Laptops dockable onto Desktop GPU's!

Hi, first of all sorry if this already has been posted. But couldn't find (even after searching).

So MSI has announced a new concept. MSI Global - Computer, Laptop, Notebook, Desktop, Motherboard, Graphics and more
The idea is to do dock a small laptop onto a "box" in which you can put any desktop GPU you want.

On the example MSI shows their own 13.3 Inch notebook that has no dedicated GPU, only the Intel Iris Pro. But you can get an INTENSTE gaming performance with that dock. The 980M SLI should be faster that the any supported Nvida or AMD GPU but significantly cheaper, and the fact that you can turn a 13 inch laptop that is 1,3 Kg and 19.8mm thick into a gaming powerhouse makes it VERY interesting.

It's an interesting concept. If you ask me the design looks a little sloppy with your laptop getting too high. They could have tried to make it more flat imho. Or you can make a custom hole on your desk to make that fit. But yeah.

What do you guys think of this External Desktop GPU docking?

 

Yep! Good discussion on it going on over here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/msi/760966-msi-gs30-revealed.html

Interesting concept, but limited appeal IMHO. definitely sitting too high. It should have been flatter and deeper than a big rectangular tube.

 

Dock design is terrible.

Dock implementation is poor. You won't be able to use the notebook inputs outputs when docked.

 

Look up eGPU, it is around for a while, with TB2, people are getting 80%+ performance of a desktop gpu.

 

Also, as far as I remember (things like this have been around since as far back as 2008) you need an external power supply, an external monitor and you need to disable your laptop's screen. Probably an external keyboard too. In other words, while it's a docking station, it basically turns your laptop into a desktop and snaps off most of your internal I/O ports.

I can see some people possibly using this with a machine with just a good CPU and no dGPU that they take to class or work with minimal use, but otherwise it isn't very useful. At this point, especially if you have a ultra-low-voltage thin/light model of a notebook, you're better off just building an actual desktop. Since you need an external keyboard, mouse, plug, GPU, monitor, etc you're already halfway to building a desktop XD.

 

A bit more on the subject

MSI demonstrates their GS30 2-in-1 desktop gaming PC/laptop | PC Gamer

 

Actually this doesn't look half bad, I would definitely buy.

 

Forget about design.. we gotta start somewhere

 

Just the laptop by itself would be a decent entry-level gaming machine

...if it had a quarter of the screen resolution.

 

With proper drivers at least Fujitsu's ~2008 version could show accelerated picture on internal screen. So with modern version that had better work right out of the box.

Isn't that pretty much the whole point of a docking station?

Anyways, that docking station looks really stupid if it works as pictured. External display/kb/mouse are apparently mandatory. Maybe they also sell a desk tailored for the system.

 

Haha but that's my point though. At a certain point, it's just more feasible to split desktop/laptop. If you have a thinner notebook with only an integrated CPU and you want to sort of use optimus/enduro-like tech where the second screen gets accelerated through the external GPU (or you do a loop-type system where it can pipe the data to be processed to the eGPU then pipe the processed data back into the PC)... but then that should add overhead on how useful the GPUs can actually be.

Also, needing an external KBM etc is just no bueno when someone could buy a 4.6 pound Clevo or MSI or something with a decent GPU and still keep portability and a strong system. I mean... if you want a 3 pound 1" thick notebook that's lighter than two copybooks but then want to grab power out of it... the tech isn't there yet. There IS such a thing as wanting too much. Hell, owners of the last-gen and current-gen consoles are largely prime examples of it: They want 1080p 60fps systems with OSes, peripherals and good cooling as well as ability to do things like stream/browse the web/watch netflix/etc and the thought of paying more than $400 for it is appalling!

 

I can't see this product not bombing.

Looks embarassing(my 17inch GT70 looks huge as it is), takes up a hell of a lot of space, has a tiny screen for a laptop supposedly supposed to benefit from desktop GPUs and looks really unwieldy to use.

The maxwell 980m is like 85% as good as the desktop version, so I don't see the point in this, there's gonna be close to 0 demand.

 

It's so close yet so far. The laptop is nearly perfect, but the base is a mess. They would have been so much better off with an external 8x PCIE port and a mini-itx compatible backplane for the desktop GPU. That would let people use mini-itx cases, standard GPUs, standard ipass cables, and standard power supplies.

 

I don't see the problem of using SFX power supplies.

I don't see the usefulness of using standard mitx cases

I do see usefulness of making the dock more portable, more flexible... connector could be a cable not a large slot in the back, or even if its that to make it actually useful. Sometimes people like me would want to game at other places not at the same office desk. To make that happen the monitor and the keyboard need not to be mandatory as it currently is.

The whole idea is good and has been good, however the implementation is lacklustre as usual. A shame it was MSI that did this, they always make very large mistakes along the road

so far they would only target the market of people that want to concentrate their machines in one place, not people that want to game and have a machine that can pull its weight on the go, along with the mandatory battery life, which is another thing that MSI isn't renowned for

 

It would be about price...

If this + GPU is reasonable in comparison to a similar laptop + desktop setup, it might be worth it.

One of the biggest problems with external GPU setups has always been that the resulting price is almost always more than just buying separate comparable laptop/desktop combos. You get a higher price AND lesser performance due to the lower-clocked mobile CPU.

It will still have a niche... some people will order this "for work" as a laptop + docking station and write it off on their taxes.