If you're going to charge that much for the product, you should be offering something slightly more than "absolute bare-bones".
At that price point, I expect the eGPU to provide power to the laptop over thunderbolt, and I expect the eGPU to have some USB type A ports on it to take advantage of the fact that Thunderbolt 3 still has a USB 2.0 signal on the cable available for use.
According to the Spec list, it does support power delivery via thunderbolt 3 up to 45W, which is sufficient to power most laptops without dedicated GPUs.
You have to explain the use case for me. eGFX solutions for me are a way of getting slim and portable notebooks to also be able to play games at home with upgradeable/cheaper hardware down the road. When I want something to play games on the go, I go with a gaming laptop that already has a decent graphics card inside. This thing isn't upgradeable, is expensive enough to not be cheaper than a 1060 laptop and is more stuff to pack. I don't get the appeal. It seems the money invested in this, considering it will stay a 1060 is better served to get a good 1060 laptop, no?
One good thing about external GPU enclosures is that they should be quieter (and cooler) than if the same GPU was internal to a laptop.
If you want a thin laptop with 1060, it'll run hot and/or loud.
Even bulky gaming laptops don't often do a very good job with the cooling - manufacturers chase the last few FPS to get wins in performance comparisons, and sacrifice noise.
This thing weighs 1.38kg and has an external PSU. I think you can get a cool running, quiet-ish laptop for that weight budget. I can get 1100€ laptops with quad core 45W Intel CPUs and a GTX 1060 6GB. By contrast, the cheapest TB3 enabled laptop starts at 560€ with an i3 or at 700€ with dual core 15W cpus. Again, I don't really see the point. If you want it running more quietly, tune the voltages and the fan curve. Or get a physically bigger laptop, I'm sure it will still be more luggable than this frankenstein solution.
Well, actually you can't. You basically can chose between "light", loud and overheating machines, or reasonably cooled, very heavy machines.
The lightest GTX 1060 laptop is the Auros X3 Plus at 1.8 kg (+ 0,56 kg for the PSU), which has severe thermal problems under heavy load and get very loud. More reasonably sized laptops that can at least somewhat handle the power start at 2.5 kg (+> 1 kg PSU) and are usually enormous 17" machines, certainly at the Euro 1100 price point.
The point of this box is not to carry it around, the point is to have it at home for gaming, while you're carrying a much lighter and smaller laptop around for other things.
This means you carry an 1 kg laptop around, have the 1.4 kg GPU-box at home and don't need to carry an 1.8 kg (again, by far the lightest option on the marked) around. If you want to game when not at home you will need to bring along the PSU (again, the by far lightest one is 0.56 kg), that nets you 2,4 kg for a underperforming mobile gaming laptop (the larger ones are at 4 kg and over including the PSU).
This is a niche usecase as much as a 17" laptop is, but I can certainly see the point in it. For some people, not for me.
Please read the original message, that stated "Something that I can stash in my carry on when I travel." to which I replied "You have to explain the use case for me. eGFX solutions for me are a way of getting slim and portable notebooks to also be able to play games at home with upgradeable/cheaper hardware down the road.". You basically just reiterated my point and completely missed the actual point of the OP I replied to.
Differing degrees of portability requirements would be one. For example if you are a frequently travel you might be only looking for more portability in something you can carry in luggage and leave in the hotel room while still wanting the laptop as small as possible as you carry that regularly with you on your person.
Chimeing in with my use case here. Right now when I travel I can fit my work computer(15” MacBook) and my personal windows 2 in 1(dell xps 9250) in my backpack. I don’t think I could fit a larger gaming computer in my back pack.
Now where this will improve my experience is if I could stash a really small egpu in my roller board to boost the graphics. The intel hd 515 can game if you lower your expectations but obviously it’s limiting.
I have a full gaming desktop at home so I don’t really need a at home docking station for the 2 in 1.
Eh? Perhaps someone wants a laptop which is light and has good battery runtime. Yet perhaps when they arrive at a location they want access to a decent GPU (and one that has better cooling to boot).
Some people seem to think that heaviness is binary. There are different circumstances that allow for different bearable weights. Carrying something around all day? You want something as light as possible. Putting it in a carry-on? It can be a bit heavier. With a 'thin-and-light' and a an eGPU you can have one system that you can split up. Perhaps leave the eGPU in your hotel room. Or on a flight, leave it in the overhead storage while you use your laptop.
