

Add An External GPU To Your Laptop - gbrindisi
http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-egpu-experiences.html

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sudont
I’m extremely surprised that there hasn’t been any mid-range work done on this
for laptops with either USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt. I know from personal and work
experience that a dual-out box that can push the GUI around better than the
DualHead2Go would be fantastic, similar to a USB-based video card but with a
less bandwidth-constrained environment. Right now, there’s only certain Dell
laptops using an E-port that do anything similar.

Seems like the manufacturers are doing really high-end stuff, like Magma’s
3-port 220w beast, which is overkill and over-priced ($700 for the enclosure)
for pushing two externals.

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klausa
Sony VAIO Z [1] does exactly this - it uses Thunderbolt-over-USB-plug to
connect external Radeon 6650M and Blu-Ray Burner.

But I'm also waiting for cheap ($200 max) Apple-compatible PCIe enclosure, so
I could play newer games on my 13" MBP. I don't really want bigger screen and
more weight and don't really need more power that 15" gives, but playing some
game from time to time would be nice.

[1] <http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/29/sony-vaio-z-review-2011/>

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jakeonthemove
I've been following the project since it was first announced, and while it's
interesting, I don't find it particularly useful... I mean, I got a laptop for
its mobility, I knew I was sacrificing a bit of graphics performance (although
these days the performance loss compared to desktops is unsubstantial). I also
don't want a device bigger than my whole computer, with its own power source,
sitting on my desk...

As for extending the life of old laptops, well, laptops get old and cheap so
fast these days that it's not worth it - the difference between a Quadro FX
770M and FX 880M (which are what, 1-2 years apart), for example, is more than
50% in performance...

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ericd
I have a laptop as my only computer, and I would love to eliminate its largest
flaw relative to a desktop machine. Not to say that you're wrong, just that I
think there's a market for something docklike as more and more people have
only a laptop.

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PerryCox
Agreed. I bought a cheap laptop when my previous computers hard drive failed.
Now I have more money, but I don't want to buy a desktop just to play games
and then never use my perfectly functioning laptop.

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kayoone
i am waiting for the new Thunderbolt enabled Vidock which will finally put an
end to the USB2DVI or DualHead2Go performance and usability restrictions. Also
it will finally enable Macbook owners to just plug in one cable and have a
full fledged docking station with Dual Monitor output and good GPU performance
without making the macbooks fans spin like crazy!

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protomyth
Other specialized processing boards will probably also have a place when using
Thundebolt. I know a couple of people looking to use Red Rocket cards with a
external chassis on their MacBooks.

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sirlancer
This could be a good way to stretch the life of an old laptop especially for
gaming or number crunching though it's probably not for LAN parties.

