Lenovo Reveals New TB3 Powered Graphics Dock at CES 2018: GTX 1050, 90 Hz WMR
by Joe Shields on January 10, 2018 5:00 PM EST- Posted in
- External GPU
- Lenovo
- Trade Shows
- GTX 1050
- CES 2018
Lenovo’s new Thunderbolt 3 Graphics Dock was created to connect to a thin and light Ultrabook, like its IdeaPad 720s. The NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1050 4GB MXM GPU inside is able to provide mainstream graphics performance – enough of a boost to get the device well-past the Windows Mixed Reality door. In fact, Lenovo says it supports WMR at 90 Hz. The GTX 1050 inside will not be able to handle the top-end VR HMDs, the Lenovo TB3 Graphics Dock is ideal for average users looking for a little more GPU horsepower at their desk.
The new dock is powered by a 170W AC adapter and connects to your PC via a USB Type-C cable. The dock offers up to 65W of power for attached PCs, but the only currently certified device is the Lenovo IdeaPad 720S. However, the company showcased the new dock with a ThinkPad X1 attached, indicating more devices will likely be added to the compatibility list.
As far as size goes, the Lenovo graphics enclosure is much smaller than competing devices which require end users to purchase their own graphics card, measuring in at 5.12 x 9.76 x 0.89” and weighs in around 1.51lbs. The gunmetal colored chassis gives the device a sleek look that can mesh well with home office décor. Additionally, there are three USB ports (two USB 3.0, one USB 2.0) to connect additional peripherals and storage to your PC without using all of your ports or having dongles dangerously dangling from the sides of the PC.
You can connect up to three displays to the dock using an HDMI 2.0 port or two DisplayPort 1.3 interfaces. It also sports a Gigabit Ethernet power and a headphone-out/mic-in audio combo jack.
The Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 Graphics Dock will be available sometime this month for $399.
Related Reading:
- ASUS Launches XG Station Pro TB3 eGFX Chassis: 330W, 2.5-Wide Cards
- ZOTAC Unveils AMP Box and AMP Box Mini eGFX TB3 Chassis
- Powercolor Announces Gaming Station: The Devil Box's Spawn, TB3 eGFX
- Razer Launches Core v2 TB3 eGFX Enclosure: Dual TB3 Controllers
Derek Forrest contributed to this report.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
10 Comments
View All Comments
Pinn - Wednesday, January 10, 2018 - link
Nice! I stuck with embedded (intel) for my MacBook, but am always looking for more power.ADDisgoodforMEE - Wednesday, January 10, 2018 - link
Looks like a useful alternative to an Akitio Thunder2. I'm wondering 1) could it support the weight of a small monitor and 2) any chance the MXM GPU could be upgraded? I see MXM upgrades are kind of iffy and I assume the built-in power supply and cooling setup would be limitations, but maybe a mobile 1060 would work.Zeratul56 - Thursday, January 11, 2018 - link
This is the size I have been waiting for with these things. It’s small enough to stash in a back pack for business travel to add some extra graphics power to my intel only machine. A bit more expensive that I would have hoped though. Compatibility might also be an issue but we will see.HStewart - Thursday, January 11, 2018 - link
This is future of where graphics should go - why include extra graphics on systems and give people a choice external to notebook when they need it. But compatibility and price is important.One thing I thought would be really cool if possible - is a special add on card that would be similar to Intel / AMD board but allow choice of Video card by using high speed directly to processors. So if someone wants AMD they can installed it, some one wants NVidia they used different card. If some one does not care about external graphics then just leave it out.
Kind of like Intel's compute card but in external graphics area
knudknud3 - Thursday, January 11, 2018 - link
What made me the most impression was the many ports available on the graphics card.rhx123 - Thursday, January 11, 2018 - link
So close, yet didn't put any USB ports on the back meaning this can't be used as a neat and tidy desktop dock.The Acer Graphics Dock (which I own) had the same issue, and the port layout is so strikingly similar that it wouldn't surprise me if it's the same ODM.
GreenMeters - Thursday, January 11, 2018 - link
Does this act as a true eGPU, i.e., not connect it to an external monitor but get accelerated graphics on the laptop's display?creed3020 - Thursday, January 11, 2018 - link
Nice product and the form factor is awesome. This is definitely what I expect from a graphics dock. Just the right size and power.generalkidd - Friday, January 12, 2018 - link
So will this dock not work with other PC's like the Intel Skull Canyon NUC? I remember the Acer dock said Acer devices only but it did work with the Skull Canyon NUC as well. Will this Lenovo dock be the same and still be compatible with the Intel Skull Canyon NUC?hanselltc - Tuesday, January 16, 2018 - link
Exciting news! I've always wanted an external "graphics box" instead of those external pcie enclosures. And it looks pretty good! Small enough for my tiny desk, too.