For many people using a large gaming laptop isn't an option. Could be because you're using a company provided computer, you don't want to travel with a large gaming laptop, or you just don't own one.
Either way, as soon as someone says "just use a bigger laptop" they're missing the point The target market for these are ultrabook owners who want to play games. 14" or smaller, like 2.5lbs or lighter, running U-series processors. I doubt Y series could keep up, and HQ processors are basically non-existent in the 14" or less laptop group and more power hungry. I'd prefer them, but by and large the audience for these are U-series laptop owners.
I think the original idea/intention was a stay at home box that you'd connect your ultrabook to, similar to a docking station but with a (fire)wire. With miniaturization at work, now we're seeing a box small and light enough that you could take it with you on business trips/vacations. That's pretty cool, and while I never had any intention of buying an eGPU for "home docking", I could really use it when traveling.
Honestly though, $500 for an un-upgradable 1060 is dumb. Obviously I think it's both too expensive and too weak for the price, but if I had to choose one, I'd say they need a faster box for the price. With this not being upgradable, I wouldn't want to lock myself into 1060 level performance for the next 5+ years.
I don't think that they get it... yet. We're buying the device and THEN buying this? We could just buy a machine, like the Surface Book 2, with a 1060 that's thin and portable.
Where are the units that are bare bones, with no thrills, for £99?
Well, evidently you actually can't buy that. Microsoft will sell you that hardware for USD 2499, for comparison with the Euro pricetag of the "SNPR", which includes around 20% Tax common in Europe this is EUR 2999 - but it doesn't work as advertised.
The laptop cannot handle the thermal output of this hardware over any reasonable amount of time under full load, so it reportedly throttles quickly. As some sites reported Microsoft also doesn't provide a power brick that can actually support the power draw, so it will discharge the battery while plugged in to provide enough current.
So seeing that even Microsoft's premier workstation-class laptop can't do this for about 3000 Euros, I think this box isn't t hat bad an alternative.
Yes, 500 Euro isn't cheap (for what's basically an enclosure with a Euro 300 graphics card), but if you game at home and don't need the GPU on the road, you can pick a Euro 1500 laptop with the same specs as the Microsoft machine (or even the small Surface Book without the nVidia for the same price). This way you can play games at full performance over stretched periods of time, at much lower noise, and save yourself 1000 Euros. Also, this works with laptops smaller than 15".
Sure, this isn't for everyone, but I can see the value (even though I'd personally pick a box with replaceable cards). The price is high, but not extraordinarily so.
"As some sites reported Microsoft also doesn't provide a power brick that can actually support the power draw, so it will discharge the battery while plugged in to provide enough current."
A selection of MSI and Asus laptops do that... which is described as a feature.
599 euros for a huge nonupgradable GPU dock? Now I'm almost convinced there's a conspiracy out there where manufacturers will pit against each other to see who can put out the most pointless product while putting lipstick on that pig.
I use dxo photo lab and macOS. Without an nvidia GPU on the fastest laptop Apple makes, it takes more than a day to process a days worth of photography. This box means that I do not need to bring a 50 pound desktop tower (only alternative) when I travel.
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22 Comments
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Guspaz - Friday, November 24, 2017 - link
If you're going to charge that much for the product, you should be offering something slightly more than "absolute bare-bones".At that price point, I expect the eGPU to provide power to the laptop over thunderbolt, and I expect the eGPU to have some USB type A ports on it to take advantage of the fact that Thunderbolt 3 still has a USB 2.0 signal on the cable available for use.
thomasg - Saturday, November 25, 2017 - link
According to the Spec list, it does support power delivery via thunderbolt 3 up to 45W, which is sufficient to power most laptops without dedicated GPUs.ImSpartacus - Saturday, November 25, 2017 - link
I think the fundamental problem is that it's simply too expensive to make such a niche product and so you need ridiculous prices like this.Zeratul56 - Friday, November 24, 2017 - link
I love the direction of this, I have been looking for smaller egfx solutions. Something that I can stash in my carry on when I travel.The razor core and the like are much too large and expensive.
