P7XXTM1 freezes with Accell Thunderbolt 3 Docket connected

Hi all,


Upon closing the lid of my laptop and then opening it (this puts the laptop to sleep and then wakes it up by default), I noticed that when a dock is connected, particularly the one listed, the entire computer freezes requiring a hard reset. Can anyone replicate this with a dock of a different brand?

I have tons of peripherals, RGB mice/keyboards,headphones, external SSD, etc and it would be a real pain to not be able to use the Thunderbolt 3 port in all of its glory so I don't have to keep connecting/disconnecting cables from my laptop's ports!

I've tried so many different things, I've read countless threads... and all I came up with was a potential lack of compatibility.

I'm sad.

Thoughts?

Specs: Nvidia RTX 2080
Intel Core i9 9900k
64gb ram
Windows 10 Home
4K 60HZ Gsync
Dual PG279Qs connected to the mDP on back of laptop

 

What have you tried? List as many things as you can to avoid repeat suggestions.

 

Just about everything honestly lol.

I performed a fresh install of windows with the Ethernet cable unplugged. Installed all applicable drivers, including the Thunder bolt 3 driver from Sager for my applicable model. I even tried allowing Windows automatic Thunderbolt 3 Drivers.

I tried changing up the sleep/hibernate settings and there's nothing in the BIOS I can change, and I've just about researched everything just in case, that has made a lick of difference. But, I did notice that the manufacturer of the dock, Accell, lists a very tiny amount of compatible (tested) notebook models. smh. They also claim that the dock installs drivers by itself and they don't provide a separate file or anything.

Now, when I plug in the Samsung SSD X5 into the Thunderbolt port, I can close the lid to initiate laptop sleep mode and lift to wake it up without an issue. So, it's definitely a compatibility issue. I literally exhausted myself checking every forum I can find and there's one conclusion, nearly every single TB3 dock has some sort of compatibility issue or functionality issue in some shape or form because Intel allows too much flexibility in their designs and overall capabilities. They allow one dock to push out 2 displays via display port while another dock can do 3. That's not including whether or not the laptop you connect is even capable of pushing out 2, 3 or "4" displays in my case lol. And there's also compatibility issues with windows. I've pretty much given up because when the dock is connected, once you wake the notebook up, the graphics card gets upset quickly and will refuse to push out video and causes the entire system to hang indefinitely.

I'm just thankful that the laptop has as many USB ports as it does. I feel bad for those who have 1 or 2 USB ports and a single Thunderbolt 3 port. Thunderbolt 3 feels like it's still in beta. The technology just feel rushed, unstable, and third party dock manufactures can't push their products out fast enough---despite lack of thorough compatibility testing.

 

Hello! Does anyone else have any type of knowledge/experience in using TB3 docs with this model? I know there has to be someone out there with valuable info.

 

I might be late to the party here, but what version of Windows 10 do you have?

If it's Windows 10 version 2004, there's a known issue with thunderbolt docks and it's highly recommended that you use version 1909 instead and wait for version 2004 to be made available to your device through Windows Update. See below for more details:

https://docs.microsoft.com/pt-pt/windows/release-information/status-windows-10-2004#422msgdesc

 

Hello there!

Thanks for your response. I want to add that because I suspected slightly this to be a Windows problem, I waited almost a year before trying another TB3 dock. This time around, I purchased an Anker TB3 dock: PowerExpand Elite and there doesn't seem to be an issue. Closing the laptop doesn't seem to freak the dock out anymore, nor does sleep mode in general.

The other unique thing about the Anker Dock is that it has a power button. This allows you to only keep it operating when you need it, potentially increasing the dock's lifespan significantly. Not to mention,t thing definitely gets warm under load.

If something does go out of whack in the meantime, I'll definitely reach back out!

Again, thank you!

 

Go to BIOS, enable allow Thunderbolt firmware update, then go into Windows and install/re-install the latest TB driver so it also updates your TB firmware, see if the problem goes away.