By With the release of the Core X V2 and its new Razer Thunderbolt 5 dock, Razer has introduced a new generation of external GPUs that are Thunderbolt 5. However, it’s a significant downgrade from Razer’s previous eGPUs.
The Core X was one of the most well-known eGPUs of the Thunderbolt 3 generation. It required no external power source and offered 650W of power for a three-slot graphics card. GPUs up to four slots wide can be used with the Core X V2, but this time you’ll need to supply both the GPU and the power supply.
To make matters worse, the original Core X also had a gigabit Ethernet port and a few USB slots. The Core X V2 doesn’t. Rather than that, the Core X V2 website on Razer tries to sell you a Thunderbolt dock. For prospective Core X V2 purchasers, the $349.99 price tag is a difficult pill to swallow because you’ll need to purchase a graphics card, a power supply, and possibly an optional dock.
Additionally, Razer’s initial Thunderbolt 5 dock is not inexpensive. The Chroma edition, which is the blinged-out RGB version, costs $399.99, while the Mercury White variant costs $389.99.
The Core X V2 from Razer requires a lot of money.
A four-slot card is supported by the Core X V2, which is an improvement over its predecessor. The V2 is made for ATX power supplies and has dimensions of 16.59 inches deep by 7.76 inches wide by 8.51 inches high. For further cooling, a 120mm fan is included in the vented steel chassis.
According to Razer, you’ll need to purchase a power supply that can support the power needs of your card, in addition to an extra 230W for the Core X V2 itself. (That probably means providing 140W of power to your laptop under the Thunderbolt 5 specification, as well as powering the dock.)
Even with the deletions, Razer’s price is higher. In 2016, Razer released the Core for $500 and the Core X for $299. Even after eliminating the power supply that came with the earlier models, the price has now increased once more.
If you still need to pay extra for an external GPU and a power supply, you might be asking yourself why you’re spending $350 at this point. Another problem is that, at the moment, Thunderbolt 5 is usually limited to expensive gaming laptops with powerful GPUs. The ability to purchase a reasonably priced laptop and use it to play games after hours by connecting it to an external GPU card is one of the benefits of an external GPU dock.
The new TB5 model from Razer looks promising based on its previous dock.
However, a Thunderbolt 5 dock appears to be a more practical choice. Currently, the majority of gaming laptops still have a ton of hardwired ports, which is another area where Thunderbolt 5 is making its appearance. However, I thought the Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma was great, which bodes well for the Thunderbolt 5 model. (You may also use the dock with a PC or laptop that has Thunderbolt 4.) It was listed as one of the top Thunderbolt docks by PCWorld.
