Gigabyte upgrades its external GPU dock with a GeForce GTX 1080

Gigabyte has updated its website with an upgraded external graphics dock for laptops that now features a GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card inside. The new Aorus GTX 1080 Gaming Box looks the same as the GeForce GTX 1070 version that is currently for sale, but has more graphics muscles for high-end gaming.

The appeal of external docks like this one is being able to buy a thinner and lighter productivity laptop for work and travel, and then tapping into a discrete graphics solution when playing games at home (or on the road, if you want to lug this thing around—Gigabyte says it's easy to carry).

Gigabyte's solution comes with its own 450W power supply with 80 Plus Gold certification and a Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C connector for plugging into a laptop. In gaming mode, the GeForce GTX 1080 has a 1,607MHz base clockspeed and 1,733MHz boost clock. Users can also run the card in OC mode, which bumps the base clock to 1,632MHz and boost clock to 1,771MHz. You can expect a framerate penalty from the overhead involved (compared to an internal GPU), but nothing too drastic.

The Gaming Box has three USB 3.0 ports for connecting peripherals, one of which supports Quick Charge 3.0. It also has three DisplayPorts, an HDMI port, and a DVI port.

Gigabyte did not say when its upgraded Gaming Box will be available or for how much. As a point of reference, the GeForce GTX 1070 model sells for $590 on Amazon and Newegg, the latter of which is bundling a free headset. Not too shabby, considering that Razer's Core enclosure costs $400 and doesn't come with a graphics card.

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).