ASUS unveils external graphics card

ASUS unveils external graphics card

Slimy on 08 January 2007 - 01:10 · 19 comments & 13871 views

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ASUS has introduced the XG Station: a dedicated external graphics card. Laptop users rejoice; high end graphics performance is available, without losing the portability of a laptop. The XG Station is powered by a power brick that plugs directly into the adapter. An integrated LCD screen can display information such as frame rate, fan speed, GPU temperature and more while the included control knob can change various settings of the XG Station such as the core and memory clocks.

Currently, the XG Station only connects to any notebook’s ExpressCard slot but will eventually work with PCIe ExpressCard interfaces installed in a desktop PC. The station can be equipped with any PCI Express x16 based graphics card: AMD, NVIDIA or even Matrox. ASUS chose the first XG Station to contain an NVIDIA 7900GS powered graphics card. Pricing is presently unknown but expect ASUS to release the XG Station in Q2 2007.

View: XG Station

News source: DailyTech

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#1 pyehac on 08 Jan 2007 - 01:15

yay, I don't have to buy a new laptop to play game!

(1 reply) #2 Narc2500 on 08 Jan 2007 - 01:19

This is awesome! Now we can have high end gaming laptops at a lower price.
I read there in DailyTech that they were discussing about been required an external LCD. Can anyone confirm this?

#2.1 rm20010 on 08 Jan 2007 - 05:12

According to Hardwarezone.com, the last line says:

The XG Station also has a dedicated control panel to let users control the settings through the GUI based interface and easily switch modes between the notebook screen and the external LCD monitor.

By that wording, I assume it also allows output to the notebook's LCD. But chances are people that take advantage of this device use it at home, thus relying on their own monitors. The one exception is most likely at LAN parties, where lugging one less piece of hardware is a plus.

(1 reply) #3 lukeangel on 08 Jan 2007 - 01:38

i would assume it would have to be hooked up to an external LCD screen. There really isn't a good way to force the video card back onto the notebooks screen. So, better graphics, at a price.

-Luke Angel

#3.1 Draje on 08 Jan 2007 - 02:02

I could see them implementing something that would have it send back the signal via USB or something and then just run it fullscreen.

#4 sweetsam on 08 Jan 2007 - 02:11

Well if you have to use an external monitor then the portability is just lost. It would be nice if they can somehow over ride the inbuilt video at the time of booting to use the laptop monitor.

#5 Croquant on 08 Jan 2007 - 02:44

It's a nice try, but what we really need is a new add-in card form factor standard, designed for laptops so builders can make laptops that have replaceable, upgradeable GPU components. Not that they'd ever do that, because then you and I wouldn't have to buy a whole new laptop just to upgrade the GPU.

EDIT: What the heck? How did my post end up as the first post when the timestamp shows that it's later then a bunch of others?

Last edited by Croquant on 08 Jan 2007 - 02:51

#6 naap51stang on 08 Jan 2007 - 02:56

That would be kind of neat. I'd finally have a use for my express card slot. Laptops these days can be
configured with pretty much every option. I've never found anything I would need the express card
slot for.....til now. LOL

#7 +chconline on 08 Jan 2007 - 03:05

Damn dude, I want one!

#8 digweed on 08 Jan 2007 - 05:03

I think it's a great idea and looks pretty cool too. Would love to see how good the performance actually is.

(1 reply) #9 rm20010 on 08 Jan 2007 - 05:20

Great idea.

Just one question: by Q2 2007 is that from January - March or April - July?

#9.1 perochan on 08 Jan 2007 - 07:42

April - June

#10 Shibby on 08 Jan 2007 - 07:56

Good idea, but the brick looks very ugly.

#11 tony-inpo on 08 Jan 2007 - 09:16

Looks like a good innovation

#12 Mathiasdm on 08 Jan 2007 - 10:36

I don't have an ExpressCard slot :-(

#13 +chorpeac on 08 Jan 2007 - 15:16

thisis awesome, now they just need to have a fast drive like a raptor, with the flash memory, so a laptop can be a nice portable fast gaming machine

#14 hotdog963al on 08 Jan 2007 - 16:32

Good for people docking laptops at home!

(1 reply) #15 SIE on 08 Jan 2007 - 17:39

As i said in the forum, the ExpressCard slot is only a 1x PCIe slot, it's slower than AGP 2x so it's just a complete waste of money.

#15.1 Narlzac85 on 08 Jan 2007 - 22:48

I was thinking the same thing. Better than onboard for sure, but putting a 7900 on that bus is just stupid.

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