Month: June 2024

Minisforum’s DEG1 eGPU goes on sale priced at $99, but it’s OCuLink only.

2024 might just be the breakout year for external GPUs, especially with Minisforum’s debut of the DEG1, one of the more affordable eGPU docks on the market.

Priced at $99, the DEG1 is designed to offer significant graphical performance enhancements for those with mini-PCs, handhelds, laptops, or other devices constrained by internal capacity.

Initially unveiled in May as an optional add-on for the Minisforum AtomMan X7 Ti mini PC, the DEG1 is now available for pre-order as a standalone device, with shipping expected by mid-August 2024. Its minimalist design and singular focus on providing an external GPU connection mean it doesn’t double as a USB hub or port extender, which is a shame.

PSU required

The DEG1 boasts a fast OCuLink connection (so it will only work with devices that have an OCuLink port; there’s no support for Thunderbolt or USB4), providing up to 64 Gbps of bandwidth.

Thanks to its open-air design, it can accommodate even the largest GPUs, such as NVIDIA’s RTX 4090 and AMD’s RX 7900 XTX. The eGPU dock also features a signal amplifier to ensure stable video transmission from the CPU to the GPU.

One feature of the DEG1we like is its integration with the main power switch of the connected PC.

This means you don’t have to worry about flipping multiple switches to turn your setup on or off. It’s worth mentioning that the dock requires an external PSU, which isn’t included. The DEG1 supports both ATX and SFX power supplies, and for optimal cable management, a modular power supply is recommended.

For users who have space constraints but need a powerful GPU setup, the DEG1 could be an excellent solution when paired with an entry-level or mid-range graphics card.

However, as Tom’s Hardware points out, “This niche product doesn’t make sense for most consumers who simply want a desktop gaming PC with a high-end GPU inside. After all, if you’re spending hundreds of dollars on a graphics card, why not just invest in a desktop PC that can accommodate the GPU of your dreams?”

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Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 are the current gold standards for both performance and repairability.

For years, Microsoft’s Surface series has been a series (ha!) of disappointments featuring poor performance, stuttering, slowdowns, forced resets, and installed programs refusing to run, all wrapped up in a price point entirely undeserved for its level of quality. However, a clear difference between previous iterations and the 2024 models sets the latter apart in the best way possible.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 and the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 are exceptional laptops that have effectively set the golden standard for AI PCs. Microsoft has finally taken all the feedback and complaints over the years and worked to improve on most of these. As a result, we finally have Surface laptops that are not only worthy of their price points but are excellent in their own right.

If Apple is smart, it will note what is now its biggest competition and adjust its own strategies to better match Microsoft’s initiatives – not only for the sake of its business but also for the larger environmental impact.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / alphaspirit.it)

How bad was the Surface series?

While not the absolute worst laptops ever released, it was often mind-blogging how, year after year, Microsoft could release such mediocrity at an MSRP that matched far superior portable machines. It was the epitome of a series with plenty of potential, but failed to even remotely live up to it while suffering yearly releases meant to attract the Surface loyalists and only them.

Before 2024, I reviewed two other Surface laptops: the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, receiving three out of five stars and three and a half out of five stars, respectively. 

For the former, I cited how its poor performance, bad port selection and outdated design, along with a steep price tag, placed it far below its rivals. This was also the laptop that ran a ridiculous amount of programs and tasks in the background, which overtaxed the OS and resulted in slowdown and larger programs crashing. The latter only fared slightly better with average performance, a tired design, a bad webcam, and incredibly outdated specs.

The other major issue was how anti-user repairable Microsoft laptops were, especially the Surface series. In 2017, iFixit gave the first Surface Laptop a zero out of ten in repairability because it was an absolute nightmare to tear down, resulting in catastrophic damage to the machine. And for years after, later iterations weren’t much better.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

What changed this year?

The biggest, most definitive change between older Surface models and the 2024 suite is the introduction of Qualcomm Snapdragon CPUs. For months, manufacturers have been promoting their refreshes outfitted with these chips, boasting their superior performance and battery life, two vital keys to running AI tools and AI-based components.

The question was then, will these chips live up to the hype? And for the Surface series, they turn mostly mediocre and above-average laptops into some of the best Windows laptops and best laptops in the market right now. Their performance is exceptional, extremely responsive, and absolutely zero stuttering.

Considering that Snapdragon chips are made from the same Arm architecture that Apple’s latest M3 chips are also built on, it’s a testament to how closely Surface laptops match MacBooks. Both sport speedy performance and high efficiency, which keeps them nice and cool during the most intensive operations.

What also significantly improved is the Surface series’ ease of repairability. In 2021, Microsoft partnered with iFixit to sell Surface repair tools, culminating in both the Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 receiving eight out of ten scores from iFixit and are stated to be some of the most repairable laptops in the market.

Meanwhile, Apple’s MacBooks are some of the worst laptops for repairability, according to a report called Failing the Fix, which was compiled by the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), a consumer advocacy organization in the U.S. Having such an abysmal level of repairability in 2024 is blatantly anti-consumer and worsens the reputation of MacBooks comparison to Surface laptops.

(Image credit: Roman Samborskyi / Shutterstock)

Final thoughts

Microsoft has truly upgraded its lineup of Surface laptops, with the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 and Microsoft Surface Pro 11 rewarded with glowing reviews due to their outstanding performance and repairability. 

The accolades are well-deserving, as the tech giant took in often scathing criticism and used it to finally enact the necessary changes to actually make the Surface series competitive. And now that competition is finally heating up on Microsoft’s end, the ball is now in Apple’s court. 

It’s time for the tech giant to revisit its MacBook design, not only to maintain top-notch performance and efficiency but, more importantly, to address and fix the increasingly egregious lack of self-repair options for consumers. 

Apple’s control over every aspect of the manufacturing and repair process has been a long-standing feature of the brand. Still, with the growing threat of e-waste and its devastating ecological effect, it’s finally time for this to change. If Microsoft can do it, so can Apple. There’s no longer an excuse to accept anything less.

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