The birth of external portable mobile graphics cards (graphics docks) can be traced back to the development of laptops. With the popularity of thin and light notebooks, many manufacturers have begun to reduce the internal space in pursuit of thinner body designs, resulting in limitations in graphics card performance. To solve this problem, an external portable mobile graphics card came into being.
Since OCuLink is an interface that is transferred through the NVME SSD slot on the computer motherboard, NVME takes a pure PCIe lane, so OCuLink is also a pure PCIe lane, so the loss of OCuLink external graphics dock is also relatively small. The OCuLink interface has been increasingly used in external graphics docks and other fields, with PCIe 3.0x4 OCuLink reaching 32Gbps bandwidth and PCIe 4.0x4 reaching 64Gbps bandwidth. Charging head network has recently summarized Oculink products, including Lenovo, Asus, Raytheon and other brands.
Statistics
As of May 30, 2024, according to incomplete statistics, Charger Network has summarized a total of 14 Oculink products this time.
Notebooks account for 50% of the statistical products, with a total of 7 models; Graphics card docks accounted for 29%, a total of 4 models; Mini hosts accounted for 21%, with a total of 3 models.
Summary of Oculink products
laptop
Lenovo
ThinkBook 14+ 2024酷睿版
The ThinkBook 14+ 2024 laptop is a thin, light and portable high-performance laptop with great performance and an impressive design, making it an ideal choice for professional users. It is equipped with Intel's first-generation Core Ultra5/7 processor and the new NPU artificial intelligence acceleration engine, with 16/32GB LPDDR5x memory, 512GB/1T M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 solid state drive, and the graphics card is optional RTX4050 and 4060 discrete graphics versions for the core graphics card (Intel Arc).
The exterior of the ThinkBook 14+ 2024 laptop features a contrasting Luna Grey design, weighs around 1.5KG, and is as thin as 15.9mm. The screen is a 14.5-inch 2.5K/3K wide viewing angle LED backlit display that supports 90Hz/120Hz refresh rate and 100% sRGB color gamut. There are a wide range of external interfaces, including headphones and microphone 2-in-1 ports, 1 x Thunderbolt 4 port, 1 x TGX graphics card docking station port (based on OCuLink SFF-8611 port hot-swappable magic change), 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, 1 x HDMI 2.1 port, 1 x hidden USB 2.0 Type-A port, 1 x RJ45 port, 1 x 4-in-1 card reader interface.
ThinkBook 16+ 2024 酷睿版
The ThinkBook 16+ 2024 laptop is a high-performance thin and light laptop for professional users and gaming enthusiasts. It is powered by Intel's first-generation Core Ultra series processors, up to Ultra7 155H. The graphics card can be selected RTX4050 or RTX4060. The memory is DDR5 with dual memory slots, and the hard drive is dual M2 2280 SSD slots.
The exterior of the ThinkBook 16+ 2024 laptop is designed in contrasting colors of Rock Gray or Storm Gray, and the overall weight is about 1.9KG, and it is as thin as 16.9mm. The screen is 16-inch 16:10 with a 90% screen-to-body ratio. The resolution is 2.5K, the refresh rate is 120Hz, and the color gamut is 100% sRGB. There are many types of external interfaces, including headphones and microphone 2-in-1 ports, 1 x Thunderbolt 4 port, 1 x TGX graphics card docking station port, 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports, 1 x HDMI 2.1 port, 1 x hidden USB 2.0 Type-A port, 1 x foldable RJ45 port, 1 x 4-in-1 card reader port.
ROG Republic of Gamers
ROG X13 2023
The X13 2023 laptop is positioned as a high-performance, thin, and portable device, especially for professional users who demand high levels of performance and portability. In terms of exterior design, the X13 2023 has been optimized in terms of size and weight, weighing about 1.35kg, and supporting the flip touch function, which is convenient for users to use flexibly in different scenarios. In terms of performance configuration, the device is equipped with R9 7940HS processor and RTX 4050 independent graphics card as standard, with a performance release of more than 70W, equipped with 16GB LPDDR5 6400MHz memory and 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, taking into account powerful processing power and sufficient storage space.
