AOOSTAR AG02 EGPU Dock Hands On Testing! USB4 OCuLink & 400W PSU

[@Galgomite]

Sounds like these docks are finally becoming what we expected in the first place!

[@Patrick-y4d1z]

At this point I'm just waiting for USB5/TB5 eGPU docks. I don't want to spend a few hundred on a dock that's about to become massively obsolete.

[@unaddan]

@@Patrick-y4d1z the price also going to be a huge differents. so these docks are still relevant.

[@Patrick-y4d1z]

@@unaddan Why would it be a huge difference?

[@unaddan]

@@Patrick-y4d1z bro, it's not just changing the cable and then you got thunderbolt 5, no. it's a whole different machine.

[@Patrick-y4d1z]

@@unaddan I'm well aware that it's not just a TB5 cable. Nobody said it was. I explicitly stated I was waiting for TB5 eGPU docks. I am also waiting for a new machine with a USB4.2 port.

[@matthewbond375]

I'm happy with my current systems, but for future builds, I really think I'll be going with a mini PC plus an external GPU. I'm really impressed with the variety of options we have these days! Thanks for all the great videos covering this stuff!

[@pedgarage]

My dream machine right now is an handheld that you can plug in a dock like that. Like a Nintendo Switch, but with an eGPU. This is so close, yet so far. Hope some manufacturer will release it soon. Portability and power at will.

[@ac31454]

I am hoping thats how the Steam Deck 2 works if they make one

[@Patrick-y4d1z]

That's what I want too. I only play 1440p, and I've seen they're still in spite of USB throttline, able to get a solid 100fps with things like a 4080. I think I'll wait for USB4.2 / TB5 docks, as it will double the bandwidth. Then whatever the Ally X is at the time that has USB4.2. That's my dream though. A handheld I can take around and play, and then dock at home for a destkop experience.

[@luca7x689]

That'd be so awesome..

[@douubledog4008]

@Patrick-y4d1z hasn't USB 5 been announced recently? Wouldn't that solve this issue?

[@Patrick-y4d1z]

@@douubledog4008 Thunderbolt 5 / USB4.2 are a thing yes, and there are a couple of devices out there. But it hasn't been utilised into handhelds yet or many devices. It will do in time. When it happens, it'll double the bandwidth which will massively improve the performance of eGPUs, but it's not 100% of the performance still.

[@QuantumBraced]

Honestly, the Oculink only version with a 400W built-in PSU for $160 is great value, especially with the nice aluminum build. And the big thumbscrew thing is genius, never seen that before.

[@michaeldendulk2230]

Got the first version with Oculink only when they launched it a few months back, only cost $110 for pre-order and it's been a great little device.

[@michaelroberts7770]

I got the one with the 550 watt power supply, runs my 4070 ti like a charm... It runs Almost as good on my mini PC as it does inside my big boy computer....

[@johntutor2621]

Rog ally x doesn’t support oculink

[@johnpp21]

for anyone curious this is using ASM2464 controller for the USB4, it has better performance than the usual thunderbolt 3 controller (JHL7440) that found in most egpus these are the difference vs JHL7440 - ASM2464 based on PCIE4.0 x4 vs PCIE3.0 x4 on JHL7440 - results in faster speed 3700MiB/s vs 2700MiB/s in Cuda-z H2D but these comes with a lot of cons (for now) - cant do power delivery - only 1 USB4 port (vs thunderbolt 3 can do chaining 2 ports) - no USB3 ports - no display/hdmi port - outputs a lot of heat compared to JHL7440 on spec sheet, this controller supports these features but for some reason, no one seems to be implemented it yet.

[@ranjitmandal1612]

😮

[@icaroleal7351]

Nice.

