External GPUs might not be as popular when it comes to gaming as most people prefer to either get a gaming laptop or to build their own PC. However, both of these options can be really expensive which not many people can afford. You can just buy an external GPU enclosure which can house a powerful GPU to make things simpler for you as you can game without having to spend lots of money. The Razer Core X helps in doing just that.
Most gaming laptops come with a dedicated GPU but that also means that if you need to upgrade, you need to buy a new laptop instead of just swapping out the GPU. What’s great about the Razer Core X is that not only is the enclosure itself cheap, but you can also put almost any graphics card inside it and it’ll work. Therefore, you’re not limited to a specific set of graphics cards which means you can choose a GPU that fits your budget.
For example, the GTX 1080 is one of the top high-end GPUs out there that can play any game you throw at it at constant 60 FPS. The card only costs $500 and if you wanted to go for cheaper alternatives, you could, but other enclosures might not have allowed that.
The Razer Core X allows almost any laptop become a gaming powerhouse. You can have a laptop that doesn’t have any dedicated graphics card, it could be built as an ultrabook, not linked to gaming in any way, yet you can play games at 60 FPS through the Core X. Instead of spending a lot of money on a gaming laptop, you could just convert your current one into a great gaming device.
This is useful because the Razer Core X is future-proof as well, i.e. if you want to upgrade for a newer version of any AMD or Nvidia card, then the Core X will be able to support it. So the Razer Core X effectively turns your laptop into a mini-PC where you can swap out the GPU and keep upgrading like that instead of changing the entire machine every time.
The reason why the Core X is more flexible when it comes to the type of cards you can put in it is due to many reasons. It’s larger than the Razer Core V2 and a larger power supply which allows it to house bigger cards as well as more power demanding ones. However, it does lack features such as Ethernet and an extra USB port as well as the Razer Chroma lighting. However, given how considerably cheaper the Core X is, one can definitely live without these things. The device supports three GPU slots and also provides a boost to your laptop’s charging speed due to its 100 Watt output.
If you pair a GTX 1080 with a decent non-gaming laptop, you’ll find that it’ll be able to play any game thrown at it in smooth 60 FPS. That’s a big deal because it not only means that you don’t need to make your own PC or get a laptop for this to work, you can just get the Razer Core X and plug in a decent GPU externally to make things work. That way, you’ve also somewhat eliminated the weight issue many gaming laptops have.
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A lot of powerful hardware goes into gaming laptops which can make them bulky and hard to carry. However, since the solution here is external, it greatly increases portability for users, thus, a win-win scenario. All you need to do is plug in the Razer Core X to a USB-C port on your laptop and that’s it, you don’t need to do anything else. Your computer will automatically determine which card you’re using and will install the drivers accordingly. You’ll also get notified on whether you need to update any drivers so you don’t really need to worry about anything, it’s a plug and play solution.
There are a few concerns many gamers have, a few of them that pertain especially to people who use laptops for gaming. People who find it hard to install graphics cards will find it pretty easy to fit a GPU inside the Core X. Just follow the instructions and it’ll take only a few minutes.
One major concern is overheating. There’s very less space inside a laptop for multiple fans or for a decent cooling system and given the demanding nature of today’s games, overheating is a big issue. However, the Razer Core X shows no signs of overheating, even after long gaming sessions lasting for hours. It also remains silent and doesn’t create any annoying sounds.
Overall, the Razer Core X is a great device that may lack in a few features from the Core V2, but it packs all the essential and most importantly, it gets the job done. It costs only $299 and is more flexible when it comes to multiple GPU support. It’s also future-proof so you don’t need to worry about investing in a new enclosure anytime soon. Buy it from Amazon here in just $299.