This eGPU finally unlocks full desktop performance — with a catch

I’ve been dreaming of an ideal mobile-to-docked desktop setup for over a decade now. Get an ultraportable laptop with a good processor and plenty of RAM, then plug it into an external GPU when I’m at my desk to turn it into a gaming machine. So far, that dream has eluded me. But PCWorld’s Adam Patrick Murray is still diligently testing out eGPUs and the latest one is something special… with a catch.

First, the good news. HighPoint’s RocketStor 8631D can handle the most powerful desktop GPU on the market—an RTX 5090—with zero limits on power or output. We’re talking full PCIe 5.0 x16 bandwidth, enough electricity (1,300 watts!) to let both it and a secondary machine breathe. This thing is made for data centers, not gamers, but all of its technical qualities are better than just about anything on the market.

That said, I’ll confess to burying the lede here. The reason this eGPU is so much better than any consumer-focused option is because of its connection: CopprLink. It’s way beyond any USB-C or Thunderbolt option, even outstripping Oculink, which itself isn’t easy to find. But because CopprLink is both new and designed for industrial hardware, it isn’t available in any laptop. It’s not even available in pre-built desktops! Adam had to find a mini PC that supports half-height expansion cards to install a Rocket 7634D adapter just to use this eGPU.

If you’re thinking, “Hey, what’s the point of using an eGPU that only works with desktops?” Well, fair. It’s certainly possible that this could be used with a laptop… but the massive connector doesn’t really scream “portable.” Also, the eGPU enclosure costs $1,300 and doesn’t include any other connections, and even the adapter card is a thousand bucks. Building a Mini-ITX desktop that can handle a full-sized GPU is more practical and cheaper in just about every way.

All that said, it’s still really cool to find an eGPU system that can handle an RTX 5090 and perform within one or two percent of a standard desktop, with the card plugged right into the motherboard. “It just works, like no other eGPU that I’ve had before. It just works with gaming,” says Adam. Even that tiny sliver of lost benchmark performance might be because the NV10 mini PC uses a PCIe 4.0 riser cable, putting a possible bottleneck on 5.0 performance. Even so, the ability to do all of this with no additional drivers at all is very cool.

Is it practical? No. Can it work with a laptop or handheld right now? No. Is it incredibly expensive? Absolutely. You don’t get access to this thing unless you’re working with an enterprise budget, or you’re so rich that you’d have to ask your chauffeur what the price of gas is right now. But it is insanely cool.

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