[@respectmathias]

So far I've only seen it implemented in this and the Ut3g. I would call them usb4v1 enclosures as they actually support it while the others are mearly tb3/4 enclosures that are Usb4 compatible. The difference being that they can fully utilize the 40gb Speed on a single task

[@andrewantczak4637]

Just wanted to chime in after a few months this comment was posted about this egpu. I just ordered mine this past Nov and when I purchased mine, they were doing pre orders. They upped the PSU to 500 from 400 and added reverse power out charger which to me was a big plus. Today I checked again on their website and they took it from 500 to 800 PSU for free. So anyone like me that pre ordered before this Jan 15, 2025 release date will get theirs upgraded to 800 PSU for no extra cost!

[@yuanchang2306]

Thank you for another great vid and also showing the Cyberpunk Benchmarks at Jig Jig Street where there are way more reflective surfaces and overlapping lighting efficts for a better showcase.

[@Asfanboy1]

This is actually awesome. Seeing Warhammer running on the rog ally x was painful but this might be a valid solution. And maybe can make it my only system.

[@Beryesa.]

The upcoming second gen of this model with 500w and usb PD seems to be the peak of egpu docks :D

[@stevek662]

Received mine several days ago and it comes with a 800W power supply now

[@Michplay]

Finally a good dock, USB4, oculink AND pci 4.0 lets go!

[@c01nd01r]

It would be interesting to see a comparison of Oculink and USB4 on the same graphics card and computer, in identical games

[@MichaelHenggeler-u6g]

Tried it with multiple products, we're close but not there yet. I still think the better situation is using the handheld as a sidekick to the desktop. If you are okay with cloud saves.

[@charleyweinhardt]

@@MichaelHenggeler-u6g I'm on a legion go with a gutted Windows 10 OS, I'm running a usb4 UT3G with the 4070 TI I'm able to run cyberpunk 1440P Max settings path tracing AT 80FPS. Everything flawless better than some people's performance on desktop.

[@MichaelHenggeler-u6g]

@charleyweinhardt over usb4 it's not better than desktop with specifically the same specs. There are games that run very well with egpu, such as cyberpunk. But that 40mbps (which it doesn't even actually reach) bottlenecks certain games. For example, Spiderman remastered, and miles morales don't work well with egpu due to the large amount of bandwidth needed to run that game. In most other games, you're at best missing about 20% of the gpu capabilities. Over usb5, this may not be an issue, and it's definitely not an issue over okulink. Like I said, close but not there.

[@charleyweinhardt]

@@MichaelHenggeler-u6g when you're saying "not there yet", i think that leads people to think they won't have a good experience with a good EGPU setup, this is just not the case I have two incredible desktop setups and I'm preferring my mini desk setup I've been using for the past months. Getting a legion go for 500 on eBay and then a ut3G for 100 on aliexpress and a 3080 for 400 on eBay is a really smart move, and you'll have an amazing time 👍👍 not to mention the wattages that I've been using on all these games and when I'm idling and browsing the web it's unbelievable, i absolutely beat the heat this summer, vital usage browsing usage and most gaming usage I'm using half the watts with the same performance, and then with cyberpunk I go full blast no problem.

[@charleyweinhardt]

@@MichaelHenggeler-u6g sounds like you didn't get good results but I can assure you it really can be great with usb4. running powershell scripts and gutting your OS makes all the difference. ETA mentions not having the best time with Spiderman and horizon west but thats about it, I bet I'd get better results, my cpu score is just under 10,000 and my gpu is just under 20,000 in timespy, 17500 total. he said he's going to post the oculink scores in comparison anyway it'll be interesting to see. I'm aware of the general reports but I getting much better than what others have gotten it seems, I was debating it, glad I jumped.

[@hELLLcs]

soon enough we will all be with handheld pc instead of desktop. Pretty insane stuff!

[@ranjitmandal1612]

Much better than the previous dock you reviewed

[@DavidAddis]

So close! I would go for a Mk 2 version that supported usb-c power delivery.

[@HVTILLVIB]

They updated the product recently. Now the USB-4 supports 100W of power delivery.

[@DavidAddis]

@HVTILLVIB oh really?! That's awesome. Is it a different model number, or V2 or something? How can you tell the difference?

