Asus XG Station Pro Thunderbolt 3 eGPU enclosure has slim form factor, external power supp...

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware
Asus has abandoned large enclosures for it's latest Thunderbolt 3 external GPU expansion case, with the new XG Station Pro separating the power supply's bulk and heat from the enclosure.




The XG Station Pro is a "dark gray" color according to Asus, but it matches Apple's Space Gray color in the MacBook Pro and iMac. The new enclosure features a mechanical x16 PCI-E slot, the same as every other enclosure. Cooling is provided by a pair of 120mm fans, with the enclosure itself able to accommodate a 2.5-slot video card.

The external power supply is rated for 330W. Power is provided to the card by a pair of 8-pin PCI-E power leads. Given the wattage, the enclosure appears to be better suited for cards like the Vega 56, with the Vega 64 sometimes drawing in excess of 250W.




Connectivity to the unit is provided by a single Thunderbolt 3 cable. It lacks a downstream Thunderbolt 3 connection, but has a single USB 3.1 Generation 2 port instead.

Asus will ship the XG Station Pro later in January for $329, and specifically lists MacBook Pro compatibility. The landing page for the product on the Asus website is not yet live.




AppleInsider has been evaluating Apple's build-out of eGPU code in High Sierra since its release. In September, and with the latest betas, Apple has made many improvements in performance and stability, but the feature which won't be fully available to users until the spring, isn't quite ready for mainstream users as of yet.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,808member
    I'd much rather see the power supply internally. Thats just yet another power brick on my desk, or on the floor should I use something like this. However, I can see where others may think differently. 

    I do like the overall design of it though. It looks really nice IMO. 
  • Reply 2 of 8
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,250member
    Looks like the typical noisy fans of the last two decades. Typical PC design using whatever's left in the parts barrel.
    anton zuykovwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 8
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    rob53 said:
    Looks like the typical noisy fans of the last two decades. Typical PC design using whatever's left in the parts barrel.
    So you can tell how noisy the fans are by looking at that photo? That’s really pretty good, because I don’t think the rest of can do that.
  • Reply 4 of 8
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    I don’t see why this isn’t perfect for the Vega 64. 330 Watts of power. While the 64 does, upon occasion use more than 250 Watts, I doubt it will exceed 330. It’s also possible that this unit will allow for bursts of power higher than 330 for short times.
  • Reply 5 of 8
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    melgross said:
    I don’t see why this isn’t perfect for the Vega 64. 330 Watts of power. While the 64 does, upon occasion use more than 250 Watts, I doubt it will exceed 330. It’s also possible that this unit will allow for bursts of power higher than 330 for short times.
    Under load, my Vega 64 consistently draws 248W above and beyond housekeeping, with "bursts" lasting for minutes at a time at 378W. AMD recommends a 450W power supply for the Vega 64 in an eGPU enclosure.
    edited January 2018 christophbfastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 8
    christophbchristophb Posts: 1,482member
    rob53 said:
    Looks like the typical noisy fans of the last two decades. Typical PC design using whatever's left in the parts barrel.
    Larger fans, slow rpm, high CFM and low noise.  With the power supply external and velcro'd to the underside of my desk it can passively cool.  I'd like to see a pic of the supply.  Also with the PS being external, it is possible a higher wattage option will come available or be upgraded with ease.  
  • Reply 7 of 8
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    christophb said:
    rob53 said:
    Looks like the typical noisy fans of the last two decades. Typical PC design using whatever's left in the parts barrel.
    Larger fans, slow rpm, high CFM and low noise.  With the power supply external and velcro'd to the underside of my desk it can passively cool.  I'd like to see a pic of the supply.  Also with the PS being external, it is possible a higher wattage option will come available or be upgraded with ease.  
    We've asked for a picture of the power supply. We've also got a guy at CES, so we'll try and get that done.
    christophbwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 8
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Mike Wuerthele said:
    melgross said:
    I don’t see why this isn’t perfect for the Vega 64. 330 Watts of power. While the 64 does, upon occasion use more than 250 Watts, I doubt it will exceed 330. It’s also possible that this unit will allow for bursts of power higher than 330 for short times.
    Under load, my Vega 64 consistently draws 248W above and beyond housekeeping, with "bursts" lasting for minutes at a time at 378W. AMD recommends a 450W power supply for the Vega 64 in an eGPU enclosure.
    That seems excessive. It’s the first I’ve read about such a high draw. I’m surprised.
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