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AMD Teases Standardised External GPU Solution.

looks like a squashed bitfenix prodigy. i can understand why some people would want this simply because they cant afford a high end gaming pc and a very powerful laptop so have to go for an option like this I think the intersting way to use it would be to add extra gpus into a renderfarm say if you have run out of pci-e slots but even then it would probably be a very strange use scenario
 
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Don't these don't these companies realise that if AMD make the standard NVidia will not use it and if it is NVidia, AMD will not use it. leave it to thunderbolt, it seems both are happy to use that, well maybe not AMD seeing as they are now looking at making their own standard.

Anyway I thought the new GPU's coming were going to be so powerful and energy efficient, they would be ideal to go into laptops. It just seems like a yet another attempt to reintroduce something that has never really caught on that well in the first place.
 
NO NO NO NO. AMD creating their own standard and "hoping products implement it in future" IS NOT A STANDARD. It's seems to be a propitiatory solution which AMD hopes will become 'a standard'

Added to that this work is redundant.

We already have a standard connector for GPUS, it's called PCI-E. Let PCI-E work on their external connectivity (specs of which were released in 2007 for PCI-E 1.0). AMD/nVidia/Whoever else can then build their product compatibility around that specification.

AMD are already a member of PCI-SIG and have an interest in the PCI-E spec. The PCI-E spec already has external connectivity options.

All AMD need to do is sell a product which works with PCI-E and hope this drives demand in laptops for connectivity. Why re-invent the wheel?


It seems that rather than drive demand for external PCI-E on laptops AMD wants to create something that works on an interface already adopted by some products (Thunderbolt, USB3?) The latter might be quicker and create quicker profits, but personally I think the former way is the 'right and proper' way to do it and keeps us on native PCI-E connectivity. The details are thin so maybe AMD are hoping to drive external PCI-E, which would be the best way to do it.

Perhaps this is just a case of AMD using big words for PR. The reality might be "AMD prepares a product solution for external GPU" which involves selling a product for the existing PCI-E specs. Rather than "AMD develops a standardized external GPU solution out of nothing"
 
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Nor is big external graphics card enclosure lol. Build a small pc would be better.

How would it be better? can you use a desktop PC on a plane?
I need a home PC, I also need a laptop - using a GPU enclosure (which is tiny compared with a "small PC"), I can then take my home PC GPU with me and when space allows, plug it in

I need a laptop, so your suggestion is that I go on the plane with both a laptop, AND a full sized monitor, AND keyboard AND buy another case and motherboard and CPU etc.?

I can't replace my home PC with a smaller one as I want the option to run SLI
 
Try reading a book.

Play games in hotel.

Boosh.

I don't play games on the plane, but I do need access to my laptop on the plane, or any number of other places that I don't have room for any kind of desktop

I also defy anyone to read a book for a solid 14 hours
 
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Try reading a book.

Play games in hotel.

Boosh.

I think the implication was that to play games in the hotel, it would be far easier to bring on of these with a laptop than bring a Full desktop, keyboard/mouse, possibly speakers and probably a monitor in addition to a laptop.

Unless of course you didn't mean video games. :)
 
How would it be better? can you use a desktop PC on a plane?
I need a home PC, I also need a laptop - using a GPU enclosure (which is tiny compared with a "small PC"), I can then take my home PC GPU with me and when space allows, plug it in

I need a laptop, so your suggestion is that I go on the plane with both a laptop, AND a full sized monitor, AND keyboard AND buy another case and motherboard and CPU etc.?

I can't replace my home PC with a smaller one as I want the option to run SLI

I wouldn't take a laptop on a plane either. Id take a tablet device. Don't see hardly anyone taking a laptop on a plane nowa days tbh. But for hotel i don't see why not. Loads of gamers do it. They build small gaming ITX rigs and take them away with them to gaming competitions around the world. Don't see them taking a laptop + gpu enclosure.
 
I'm just not packing a desktop monitor in my hold luggage, it would get trashed. Maybe not the first time, but theres no way it would survive multiple trips.

Tablets are fine for maybe loading a couple of movies on, or light email, but they aren't a replacement for a full laptop. As I also said already, its not just the plane, there are plenty of situations where I don't have the time or space to set up a full desktop rig so I would need a laptop with me on trips anyway. A GPU takes up little additional space, its not at all practical to pack a full desktop setup, regardless of how small the PC itself is.

I don't know how often you fly, or in what section, but I see plenty of other people with laptops.

The sentiment in this thread seems to be that no one in the world uses a laptop, but we know that's not true - and for anyone that wants a low power laptop with the OPTION to plug in a more powerful GPU when time and space allows. Its a niche yes, but so is SFF.

And yes, I have even been to a gaming convention and seen competitors using laptops, so saying "oh they just all take SFF PC's" is not even true. If anything I would say the moba guys mostly had laptops, and the FPS guys had full desktops, I saw hardly any SFF's being used.
 
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Standardising an already standardised option in a very niche market seems like a waste of time and money.

Time will tell i supose.
 
Tablets are fine for maybe loading a couple of movies on, or light email, but they aren't a replacement for a full laptop.

Depends on your usage a bit - the higher end tablets are quite capable - GPU and any thermal throttling considerations aside. My Toshiba Click 10 (which is far from super high end tablet wise) can replace a laptop for a wide range of tasks.

Bought the laptop in my sig because for awhile I was moving around for work and lugging a desktop would have been inconvenient - the base spec is still very capable today but the GPU has had its day really - the ability to dock it with some kind of desktop GPU would be a big advantage and still a lot less stuff to lug around and still quick to setup and break down.
 
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Thunderbolt is 40GB/s


Depends on your usage a bit - the higher end tablets are quite capable - GPU and any thermal throttling considerations aside. My Toshiba Click 10 (which is far from super high end tablet wise) can replace a laptop for a wide range of tasks.

Bought the laptop in my sig because for awhile I was moving around for work and lugging a desktop would have been inconvenient - the base spec is still very capable today but the GPU has had its day really - the ability to dock it with some kind of desktop GPU would be a big advantage and still a lot less stuff to lug around and still quick to setup and break down.

I could probably get away with a tablet if it had a separate keyboard and mouse, but then it couldn't play PC games and I would want a bigger screen for gaming, so then you are back to do you use a self contained device like a laptop, or take a desktop monitor with you. The laptop with a breakout box still sounds like a better solution to me.
 
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