AMD and its partners are seemingly growing fans of the external GPU design with two new brands announcing their contributions. Owners of low-performance laptops and NUCs will have more choices to improve their gaming experience.
Previously a niche segment, the external GPU (eGPU) market is seemingly picking up steam as two brands – AooStar and BoostR – are joining the fray. The former plans to release a solution based on a Radeon RX 7650M XT GPU this July, whereas the latter sticks with the RX 7600M XT. Both solutions are similar to OneXPlayer’s OneXGPU which houses an RX 7600M XT GPU, joining the Ayaneo AG01 Starship and GPD G1.
Interestingly, the RX 7650M XT doesn’t appear in AMD’s mobile RX 7000 lineup, indicating that it may be a refreshed/updated version of the RX 7600M XT. While AooStar didn’t indicate the power target for its eGPU, BoostR aims for 100W with boosts up to 120W. If correct, we can expect around the performance of a desktop RX 6600 XT or RTX 2070 Super. Not bad for a little chip that can technically be powered by USB-C.
AooStar has also mentioned working on multiple variants of its solution. These could feature different amounts of VRAM, frequency, or power targets. Aside from the GPU itself, these self-contained designs also pack a bunch of I/O and expansions. For instance, the BoostR eGPU carry an OCuLink plus USB 4 connection for the GPU data, an RJ45 for networking, a USB 3.2 Gen 2, and an SD Card reader. Not to forget the M.2 2280 SSD slot plus video outputs.
While this is nice and all, if pricing is too high, many customers won’t be interested. Thankfully, an AooStar representative has stated that the price will be surprising, and we assume in a good way. For reference, the OneXGPU retails for $699 while the BoostR eGPU aims at $499 for early adopters.
