External desktop graphics card on a mini PC, laptop or tablet? The Minisforum DEG2 makes it possible

In the test, the Minisforum DEG2 presents itself as a sophisticated and powerful eGPU docking station that is clearly aimed at demanding users. The workmanship is impressive, with a sturdy metal construction, a clean fit, and an overall high-quality impression. The scope of delivery is also practically compiled and enables a quick start - provided the power supply unit and graphics card are available.

In terms of technology, the DEG2 scores particularly well with its flexible connection via OCuLink, USB4 V2, or Thunderbolt 5, whereby backward compatibility with USB4 is also guaranteed. A powerful desktop GPU can unleash its full potential via OCuLink in particular. Depending on the resolution and application, the performance is close to that of a native desktop system, even if the maximum bandwidth of a PCIe x16 slot is naturally not fully achieved. For gaming in 1440p and 4K, as well as for productive applications such as rendering or AI workloads, the performance offers a very high level. A powerful desktop GPU can almost fully exploit its potential, especially when using the OCuLink connection, so that the performance comes close to a native desktop system in many scenarios.

Additional interfaces such as 2.5G LAN and the M.2 2280 slot significantly increase the practical benefits and make the dock more than just a pure eGPU solution. The only criticism is the price, which is in the upper segment. Overall, however, Minisforum delivers a strong overall package for ambitious users and enthusiasts.

The Minisforum DEG2 eGPU dock is available directly from Minisforum at a price of $259. Amazon sells the Minisforum DEG2 for $299, while the DEG1 is available for $109.

The Minisforum DEG2 is an external graphics card docking solution that allows desktop graphics cards to be connected to compatible mini PCs or laptops. It was developed for users who want to easily add extra graphics performance to their system. Whether for demanding gaming, creative workflows or professional computing tasks - the DEG2 adds significantly more performance reserves to compact systems.

The Minisforum DEG2 is a powerful eGPU docking station that can be connected via both OCuLink and Thunderbolt 5. The scope of delivery includes the DEG2 dock itself, an OCuLink cable, a Thunderbolt 5 cable, a graphics card holder, a screw set including practical thumbscrews, and a user manual. The workmanship is impressive across the board, with Minisforum largely relying on a robust and high-quality metal construction. In addition to the eGPU functionality, the dock provides additional practical connections, including a 2.5 Gbit/s LAN port and an M.2 2280 slot, which can be used to conveniently expand the memory of the host system.

A power supply unit and graphics card are not included. A separate ATX or SFX power supply (at least 24-pin + 8-pin) is required for operation, and the PCIe x16 slot is intended for a separate desktop GPU. The packaging consists of a sturdy cardboard box with custom-fit foam inserts to protect the dock and accessories.

The test platform is the Minisforum MS-02 Ultra which supports all connection options and thus offers ideal conditions for comprehensively demonstrating the performance of the Minisforum DEG2. To ensure consistent CPU performance, the processor power was clearly defined: the PL2 is 110 watts, while the regular PL1 is designed for a continuous load of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX is 90 watts.

The 3D performance with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 in eGPU mode depends largely on the connection. In principle, the RTX 4090 is currently one of the fastest consumer graphics cards and offers enormous shader, ray tracing, and AI performance. In a native PCIe x16 desktop environment, it can almost fully unleash its performance potential. Accordingly, our reference measurement with the GPU test system based on an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D achieves the highest performance values.

However, the bandwidth via OCuLink (PCIe 4.0 x4) is lower than with a classic x16 slot. In GPU-heavy 4K scenarios, the performance loss usually remains moderate, as the GPU's computing power is the primary limiting factor here. Depending on the game and engine, the performance in our comparison is 20 percent below a desktop system. However, if the RTX 4090 is connected via USB4 V2, the latency increases and the effective PCIe bandwidth decreases further, even though the graphics card is still connected with PCIe 4.0 x4. In this case, we documented an average performance loss of 40 percent in our gaming tests. The eGPU option in combination with the Peland Link-S1 dock, which only uses the simple USB4 connection, is even further behind. The bandwidth drop to PCIe 3.0 x4 results in clearly noticeable performance losses, which are primarily evident in the gaming tests.

For ray tracing, 3D rendering, or AI workloads, the RTX 4090 nevertheless remains powerful as an eGPU solution. As our benchmarks show, the combination of the Minisforum MS-02 Ultra and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 provides a convincing alternative to the conventional desktop counterpart, even if it does not fully exploit the absolute maximum of the card.

The Minisforum DEG2 impresses in the test as a powerful and versatile eGPU docking station. The workmanship is high quality, the metal construction ensures stability and an attractive appearance. Thanks to OCuLink and USB4 V2, as well as Thunderbolt 5, the dock offers flexible connection options and enables strong 3D performance - especially via OCuLink - with manageable losses compared to a conventional desktop system. Additional features such as 2.5G LAN round off the overall package.