to 4k at 60hz.

https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Dis...28472867&sr=8-7&keywords=usb+c+to+displayport

 

Thanks for info.

I bought a Monoprice USB-C to HDMI adapter and that works fine.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=13235

I also bought a USB-C to DisplayPort adapter on Amazon Canada by a vendor called Rophie

https://www.amazon.ca/Rophie-DisplayPort-Thunderbolt-Compatible-Converter/dp/B07B2J12SB

It works sort of - it will connect my Dell 3014H monitor but intermittently and it gets confused when the laptop comes out of sleep mode and has to be unplugged/replugged several times to get it to send a signal the monitor recognizes.

The problem is that I can't really tell if it's the adapter or the behaviour of the ports on the laptop.

I have a need to have DisplayPort connectivity rather than HDMI because of the behaviour of my monitor.

I'm still looking for a full fledged dock that is known to charge the Spectre and works well, but there is a lot of anecdotal information I've found that suggests HP is actually blocking third party docks from charging in firmware but the HP docks don't work well ...

 

Most likely a cheap adapter...

 

OK, some further knowledge for anyone else's benefit.

I manage IT in a fairly large company and we're a Dell shop (the HP is my personal device).

I borrowed a Dell D6000 USB-C dock from a sysadmin who works in my team and tried it. It charges the HP albeit with the message everyone gets about it not being an HP power adapter.

Then I found out we had a Dell WD15 USB-C dock sitting in a box on a shelf. It also charges the laptop (after dismissing the ubiquitous message) and so far the ports work as expected.

Both docks were able to drive my Dell 3014 monitor at 2560 X 1600 at 59hz. I don't have a 4K monitor to try with it but it's believed to support that too.

Haven't tried the USB ports for mice (I use a Dell BT KM717 keyboard/mouse combo which can switch between computers which I highly recommend) but I'll give that a shot and report.

It's not Thunderbolt 3 but it IS working.

 

Nothing special about that though it should work? Maybe I'm failing to notice what your purpose is. lol

You're issues with sleep mode maybe just driver related. I keep my HP drivers updated and not through the HP site.. I install whatever driver is compatible with my hardware, whether that be from Intel or HP. whatever is newest gets installed.

I drive a 144hz 1080p Display with my IOGear USBC dock and another 1080p monitor over VGA. I also tried it with a 4k monitor, no issues. I also used a TB3 dock and there's literally NO difference between the two other than having a TB3 downstream port for other TB3 devices. I never buy TB3 docks since USBC docks are better priced.

Speaking of getting an error with 3rd part chargers.. That's why I wipe all the HP sh*t from my laptop and updated drivers from other manufactures that may have a newer version. No more annoying popup with any 3rd party docks or chargers. lol

I use this dock: https://www.iogear.com/product/GUD3C32/

I have all ports populated. It easily gets 112MB/s over the ethernet port even while backup up a ssd over one of it's USB 3 ports at 450MB/s. This is while driving a 144hz display, and I have like 4 USB hubs all with printers and drives attached. I use a 45 watt USB C charger with it at my desk at work and it's been rock solid for the past 5 months I've had it.

 

I have been all over the map here My goal is one port connection to power delivery, network and peripherals. No external GPU or anything. If I were buying a dock, I'd be buying Thunderbolt 3 for future capabilities. Since the WD15 works, I'm good for now.

The WD15 also seems to work fine in this regard without driver changes.

That's interesting that changing/removing software gets rid of that popup ... good point, that appears after the OS is loaded not at boot.

I think some of this is still hardware based. The Dell connection to the computer has a little "power on" LED - it lights up when delivering power to a Dell, but on the HP it doesn't light - still delivers power though. The power button on the dock will turn on a Dell - not the HP though.

There are BIOS updates for the Dell dock - but the HP won't install the updates, I had to use a Dell system to update it.

"The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from"

Appreciate the information sharing!