The X13 2023 features a 13.4-inch 2560x1600 resolution Nebula display with a high refresh rate of 165Hz and a fast response time of 3ms, covering 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, reaching 500 nits of brightness, and supporting color gamut switching. There are a wide range of external ports, including a 3.5mm headphone jack, 1 x USB4 port, 1 x ROG XG docking station, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, 1 x HDMI 2.1 port, and 1 x MicroSD 4.0 port. Built-in 75Wh battery, support 130W PD fast charging.
ROG 幻16 翻转版 2023
The X16 Flip 2023 laptop is a versatile device designed for high-performance gaming and professional creation. Equipped with the latest 13th Gen Core i9-13900H processor, the GPU is available in RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 versions, equipped with 8GB of GDDR6 video memory, to meet the needs of high-end games and professional creation. The cooling system adopts the latest glacier heat dissipation architecture 3.0, including 3 fans, 5 heat pipes and liquid metal thermal conductive materials to ensure efficient heat dissipation for a long time.
In terms of exterior design, the X16 Flip Edition has a unique hinge design that supports four usage modes: laptop, tablet, gaming, and sharing, which greatly increases the flexibility of use scenarios. The display features a 16-inch touchscreen ROG Nebula Original, with a Mini LED backlit panel that has been upgraded from 512 to 1024 in the previous generation. This screen also supports 2560×1600 resolution, 240Hz ultra-high refresh rate, 100000:1 contrast ratio, and supports Dolby Vision, HDR 1000, and color gamut switching. In terms of connectivity, it comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack, 1 x Thunderbolt 4 port, 1 x ROG XG docking station, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, 1 x HDMI 2.1 port, and 1 x MicroSD port.
ROG X1 2023
The X1X 2023 is a high-performance and ultra-portable device designed for users who want advanced technology and versatility. It is equipped with the latest 13th generation Core i9-13900H processor, and the graphics card configuration can be RTX4050 and RTX4060. The X1 X2023 also supports dual-display and triple-mode hot-swapping technology for increased flexibility and efficiency. The body design is as thin as 12.9mm, weighs about 1.2kg, and combines with a magnetic detachable keyboard to provide users with the ultimate portability and multi-scenario use ability.
In terms of display, the X1 X2023 is equipped with a 16:10 ratio 2.5K Nebula display with a high refresh rate of 165Hz, a fast response time of 3ms, up to 500 nits of brightness, and support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. The front and rear cameras have been upgraded to 500W and 1300W pixels, respectively. It is equipped with a Type-C port on the side and supports 130W PD fast charging. Plus, support for the new XG Mobile graphics dock further enhances graphics power, as well as 1 x Thunderbolt 4 port, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, 1 x MicroSD port, and 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack, making the X5 X 2023 a high-performance laptop for both professional work and gaming alike.
THUNDEROBOT雷神
雷神增程式笔记本aibook 15
Raytheon's first range-extender AI all-rounder, the aibook 15, has an OCuLink graphics dock interface, which can be connected to a 3080-level graphics card almost losslessly, taking into account the advantages of the notebook's thinness and lightness, and can achieve the powerful performance of a desktop, worthy of the name of range extender. The product is equipped with Intel Core Ultra7 32G DDR5 1T, which has powerful performance and provides powerful computing power support for deep learning/gaming/AI creation. Raytheon's first extended-range AI all-round book aibook 15 is now on the shelves of Jingdong Mall, with a price of 6499 yuan for the first time.
Xuanpai
Xuanyi Xingyao 14-inch AI thin and light laptop
The 14-inch AI thin and light laptop is equipped with an oculink graphics docking station interface, which can be used with the oculink graphics docking station to realize high-performance desktop graphics card expansion and provide more powerful computing power support for professional creation. AMD's new "Zen4" architecture CPU, 8 cores, 16 threads, 4nm process, maximum acceleration frequency of 5.1GHz. It is equipped with 100W GaN Type-C PD fast charging and a 60Wh large-capacity battery for longer battery life.
