- Aoostar teases EG01 eGPU dock with Thunderbolt 5 and OCuLink connectivity
- Mini PC mount allows stacked desktop-style setup for users with limited space
- Global release expected, though pricing details haven’t yet been revealed
Chinese hardware startup Aoostar has teased a new external GPU dock with a rather unusual design and some advanced connectivity options.
The Aoostar EG01 follows other open-frame eGPU docks, such as the Peladn Link S-3, which uses Thunderbolt 5, and the Minisforum DEG1, which uses OCuLink.
The EG01, listed on the company’s global website, goes one better however, by offering both Thunderbolt 5 and OCuLink, making it one of the first docks in a consumer-ready design to do so, while also including a mount for a mini PC.
Global availability
It’s this frame above the power supply slot that makes the EG01 so unusual.
The arrangement allows the mini PC to be stacked vertically on top of the GPU, creating a compact desktop-style setup rather than separate devices, as you can see in the promotional image above.
For anyone short on desk space, building up instead of out could be very welcome.
Aoostar released its AG01 eGPU dock with an OCuLink port and a built-in 800W power supply last year. The EG01 takes a different route and doesn’t come with an integrated PSU.
Instead, the dock relies on a user-supplied ATX or SFX unit, which provides power to both the GPU and the dock’s electronics.
The EG01’s single Thunderbolt 5 port supports 150W USB Power Delivery, allowing the dock to charge connected systems with more power than many competing models.
The EG01 isn’t the only product to offer both Thunderbolt 5 and OCuLink connectivity.
We wrote about the FNGT5 Pro from Chinese manufacturer FEVM earlier in the year.
That product offers dual Thunderbolt 5 ports and OCuLink, but relies on a built-in laptop-grade GPU (RTX 4060, 4080, and 4090) and doesn’t allow upgrades.
It was also only ever available in China, whereas – given its presence on the company’s international site – a global release for the EG01 seems all but assured.
Aoostar hasn’t announced pricing for the EG01 yet, but now that it’s up on the website, further details should arrive soon.
Via Notebookcheck
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