We special ordered a Dell Precision 7540 with a WD19DC docking station for the CEO/Owner of the company. This is a fully decked out laptop with an Intel Xeon CPU, 32 GB ECC Ram, etc. The 7540 itself shipped with a 180W Power Supply and the WD19DC came with a 240W Power Supply rated to deliver up to 210W to the laptop via Two USB Type-C Connectors.
I don't know if it's simply the combination of these two devices, or an issue with these docking stations (as I've read many other posts on various forums having exact same issues) but this dock is unstable at best. There is no rhyme or reason for how it's acting. I haven't deployed this to the user for obvious reasons, but he is anxious to get it.
The issues I'm seeing are related to USB Type C Connections. Most of the time, only one side lights up, always the side to make the first "contact". The cable itself is fine as I can plug in just one side of the cable and it will light up, but both will not at the same time. The BIOS gives errors such as "Your system is only connected to a 130W Power Supply but needs at least a 180W" or "Your dock connection has limitation, make sure both cables are connected" which they are, but only one side lights up.
I can sometimes resolve the issue by leaving the USB connections plugged in and unplugging the power from the dock for a few seconds and plugging it back it, but this is hit or miss. I've also tried the "drain power" trick on the docking station which is also hit or miss. Sometimes when I plug the cables in, both will light up for a few seconds then one side will go out. Sometimes when I plug it in, no lights come on.
The power button on the dock is also very hit or miss, which is an issue as the end user has a setup with two monitors and always leaves his laptop closed.
Not sure what else to do at this point. I've updated the BIOS to 1.6.0 which was released just days ago and it didn't resolve the issue. I've also updated Windows 10 for Workstations from 1903 to 1909, same issue (figured it would since it doesn't appear to be a driver issue since this is happening before system is powered on/in BIOS).
I can't put this laptop and docking station into production use until I get these issues resolved. If you power on the laptop with the docking station connected and the BIOS gives an error, it only shows it on the laptop screen which the end user never uses while docked and is always closed.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from dell.comBy Candace@Dell, DellRR, June 18, 2020
Hello and thank you for your review. I am sorry that you are experiencing an issue with your docking station connectivity. Please refer to your product manual for further troubleshooting. Should you have any further questions or concerns please contact Dell Support , http://dell.to/2sH7Qlm . and a Dell representative will gladly assist.
Dell Docking Station WD19 Dual Cable User Guide dell.to/2Nckfd0
How to Use and Troubleshoot Dell Performance Docking Station WD19DC dell.to/2UVpySn
This product is terrible and has been the bane of my existence for the last few weeks. I had to adjust power settings on my laptop to work around dock network limitations. It also does not wake monitors when the laptop resumes from sleep. It often has to have power removed and reconnected to restore normal function.
Even when plug into the thunderbolt port on XPS 13 7390, it cannot drive 2 4K monitors at 4K resolution. It can only drive 4K at 30Hz and another 2k. This is far below its advertised spec.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from dell.comBy Fred@Dell, DellRR, November 15, 2021
Hi, Leon,
Thank you for your review and feedback. We are truly sorry about your experience with your product and will use your provided input to help with improving our current and future products. If you run into any further questions, issues, or concerns, please use the information below to contact Dell Support at your earliest convenience.
Best, Fred@Dell
If you require further assistance, you can contact Dell directly with the information below Chat or Call: https://bit.ly/DellSupportTeam Phone number to Dell: 1-800-624-9896
I've been using feel docking stations for maybe 15 years without incident. This docking station is convenient, but it seems to have stability issues. The LAN connection goes out every day and the behavior of the device is not consistent. Overall it is a useful tool, but for its cost and the fact that it is a business offering, it should be more stable.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting dell.com
Customer Rating
1
Disappointing
on December 3, 2019
Posted by: GFNDHunter
I purchased a DELL 7740 and wanted to dock to a 4k and QHD monitor with a single plug point. I was apprehensive but purchased the WD19DC. It has very limited documentation and have spent most of the day trying various setups. The dock will not do this configuration. The twin USB type c Thunderbolt plug would drop one side and the computer will not charge correctly and when restarted it hangs on the reboot screen. The message is that only 130W are making it to the computer.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting dell.com
Customer Rating
1
on January 30, 2020
Posted by: Developer
Very, and I mean very, limited resolution options. With Precision 5540, Quadro graphics, 32GB RAM, i9 processor and USB-C you can only have one external monitor in QHD resolution. If you use two Dell Ultrasharp U2719DC one of them _will_ be lower than QHD and very bad image with flickering and smearing. If you plan on using more than one monitor you are much better off with D6000 Universal dock as that can power 3 4K monitors.
If you try DisplayPort or HDMI you are limited to one QHD. If you plug in two monitors on USB-C only one will be _disabled_.
Regardless of what the website told me, it is not compatible with my xps, even with the most recent bios. Expensive mistake.
Response from dell.comBy Candace@Dell, DellRR, May 15, 2020
Hello and thank you for your review. Please see below for the ports that your dock is compatible with. Your XPS should be able to accept this dock. Should you need an additional cable please take a look at Dell's accessories page should you need a cable other than a (1) 0.8m Dual-USB-C Cable that your dock is shipped with. Should you have any further questions or concerns please contact Dell Support, https://dell.to/2Inbc8F .
These new docking stations with the dual connection are horrible. Constant issues with monitors not showing up forcing reboots or powering everything completely off and bringing stuff back up. Laptops with the single connection seem better but those don't work with my laptop.
Response from dell.comBy Fred@Dell, DellRR, May 13, 2022
Good day, slukas,
Thank you for your review. We apologize for your experience with your performance dock. We will use your provided input to help with improving our current and future products. If you run into any further questions, issues, or concerns, please use the information below to contact Dell Support at your earliest convenience.
Best, Fred@Dell
If you require further assistance, you can contact Dell directly with the information below Chat or Call: https://bit.ly/DellSupportTeam Phone number to Dell: 1-800-624-9896