[@HVTILLVIB]

@@DavidAddis It is more of a total replacement of the original AG02. According to the seller's website, they've actually sold out all of the original inventory of the AG02 and have went back into production in getting these new features available. Currently, the shop page for that product will consist of pre-orders of the updated version, which is scheduled to ship out mid-January.

[@ytuser2093]

Great vid 👍🏻

[@k1ngarthur290]

I’m gonna connect this with my master system

[@DARKSHOT1]

The new version is coming out in January it supports 100 Watts reverse charging, and 500 W Egpu

[@stevek662]

Received mine several days ago and it comes with 800W power supply now

[@xile6]

I just got my egpu setup last week, the one that is normally on amzaon. I designed and 3d printed a cover for the cables and added a handle. But this does look very clean. And no power out is a real downer. Also no handle, how do you pick it up and move it around?

[@lux4134]

im going this route for my laptop vr station till i rebuild my desktop

[@mimo5383]

When I update to a 5090 rig next year I'll have a spare 4070 on the shelf so this will be puuuuurfect for a lounge room big TV gaming setup. I'd only bother with Oculink though. Be nice if they provided color options like Black and White units at least also.

[@RSI24]

Will it have enough power to power up the 4070?

[@douubledog4008]

Great video. Future proofing (for a few years at least) would be the dock with usb 5 and associated power supply for 4k TVs, any idea when this is likely?

[@Nino-bu9mj]

hi! how did u get the ally x to detect the amd card? peopla are saying amd drivers conflict with each other

[@cheshire147]

Welcome to the stack future

[@docbrody]

I found it can be a little finicky getting the right drivers installed so the eGPU plays nicely with the iGPU in a ROG Ally X. Did you have any issues? Any words of advise

[@rinzl3rs349]

Mine came in today and well... its was DOA. Neither Oculink or USB4 are working on mine. I've tried on all 3 of my OneX devices and none can see it. Something else is they say it is 400watts but clearly the PSU says 350watt on it.

[@luizphillipeschaffhausser5726]

@@rinzl3rs349 any news about it? I want to get one, but im not sure.

[@eddiekreun7278]

@@rinzl3rs349 Did your GPU start up on the EGPU? My ally X isn’t reading the GPU but it starts up on the EGPU.

[@michaeldendulk2230]

Mine was fine, but also their website actually lists 2 versions, 1 with 400 Watt, one with 350 Watt (the first version being the 400 Watt one, if I'm not mistaken, the newer one with USB 4.0 only has 350 Watt, but both say max 7700 XT/ RTX 4070).

[@legart4507]

For 159 this is a banger, given it has a psu built in

[@aflury]

That's an amazing deal. It's barely more than the AliExpress docks that are just the frame/circuitry and no PSU.

[@qvivnb]

I wonder if this eGPU is using the Asmedia controller that supports PCI-E 4x4 over USB4.

[@fuzzycuffs]

Would be interesting to see the same GPU, Ally X, and USB4 but with a dock that says PCI Gen3x4 and this one that says PCI Gen 4x4 and see if it's just reporting or actually different.

[@johnpp21]

i have tested some docks using these same USB4 and thunderbolt 3 controllers this is using ASM2464 USB4 controller, the usual thunderbolt 3 controller which found in most egpu dock is JHL7440, this new controller is a lot faster than thunderbolt, 3700MiB/s vs 2700MiB/s results in higher fps and smooth performance than JHL7440, JHL7440 struggles in graphic demanding games, stutters a lot, this new controller fixes that problem

[@dalejail]

will you get 4x pcie 4.0 speeds if you plug this into a intel tb4 laptop?

[@rifki0011]

it seems AG 02 comes with 350w power supply instead of 400w and AG 01 comes with 400w from taobao product information (I wonder if it's different with the aoostar website)

[@marleensrain]

wonder if a 7900GRE would be okay on it

[@michaeldendulk2230]

You'd need more power, the peak power of the 7900 GRE would likely be too much for the PSU. They do have a 550 Watt version now of the dock, which should do the trick.

[@Hrajnoga]

Would you recommend this with the GEM 12 or Beeling GTi 12 with their proprietary dock? Thank you for sny suggestions.

