AMD has announced that its new technology, XConnect, is behind Razer’s new Core external GPU product (Razer Shaves Weight From the Blade).
The Razer Core is an external GPU Add-in-Board (AIB) holder. Using it, owners can add significant graphical power to the new Razer Blade Stealth, which features an integrated GPU. It will be shipped in April, and cost $500.
XConnect enables the pairing of an external Radeon GPU with a compatible notebook or hybrid product, through Thunderbolt 3. It is a new feature of AMD’s Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.2.2.1.
AMD plans to expand the list of Radeon GPUs that can support XConnect – currently, only the R9 300 series is compatible.
Analyst Comment
Other companies, notably Alienware and MSI, have produced external GPU adapters in the past. However, they used proprietary connectors – hence why the eGPU market has been limited. AMD’s XConnect is the first to use a standardised interface, and to be hot-swappable. (TA)
Acer had an external GPU docking station at CeBIT this week, but based on an Nvidia chip, rather than a card-based architecture. (BR) (CeBIT Reseller Hall Round-Up)
