Customer Ratings & Reviews

Comparatively speaking this is the least cost option for an external GPU/laptop combo. I put a Titan Xp in mine and coupled it with an Alienware 15R3. The additional USB ports make it great for setting up VR (Oculus) in one place, but still being able to grab the laptop and go. Be aware that this ONLY works with Alienware systems that have the Graphics Amplifier connection, which is proprietary. It is not perfect, you do have to shutdown the laptop to get it to connect or disconnect. I also had some problems with the Graphics Amplifier USB all working with the Oculus - seems there may be a bandwidth issue, and the Oculus is notoriously picky about what USB ports you use. But with some fiddling and experimentation it all worked. It is faster than the thunderbolt options because of the way that Dell engineered the connection to the system bus, but that also means hot plug and play isn't an option.

I'd recommend this for folks with an older Alienware laptop. I'm talking R1-R3. Having the ability to use a desktop grade GPU(purchased separately) while at home is fantastic. If then you need to take your laptop with you, shut everything down(slight annoyance) unplug cable and your done. Laptop needs to be off every time you (un)plug to the amp. The stock PSU and case fan are too noisy. So I replaced them with a Corsair CX550 psu and noctua nf-59 case fan. Much better, look on youtube on how to do this properly.

I've had my Alienware R3 17" 4K laptop since release back in 2015. It came with a measly 980M with 4GB video RAM. It could max out most things at 1080p but looked horrendous on a 4k monitor. Through the years I've purchased GPUs and have thrown them in the Amp. My first adventure was the 980, then the 1080... And now the glorious 2080 super reference. It was a headache at first to get RTX active by updating Windows 10 and all my GPU drivers, but I eventually got everything working. I am able to run many titles at 4k with RTX off. With RTX on like in Control I have to drop down to 1440p which is still better than 1080p. Older titles such as Final Fantasy Online, 4k is locked at 60fps. All in all I think this Amp is a great investment. But down the road, probably even now, I am bottlenecked by my CPU (i7 6000 series). But without this Amp and external GPU compatibility I would be stuck with my dedicated GPU like most other gaming laptops. I HIGHLY recommend this Amp with it's GPU upgradability. If you have the proper computer and GPU, why not throw in a TI card. :) The only cons are, ease of use, as in the setup is pretty tough. And the blower style of the reference card blows all the hot air in the Amp case, but I keep it cracked and switched all the fans to exhaust. Other than that it's perfect. So I would opt for a blower type card for my next upgrade.

Its great. Setup was easy. I have a 1070 in it right now. The 1070 will play just about anything at 1080p with ultra settings. Don't use the amp as a docking station or you will hinder performance in games. Looking at youtube videos you can expect to attain about 70 to 85 percent of the cards power. Still its better than the 970m or 980m. The locking mechanism is really bad though. Hard to open and when you do it makes a sound like you broke it.

The graphics amplifier works well, but the latch could be of better quality. I like the extra 3.0 USB ports that you get and it makes it seemless to use your laptop with a monitor.

Good device to future-proof an alienware if you have one.

This has been rock solid in performance with my Alienware R4 17 on two 1440P 144Mhz monitors. I recently upgraded to a 2080Ti playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider and apparently that was too much for it. The power supply no longer delivers enough power and causes the drivers to crash. The GPU itself works just fine in other machines. Without a GPU in it, it still works as a big USB hub :)

Door hinge sticks when you attempt to open. This is my second box, and the other unit has the same issue, so it's not an isolated issue. However, once your past that hurdle, the unit performs excellent!

Got this as a pseudo USB Hub since I needed more ports for my Alienware 13R2. Other USB Hubs with HDMI inputs were all around the same price. It works great. Extra USB ports and also piggyback graphics boost. This works really well.

Bravo to Alienware for making this. Can boost your graphics with a second graphics card (not included). Also can use this as just a standalone USB hub if you really wanted to, but if you put in a graphics card then you have more inputs and accelerated graphics. This thing is amazing.

Great product must buy with laptop ...............

This items makes it where you can have a laptop and the power of a desktop graphics. One thing you need to know when purchasing this graphics amplifier is you still have to put he's a graphics card for it.

I have an Alienware Alpha R2 and it has this capability of adding Graphics cards on there with the Graphics Amplifier. It was an easy set up and I love it!

Purchased this along with EVGA 1080 ti and this is sych a great option to be able to have.

DESKTOP GRAPHICS NOW AVAILABLE ALONG WITH AN ADDITIONAL 4 USB 3 PORTS FOR HALF THE NORMAL PRICE

This is a great option for boosting performance on Alienware systems with a compatible port. The GTX 1080 FE fits right in and works great with the latest mobile drivers installed from NVIDIA. Huge performance boost in games and it keeps the GPU heat out of your system, which should extend the life of the components and lowers fan noise from the laptop to only the CPU fan. It also adds 4 USB ports, so it is a kind of docking station. If you know that you are always going to have the cable connected when at your main work space, the hub can be useful for external hard drives and such to reduce desk cable clutter. The unit is very big - with the rather inflexible cable in the back it probably takes up at least 18" of depth and certainly makes a statement on a desk. I was able to hide it down in a desk cubby, but for many you need to realize it is going to be a substantial part of the look of your space. It does have one of the light up Alienware heads on it that has a full channel LED allowing for it to be controlled by the AlienFX software that also manages the laptop lights, or can be shut off too. One last quirk - with it connected the sleep and hibernate functions won't work anymore. All you can do is shut down or restart the PC.

Great enhancement on the graphics on my computer worth it

Great graphics amp well worth the money and can handle a 1080 gpu with no issues. Unit starts up with a slight fan noise but it stays quiet during operation

I had the Graphics Amp paired with a 980 ti installed and working within 15 minutes of opening the box. It is incredibly easy to do and user friendly. I am seeing huge jumps in frame rate over a 980m (good in it's own right) especially above 1080p. All current games are playable @ 4k with high-ultra settings. It is also my understanding that this is the way to get the current alienware laptops compatible with upcoming VR. Another positive aspect is that the laptop no longer used the onboard GPU, resulting in a much cooler laptop for extended gaming sessions. Great Product!

I love being able to walk in Best Buy, ask for Angelina and she sets me up with all home theater equipment