Hopefully this will push an even smaller one into the market but this may be good enough size for me.
Death666Angel - Friday, November 24, 2017 - link
You have to explain the use case for me. eGFX solutions for me are a way of getting slim and portable notebooks to also be able to play games at home with upgradeable/cheaper hardware down the road. When I want something to play games on the go, I go with a gaming laptop that already has a decent graphics card inside. This thing isn't upgradeable, is expensive enough to not be cheaper than a 1060 laptop and is more stuff to pack. I don't get the appeal. It seems the money invested in this, considering it will stay a 1060 is better served to get a good 1060 laptop, no?Hul8 - Friday, November 24, 2017 - link
One good thing about external GPU enclosures is that they should be quieter (and cooler) than if the same GPU was internal to a laptop.If you want a thin laptop with 1060, it'll run hot and/or loud.
Even bulky gaming laptops don't often do a very good job with the cooling - manufacturers chase the last few FPS to get wins in performance comparisons, and sacrifice noise.
Death666Angel - Friday, November 24, 2017 - link
This thing weighs 1.38kg and has an external PSU. I think you can get a cool running, quiet-ish laptop for that weight budget.I can get 1100€ laptops with quad core 45W Intel CPUs and a GTX 1060 6GB. By contrast, the cheapest TB3 enabled laptop starts at 560€ with an i3 or at 700€ with dual core 15W cpus. Again, I don't really see the point. If you want it running more quietly, tune the voltages and the fan curve. Or get a physically bigger laptop, I'm sure it will still be more luggable than this frankenstein solution.
thomasg - Saturday, November 25, 2017 - link
Well, actually you can't.You basically can chose between "light", loud and overheating machines, or reasonably cooled, very heavy machines.
The lightest GTX 1060 laptop is the Auros X3 Plus at 1.8 kg (+ 0,56 kg for the PSU), which has severe thermal problems under heavy load and get very loud.
More reasonably sized laptops that can at least somewhat handle the power start at 2.5 kg (+> 1 kg PSU) and are usually enormous 17" machines, certainly at the Euro 1100 price point.
The point of this box is not to carry it around, the point is to have it at home for gaming, while you're carrying a much lighter and smaller laptop around for other things.
This means you carry an 1 kg laptop around, have the 1.4 kg GPU-box at home and don't need to carry an 1.8 kg (again, by far the lightest option on the marked) around.
If you want to game when not at home you will need to bring along the PSU (again, the by far lightest one is 0.56 kg), that nets you 2,4 kg for a underperforming mobile gaming laptop (the larger ones are at 4 kg and over including the PSU).
This is a niche usecase as much as a 17" laptop is, but I can certainly see the point in it. For some people, not for me.
Death666Angel - Saturday, November 25, 2017 - link
Please read the original message, that stated "Something that I can stash in my carry on when I travel." to which I replied "You have to explain the use case for me. eGFX solutions for me are a way of getting slim and portable notebooks to also be able to play games at home with upgradeable/cheaper hardware down the road.". You basically just reiterated my point and completely missed the actual point of the OP I replied to.limitedaccess - Saturday, November 25, 2017 - link
Differing degrees of portability requirements would be one. For example if you are a frequently travel you might be only looking for more portability in something you can carry in luggage and leave in the hotel room while still wanting the laptop as small as possible as you carry that regularly with you on your person.Zeratul56 - Saturday, November 25, 2017 - link
Chimeing in with my use case here. Right now when I travel I can fit my work computer(15” MacBook) and my personal windows 2 in 1(dell xps 9250) in my backpack. I don’t think I could fit a larger gaming computer in my back pack.Now where this will improve my experience is if I could stash a really small egpu in my roller board to boost the graphics. The intel hd 515 can game if you lower your expectations but obviously it’s limiting.
I have a full gaming desktop at home so I don’t really need a at home docking station for the 2 in 1.
Tams80 - Sunday, November 26, 2017 - link
Eh? Perhaps someone wants a laptop which is light and has good battery runtime. Yet perhaps when they arrive at a location they want access to a decent GPU (and one that has better cooling to boot).Some people seem to think that heaviness is binary. There are different circumstances that allow for different bearable weights. Carrying something around all day? You want something as light as possible. Putting it in a carry-on? It can be a bit heavier. With a 'thin-and-light' and a an eGPU you can have one system that you can split up. Perhaps leave the eGPU in your hotel room. Or on a flight, leave it in the overhead storage while you use your laptop.
