The birth of external portable mobile graphics cards (graphics docks) stems from the increasing demand for high-performance external expansion of laptops. With the popularity of thin and light notebooks, manufacturers have compressed the internal space in pursuit of a more compact and refined body design, which has led to a bottleneck in graphics card performance. In order to solve this problem, external portable mobile graphics cards came into being and became an effective solution that can not only break through space limitations but also provide powerful graphics processing capabilities.
The OCuLink interface was developed by the PCI-SIG organization and is a miniaturized PCI Express connector standard, the full name of which is Optical Copper Link (optical and optical composite connector). OCuLink supports multiple protocols, including PCIe 3.0, PCIe 4.0, and SATA and SAS storage protocols. The OCuLink interface on the market usually uses two connectors, SFF-8611 and SFF-8612, which are used on the host side and device side respectively. It uses four PCIe channels, each with a bandwidth of 8GT/s (PCIe 3.0) or 16GT/s (PCIe 4.0), with a total bandwidth of up to 64Gbps.
OCuLink is mainly used between mobile devices and external devices, providing high-speed PCIe expansion capabilities, and is widely used in scenarios such as external graphics cards, storage devices, and network devices. With OCuLink, mobile devices can obtain more powerful performance and functions without changing the internal structure or size; external devices can also more easily connect to different host devices without additional converters or adapters.
Despite this, OCuLink may not be as good as the Thunderbolt solution in terms of compatibility, integrity, and market maturity, but its lower cost and higher performance, especially in the application of external graphics cards and other PCIe expansion devices, is still a solution with great potential.
This issue will take stock of the laptops on the market that support OCuLink technology. The ranking is in no particular order and is sorted alphabetically.
The ThinkBook 14+ 2024 is a thin and portable high-performance laptop that combines excellent performance and exquisite design, making it an ideal choice for professional users. The machine is equipped with Intel's first-generation Core Ultra 5/7 processor and a new NPU artificial intelligence acceleration engine to provide powerful computing power. Its memory can be selected as 16GB or 32GB LPDDR5x, and the storage is equipped with 512GB or 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 solid-state drive to ensure fast startup and response speed. In addition, the graphics card can be selected from Intel's Arc core graphics card, or it can be upgraded to RTX 4050 or 4060 independent graphics card version to meet the graphics processing needs of different users.
The ThinkBook 14+ 2024 laptop adopts a Luna Gray contrasting design. It is light and thin, weighing about 1.5kg and only 15.9mm thick, making it easy to carry. It is equipped with a 14.5-inch 2.5K/3K wide-viewing angle LED backlit display, supports 90Hz or 120Hz refresh rate, and the color gamut reaches 100% sRGB, bringing a more delicate visual experience.
The ThinkBook 14+ offers an extensive array of interfaces to cater to diverse peripheral connection needs. These include a headphone and microphone 2-in-1 jack, one Thunderbolt 4 port, one TGX graphics docking station port (utilizing the OCuLink SFF-8611 interface with support for hot-swappable modifications), two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, one HDMI 2.1 port, one hidden USB 2.0 Type-A port, one RJ45 Ethernet port, and a 4-in-1 card reader slot. This comprehensive selection ensures versatility for both professional and everyday use.
The ThinkBook 16+ 2024 is a high-performance thin and light notebook designed for professional users and game enthusiasts. It is equipped with Intel's first-generation Core Ultra series processors, with the highest optional Ultra 7 155H, providing powerful computing power. In terms of graphics cards, users can choose RTX 4050 or RTX 4060 to meet the needs of efficient graphics processing. The machine is equipped with DDR5 memory and supports dual memory slots to maximize multitasking capabilities. At the same time, it is equipped with dual M.2 2280 solid-state drive slots to provide greater storage expansion space and ensure high-speed read and write performance.
The ThinkBook 16+ 2024 laptop features a striking contrasting design in Cangyan Gray or Storm Gray, offering both style and functionality. Weighing approximately 1.9kg and measuring just 16.9mm thick, it combines portability with performance. The 16-inch display boasts a 16:10 aspect ratio and an impressive 90% screen-to-body ratio, delivering an immersive viewing experience. With a resolution of up to 2.5K, a 120Hz refresh rate, and support for a 100% sRGB color gamut, the screen ensures smooth, vibrant, and highly detailed visuals.
In terms of interfaces, ThinkBook 16+ provides a wealth of connection options, including a headphone and microphone 2-in-1 interface, 1 Thunderbolt 4 interface, 1 TGX graphics docking station interface, 3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A interfaces, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C interfaces, 1 HDMI 2.1 interface, 1 hidden USB 2.0 Type-A interface, 1 folding RJ45 interface and 1 4-in-1 card reader interface, ensuring that users can easily connect various peripherals.
The Xuanyi Xingxingyao 14-inch AI thin and light notebook is equipped with an OCuLink graphics docking station interface. With the OCuLink graphics docking station, high-performance desktop graphics card expansion can be achieved, providing more powerful computing power support to meet professional creation needs. The notebook is equipped with AMD's new "Zen 4" architecture CPU, with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on a 4nm process technology, with a maximum acceleration frequency of up to 5.1GHz, and excellent performance. The device is originally equipped with 100W gallium nitride Type-C PD fast charging and a 60Wh large-capacity battery to ensure longer battery life and is suitable for long-term efficient work.
