Notebookcheck Logo

Peladn's first Thunderbolt 5 eGPU dock arrives with expansion ports to rival existing OCuLink options

The Peladn Link-S3 supports ATX and SFX PSUs up to 180 mm in length. (Image source: Peladn)
The Peladn Link-S3 supports ATX and SFX PSUs up to 180 mm in length. (Image source: Peladn)
Peldan has introduced a new eGPU graphics dock. Designed for desktop systems and ATX or SFX power supplies, the Peladn Link S-3 opts for Thunderbolt 5 over OCuLink to provide additional features like 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, 140 W Power Delivery and M.2 SSD expansion over a single port.

Peladn has returned with a new product, less than a month after it released the Y01 mini-PC with an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU. For reference, the Y01 rivals the GMKtec EVO-X2 and other equivalents. By contrast, the Link S-3 features a design comparable to the Minisforum DEG1 external GPU dock (curr. $99 on Amazon).

However, Peladn has taken a different approach with the Link S-3 to the DEG1 or the Link S-2 before it. For context, those eGPU docks feature OCuLink ports with up to 64 Gbps of bandwidth for desktop-class graphics cards. By contrast, the Link S-3 utilises Thunderbolt 5 across two ports.

Peladn hides M.2 SSD expansion on the bottom of the Link S-3. (Image source: Peladn)
Peladn hides M.2 SSD expansion on the bottom of the Link S-3. (Image source: Peladn)

Theoretically, Thunderbolt 5 provides a higher bandwidth connection than OCuLink at 80 Gbps versus 64 Gbps. With that being said, Thunderbolt 5 only provides PCIe 4.0 x4 pass-through that limits the connection to 64 Gbps peak bandwidth. Ultimately, latency could still reduce performance compared with an OCuLink connection.

The Link-S3 brings other features that OCuLink eGPU docks lack though, such as a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet connection built around Realtek's RTL8156B chip. Additionally, Peladn has included an SD card reader, an M.2 2280 (PCIe 3.0 x1) SSD slot and a 10 Gbps USB Type-A port. The Peladn Link S-3 is available to pre-order in China for CNY 1,599 (~$223) and will begin shipping on July 26. There is no word on global availability yet.

(Image source: Peladn)
(Image source: Peladn)

Source(s)

static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
Mail Logo
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2025 07 > Peladn's first Thunderbolt 5 eGPU dock arrives with expansion ports to rival existing OCuLink options
Alex Alderson, 2025-07-17 (Update: 2025-07-17)