Mini PC is the latest fad in the computing world. The whole idea of a mini PC is that it saves space while not sacrificing computing power. But not all mini PCs are built equal—obviously. What if yours is lacking of graphics power? Fret not, my friends, because you can always turn to a desktop GPU (with enclosure, of course), and this staircase of a gadget you see here, called Beelink Multi-Functional EX Docking Station, lets you marry a mini PC to a GPU unit in a logical, albeit somewhat counterintuitive way because, well, your mini PC has just become slightly not so mini.
The Beelink Multi-Functional EX Docking Station is a beauty of a gadget, it makes hooking up an external GPU neater, and more stylish, while also supplying 600 W of power through its built-in PSU which should be more than ample to handle graphics cards like the RTX 4090 or AMD RX 7900 XTX. 600 W is a lot of juice which is why it is all wrapped in an open cooling design that won’t make your hardware break a sweat, no matter how intense your gaming session or video rendering might get.
It uses a PCIe x8 interface as opposed to the more popular USB or Oculink but Beelink claims there is nearly no performance loss. In addition to graphics cards, the docking station offers support for M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x1 SSDs, Wi-Fi modules, and external antennas. It’s simple to set up: power on the docking station, then the PC, and the dual-switch design allows you to use them separately or together. The wide voltage range means it works anywhere from 100V to 240V, regardless of regional power differences.
The Beelink Multi-Functional EX Docking Station may have upsized your original mini setup but it may well be worth it if your usage requires additional graphics processing power. Plus, it looks pretty sleek. OK, “maybe this kind of sleek is not for everyone”sleek” is quite subjective.
It is available as we speak with popular power adapter options for US$159. Mini PC not included, of course. Oh, there is a Beelink GTi Ultra Series & EX Docking Station Bundle going at a special price of US$1,018, if anyone’s interested.
Images: Beelink.
via The Verge.