> I honestly have no clue how this stuff works and I keep reading about displayport vs hdmi To add to the point above: honestly dont sweat the technical side too much. If your laptop supports Thunderbolt 3 or 4, you're pretty much golden. I picked up the Plugable UD-3900 Triple Display Docking Station a while back and it just works well for me. It handles two HDMI ports and DVI, though you might need an adapter for the third screen. It keeps the desk clean and fits right in that 200 dollar range. Just check your laptop specs first to see if it actually outputs video via USB-C. You honestly shouldn't need fancy cables, just standard ones. It's totally plug and play once you install the drivers. Good luck with the new gig in Chicago!

To add to the point above: honestly, be real careful with the budget picks. I tried a few off-brand ones last year and it was a total disaster, unfortunately. They kept disconnecting mid-call and the display lag was unbearable. If you really want a triple monitor setup without spending a fortune, you gotta stick to reliable names, or you're gonna end up buying twice. Here is what I would actually trust for a stable desk setup:

• Dell WD19S 180W Docking Station 210-AZBX - reliable workhorse.
• Anker 563 USB-C Docking Station 10-in-1 - solid performance for the price. Make sure your laptop actually supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, otherwise none of this works regardless of the cables. Just check your laptop specs first. Save yourself the headache and don't skimp too much on the dock, cause a cheap one will just ruin your workflow.

Congrats on the new job! Getting the home office sorted is the best part, but man, docks are a total headache. I went through like three different ones before finding something stable, and honestly, most of the cheap ones on amazon just dont hold up. I had issues with screen flickering and the ports dying after a month with some generic brand, which is just super annoying when youre trying to work. If you want triple monitors under 200, it gets tricky because most docks only support two screens via usb-c unless your laptop supports thunderbolt 3 or 4. I personally use the Plugable UD-3900 Triple Display Docking Station for my secondary setup. It works okay, but the resolution isnt as good as a direct connection, which was a bummer. Unfortunately, for triple monitors, you might have to rely on displaylink software, which can lag a bit. A much better experience for me has been the Anker 563 USB-C Docking Station 10-in-1, though it pushes your budget. Whatever you pick, make sure you use high quality cables, like Cable Matters 8K DisplayPort Cable, because cheap ones cause half the problems people complain about. Just dont cheap out on the cables or youll end up chasing ghost issues for days. Hopefully yours works better than my first couple attempts did...