External GPUs have always been niche yet clever accessories that turn an ordinary laptop into something closer to a desktop gaming rig. Now UGREEN, better known for its chargers and power banks, is taking a swing at the category with its new LinkStation Graphics Card Expansion Dock.
It’s a chunky, semi-open aluminum enclosure that comes with a built-in 850W ATX 3.1 gold-rated power supply and can fit in just about any modern GPU you’d want to use.
UGREEN LinkStation Graphics Card Expansion Dock Overview
The LinkStation stands out because it supports both Oculink (64Gbps) and USB4 (40Gbps). Oculink has been gaining traction among performance-focused users thanks to its much faster, more stable bandwidth compared to Thunderbolt-based solutions.
SB4 compatibility, however, makes the dock easier to use with a wider range of modern laptops. UGREEN states that the dock is compatible with graphics cards from NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel, and can deliver power to laptops via 100W reverse charging when connected via USB4.
The enclosure itself is big, and because it needs to be. It supports full-size GPUs up to 370mm, and the top cover can be removed if you need even more room. Inside is a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, and the included ATX 3.1 PSU means it can power even high-end cards, including NVIDIA’s latest 40- and 50-series GPUs.
UGREEN includes both a 0.8m USB4 cable and a 0.5m Oculink cable in the box. The device weighs 5.08kg, comes in a stylish retail package, and carries a one-year warranty.
UGREEN also shared benchmark data comparing direct PCIe performance to dock-connected performance. Unsurprisingly, desktop GPUs connected directly to the motherboard still perform best.
An RTX 5090, for example, scored 34,508 in Port Royal on a desktop PC, while the same GPU through Oculink on a laptop dropped to 30,164. But that’s still extremely impressive for an external GPU setup, and shows how far Oculink-based docks have come.
It’s priced at 2,299 yuan (~$325) in China, and it’s clearly targeting laptop users, handheld consoles, and Mini PC owners who want full desktop GPU performance.
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(Via)
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