GALAX, KFA2 Launch SNPR External GPU Enclosure with GTX 1060 6 GB

22 Comments

View All Comments

• Zeratul56 - Saturday, November 25, 2017 - link

  Chimeing in with my use case here. Right now when I travel I can fit my work computer(15” MacBook) and my personal windows 2 in 1(dell xps 9250) in my backpack. I don’t think I could fit a larger gaming computer in my back pack.
  
  Now where this will improve my experience is if I could stash a really small egpu in my roller board to boost the graphics. The intel hd 515 can game if you lower your expectations but obviously it’s limiting.
  
  I have a full gaming desktop at home so I don’t really need a at home docking station for the 2 in 1.

• Tams80 - Sunday, November 26, 2017 - link

  Eh? Perhaps someone wants a laptop which is light and has good battery runtime. Yet perhaps when they arrive at a location they want access to a decent GPU (and one that has better cooling to boot).
  
  Some people seem to think that heaviness is binary. There are different circumstances that allow for different bearable weights. Carrying something around all day? You want something as light as possible. Putting it in a carry-on? It can be a bit heavier. With a 'thin-and-light' and a an eGPU you can have one system that you can split up. Perhaps leave the eGPU in your hotel room. Or on a flight, leave it in the overhead storage while you use your laptop.

• Kakti - Monday, November 27, 2017 - link

  For many people using a large gaming laptop isn't an option. Could be because you're using a company provided computer, you don't want to travel with a large gaming laptop, or you just don't own one.
  
  Either way, as soon as someone says "just use a bigger laptop" they're missing the point The target market for these are ultrabook owners who want to play games. 14" or smaller, like 2.5lbs or lighter, running U-series processors. I doubt Y series could keep up, and HQ processors are basically non-existent in the 14" or less laptop group and more power hungry. I'd prefer them, but by and large the audience for these are U-series laptop owners.
  
  I think the original idea/intention was a stay at home box that you'd connect your ultrabook to, similar to a docking station but with a (fire)wire. With miniaturization at work, now we're seeing a box small and light enough that you could take it with you on business trips/vacations. That's pretty cool, and while I never had any intention of buying an eGPU for "home docking", I could really use it when traveling.
  
  Honestly though, $500 for an un-upgradable 1060 is dumb. Obviously I think it's both too expensive and too weak for the price, but if I had to choose one, I'd say they need a faster box for the price. With this not being upgradable, I wouldn't want to lock myself into 1060 level performance for the next 5+ years.

• damianrobertjones - Friday, November 24, 2017 - link

  "€499"
  
  I don't think that they get it... yet. We're buying the device and THEN buying this? We could just buy a machine, like the Surface Book 2, with a 1060 that's thin and portable.
  
  Where are the units that are bare bones, with no thrills, for £99?

• damianrobertjones - Friday, November 24, 2017 - link

  P.s. Yes, I know, the Surface Book is a lot of cash but there's cheaper machines out there.

• thomasg - Saturday, November 25, 2017 - link

  Well, evidently you actually can't buy that.
  Microsoft will sell you that hardware for USD 2499, for comparison with the Euro pricetag of the "SNPR", which includes around 20% Tax common in Europe this is EUR 2999 - but it doesn't work as advertised.
  
  The laptop cannot handle the thermal output of this hardware over any reasonable amount of time under full load, so it reportedly throttles quickly.
  As some sites reported Microsoft also doesn't provide a power brick that can actually support the power draw, so it will discharge the battery while plugged in to provide enough current.
  
  So seeing that even Microsoft's premier workstation-class laptop can't do this for about 3000 Euros, I think this box isn't t hat bad an alternative.
  
  Yes, 500 Euro isn't cheap (for what's basically an enclosure with a Euro 300 graphics card), but if you game at home and don't need the GPU on the road, you can pick a Euro 1500 laptop with the same specs as the Microsoft machine (or even the small Surface Book without the nVidia for the same price).
  This way you can play games at full performance over stretched periods of time, at much lower noise, and save yourself 1000 Euros.
  Also, this works with laptops smaller than 15".
  
  Sure, this isn't for everyone, but I can see the value (even though I'd personally pick a box with replaceable cards). The price is high, but not extraordinarily so.

• damianrobertjones - Sunday, November 26, 2017 - link

  "As some sites reported Microsoft also doesn't provide a power brick that can actually support the power draw, so it will discharge the battery while plugged in to provide enough current."
  
  A selection of MSI and Asus laptops do that... which is described as a feature.

• Flunk - Friday, November 24, 2017 - link

  The price is pretty unpalatable given the fact that you can't upgrade the GPU. An unupgradable solution needs to be less expensive.

• StrangerGuy - Friday, November 24, 2017 - link

  599 euros for a huge nonupgradable GPU dock? Now I'm almost convinced there's a conspiracy out there where manufacturers will pit against each other to see who can put out the most pointless product while putting lipstick on that pig.

• mikegrok - Monday, December 25, 2017 - link

  I use dxo photo lab and macOS. Without an nvidia GPU on the fastest laptop Apple makes, it takes more than a day to process a days worth of photography. This box means that I do not need to bring a 50 pound desktop tower (only alternative) when I travel.