The ROG Magic 13 2023 laptop is positioned as a high-performance, thin and portable device, designed for professional users with high requirements for performance and portability. Its appearance design has been optimized, weighing only 1.35kg, and supports flip touch function, which is convenient for users to use flexibly in different scenarios. In terms of performance, the ROG Magic 13 is equipped with a powerful AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor and an RTX 4050 discrete graphics card, with performance release of more than 70W, providing excellent computing and graphics processing capabilities. In terms of memory, it comes standard with 16GB LPDDR5 6400MHz high-speed memory, and the storage is 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, which has both powerful processing power and ample storage space to meet professional work and entertainment needs.
The ROG Magic 13 2023 is equipped with a 13.4-inch 2560x1600 resolution nebula screen with a high refresh rate of 165Hz and a fast response time of 3ms, providing a smooth visual experience. The screen covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, with a brightness of up to 500 nits, and supports color gamut switching, bringing accurate color reproduction and rich visual effects.
In terms of interfaces, the ROG Magic 13 provides a wealth of options, including a 3.5mm headphone jack, 1 USB4 interface, 1 ROG XG docking station interface, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A interface, 1 HDMI 2.1 interface and 1 MicroSD 4.0 interface to meet a variety of peripheral connection needs. The notebook has a built-in 75Wh battery and supports 130W PD fast charging to ensure long-term and efficient use.
The ROG Zephyrus 16 Flip 2023 laptop is a versatile device designed for high-performance gaming and professional creation. It is equipped with the latest 13th-generation Core i9-13900H processor, a powerful RTX 4060 or RTX 4070 graphics card, and 8GB GDDR6 video memory, which can meet the high-performance requirements of high-end games and professional creation. In terms of heat dissipation, the ROG Zephyrus 16 Flip uses the latest Glacier Cooling Architecture 3.0, equipped with 3 fans, 5 heat pipes and liquid gold thermal conductive materials to ensure excellent heat dissipation performance under long-term high load.
With its unique hinge design, the ROG Zephyrus 16 Flip supports four usage modes: notebook, tablet, game, and sharing, greatly improving the flexibility of usage scenarios and meeting user experience with different needs. In terms of screen, it is equipped with a 16-inch touch-sensitive ROG Nebula original screen, using a Mini LED backlight panel, and the backlight partition is increased from 512 partitions in the previous generation to 1024 partitions, bringing more precise brightness control. The screen supports 2560×1600 resolution, 240Hz ultra-high refresh rate, 100000:1 contrast, and supports Dolby Vision, HDR 1000 and color gamut switching, presenting excellent visual effects.
In terms of interface configuration, the ROG Zephyrus 16 Flip provides a wealth of connection options, including a 3.5mm headphone jack, 1 Thunderbolt 4 port, 1 ROG XG docking station port, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, 1 HDMI 2.1 port, and 1 MicroSD port to meet various peripheral needs.
The ROG Zephyrus 2023 laptop is a device designed for high performance and extreme portability, perfectly meeting the needs of users who pursue advanced technology and multi-functional experience. It is equipped with the latest 13th generation Core i9-13900H processor, and the graphics card configuration can be RTX 4050 or RTX 4060, providing powerful graphics processing capabilities. In addition, the ROG Zephyrus 2023 also supports dual-display three-mode hot switching technology, which greatly improves the flexibility and efficiency of multitasking.
In terms of body design, ROG Zephyrus X 2023 is only 12.9mm thick and weighs about 1.2kg. Combined with a magnetic detachable keyboard, it provides excellent portability and multi-scenario usage capabilities, suitable for efficient work and entertainment anytime, anywhere.
The ROG Magic X 2023 is equipped with a 16:10 ratio 2.5K Nebula screen with a high refresh rate of 165Hz and a fast response time of 3ms to ensure a smooth visual experience. The screen brightness is up to 500 nits, and it supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, bringing a more immersive viewing and gaming experience. The front and rear cameras are upgraded to 5 million and 13 million pixels respectively to meet the needs of high-definition video calls and creation.
In terms of interfaces, the ROG Magic X 2023 provides a variety of connection options, including a Type-C interface that supports 130W PD fast charging, 1 Thunderbolt 4 interface, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A interface, 1 MicroSD interface, and 1 3.5mm headphone interface. The device also supports the new version of the XG Mobile graphics expansion dock, which further enhances the graphics processing capabilities, making it not only suitable for professional work, but also for high-end gaming and entertainment needs.
Thunder's first extended-range AI all-rounder, the AIBook 15, is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra7 155H processor, a discrete graphics GPU and an AI-specific NPU, supporting up to 70W performance release. Its unique CPU+GPU+NPU trinity computing core can release powerful local AI supercomputing power, achieve AICG generation in seconds, and easily cope with high-load demands such as large-scale development, 3A gaming and entertainment.
Thunder's first extended-range AI all-rounder, the AIBook 15, is equipped with an OCuLink graphics docking port, which allows for almost lossless connection to a 3080-class graphics card. It combines the advantages of a thin and light notebook with the powerful performance of a desktop computer, truly realizing the core value of extended-range. The product is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra7 processor, 32GB DDR5 memory and a 1TB solid-state drive. With its powerful performance, it provides excellent computing power support for high-intensity tasks such as deep learning, gaming, and AI creation.
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