Is This The Best Docking Station For Working From Home and Gaming?

Many of us work from home and have a single desk setup for both gaming and work. That’s where the BenQ beCreatus DP1310 docking station comes in handy. Whether you want to easily switch between your work laptop and your personal computer or games console, the BenQ beCreatus DP1310 is an excellent choice.

The beCreatus DP1310 features dual source integration, which allows you to connect up to 2 input sources (USB-C & HDMI 2.1, 1 click to switch). You can connect up to 3 monitors at 4K 60Hz and Switch single display to HDMI 2.1 at up to 4K 120Hz/8K60Hz, the other two displays at 4K 60Hz with USB-C in.

The dock also comes with 5 charging ports including a 100W port, a 36W port and 3 7.5W ports, which is great if you want to keep your laptop and accessories charged.

At the time of writing this article, the BenQ beCreatus DP1310 Hybrid Dock costs approximately $299 on Amazon, which is great considering the features and the quality of the product.

But without any further ado, here’s why I think the BenQ beCreatus DP1310 is the ideal accessory for your desk setup…

Disclaimer: While BenQ sent me this item to try out, they are not sponsoring this blog post. All views and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

The Unboxing Experience

The beCreatus DP1310 comes presented extremely well in a recyclable cardboard box. I know I’ve said it before in other reviews, but there’s nothing I like more than a fantastic unboxing experience. I find that it makes the product stand out and look more premium.

Inside the box, you will find a quick start guide that explains the driver download process, and a leaflet explaining how you get your free extended warranty.

You are then presented with a beautifully wrapped docking station. I like that they wrapped it in paper instead of plastic or polystyrene, it really does give it that premium feel.

Underneath the docking station you are greeted with additional paperwork along with the power adapter, a 180W unit from the FSP Group. My version also came with a UK and EU clover power lead.

You also get a USB-C 3.2 cable which is capable of delivering a 4K display as well as an HDMI 2.1 certified cable that is capable of delivering an 8K display.

Overall, the unboxing experience felt premium and I like the fact that they are straight top the point about the drivers.

The Features

The BenQ beCreatus DP1310 is packed with many useful features that will transform your desk setup.

Starting with Dual source integration, you can use USB-C & HDMI as an input source. This allows you to connect to your laptop using the USB-C connection and a games console using the HDMI connection.

You can also connect a second computer, but be aware that if your second computer is connected via HDMI, it will only transmit the display through HDMI. If you want to seamlessly connect your mouse and keyboard, I recommend investing in a mouse and keyboard that allows you to switch easily between devices. I primarily use the Logitech MX Keys keyboard and Logitech MX Master 3 mouse, both of which allow me to do this.

To switch between devices, you simply press the big button on the front of the device. This allows for easy switching between the devices.

The beCreatus DP1310 also allows you to connect up to 3 monitors at 4K 60Hz, and you can switch a single display to HDMI 2.1 at up to 4K 120Hz, with the other 2 displays at 4K 60Hz with USB-C IN.

At the back of the docking station you will find two USB-A ports that are ideal for your mouse and keyboard, an additional USB-A port that is capable of charging around 7.5W. A Display Port OUT and 2 HDMI OUT connections, one of which is capable of outputting at 4K 120Hz or 8K at 60Hz.

In terms of the input, you get an HDMI 2.1 In and a USB-C in. You also get a LAN port and a port for the power cable.

At the front of the docking station, you will find two additional USB-A ports that are capable of charging up to 7.5W, as well as a USB-C port that is capable of charging up to 36W. You also get a 3.5 mm audio port, which is a nice touch.

Apart from that, there is a big button that allows you to switch between devices with a single click or power the docking station off and on by holding the button for 3 seconds.

So overall, I think it’s fair to say that this is a very well-equipped docking station.

Setup and Installation

Setting up the docking station was nice and simple. I didn’t have to do anything on my M1 MacBook Air as it already had DisplayLink drivers setup from my previous docking station, the Dell D3100. If I compared the beCreatus DP1310 to my old solution, it’s like comparing a Lamborghini with a moped. The beCreatus DP1310 makes a huge difference to my desk setup.

But if you don’t already have drivers installed, you will need to download and install DisplayLink drivers, which you can download here.

Once installed, you can connect a laptop or MacBook to a dual monitor setup via USB-C. The M1 MacBook Air can’t do this by default, as it supports up to 1 external monitor on its own. I was also able to connect my gaming PC to a single monitor using HDMI.

From there, it’s just a case of pressing the big button on the front to switch between devices.

How I Use the BenQ beCreatus DP1310

I primarily use my desk for work, both my day job and my side hustle. However, there are times when I just want to sit down and play a game using my gaming PC.

Based on my experience so far, the beCreatus DP1310 has seriously improved the way I work at my desk. Allow me to explain.

Since getting the M1 MacBook Air at the end of last year, I’ve been using a basic Dell docking station I got cheap on eBay. The docking station worked well for simply allowing me to display both my work laptop and my MacBook Air on a dual monitor setup.

However, my old solution had limitations, starting with the fact that it couldn’t charge my laptop, which meant that I had to have two cables going in at all times into my laptop. One of these cables was to charge my laptop, and the other was a USB-A cable connected to a USB-A to C converter. It wasn’t a pretty solution and the overall quality of the display started deteriorating, you could tell it was an old docking station.

Moving on to the beCreatus DP1310, the solution offered by BenQ is at a whole new level. The docking station seems to be catered to people who work at their desks during the day and game throughout the evening.

It works great when you connect your laptop via USB-C as that provides you with access to all the USB ports and accessories such as a mouse and keyboard. If you use a games console, it works great by simply connecting the HDMI cable.

Final Thoughts

As someone who works in IT, I’ve used many types of docking stations over the years. These docking stations were primarily designed for business use and when I say business use, I don’t necessarily mean working from home, I mean working from an office.

These business docking stations aren’t usually designed with style in mind and many of them simply look hideous, and I wouldn’t like to have them on my personal desk setup.

With that in mind, the BenQ beCreatus DP1310 offers an excellent solution for both work and play. It allows you to seamlessly switch between your work laptop and games console at the end of a busy day at work.

The beCreatus DP1310 looks incredibly stylish and minimal, which is perfect for people like me who like to keep things tidy. The docking station can be stored in either an upright position or a flat position on your desk, which is great if you have a shelf underneath your monitors.

Based on my usage so far, I seriously found it difficult to find any disadvantages to using this docking station. I love the design, I think that the features are great, and I like how it functions.

If I were to nitpick, the only thing I would say is that it would be nice to have some form of a KVM solution built-in that allows me to still use the mouse and keyboard when connected via HDMI. But a solution like that is likely to mean more cables and a higher price.

To summarise my review, I think that this is a superb docking station catered to anyone who is looking for a MacBook dock, a gaming dock or a dual input docking station. I especially recommend this docking station to anyone who works from home and likes to play games at their desks.