Mini host
AOOSTAR天钡
AOOSTAR GEM10 mini host
The Barium GEM10 is a compact computer designed for high-performance computing and multitasking. It is powered by a Ryzen R7-7840HS processor up to R9-7940HS, LPDDR5 memory, and a speed of 6400MT/s, ensuring excellent computing power and smooth multitasking performance. All GEM10 models are equipped with an independent OCuLink interface as standard, which allows users to connect to external devices without occupying the internal NVMe interface, improving the scalability of the system. Weighing only 0.53kg, it is made of aluminium alloy, which is both lightweight and strong.
In terms of design and function, the Barium GEM10 mini host adopts the innovative Barium VSP motherboard architecture, which reduces the size of the motherboard while maintaining a rich number of interfaces and excellent CPU performance. It supports three screens of 4K120Hz heterogeneous display output, a USB4 interface, supports the OCuLink interface of the external graphics docking station, and dual 2.5G RJ45 network ports. In terms of power supply, the GEM10 supports 100W DC power supply, which takes into account the efficient energy supply and stable operation of the system.
AOOSTAR GEM12 series mini host
The AMD R7-7840HS processor, up to R7-8845HS, provides powerful computing power and smooth multitasking performance. The Pro version also adds a secondary screen and fingerprint recognition technology to improve more convenience and security. The new upgrade of the Tianba GEM12 mini computer not only improves the processor performance, but also makes innovations in security and scalability.
GEM12 series is made of aluminum alloy, with CNC + metal sandblasting + anodizing and other processes to create a delicate appearance design. All GEM12 models are equipped with an independent OCuLink interface as standard, allowing users to connect to the graphics dock without occupying the internal NVMe interface. In addition, it also adds other rich expansion interfaces, dual 2.5G RJ45 network ports, 3.5mm audio ports, four USB3.2 Gen2 ports, HDMI2.1, DP1.4, full-featured Typc-C and USB4 interfaces, and supports up to four screens.
MINISFORUM铭凡
MINISFORUM铭凡 UM780XTX迷你主机
Mingfan's UM780XTX mini host is equipped with AMD R7 7840HS processor to achieve up to 70W performance release. In addition, it comes with DDR5 5600 specification memory, which supports dual-channel memory configurations of up to 96GB. In terms of storage, the host provides two PCIe 4.0 form factor M.2 2280 slots, and supports RAID0/1 configuration, which enhances the speed and reliability of data storage. In terms of heat dissipation, the Cold Wave 2.1 cooling upgrade version is adopted, and the noise is only 43dB even in the full load state, ensuring continuous high-performance output.
In terms of design and scalability, the Mingfan mini host is small and easy to carry, and the appearance adopts an interesting tiger LOGO design. In order to meet the needs of high-speed networks, it is equipped with dual 2.5G RJ45 network ports and supports dual-link aggregation. Expansion ports include dual USB4 ports, four USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, one DP port, one HDMI port, and a standard OCuLink port, which provides up to 63Gbps of broadband for connecting external graphics cards or other high-speed data devices.
Graphics dock
GPD
GPD G1 portable mobile graphics docking station
The GPD G1 graphics docking station is a compact mobile graphics expansion device with built-in AMD Radeon RX7600M XT graphics, supporting 6nm process and RDNA3.0 architecture, providing high-performance graphics processing power, and its performance is similar to that of the RTX 4060 mobile version. Equipped with a variety of interfaces, including USB-A, RJ45, DP, HDMI, Oculink PCIe 4.0x4, and USB-C USB4, as well as a built-in M.2 SSD slot, support up to 330W power input and 65W PD fast charging, and VC vapor chamber and turbo fan ensure excellent heat dissipation, it is suitable for improving the storage and graphics performance of portable devices.
