News AKiTiO Introduces Node: Thunderbolt 3 eGFX Box for $299

Finally, a reasonable looking eGPU box for a reasonable price.

As with other external graphics enclosures, the AKiTiO Node allows a user to easily upgrade the graphics sub-system of notebook, AIO or SFF PCs that have a Thunderbolt 3 port by using a discrete graphics card. One of the key elements to eGFX is price and look, and AKiTiO has placed the Node at $299, but itcan fit graphics cards with massive coolers.

Even better, it doesn't split the PCIe bandwidth with extra ports. All the TB3 for all of the GPU, all the time.

Unlike competing products, the AKiTiO Node is a pure external GPU box and nothing more. It does not have extra USB 3.0 ports (to connect a VR headset, for example), a GbE controller nor a SATA connector. This naturally cuts down its costs and allows Akito to sell the eGFX enclosure at $299 price-point, but additional USB ports will be greatly missed by owners of ultra-thin laptops as well as SFF PCs.

Just need a Thinkpad T570p with a TB3 port to be announced at CES 2017...

Source

 

[Phuncz]

Much more in line with what it should be in my opinion, although it's still bigger than an Ncase M1 at 14 liters. But bonus points for the SFX PSU and the direct cooling path, although FlexATX would have been a better fit. The lack of focus on shiny disco lights that GPUs themselves already have, is also welcome. Which in my opinion ofcourse.

 

[PNP]

shiny disco lights

Now all that's needed is a disco ball...

1180Ti xXHyp3rk1ll3r420blazeitXx Edition with mirror polished fans that are backlit with RGB lasers.
-Factory overclock
-Sort of quiet?
-Attract all the magpies!

 

[imagios]

For my personal taste a bit too big, if you think of the price, which ok is fair, and than all around what you need you come to a much better cheaper and even may be smaller ITX case. Like here So it might really depend if you use a laptop and come back in the evening to your desk and just any eGPU will do, since you are not planning to carry it, or if you look for a portable solution, as a companion to both a laptop or a NUC. Still the more eGPUs will hit the marked the better.

 

[ChainedHope]

I wish someone would just make a tight-spaced eGPU case with one of those BPower boards. You could make a crazy small modular design that could be expanded for longer cards. Like the acordian of eGPU cases... wait... that gives me an idea... brb in a month or two lmao

 

[3lfk1ng]

Back in 2007, Asus did exactly that (link)

It's been all downhill with these oversized external solutions ever since.

 

[BirdofPrey]

A Shame. Not only are these extrernal GPU soltions almost big enough to put a proper PC (meaning at least an mITX board with desktop parts) in, that looks so much cooler.
For extra points, a few companies seem to be showing off their eGPU solutions next to a NUC which is preposterous, rather than next to a laptop.

 

[aquelito]

It's been all downhill with these oversized external solutions ever since.

As did GPU... The more efficient they are, the bigger they become...

 

[PNP]

Well it's got an SFX PSU and space for triple-fan monstrosities. That's like what, the two most space consuming things in a PC?

As did GPU... The more efficient they are, the bigger they become...

And they got quieter as a result of larger fin stacks and fans, another bullet point for the marketing team. I'm sure someone could have built a half-height, half-length Titan XP that uses 40 mm contra-rotating Delta fans, but no one would have bought it.

 

[imagios]

Well ACER made a nice try http://www.notebookcheck.net/Acer-G...ernal-GPU-support-for-notebooks.161328.0.html
just two issues, a 960m is nothing reasonably useful today, and it has TB3 issues, but would that be a 1050, or 1060 in that form factor, that would be a no brainer for me

 

[iFreilicht]

Well ACER made a nice try http://www.notebookcheck.net/Acer-G...ernal-GPU-support-for-notebooks.161328.0.html
just two issues, a 960m is nothing reasonably useful today, and it has TB3 issues, but would that be a 1050, or 1060 in that form factor, that would be a no brainer for me

Even if it was a little thicker, an eGPU solution like this with an integrated non-upgradable GPU seems like a pretty sound product to me. You can integrate all the necessary hardware into a tighter and less expensive package. All the parts can be made to work perfectly together (no oversized cooling, no oversized PSU) and you can still upgrade your "system" so to speak as the whole unit is just one part of it. Maybe we'll see that kind of thing in the future.

 

[imagios]

Sure totally looking for such a thing, imagine having a NUC Skull and the same size a thunder eGPU with a little bit of tweaking a gtx 1050 wich consumes 75 Watt max, but rarely get there could be downclocked so it would consume <60Watt max and you could power it over TB so no additional power brick, that would be a nice piece
The way Acer designed it its definitely the way eGPU should go, small compact integrated, lets hope something will hit the market soon

 

[aquelito]

Great design !
Some one could work out something almost thin using single slot water cooled GPU, based on data center design.

I also remember someone posting about flat liquid cooling. Cannot find the post

 

[jeshikat]

It came up in the Corsair H5S thread because they're using that 40mm radiator but with a blower fan instead of contra-rotating screamo jet turbines fans.

 

[PNP]

Contra-rotating fans roar more than scream. Like the T Rex from Jurassic Park holding a very long falsetto.

Anyways, if such a solution is as loud as a data center, it better come with hearing PPE.