Acer Graphics Dock brings external GPU support for notebooks

Sacrificing GPU power for portability may be a thing of the past if Acer's external Graphics Dock (eGPU) can take off. The Taiwanese manufacturer is planning on having the Aspire Switch 12 S and Aspire R13 to be some of the first in-house notebooks to support the new Graphics Dock.

The dock itself measures just 245 x 130 x 22.8 mm and weighs only 700 grams for a price of just under 350 Euros. Shipments are expected to start as early as next month to coincide with the availability of the Switch 12 S Pro.

The Acer Graphics Dock differs from the Razer Core in that it does not support desktop GPUs, but will house an integrated GTX 960M GPU instead. Additional features include a USB Type-C Gen. 2 port, 3x USB 3.0, HDMI, 2x DisplayPort, gigabit LAN, and 3.5 mm audio jack. The dock will also include its own 135 W PSU.

Acer is hoping that its eGPU solution can transform any convertible in the workplace or office into a graphics powerhouse suitable for gaming. It remains to be seen just how loudly or quietly the thinly designed dock may run since some systems with the GTX 960M can have very audible fans when under gaming loads.

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