Asus leverages Thunderbolt 5 to energy its newest high-performance eGPU system

Editor’s take: Though they’ve been accessible for fairly a while, exterior GPUs have not precisely taken the IT world by storm. Nevertheless, there’s definitely a marketplace for these merchandise, as evidenced by Asus introducing its newest eGPU machine. This new providing comes outfitted with a robust next-generation GeForce GPU and a number of connectivity choices.

Asus has unveiled a brand new exterior GPU that includes Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. The 2025 version of the ROG XG Cellular comes outfitted with the newly launched GeForce RTX 5090 (cell) card and has been reengineered to reinforce GPU efficiency for older laptops and different moveable gaming machines. Whereas eGPU upgrades have seen declining curiosity in recent times, Asus is betting that hardcore avid gamers and severe content material creators will discover this new product interesting.

Due to Thunderbolt 5 help, Asus claims the brand new ROG XG Cellular can obtain as much as 80 gigabits per second of bandwidth, a major improve from the 63 Gbps provided by its predecessor. The machine additionally helps Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 connections however can not attain the identical bandwidth efficiency on these older ports.

Past uncooked efficiency, Asus emphasizes that the ROG XG Cellular provides versatile connectivity choices, together with devoted HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.1 outputs, 5G Ethernet, and a number of USB ports. The corporate additionally highlights its potential as a strong I/O enlargement machine for laptops and moveable techniques just like the ROG Ally X, along with its gaming capabilities.

The ROG XG Cellular will function “as much as” a GeForce RTX 5090 laptop computer GPU, guaranteeing even probably the most demanding AAA video games run with ample energy to ship the absolute best visible high quality. These new GPUs additionally present entry to Nvidia’s newest AI applied sciences, together with DLSS and body technology. Past gaming, the machine is well-suited for operating complicated, GPU-intensive AI fashions in an area setup.

Regardless of incorporating Nvidia’s cutting-edge Blackwell GPU structure, the ROG XG Cellular has been rigorously engineered to deal with the numerous efficiency enhance whereas retaining thermals beneath management. Asus overhauled the machine’s mainboard, changing conventional diodes with lively bridge rectifier MOSFETs. This transformation helps cut back weight whereas sustaining a strong 330W energy profile, all with out growing the machine’s dimension.

The brand new ROG XG Cellular includes a clear case, permitting customers to showcase the smooth internals of their high-tech buy. Complementing its design, an RGB-illuminated Asus emblem appropriate with Aura Sync provides customizable lighting results.

The machine is predicted to launch by the top of Q1 2025 and, as with different premium eGPU gadgets, will include a hefty price ticket. The mannequin that includes the GeForce RTX 5090 laptop computer GPU is priced at $2,200, whereas a “lower-end” model outfitted with a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti laptop computer GPU is deliberate for a later launch at a relatively modest $1,200.