One Netbook launches ONEXGPU graphics dock with Radeon RX 7600M XT, USB4, Oculink and an M.2 slot for $599 (crowdfunding)

The ONEXGPU is a compact graphics dock that lets you add an AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT discrete GPU to a handheld, laptop, or desktop computer via a USB4 or Oculink port.

First unveiled in October, the ONEXGPU should begin shipping in December and it’s up for pre-order for $599 through an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign.

While I’d normally be reluctant to use the phrase “pre-order” in conjunction with a crowdfunding campaign, the ONEXGPU comes from One Netbook, a well-established brand that has a habit of using crowdfunding campaigns to generate buzz rather than to generate the money needed to move a device from prototype to mass production.

The company says the $599 crowdfunding price represents a discount from the $789 retail price, which is probably what folks will have to pay when the ONEXGPU becomes more widely available in the coming months.

This is hardly the first graphics dock we’ve seen in recent years, but it does have a few features that help set it apart including a reasonably compact size and an Oculink port with support for 63 Gbps connections as well as a 40 Gbps USB-C port.

While those specs would also describe the GPD G1 graphics dock, One Netbook’s model stands out thanks to an M.2 2280 slot that lets you add a PCIe 3.0 SSD, allowing you to add a discrete GPU and additional storage via a single cable.

But really it’s the Oculink port that makes this eGPU interesting, since it enables higher-sped connections than the Thunderbolt4/USB4 ports that are more common in this space. Of course, that Oculink port is only useful if you have a computer that also has a port. Right now they’re pretty rare, but we’ve seen a handful of mini PCs, mini-laptops, and handheld gaming PCs with them recently.

Interestingly, the ONEXGPU is the first device from One Netbook with an Oculink port, which means that until the company releases a PC with the port, this graphics dock will be most useful for folks with a competitor’s product. But the USB4 port means you could also use it with a wide range of other devices.

For example, One Netbook’s crowdfunding campaign for the ONEXGPU lets you bundle the graphics dock with ONEXPLAYER Mini handheld gaming PC with an Intel Pentium Gold 8505 processor for $899, which might be the only way to really justify that particular handheld gaming PC, which is overpriced and underpowered by most standards unless you use it with a GPU dock.

You can also opt for a $999 ONEXGPU + One Netbook A1 mini-laptop bundle or a $1099 ONEXGPU + ONEXPLAYER Mini Pro (Core i7-1260P) bundle.

In addition to USB4 and Oculink ports, the ONEXGPU has two HDMI 2.1 ports, two DisplayPort 2.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, and two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports.

It has an aluminum body that measures 188 x 106 x 16mm and weighs 789 grams, making it a lot easier to carry around than a desktop graphics dock. But it’s a pretty power-hungry device that can consume up to 120 watts of power, has a fan for active cooling, and needs to be plugged into a wall jack to function, so it’s not exactly going to give your handheld PC a GPU boost while you’re riding the bus.

The GPU also isn’t user upgradeable. The Radeon RX 7600M XT GPU isn’t a bad GPU, but it’s also not the most powerful option available today, and if you decide you need a more powerful solution in the future you won’t be able to just buy a new GPU and put it in the ONEXGPU case. You’ll need to buy a whole new system.