Given the move to laptops by some gamers for, well gaming, there are a few options available for “upgrading” your video card. Unfortunately, most of those solutions are OEM specific, for example, Alienware’s Graphics Amplifier which lets you put just about any video card in it to expand the graphics capabilities on your laptop… assuming it’s an Alienware laptop.
USB Type-C has been around for awhile now and has quickly gained steam over the past year or so. One of the advantages of USB-C enabled with Thunderbolt 3 functionality is the ability to use it to power a number of devices including peripherals, displays, and more. That’s where exklim comes in with their Kickstarter which aims to bring the eX Core to market and turn your USB-C enabled laptop into a gaming rig with a portable NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF9bOVyaKq0
As mentioned, the eX Core utilizes the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 with 4GB of DDR5 vRam and is factory overclocked at 1680 MHz. Given most laptops utilize onboard Intel HD graphics cards, the eX Core would be a huge upgrade for not only gaming but video handling and processing.
“Our engineers have worked for more than five years, seeking and building the most advanced technology to create an external graphics card with the powerful performance available today,” said Edgar Eliseo, founder and CEO of exklim®. “The biggest challenge we faced was power consumption. Thanks to NVIDIA’s newest architecture, we were able to maximize efficiency to build and bring the world’s first portable eGPU to market.”
Granted, you can get an NVIDIA GTX 1050 for less than the Kickstarter pricing but good luck stuffing it in your laptop. If you are considering a gaming laptop but also use your laptop for other uses, you may want to consider the pricing of a laptop with an NVIDIA card and one without and judge for yourself what the better option is cost wise. According to exklim, the eX Core offers a bit of an advantage performance wise over the desktop version of the GTX 1050 as well.
eX Core specifications include:
- eX Core™ Size (5.9’’x4.1’’x0.8’’) | Weight 1.57 lbs. / 0.71 kg.
- 2x Intel® Thunderbolt 3 Ports
- HDMI 2.0b audio and video output Port
- USB-C DC-IN Port
- Compact 90W USB-C power adapter w/Power Share Charge-Laptop up to 40w
The exCore is currently available on Kickstarter and has so far raised 70% of it’s $80,000CAD ($63,409USD) all-or-nothing goal. Super Early Bird specials are still available at $499CAD (~$396USD) after which the Early Bird will be available for $550CAD (~$436USD). Shipping is anticipated in July of this year.
As with any crowdfunding campaign, there is a risk supporting them. We’ve recently heard about several that we’ve written about that have failed or are having issues. Our reporting on Kickstarter campaigns does not mean we support or are affiliated with them. Support at your own risk.
What do you think about the eX Core portable eGPU? Is it something think you’ll back? Let us know in the comments below or on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.
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