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Exile20 · Mar 18, 2015

Never knew this was a thing.

Enhance the intensity.

Transform your Alienware 13, 15 and 17 R2 notebooks with the Alienware Graphics Amplifier and unlock the immersive power of desktop gaming.

Amplify your performance: Step up your graphics performance with support for a full-length, double-wide, desktop graphics card.
Hook up your favorite displays: The graphics amplifier allows you to enjoy the performance of the desktop graphics card on your Alienware 13, 15 and 17 R2 notebooks LCD or on any external display connected to the amplifier.
Plug into a battle station: The Alienware Graphics Amplifier connects to your notebook with a single cable enabling the PCI-Express graphics card connection as well as your four USB 3.0 ports to be connected with less clutter and simple connectivity.

Dell Price $299.99

http://www.dell.com/content/product...-amplifier?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&sku=452-BBRG

Seems it only works on Alienware 13, 15 and 17 R2 notebooks

Justinh · Mar 18, 2015

I'm almost certain i remember hearing about external video card thingies for laptops like...years ago and they never came...

Exile20 · Mar 18, 2015

Justinh said:
I'm almost certain i remember hearing about external video card thingies for laptops like...years ago and they never came...

interesting concept I guess. Guess not many people have an Alienware laptop.

So you buy this for $300 then have to buy a GPU after?

Skel1ingt0n · Mar 18, 2015

There have been attempts at this for a long while - from shoddy hand-made units to what we saw on the Vaio half a decade ago.

Basically, you can utilize the power (and thus size) of a desktop GPU through a proprietary cable/unit when your laptop sits at your desk.

It's a pretty neat idea, in theory. But it often boils down to being a less than ideal solution.

First, if you're gonna spend $300 on the unit, it only makes sense to buy a somewhat high-end GPU. Let's say $400 on a 970. That's $700 for the GPU.

You still need the laptop. Regardless if you go Alienware, or do the MSI solution, or other vendors... what laptop do you buy?

A thin and light with integrated graphics? This implies you only want to play games when at your desk. Why not just spend a couple hundred more and have a whole extra computer?

A mid-range gaming laptop? This means you'll likely have to deal with the weight, you'll spend a bunch on the laptop, and you'd be better off just buying a desktop unless you absolutely need the mobility.

A high-end gaming laptop? Then you don't need the graphics amplifier.

SneakyStephan · Mar 18, 2015

If you're already going to have that thing sitting on your desk anyhow.. and need to put a gpu in it, just use the money to buy a cpu+mobo+ram instead and build a desktop pc to go along with your laptop

InfiniteNine · Mar 18, 2015

I'd mostly want this if it could work with any laptop really since I have a 460 GTX just laying around and it'd be useful for when I'm traveling.

Sinfamy · Mar 18, 2015

You can also add flame stickers to make it faster.

Kinthalis · Mar 18, 2015

It's a neat idea. You got your basic gaming laptop for takign it on the go, and where graphics quality isn't a big deal, and then you plug in your external GPU for desktop-like graphics goodness at home.

Probably pricey though, but the best of both worlds.

malfcn · Mar 18, 2015

Sinfamy said:
You can also add flame stickers to make it faster.

You need speed holes.

Which could actually help due to possible heat reduction.

DrKelpo · Mar 18, 2015

Sinfamy said:
You can also add flame stickers to make it faster.

and speedholes

/god damnit malfcn

Kinthalis · Mar 18, 2015

InfiniteNine said:
I'd mostly want this if it could work with any laptop really since I have a 460 GTX just laying around and it'd be useful for when I'm traveling.

I think you need some type of external PCIE port, so it probably needs mobo support? Not sure.

mr stroke · Mar 18, 2015

Alienware and MSI are doing it this year with there laptops

I think it's a great idea

Take my laptop on the go to play games, then use the amp to max out stuff when at home

Exile20 · Mar 18, 2015

$300 might make sense if it had atleast 4 slots for GPUs.

PumpkinSpice · Mar 18, 2015

If you're made out of money I can see buying this.

Otherwise maybe just buy a desktop and a chromebook.

louiedog · Mar 18, 2015

I'm sort of hoping these are the future. I have a Windows tablet that I really love and it's great with Steam, but it doesn't play everything of course. Intel's Bay Trail CPUs are getting pretty impressive for what they are and it seems like desktop CPUs haven't been a major issue for gaming lately. DX12 and Mantle are reducing some pressure on them and a lot of people with older i5/i7 CPUs don't seem to be feeling the need to upgrade them.

In a few years it might be perfectly reasonable to come home, take your ultrabook/tablet out of your bag, and dock it to a GPU that's connected to your monitor or TV for some some high powered gaming. I welcome it.

Fried Food · Mar 18, 2015

Isn't USB 3.0 to slow for graphics?

InfiniteNine · Mar 18, 2015

mr stroke said:
Alienware and MSI are doing it this year with there laptops

I think it's a great idea

Take my laptop on the go to play games, then use the amp to max out stuff when at home

Hrmm, I might go with an MSI in the future then if this is what they offer.

gigantor21 · Mar 18, 2015

If you have the money to buy this, a separate GPU AND an Alienware laptop, then why not just one of the high end laptops instead? The 980m offers damn good performance, and you won't have to lug around all that extra equipment.

Sinfamy · Mar 18, 2015

Fried Food said:
Isn't USB 3.0 to slow for graphics?

Pretty sure they're using PCI-E.

LilJoka · Mar 18, 2015

What cable does it use to connect to the laptop?

louiedog · Mar 18, 2015

Fried Food said:
Isn't USB 3.0 to slow for graphics?

It connects via a proprietary cable. The USB 3 ports are there to make it more like a docking station so you can have your peripherals all connected to it when you sit down to use it and keep a nice, clean workstation with one connection.

PeakPointMatrix · Mar 18, 2015

For some reason the thread title and product description made this seem like one of those "DOWNLOAD MORE RAM AND WATCH YOUR SPEED TRIPLE!!" kind of sham products.

I could only see this being beneficial if you need to have a portable laptop that you need to lug around for work and such but still wish to do some heavy gaming on back at home.

The Abominable Snowman · Mar 18, 2015

I'd be interested in this if that Alienware Alpha mini-HTPC used it. I could leave it hooked up to that small box, and when I leave the house for an extended time, I could bring my GPU with me.

However, unfortunately it does not work with their mini-HTPC. Thus, its a wasted opportunity.

I wonder if any manufacturers are reading this and thinking about it. Having a Gigabyte Brix or Intel NUC with a Core i5 or i7, a portable slim laptop with a decent enough CPU, an external GPU that's compatible with both sounds like an absolute winner for a portable gaming setup in my book.

Edit: Seems this does already exist, just without the enclosure, for just $50. Sadly, most mini PCI-e are just x1 rendering this meaningless for decent cards.

http://www.banggood.com/EXP-GDC-Laptop-External-PCI-E-Graphics-Card-p-934367.html

Exile20 · Mar 18, 2015

gigantor21 said:
If you have the money to buy this, a separate GPU AND an Alienware laptop, then why not just one of the high end laptops instead? The 980m offers damn good performance, and you won't have to lug around all that extra equipment.

So what happens when you want to upgrade your graphics card? Buy a new laptop?
You don't need to lug around the unit unless you are going to game.

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