In addition, the GPD G1 graphics dock is designed with portability and functionality in mind, with a built-in small GaN power supply, allowing users to supply power without an external power adapter, while providing powerful video and data transmission capabilities, supporting up to 63Gbps Oculink interface and 40Gbps USB4 interface, which can realize multi-task operation such as one split three screens, and is suitable for all kinds of devices, including handhelds, laptops, mini PCs and ITX core display small hosts. It is a multi-function graphics docking station suitable for high-performance mobile office and entertainment.
The GPD G1 graphics dock has recently received a facelift, mainly upgraded to 65W PD fast charging output and supports 4K 120Hz video output; In addition, physical buttons have been added to allow the GPD G1 to switch between EQ mode, TGP60W silent mode and TPG100W EQ mode.
GIGABYTE
GIGABYTE all-in-one liquid cooling graphics docking station
The GIGABYTE All-in-One Liquid Cooling Graphics Dock AORUS RTX 4090 Gaming Box is equipped with a GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card and Thunderbolt 3 high-speed interface, RGB lighting, and a large copper plate that directly touches the GPU cores, and is equipped with a 240mm aluminum radiator and two 120mm fans to further improve stability.
The GIGABYTE all-in-one liquid cooling graphics docking station also offers a wide range of expansion ports, with three DP1.4 ports and one HDMI 2.1 port for a total of four display outputs. In addition to improved graphics performance, it also comes with dock-like features, including a front-mounted USB 3.2 Gen1 USB-C port that supports PD100W fast charging. Two USB 3.2 Gen1 USB-A ports and RJ45 Ethernet ports on the rear. Whether you are a creator or a gamer, you can take advantage of the powerful graphics computing power and a large number of expansion interfaces brought by the graphics dock, which greatly improves the original work efficiency and gaming experience.
ONEXGPU壹号
ONEXGPU No. 1 graphics card dock
ONEXGPU One graphics card is essentially a multi-function docking station with built-in graphics card, it has two USB-A 3.2 data ports, an RJ45 Gigabit wired network interface, two DP video ports, two HDMI video ports, an Oculink PCIe 4.0x4 graphics card direct connection port, a USB-C USB4 40Gbps full-featured interface, and a DC 330W power supply input interface, providing a large number of external expansion interfaces for connected devices. Built-in M.2 SSD bay for device storage capacity expansion.
The ONEXGPU No. 1 graphics card has a built-in AMD Radeon RX7600M XT graphics card, which can be connected to the device through the USB4 interface or the Oculink PCIe direct connection port, the GPU uses the RDNA3.0 architecture of the 6nm process, and the TimeSpy score can reach 10542, which is very close to the score of the RTX 4060 mobile version. In order to make the performance of the graphics card stable and more thorough, the VC vapor chamber and heat sink are used inside to quickly remove the heat through the turbine fan.
ROG Republic of Gamers
ROG Gamer Kingdom XG Mobile Graphics Dock 2023
The XG Mobile Graphics Dock 2023 is essentially a docking station with a built-in graphics card, with an HDMI2.1, a DP1.4 interface, 1C3A for a total of four USB 3.2Gen2 ports, an SD card slot, and a 2.5G gaming network port, which supports various peripherals such as mice, keyboards, and gamepads. A laptop like the ROG X5 can be connected to the ROG X5 with a single cable.
The graphics card docking station has a built-in RTX 4090 mobile graphics card, with 9728 CUDA, a base frequency of 1590MHz, a boost frequency of 2040MHz, equipped with 16GB of GDDR6 video memory, the video memory bit width is 256 bits, and the TDP is 150W, which can be dynamically increased to 175W. Powerful power for creative entertainment, post-production rendering, video editing, 3D animation, and 3D animation, breakthrough performance, elevate the performance experience to a new level.
Summary of the charging head network
The charging head network has summarized 14 products this time, and the laptops that support OCuLink are mainly from Lenovo, Asus, Raytheon and other brands. The host that supports OCuLink is the product of Tianbarium and Mingfan. There are also four graphics dock products, one from GPD, one from Gigabyte, one and ROG. Through the OCuLink interface, thin and light laptops and mini PCs can be connected to an external graphics dock for more powerful performance and increased productivity.