[@srvuk]

A pointer towards the future but perhaps an expense that might not seem of great value once you add up all the cost.

[@lynnjr457]

I would have preferred seeing the other model with the replaceable 550w server power supplies even though it doesn't support USB 4. And I'm pretty sure they made the decision for the USB 4 to not provide power because they don't want you leeching off the power for the GPU.

[@rifki0011]

if maximum is 250w, isn't 4070 super is works with 12vhpwr adapter?

[@stevin2204]

Hi Eta, do you have recommendation for eGpu dock which is equivalent to Aoostar ?

[@CyberDopamine]

Sold out

[@TCGADGET_STORE]

@@CyberDopamine you can order me in thailand.

[@Kappa-G]

The way that GPU mount is neat, cool looking.

[@fnggaming89]

When u plug the Egpu into the X Besides checking task manager how do you know that it makes the switch to the Egpu? There a pop up? ( didnt see any ) there a sound notification?

[@andrewantczak4637]

Hey ETA, awesome video. I'm currently waiting for the updated version of this dock to come in. I was wondering though, what is the boot sequence with this when connecting via thunderbolt 4? I also will be connecting to an ROG ally x and I haven't seen any coverage on this. Also was wondering if when powering off if you have to unplug the cable or what not beforehand? Thanks!

[@psychoacer]

Probably unlikely but is there a way to rig one or so one of the power connectors can have a fan lead or 2 come off it? I have a 2070 Super and it has a 3rd party AIO water cooler from ID Cooling. The pump and the fan need power and this would be a nice option versus having to go down the minisforum dock route. I'm pretty sure I'm SOL but thought I'd ask and see if anyone has any idea. Also would prefer not to solder

[@astralpowers]

Please test Space Marine II. I hear it's tough on both GPU and CPU

[@dalejail]

is it possible to upgrade the psu? would 400w be enough for a 3080ti?

[@yugiohmaniacs]

hi thanks for video...amazing content :) I am a bit confused with setup for Ally X on egpu. Isn't better option to plug HDMI directly from GPU to monitor than on dock and then to monitor? I am noob a bit and still learning how properly connect this. Thanks :)

[@NewLifestyleMentor]

Can you review the Aoostar MG02 eGPU dock? I'm seriously looking at this one!

[@peppaz]

I bought an AG-01 on launchday, and this is the same price lol. What the hell aoostar

[@vizknight1862]

Just got the Ally X yesterday and buying a 6700xt to run this as a back up pc. Ordered the MINISFORUM DEG1 Docking with a 750w psu. Are you sure extra drivers are not needed??

[@WeAkSaUcE-n9g]

Can i use this with a steamdeck oled 1tb?

[@wolframluchner5316]

How about using a usb c dock that allows for PD in, connecting the egpu dock to the usb c dock? Shouldn’t that allow for power and video signal in one cable ?

[@lubossoltes321]

So you'll get the Aoostar Gem10 370 for review ? Can't wait ...

[@Ahmed-gy8bq]

Hi, What is the reason for limiting the AMD IGPU. And will you get a higher fps on this if you dont limit it? Like is it possible to use both the 4070 egpu and that amd AMD IGPU?

[@mrrolypoly5690]

Is this thing buggy to use? I’m considering getting this for my handheld, but I’ve heard some people say using egpus are glitchy. I’d plan on using a 3070 with my legion go.

[@vincentdoubt]

can this run 7800XT? Amazing video, all realistic just like what im thinking & alot of test is exactly what i want to know. important it's within our budget setup. its good if you can suggest the manufacturer let the GPU sleep above the egpu dock, & using 90 degree elbow power connector to connect the GPU to make it really clean look egpu.

[@rigoutz6870]

Sold out. No idea if it gets restocked. Sad face. Question though. Do you know of another built in power supply thunderbolt 4 dock?

[@bogdanstefanescu9297]

Hi. Im looking to buy the gpu dock aswell. After connecting the gpu to the console , there were no amd on amd driver issues? Ive seen a lot of issues regarding that aspect

[@noxvilll19890331]

soo did you test with oculink support handeld consoole ??

