UGREEN, a brand often recognized for its reliable chargers and power banks, is now venturing into new territory with an exciting product for PC enthusiasts. They’ve just unveiled the UGREEN LinkStation Graphics Card Expansion Dock, a robust external GPU (eGPU) solution. This innovative device lets you connect a full-sized desktop graphics card to your laptop, handheld console, or mini PC, significantly boosting its graphical power. Let’s explore the ins and outs of this unique eGPU dock, from its design and connectivity to its performance capabilities.
A Closer Look at the UGREEN LinkStation eGPU Dock
Design and Build Quality
The LinkStation features a sturdy, semi-open aluminum enclosure. It’s designed to be substantial, weighing in at 5.08kg, which allows it to comfortably house even the largest modern desktop graphics cards along with its integrated power supply. The top cover is easily removable, making installation and access straightforward. This dock is built to be widely compatible, supporting most current NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel GPUs, as long as they measure up to 370mm in length.
Flexible Connectivity Options
This eGPU dock offers two powerful ways to connect to your devices: Oculink (64Gbps) and USB4 (40Gbps). For those seeking maximum speed and stability, Oculink stands out. It’s a PCIe-based connection standard that provides superior bandwidth compared to traditional Thunderbolt-style solutions, which often cap at 40Gbps and can create performance bottlenecks with high-end GPUs.
USB4, while slightly slower, offers wider compatibility with a broader range of laptops. It also has the added benefit of delivering up to 100W of reverse charging to your connected laptop, keeping it powered up while you enjoy enhanced graphics.
Power and Internal Hardware
At the heart of the LinkStation’s power delivery is an 850W ATX 3.1 Gold-rated power supply unit (PSU). This generous power output is more than enough to handle even the most demanding graphics cards. For context, an NVIDIA RTX 4090 typically uses about 450W, and the upcoming RTX 5090 is expected to draw around 575W, leaving plenty of headroom for future upgrades.
Inside the enclosure, you’ll find a standard PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, which is the modern interface for connecting graphics cards. To help you get started right away, the package includes both a 0.8m USB4 cable and a 0.5m Oculink cable.
Unlocking Impressive Performance
The LinkStation truly shines when it comes to boosting performance. According to benchmark tests using the Port Royal stress test, the results are quite compelling. For instance, an RTX 5090 graphics card, when connected to a laptop via Oculink, scored 30,164 points. This is remarkably close to the 34,508 points achieved by the same GPU running directly in a desktop PC. This means the eGPU setup delivers about 87% of the desktop’s full potential, which is an outstanding result for an external solution.
While a direct PCIe connection within a desktop will always offer the absolute highest performance, this minimal performance difference is a significant advantage for external GPU users. In contrast, older Thunderbolt 3 eGPU solutions often experienced much larger performance hits, sometimes struggling to deliver even 70-75% of desktop performance. The LinkStation with Oculink offers a much more powerful and efficient upgrade path.
Key Features at a Glance
- Design: Semi-open aluminum enclosure, weighing 5.08kg.
- GPU Compatibility: Supports NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel GPUs up to 370mm in length.
- Connectivity: Oculink (64Gbps) and USB4 (40Gbps) for versatile device connection.
- Power Supply: Integrated 850W ATX 3.1 Gold-rated PSU.
- Internal Interface: PCIe 4.0 x16 slot for modern graphics cards.
- Included Accessories: 0.8m USB4 cable, 0.5m Oculink cable.
- Warranty: Comes with a 1-year warranty.
- Compatible Devices: Works with laptops, handheld consoles, and mini PCs that have Oculink or USB4/Thunderbolt ports.
Pricing and Availability
The UGREEN LinkStation Graphics Card Expansion Dock is currently available in China, priced at CNY 2,299. For those in other regions, specific pricing and availability details have yet to be announced. However, if this eGPU dock were to become available in markets like Nepal, its estimated price could start around NPR 55,999.
Conclusion
The UGREEN LinkStation Graphics Card Expansion Dock offers a compelling solution for anyone looking to unlock desktop-level graphics performance on their portable devices. Its thoughtful design, robust build, advanced connectivity options like Oculink, and generous power supply make it a standout product. With impressive performance benchmarks demonstrating a minimal compromise compared to internal desktop setups, this eGPU dock presents a powerful and efficient upgrade path for gamers, content creators, and professionals seeking high-end graphical capabilities on the go.