Tweet
Introduction
Remember when people said the PC was dead? Judging by the external graphics card enclosures out in force at CES 2016, not only is the PC very much alive, itās evolving ā and growing a few multi-coloured limbs in the process.
Alienwareās Amplifier and MSIās GS30 Shadow felt like futuristic bolt-on power packs when they debuted this time last year, and this yearās follow-up docks only convince us further that boosting your machineās power using a desktop-grade graphics card is an excellent idea.
The most recent crop of enclosures will work with more than just your laptop too, with all-in-one desktops and even palm-sized micro PCs getting in on the game. Itās as easy as A, B, Thunderbolt 3.
1. Razer Blade Stealth/Razer Core
Razerās Ultrabook has been both praised for its slim dimensions and panned for its lack of a discrete graphics card, though you could argue that its detractors are missing the point. The Razer Blade Stealth is designed to be a portable laptop thatās equally as thin and almost as light as Appleās 12-inch MacBook. Unlike Appleās machine, you can take it home and hook it up to an external GPU enclosure called The Razer Core for desktop-grade power.
Emitting an eerie glow that illuminates the graphics card housed inside, the Core looks like a seriously cool piece of kit that you wouldnāt mind having on your desk. Opening it up feels like āpulling the core out of a nuclear reactorā, according to techradarās Associate Editor of Computing, Kevin Lee. If thatās not worth the cost of entry, then I donāt know what is.
2. MSI Gaming 27XT
If youāre looking to treat yourself to a gaming-focused all-in-one this year but canāt afford a wallet-intimidating behemoth like the Maingear Alpha 34, MSIās 27XT might be for you. The 27-inch gaming machine lets you slot a graphics card into its rear-mounted trailer, and can be kitted out with anything up to Nvidiaās beefy Titan X GPU.
The ultimate all-in-one for neat freaks, it places all the components ā including Intelās octa-core Core i7-5960X processor ā behind the display. Speaking of which, the 27XT comes with the very welcome option of a 144Hz QHD display with a 2,560 x 1,440 pixel-resolution, providing a tempting middle ground between the entry-level 1080p screen and high-end 60Hz 4K display thatās also being offered.
3. Alienware 13/Alienware Amplifier
/Alienware%2017%20(2015)-6-420-100.jpg)
The original Alienware 13, which was introduced at CES 2014, has received a very interesting upgrade two years later. The latest iteration sports a gorgeous OLED display, which is a real rarity in the world of gaming laptops. Expect games to look absolutely stunning on it when displayed at the screenās native 2,540 x 1,440 pixel resolution.
Word on the ground is that the refreshed model sports the same specs as before, which includes an Intel Core i7-6500U with 16GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M with up to 4GB of video memory. As before, it should also hook up to Alienwareās Amplifier, an external GPU enclosure that can house full-sized graphics cards including Nvidiaās Titan X.
4. Asus ROG XG Station 2
As the creator of the original XG Station external graphics dock, Asus is no stranger to the docking station party. Its follow-up enclosure, the XG Station 2, closely resembles its ROG G20 desktop thanks to its engraved black and red patterned design.
Its main panel is made of glass, allowing you to peer into the case to watch your graphics card doing its thing, if thatās what youāre into. Like other docking enclosures on our list, the ROG XG Station 2 uses a Thunderbolt-supported USB 3.0 connection, but itās not yet known if the dock only supports Asusā own laptops and graphics cards, or ones from other manufacturers too.
5. Intel āSkull Canyonā NUC
Intel didnāt unveil anything new in terms of GPU docks at CES 2016, but it did set tongues wagging by announcing a gaming-focused NUC codenamed Skullās Canyon. While itās likely that the upcoming barebones PC will be too small to squeeze in a full-sized discrete graphics card, the company confirmed that it will sport a Thunderbolt 3 port, enabling it to be hooked up to an external graphics card enclosure.
If you like to tinker with swapping-out PC components such as RAM, storage and graphics cards but donāt mind keeping the same processor for a few generations ā and fancy getting yourself a portable NUC to play with ā Intelās upcoming micro PC might be just what you need.
[ul]
[li]Also check out: the 10 best graphics cards in the world today[/li][/ul]
[URL unfurl="true"]http://rc.feedsportal.com/r/247387500621/u/49/f/415074/c/669/s/4cbbfb8f/sc/23/rc/1/rc.img[/URL]
[URL unfurl="true"]http://rc.feedsportal.com/r/247387500621/u/49/f/415074/c/669/s/4cbbfb8f/sc/23/rc/2/rc.img[/URL]
[URL unfurl="true"]http://rc.feedsportal.com/r/247387500621/u/49/f/415074/c/669/s/4cbbfb8f/sc/23/rc/3/rc.img[/URL]
[URL unfurl="true"]http://da.feedsportal.com/r/247387500621/u/49/f/415074/c/669/s/4cbbfb8f/sc/23/a2.img[/URL]http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/24738750...~4/AOlr5o-Bwts
Continue readingā¦