[@YKeophirun]

@ETAPRIME where can I buy this machine eGPU 😊

[@unexpectedmemes372]

i think its very nice

[@mstephanvids]

It seems to be a real USB4 eGPU dock using ASM2464PD chipset. Having PCIE 4.0 link is a clue, you should do bandwidth benchmark with AIDA GPGPU to confirm that. Also I didn't see any implementation of real USB4 eGPU that enable PowerDelivery, maybe a chipset restriction ?

[@Beryesa.]

Hmm, interesting to see x4 4.0 boards

[@infoguerrero]

I have a question, The monitor must be connected to the graphics card and not to the PC?

[@rastaminded119]

yes, connected directly to the graphics card.

[@Gdatshim]

im here shopping for this setup as i got the 7700 xt and low and behold you pop up lol. thanks just added to my cart. can you test COD warzone as i am having a hard time with it on my ally x dock mode igpu>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SOLD OUT SMFH

[@PashaDefragzor]

Rise of "eGPU Docks". I remember the times of 3dfx rise ^__^

[@exodous02]

So what one would you choose? This one or the Minisforum one?

[@aaronalquiza9680]

whoa an egpu dock that includes a PSU! next year i hope they combined the mini pc with these egpu docks so i can put any GPU in! and eventually i hope they make these docks bigger so that THEY BECOME FULL ATX DESKTOPS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@luck9837]

Your not the target market lol some people want to use the hand held as an all in one machine, light gaming on the go, laptop replacement, tablet replacement, and having this dock on your desk for heavier gaming, like i said your not the targeted demographic for this type of device

[@aaronalquiza9680]

@@luck9837 i do have a mini pc though, but my oculink+GPU setup is not self contained like these products. i have the OL adapter and psu on the side, where i can plug or unplug them when needed. my point is the modularity is starting to fade again with these products, and what if this catches on and every manufacturer starts doing this not allowing swapping components?

[@drewnewby]

@aaronalquiza9680 How are they going to charge more and still get the mini PC fans to buy them if they keep them modular. Clearly the "targeted demographic" wants a train of little boxes strewn across the desk instead of all in one case.

[@Z-add]

Their are models that can take 4090

[@GhostmanGus]

@@luck9837 I agree, this product is exactly for people like me who have a powerhouse handheld who want more power when docked

[@danielhulan3058]

Man if the usb4 and oculink version wasn't $219 I'd definitely buy one. It might be reasonably priced but it's still too much.

[@Rob02150]

Is it possible to add Microsoft flight simulator to some of your game tests?

[@nicolaespataru2824]

Noob here, can I use this with the Rog ally z1e? Thanks

[@TheAfroman]

Nope. The OG Ally doesn;t have TB4/USB4 only the ASUS proprietary port.

[@nicolaespataru2824]

@@TheAfroman guess I have to upgrade then 😁

[@علیاکبرزارعی-ز4ض]

❤❤❤

[@lolol50735]

can you use a usb c hub to put both of them in the same slot?

[@edgarbertaud6809]

Will this work with a 3080 founders edition or the of gigabyte one?

[@edgarbertaud6809]

Which version of amd software are you running. I ended up getting a wikingloo egpu dock and got a 750w power supply to run my 7800xt. A friend of mine had a 6650xt and it was plug and play but then when I disconnected from the egpu my ally x wouldn’t read the original gpu. And along with a bunch of other inconveniences. Any info would help. Thank you.

[@dragonyang7394]

ag02 is 500 watt ? with 350 watt max for graphic card ? i just purchase one on aoostar website

[@pt-fp9hf]

pcie4 x4.0 now we're talking! egpus were bottlenecking all the time on tb3 and with double bandwitdth we can definitely play more gpu-intensive games

[@johnpp21]

although its pcie 4.0 x4, because its USB4, these are limited to 40Gb/s cuda-z score is around 3700MiB/s in H2D vs 2700MiB/s in thunderbolt 3 docks(JHL7440)

[@charleyweinhardt]

im running the ut3g with a 4070 ti, flawless performance

[@Downgrade13]

do these EGPUs start up and shutdown automatically when connecting / disconnecting USB cable from Ally X ?

