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Zotac joined the growing list of manufacturers launching new external graphics enclosures at Computex 2017. Although details are extremely light at this point, we do know that this eGFX enclosure will connect to its host system via Thunderbolt 3 over USB Type-C connector and have its own internal power supply.
As we’ve said before, the benefit of an internal power supply with a Type-C port capable of Power Delivery is that not only does it supply juice to the power-hungry GPU, it also enables you to charge connected accessories and devices. The device also has four USB 3.0 ports and a Quick Charge 3.0 port.
Oddly enough, the Zotac external VGA box supports graphics cards up to 9" in length, which means most of the company's high-end GTX 1080 Ti graphics cards are not compatible with this external enclosure. Thankfully, the company recently announced the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Mini, which measures just 8.3" in length. It should go without saying that cards from any manufacturer can be used in this eGFX enclosure as long as they adhere to the under 9" space constraint.
As far as aesthetics are concerned, you would be forgiven for accidentally mistaking the Zotac External VGA box for a Western Digital My Book external hard drive. In fact, we believe the two would look great side-by-side on your desk. But that’s just our own sensibilities talking.
Information on pricing and availability was not available at press time. We expect more details to trickle out during the rest of Computex 2017.
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I've always thought these add-on GPU idea's were brilliant. It's the main thing that holds back a laptop from real upgrade-ability besides the CPU.
The thing with this is that its the first time I don't feel stomach convulsions when I look at it. Way to go Zotac! I hope the price and specs are as equally impressive.
