GPD has announced pricing of its GPD G1 external graphics solution based on AMD's Radeon RX 7600M XT GPU. Traditionally, eGFX solutions are not cheap and the G1 is no different, coming in at between $655 - $795 (via NotebookCheck). Meanwhile, it is small, has an Oculink and USB4 connections and is compatible with virtually all modern systems with Thunderbolt 3/4 or USB 4 connectors. Compatibility also extends to GPD's upcoming Win Max 2 miniature laptop.
GPD's G1 comes with AMD's RDNA 3-based Radeon RX 7600M XT mobile graphics processor. The Radeon RX 7600M XT comes with 2048 stream processors, 32MB Infinity Cache, 8GB of GDDR6 memory, and promises to offer up to 21.4 FP32 TFLOPS. This performance is comparable with desktop cards such as Nvidia's RTX 3060 Ti or Radeon RX 6800 XT, which are among the best graphics cards available. Performance of modern graphics solutions heavily depends on cooling, so it remains to be seen how fast the G1 will be when gaming.
In addition, the enclosure has multiple ports, including 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) port. The unit packs an internal 240W GaN power supply, so it is relatively small — at 225 x 111 x 29.8 mm — but is quite heavy at 0.92 kilograms.
GPD G1's connectivity options remain its most intriguing feature. It incorporates a USB4 interface, which is of course highly prevalent due to its compatibility with a broad range of existing PCs equipped with Thunderbolt or USB4 ports. Interestingly, it also includes an Oculink connector, which is uncommon on laptops. Notably, when linked via an Oculink cable, the GPD G1 deactivates USB Type-A ports and the SD slot, as the Oculink is intended solely to support the PCIe protocol. Conversely, since USB4 provides superior bandwidth and additional functionalities, the majority of GPD G1 users are expected to leverage this connection.
Another wrinkle about Oculink is that it is a cabling solution that supports four PCIe 3.0 lanes and offers a maximum bandwidth of 32 GT/s, comparable to that of Thunderbolt 3/4 and USB 4. However, it uses SFF-8612 and SFF-8611 connectors that are not commonly found on PCs, especially in the mobile PC space.
GPD plans to start offering its G1 eGPU solution for $655 via Indiegogo. The product is expected to be available starting from July 17 2023.
Remember that crowdfunding a project is not a guarantee of receiving a finished product. Backing a crowdfunded project is akin to an investment; you believe in the project and want it to succeed. You are not purchasing a retail product.
In retail, the unit will cost $795. Interestingly, owners of the Win Max 2 will have to buy their Oculink cable separately for $42.
