Review of the unique ONEXPLAYER ONEXGPU video card-desktop is now available

In 2021, OneXPlayer launched a campaign on Indiegogo to raise funds for the world’s first docking station with a built-in graphics card, the ONEXGPU. The device combines the functions of a USB hub, an external NVMe drive, and supports laptop charging with a single 100W reverse power cable using the PowerDelivery protocol.

The device is cooled by a large integrated fan. In fact, it is a multifunctional hub with a direct connection port for an Oculink PCIe 4.0×4 graphics card. The device comes with its own 20V 16.5A (330W) power adapter.

On the inside, the ONEXGPU contains an AMD Radeon RX7600M XT video card that can be connected to a laptop via a universal 40Gbps USB4 port or via Oculink’s PCIe direct connect port. In terms of performance, this GPU is comparable to the mobile version of the RTX 4060.

The first customers have already received their copies, and the Droix.net blog has posted a review of the docking station.

It’s a rather compact device measuring 19.6 × 12.0 × 3.2 cm and weighing about a kilogram, or a kilogram and a half, including the power supply. On one side we have a power button, a turbo button, and two USB 3.0 ports. On the other side are a network card output, two DisplayPorts, one HDMI, OcuLink, a USB 4.0 port, and a power connector. An NVMe drive can be installed on the bottom. The bundled power supply weighs 725 grams and delivers up to 300 watts, of which 100 watts can be used to power the laptop.

The resource droix.net not only tested its copy of ONEXGPU, but also compared it with other mobile gaming devices.

Participated in the tests:

ONEXGPU docking station

Докстанція GPD G1 eGPU

AYA NEO SLIDE game console

GPD Win MAX 2 2023 7640U laptop

We tested AYANEO Slide via USB 4.0 with internal display (ONEXGPU USB INTERNAL) and external 4K monitor (ONEXGPU USB EXTERNAL). The GPD Win MAX 2 2023 with two displays was tested in the same way, but first the OcuLink connection was tested (ONEXGPU Oculink INTERNAL and ONEXGPU Oculink EXTERNAL), and then the same via USB 4.0. The same was repeated with the GPD G1 eGPU dock for comparison. More than 200 tests were performed!

First, we ran the Time Spy, Night Raid, and Fire Strike tests from the 3DMark package

In the results, OcuLink received almost identical scores. In the USB 4.0 tests, AYANEO demonstrated slightly higher overall performance than the GPD G1. The Win Max 2 2023 GPD got significantly higher results.

Forza Horizon 5 was tested on very low graphics settings:

As you can see, OcuLink has almost identical performance in all the benchmark results. In the AYANEO Slide USB 4.0 results, we can see that the G1 outperforms on the external display and has almost identical results on the internal display. And Win Max 23 also gives almost the same score.

The game Shadow of the Tomb Raider was running on the lowest graphics settings:

We see the standard distribution of performance by resolution when connected to OcuLink. And in 4K, we see a significant decrease in the performance of both external graphics cards. For AYANEO on USB, we see noticeable differences in performance on an external monitor compared to the G1, which is in the lead. And for Win MAX 23, the results are almost identical compared to each other.

Next up is Call of Duty Modern Warfare III with minimal graphics settings and no FSR enabled:

On Oculink, we get almost identical scores for both eGPUs in all tests. For AYANEO Slide, the G1 takes the lead at low resolutions, while the ONEXGPU shows its worth at high resolutions. For WIN MAX 23, the results are essentially the same on both eGPUs.

And the last test is Street Fighter VI on the highest graphics settings to load the eGPU well:

In the Oculink results, we get 60 FPS on the internal display at 1080P and roughly the same results on the external display. This pattern is mostly repeated with the AYANEO with the same scores on both eGPUs. Win MAX 23 showed similar results, nothing unusual here.

Conclusions

The tested eGPU dock proved to be a fairly versatile gaming add-on for a laptop, with a lot of ports. The presence of an OcuLink output is desirable, but we see quite good performance with USB 4.0. Also, using an external monitor instead of an internal one (when connected via USB) will add a noticeable performance boost.

You can also watch a video review of this device on YouTube, where you can find more information and gameplay of Cyberpunk, Palworld, and Overwatch 2.