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This $99 external GPU dock is a complete game-changer
- The Minisforum DEG1 is a $99 external GPU enclosure that's shockingly simple in its construction and fairly cheap compared to enclosures of years past, though you have to supply your own graphics card.
- While there used to be dozens of enclosures for sale, today you're left with no-name products with poor reviews - few solutions exist on the market.
- The DEG1 has a single PCIe x16 slot for a GPU and mounting points for a power supply - two points of power are required, as well as an Oculink connection and a power button.
- The emerging connection standard, Oculink, makes all the difference when it comes to performance - it is open source and developed by the PCI-SIG group that defines PCIe standards.
- The DEG1 just works and even supports Plug and Play in Windows, as Jacob Roach tested the Tecno Megamini G1 to use the enclosure and found it powered up immediately on the Windows desktop.
- Performance-wise, the DEG1 holds up well, even when tested with a high-end GPU like the RTX 4080 Super that can process loads of data at once.
- Performance loss with an external GPU is inevitable, but the DEG1 holds up well showing a minor drop in performance in some games when compared to a full desktop packing an RTX 4080 Super.
- The DEG1 is great thanks to Oculink, but the fact that it is not widely adopted is an issue, meaning fewer devices support the standard and thus cannot use the DEG1.
- Thunderbolt 5 promises more bandwidth than Oculink and has broader adoption, so we may yet see a Thunderbolt 5 devices, although these are likely to be more expensive than the DEG1.
- The DEG1 is a simple product that executes its function well and its mere existence serves niche applications.
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