Kakti - Monday, November 27, 2017 - link
For many people using a large gaming laptop isn't an option. Could be because you're using a company provided computer, you don't want to travel with a large gaming laptop, or you just don't own one.Either way, as soon as someone says "just use a bigger laptop" they're missing the point The target market for these are ultrabook owners who want to play games. 14" or smaller, like 2.5lbs or lighter, running U-series processors. I doubt Y series could keep up, and HQ processors are basically non-existent in the 14" or less laptop group and more power hungry. I'd prefer them, but by and large the audience for these are U-series laptop owners.
I think the original idea/intention was a stay at home box that you'd connect your ultrabook to, similar to a docking station but with a (fire)wire. With miniaturization at work, now we're seeing a box small and light enough that you could take it with you on business trips/vacations. That's pretty cool, and while I never had any intention of buying an eGPU for "home docking", I could really use it when traveling.
Honestly though, $500 for an un-upgradable 1060 is dumb. Obviously I think it's both too expensive and too weak for the price, but if I had to choose one, I'd say they need a faster box for the price. With this not being upgradable, I wouldn't want to lock myself into 1060 level performance for the next 5+ years.
damianrobertjones - Friday, November 24, 2017 - link
"€499"I don't think that they get it... yet. We're buying the device and THEN buying this? We could just buy a machine, like the Surface Book 2, with a 1060 that's thin and portable.
Where are the units that are bare bones, with no thrills, for £99?
damianrobertjones - Friday, November 24, 2017 - link
P.s. Yes, I know, the Surface Book is a lot of cash but there's cheaper machines out there.thomasg - Saturday, November 25, 2017 - link
Well, evidently you actually can't buy that.Microsoft will sell you that hardware for USD 2499, for comparison with the Euro pricetag of the "SNPR", which includes around 20% Tax common in Europe this is EUR 2999 - but it doesn't work as advertised.
The laptop cannot handle the thermal output of this hardware over any reasonable amount of time under full load, so it reportedly throttles quickly.
As some sites reported Microsoft also doesn't provide a power brick that can actually support the power draw, so it will discharge the battery while plugged in to provide enough current.
So seeing that even Microsoft's premier workstation-class laptop can't do this for about 3000 Euros, I think this box isn't t hat bad an alternative.
Yes, 500 Euro isn't cheap (for what's basically an enclosure with a Euro 300 graphics card), but if you game at home and don't need the GPU on the road, you can pick a Euro 1500 laptop with the same specs as the Microsoft machine (or even the small Surface Book without the nVidia for the same price).
This way you can play games at full performance over stretched periods of time, at much lower noise, and save yourself 1000 Euros.
Also, this works with laptops smaller than 15".
Sure, this isn't for everyone, but I can see the value (even though I'd personally pick a box with replaceable cards). The price is high, but not extraordinarily so.
damianrobertjones - Sunday, November 26, 2017 - link
"As some sites reported Microsoft also doesn't provide a power brick that can actually support the power draw, so it will discharge the battery while plugged in to provide enough current."A selection of MSI and Asus laptops do that... which is described as a feature.
Flunk - Friday, November 24, 2017 - link
The price is pretty unpalatable given the fact that you can't upgrade the GPU. An unupgradable solution needs to be less expensive.StrangerGuy - Friday, November 24, 2017 - link
599 euros for a huge nonupgradable GPU dock? Now I'm almost convinced there's a conspiracy out there where manufacturers will pit against each other to see who can put out the most pointless product while putting lipstick on that pig.mikegrok - Monday, December 25, 2017 - link
I use dxo photo lab and macOS. Without an nvidia GPU on the fastest laptop Apple makes, it takes more than a day to process a days worth of photography. This box means that I do not need to bring a 50 pound desktop tower (only alternative) when I travel.mesakh - Friday, February 2, 2018 - link
How if i use this VGA for my laptop (MSI GL62-7RDX). it can be use or not? need advice...jangoloti - Saturday, November 10, 2018 - link
This eGFX can be had in several websites in France for around 250 EUR. Check for them in topachat.com, darty,...