AMD Rolls Out XConnect For External Graphics Via Thunderbolt 3

[phoronix]

Phoronix: AMD Rolls Out XConnect For External Graphics Via Thunderbolt 3

AMD this morning unveiled their XConnect technology to connect an external, high-performance Radeon graphics card to a notebook or 2-in-1 device...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=AMD-XConnect-Thunderbolt-Gfx

[Goddard]

Such shit.. This would even make Apple systems better for VR. They are dumb if they don't make it cross-platform.

[rabcor]

Woah is this for real? Small and portable desktop-level systems?

That has never happened before...

http://nerdtechy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Cooler-Master-Elite-130.jpg

http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/3506011/STEAM_M_console__hero.jpg

http://img-3.gizmag.com/compulab-airtop-fanless-pc-2.jpg?auto=format&ch=Width%2CDPR&fit=max&h=700&q=60&w=700&s=e9303297cdc98b01c8effe266862292b

http://www.ctsestore.com/sites/default/files/styles/pic_wm/public/DELL_SFF_GX280_02.jpg

Remind me again.. what is the point of Thunderbolt? Did anyone use it? Ever? Is there something I missed? Did thunderbolt suddenly become relevant?

[chris200x9]

Woah is this for real? Small and portable desktop-level systems?

That has never happened before...

http://nerdtechy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Cooler-Master-Elite-130.jpg

http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/3506011/STEAM_M_console__hero.jpg

http://img-3.gizmag.com/compulab-airtop-fanless-pc-2.jpg?auto=format&ch=Width%2CDPR&fit=max&h=700&q=60&w=700&s=e9303297cdc98b01c8effe266862292b

http://www.ctsestore.com/sites/default/files/styles/pic_wm/public/DELL_SFF_GX280_02.jpg

Remind me again.. what is the point of Thunderbolt? Did anyone use it? Ever? Is there something I missed? Did thunderbolt suddenly become relevant?

All those solutions require a bulky fragile monitor, I know he said you can even use an external monitor but my guess is most people won't. Imagine you go on a business trip and want to game at night, would you really rather lug around a mini pc and monitor or just this enclosure and the laptop that you'll probably need anyway?

[riklaunim]

Remind me again.. what is the point of Thunderbolt? Did anyone use it? Ever? Is there something I missed? Did thunderbolt suddenly become relevant?

People were "hacking" ExpressCard slot in old laptops to connect desktop GPU and play games. But that slot died. Thunderbolt 3 is faster than ExpressCard and is thus more viable for this hack (PCIe 3.0x4 versus PCIe 2.0x1). So yo can have a laptop that will be more future-proof by have access to desktop graphic cards. Few vendors at CES showcases Thunderbolt based solutions for GPUs so it's getting traction.

The GPU in a laptop problem is quite long. You can still have Sandy Bridge laptop or gaming PC that from CPU side is way from being limited. However GPU loose value very quickly and in laptops are not upgradable, or even if you have a gaming laptop with MXM GPU cards - vendor must provide some firmware/BIOS updates to handle newer GPU cards in most cases.


Also Alienware has PCIe 3.0 x4 Graphics Amplifier for their latest laptops, and MSI has GS30 with PCIe x16 3.0 connector

And PCIe scalling benchamarks: https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/...Scaling/7.html

[M@yeulC]

So, if my understanding is correct, we have XConnect trough Thunderbolt3, which is PCIe over USB C?
Seems a bit complicated, I can't imagine the complexity of the system that needs to be built into the motherboard to support all this. Add to this USB 3.1 power delivery system, DVI over USB or whatever the data line reallocation permits, you have a fairly complex system in the end. But granted, you then only have one connector for everything.

[Daktyl198]

So, if my understanding is correct, we have XConnect trough Thunderbolt3, which is PCIe over USB C?
Seems a bit complicated, I can't imagine the complexity of the system that needs to be built into the motherboard to support all this. Add to this USB 3;& power delivery system, DVI over USB or whatever the data line reallocation permits, you have a fairly complex system in the end. But granted, you then only have one connector for everything.

Thunderbolt 3 uses the USB-C connector, for starters.

Also, USB3.1 actually isn't fast enough for PCIe 3x4 transfer speeds, while Thunderbolt is. I forget the technical reasons behind why Thunderbolt is faster, but iirc it revolves around some data checking and other things that Thunderbolt doesn't do.

[rabcor]

Woah is this for real? Small and portable desktop-level systems?

That has never happened before...

http://nerdtechy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Cooler-Master-Elite-130.jpg

http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/3506011/STEAM_M_console__hero.jpg

http://img-3.gizmag.com/compulab-airtop-fanless-pc-2.jpg?auto=format&ch=Width%2CDPR&fit=max&h=700&q=60&w=700&s=e9303297cdc98b01c8effe266862292b

http://www.ctsestore.com/sites/default/files/styles/pic_wm/public/DELL_SFF_GX280_02.jpg

Remind me again.. what is the point of Thunderbolt? Did anyone use it? Ever? Is there something I missed? Did thunderbolt suddenly become relevant?

Right cus laptop monitors are sturdier than other monitors? Also this is less practical exactly because of the laptop form factor; working from a laptop is hell. Slightly mitigated if you get the right kind of laptop stand, but still hell; compared to a nice keyboard and monitor anyhow. where you're not forced to have your monitor at the same level as your keyboard; which might of course be ok if you're a hunchback.

Anyhow besides that point; all you will tend to need to lug around with you is the case and keyboard/mouse or some form of HIDs, just go for places where you can use a TV as a monitor and forget about the whole laptop thing.

Woah is this for real? Small and portable desktop-level systems?

That has never happened before...

http://nerdtechy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Cooler-Master-Elite-130.jpg

http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/3506011/STEAM_M_console__hero.jpg

http://img-3.gizmag.com/compulab-airtop-fanless-pc-2.jpg?auto=format&ch=Width%2CDPR&fit=max&h=700&q=60&w=700&s=e9303297cdc98b01c8effe266862292b

http://www.ctsestore.com/sites/default/files/styles/pic_wm/public/DELL_SFF_GX280_02.jpg

Remind me again.. what is the point of Thunderbolt? Did anyone use it? Ever? Is there something I missed? Did thunderbolt suddenly become relevant?

Ah, I get it now. But they were actually plugging in graphics cards, routing a monitor through a USB port to a graphics card is another thing entirely, and I'd be surprised if intel's thunderbolt supports doing it on anything else than an iGPU...

[chimpy]

The first thing that came to my mind was just how underpowered laptop CPUs are in comparison to desktop CPUs; desktop i3s routinely beat mobile i7s. I guess this would be alright with like a mid to low range graphics card.

[ElectricPrism]

Time to go mod a suitcase with desktop parts if I wanna go into the middleground of a portible gaming rig that can be upgraded and have good specs and performance.