GPD has announced pricing for its GPD G1 external graphics solution based on AMD’s Radeon RX 7600M XT GPU. Traditionally, eGFX solutions don’t come cheap, and the G1 is no exception, selling between $655 and $795 (via) note check). On the other hand, it’s small, has Oculink and USB4 connectivity, and is compatible with almost any modern system with a Thunderbolt 3/4 or USB 4 connector. Compatibility also extends to GPD’s upcoming Win Max 2 small laptops.
GPD’s G1 is powered by AMD’s RDNA 3-based Radeon RX 7600M XT mobile graphics processor. The Radeon RX 7600M XT is packed with 2048 stream processors, 32MB Infinity Cache and 8GB GDDR6 memory, promising to deliver up to 21.4 FP32 TFLOPS. This performance rivals desktop cards like Nvidia’s RTX 3060 Ti and Radeon RX 6800 XT, which are among the best graphics cards available. It remains to be seen how fast the G1 will be when gaming, as the performance of modern graphics solutions is heavily dependent on cooling.
Additionally, the enclosure features two DisplayPort 1.4a, one HDMI 2.1, an SD 4.0 card reader, three USB 3.2 Type-A, one Oculink (SFF-8612) connector and one USB 4 (Type-C) There are multiple ports including port. With a 240W GaN power supply inside, the unit is relatively small at 225 x 111 x 29.8 mm, but weighs 0.92 kg, which is quite heavy.
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The GPD G1’s connectivity options are still the most interesting feature. Of course, it incorporates a very popular USB4 interface due to the wide compatibility of existing PCs with Thunderbolt or USB4 ports. Interestingly, it also includes an Oculink connector, which is rare for laptops. Specifically, when linked via an Oculink cable, the GPD G1 disables the USB Type-A port and SD slot as Oculink is only intended to support the PCIe protocol. Conversely, USB4 offers better bandwidth and additional features, so we expect the majority of GPD G1 users to utilize this connection.
Another issue with Oculink is that it is a cable solution that supports 4 PCIe 3.0 lanes and offers up to 32 GT/s bandwidth, comparable to Thunderbolt 3/4 and USB 4. However, SFF-8612 and SFF-8612 are used. The 8611 connector is not commonly seen in the PC, especially mobile PC arena.
GPD will launch its G1 eGPU solution for $655 Via Indiegogo. This product will be available from 17th July 2023.
Please note that crowdfunding a project does not guarantee receipt of the finished product. Backing a crowdfunding project is like investing. You believe in the project and want it to succeed. We do not buy retail products.
Retail price will be $795. Interestingly, Win Max 2 owners will need to purchase the Oculink cable separately for $42.