[@briansmith4090]

Where is the link to purchase one of these EGPU docs?

[@andryarx4935]

What is the best nvidia card that can use 100% of thunderbolt 4 connection? I don't wanna buy an op card if i can't use all that power

[@COACTUSFECI75]

i have a rog ally and i have a gigabyte rtx2060...which dock can is use? i find only these m2 solutions

[@PurpleEZLink]

So for this set up you just plug in and play?

[@tommygutman3699]

Maybe something to try out with the new Lunar lakes coming out now

[@MrDaimon19]

I would like to know if exist an adapter to work with steam deck

[@GuillermoCordoba-hp8yh]

Please can you help me rx7800xt but ask for drivers evrytime I unplug it I have to install the rog ally drivers is there a way to avoid it

[@frankye112]

Hi, I have a laptop (asus tuf f15, fx506lh) Can I do the connection between devices with dual usb c cable? Thanks in advance!

[@Media4Everyday]

Wait... so no charging???? So how will you charge??????

[@MisterPikol]

it only costs 160 bucks ? what a steal !!

[@vincentdoubt]

do I need uninstall AMD graphic driver if using NVIDIA gpu as external egpu? if yes, then handheld mode how i still can play game with AMD igpu?

[@Gdatshim]

hey so i got the egpu setup with my 7700xt but i cant get it Adrenaline software to see both IGPU and EGPU. When i plug it in the 7700xt is seen and then my igpu drivers fail. Either way i cant get a picture from the 7700xt when its found and enabled. How did you get this to work

[@Ahmed-gy8bq]

Can you do VR test?

[@JolandaVerHagen-r9j]

I want to play the Steam game Black State with my mini PC Ryzen 9 7940HS 32GB DDR5. But want to use a 4090 OC video card for this. What is the best option m4 oculus, Tunderbold, and is it also possible with the AOOSTAR AGO2 EGPU Dock.

[@edgarbertaud6809]

Hi I have a wikingloo usb 3/4 egpu dock with a 750w power supply cx750 m. It shows the 3.0 on the part you said this one does 4.0. And I’m inane to get more than 40 percent gpu usage except for one game. Any ideas?

[@JRkW]

@etaprime can you try this with a 4070 super + rog ally x to see the performance?

[@cutiebongbong8798]

I use ag02 for ally x but I use RTX 3080. ROG ALLY X SHOW graphic card is RTX 3080 (In armoury crate and device manager) but after I install geforce experience, it' not working because Ndvia app force me to install and update app again and again!! I try to fix problem but it's not work. How to fix this please help me.

[@michaelmcconnell5031]

Could I run an rtx 4070 ti super in this?

[@michaelmcconnell5031]

Was wondering this myself

[@eskimolost2012]

i looked under the unit and it has a 350w flex psu so can i swap for 500w flex psu or get 600w flex psu to future proof when the next gen psu gets here so i can use 7900 gre for 16gb to my minisforum v3 or handheld through oculink or usb4

[@mikecrawford9537]

So this is USB4 V1 40gb? Not USB4 v2 80gb?

[@Camelfunseeker]

How is the fan noice of the psu in the dock?

[@miloboy82]

no powerdelivery on the usb4 version is a major let down. any savings here ended up with more cables for handheld

[@eliezerortizlevante1122]

the PSU can be swapped. "Big deal" with power limiting factors. Slap in a 600W modular FlexATX and call ot a day

[@turboimport95]

my 4080 runs around 290 watts maxed out, so yeah you could run a 4080 on here, hell even 4090 uses about 325 ish gaming. My next gaming pc upgrade after my 7800x3d is a mini pc with one of these but i want a usb 5 version so that can handle a gpu 100%. usb4 is a little slow.

[@jestondulos916]

Aside from xgm is there any ways to use egpu on rog ally z1 extreme?