ROG XG Mobile 2025: Asus teases launch of first Thunderbolt 5 eGPU with $1,199 starting price
The next generation in the ROG XG Mobile series is almost here, having been presented last month during CES 2025 in Las Vegas. As we remarked at the time, the new ROG XG Mobile represents an overhaul of Asus' eGPU methodology, which previously relied upon its proprietary XG Mobile connector.
The reliance on XG Mobile meant that Asus' prior eGPUs would only work with a limited selection of devices, including the ROG Ally (curr. $399.99 - refurbished on Amazon). Asus has sought to rectify this with Thunderbolt 5 on the new ROG XG Mobile, which it now refers to as the ROG XG Mobile (2025). In other words, the ROG XG Mobile (2025) offers up to 80 Gbit/s transfer speeds over Thunderbolt 5 while also supporting machines with Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 ports.
Asus combines Thunderbolt 5 connectivity with laptop versions of the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti or GeForce RTX 5090. For reference, the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti has 5,888 CUDA cores and 12 GB of GDDR7 VRAM with a 192-bit memory bus. In comparison, Nvidia equips the GeForce RTX 5090 with 24 GB of GDDR7 VRAM (256-bit) and its flagship GB203 GPU that packs 10,496 CUDA cores.
The ROG XG Mobile (2025) will officially launch on February 25, starting at $1,199.99 for its GeForce RTX 5070 Ti variant. By contrast, the GeForce RTX 5090 edition will retail for $2,199.99. Pricing for other markets remains unknown for now, though.
