As a PC gamer, sometimes you just want to crank up the graphics settings. But certain compromises need to be made with handheld gaming PCs and modest laptops. Filling that void in power is the goal behind the Ayaneo AG-01, a starship-inspired graphics dock that combines a docking station with a dedicated AMD Radeon 7600M XT graphics card to instantly boost the performance and expand connectivity on your Windows gaming handheld or notebook. It’s not the only dock to offer such features but it’s easily the most interesting and while it’s still expensive at $600, it’s reasonably priced compared to the competition with similar feature sets.
Ayaneo AG-01 – Design and Features
The Ayaneo AG-01 is probably the most unique external GPU available today. While it covers the basic features you would expect from a product like this, namely that it includes a dedicated graphics card with easy connectability to your handheld or underpowered notebook, Ayaneo has invested considerable effort in its aesthetic – making it look like a spaceship. Or, as Ayaneo puts it, a “graphics starship.”
Strange? Maybe a bit. But if there’s one thing you can give to the company, it’s that its products always stand out. A clear line can be drawn from the retro theme of Ayaneo’s handhelds to much of its catalogue over the last year and this is certainly in a similar vein. The chassis of the dock is a mix of red and black (and is also available in gray). There’s a knob on the left side that acts as a power button and performance selector between 100W and 120W, indicated by an RGB ring encircling the knob. The right side has the company name, product name, and GPU branding embossed in silver. There’s also a small “Remake” badge that is reminiscent of the VHS era and a magnetic nameplate carrying the name of Ayaneo’s founder, Arthur Zhang. Maybe I spend too much time considering PC components, but I also think it looks an awful lot like a desktop graphics card without the fans.
There’s more than pretty looks at play here. The chassis is made of metal to better help dissipate heat generated by the GPU. There are also prominent vents traced across its top and sides and active cooling to blow that heat out and keep performance high. That’s especially important here because, like all eGPUs, you’ll also be facing bandwidth limitations compared to if that card were natively installed in your system via PCI-E.
Around the back, you’ll find its connectivity options. This is also where it becomes apparent that while it is a docking station in the traditional sense, it is much more targeted toward graphics in particular. For example, it includes both a USB4 Type-C port as well as an AccuLink port to connect to your device. You can also connect external monitors using either of its two HDMI 2.1 ports or its DisplayPort 2.0 outputs.
In addition, it features a single USB Type-A port, a gigabit ethernet connection, and a single pole jack for its power adapter. Around the left side, beneath the thruster vents, there is a removable panel that reveals an SD card slot for quick expandable memory for your device. Additionally, if you flip the unit over to the bottom, you’ll find a quick-release plate opened with a locking knob that reveals an M.2 2280 SSD port to easily add larger, faster storage. This is perfect if your device has limited capacity and you want to maximize your transfer speeds and minimize loading times, though it runs at PCIe 3.0 USB speeds. In my testing, this was typically around 800 MB/s for both read and write.
The GPU driving the experience is the AMD Radeon 7600M XT. The “M” in its name indicates that this is actually a laptop chip that has been repurposed as a small-footprint eGPU (the entire unit measures 9.45 x 4.65 x 2.01 inches and weighs just over two pounds). The chip uses the RDNA 3 architecture and includes 32 compute units and 2,048 stream processors on a 128-bit memory interface. It also includes 8 GB of GDDR6 video memory, running at 18 Gbps, leading to a total memory bandwidth of 288 Gbps.
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If you are new to the world of eGPUs, it’s important to note that you shouldn’t expect the same level of performance from this chip as you would if this card were plugged or integrated directly into the motherboard. How a GPU connects to a system will have a direct impact on the performance and frame rate you can expect. When connected over USB4, you have a maximum bandwidth of 40 Gbps. However, the real world performance of USB4 is typically less. Connected over OCuLink, the maximum bandwidth is 64 GBps and does translate to higher FPS pretty much across the board.
USB4 offers some great features, however, like reverse 100W charging. If you connect using both OCuLink and USB, you can charge your device while playing. Ayaneo notes that the ethernet, USB, and SSD ports all share the same 10 Gbps of bandwidth, however.
Depending on your gaming needs, the knob on the top can swap between 100W and 120W power modes, feeding the GPU more juice to maximize frame rates. The fans can become quite audible but no more than a normal gaming laptop, and it wasn’t distracting when wearing a pair of headphones – and to me, the trade-off to get better frame rates was worthwhile.
Another thing that I like about the AG-01 is that it’s self-enclosed. You really don’t need to worry about software and instead can just plug it in and go. When so many devices rely heavily on software customization, including most Ayaneo products, it’s refreshing to have a device that’s ready to go out of the box.
The final point worth remarking on is its cost. Initially, I was a bit taken aback by its $600 asking price. However, this is largely in line with competing devices and is in fact a bit cheaper than a number of others. A near-identical dock from BOSGAME is nearly $100 more, even with its $100 coupon, as is the ONEXGPU from ONEXPLAYER and the GPD G1. The only 7600M XT graphics dock I could find that costs less was the Minisforum MGA1 which lacks ethernet, a second HDMI 2.1 port, and any kind of expandable storage. If you don’t need those things, however, its specs make it a competitive value at less than $500 as of this writing. With this feature set, however, the Ayaneo AG-01 is competitively priced.
Ayaneo AG-01 – Performance
The AG-01 delivers on its promise: It instantly enhances the performance of compatible gaming handhelds and notebooks. It’s simple and intuitive to use and just works. Well, with a couple of small caveats. First, while you can hotswap with the USB4 connection seamlessly like a Switch dock, OCuLink requires a full shutdown and restart to function. Second, you need to connect through OCuLink in order for the dock’s expandable storage to be recognized.
I was able to test the dock with both my Ayaneo Kun handheld which runs on an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor and Radeon 780M integrated graphics. For some quick OCuLink comparisons, I used the GPD Duo laptop, which features an AMD Ryzen 9 AI HX 370 processor with Radeon 880M graphics and a newer RDNA 3.5 architecture. What’s impressive is that the AG-01 via OCuLink is better every time, and would continue to be so even on two identically specced systems. But no matter which connection method you choose, you can count on a big increase in gaming performance compared to integrated GPUs currently on the market.
Note that I conducted my tests using the 120W power mode and the benchmarks below reflect that. Given that the dock will be plugged into a wall outlet when in use, it doesn’t make much sense to limit graphics power to only 100W unless volume levels are a primary concern. I also used a locked 1080p resolution to keep comparisons consistent.
Ayaneo AG-01 Benchmark Results
Forza Horizon 5 (Extreme)
47 fps
Doom Eternal (Ultra Nightmare)
129 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra, FSR Balanced)
56 fps
Starfield (High, FSR Balanced)
42 fps
Alan Wake 2 (Custom Medium)
36 fps
3DMark Time Spy
9458 (score)
3DMark Fire Strike
19279 (score)
3DMark Port Royal
9042 (score)
These are very good results – in most cases, turning on the external GPU versus just using a system’s built-in processor bumps performance anywhere from 50% to almost double what the integrated GPU is able to provide. Of course, the amount of uplift will depend on which APU your system is currently running, however, it’s unlikely that you’ll experience anything other than a significant performance uplift when paired with what’s available now.
Throughout my tests, I generally tried to dial up the settings to something that would look great on an external monitor. To my surprise, this also improved performance compared to using the built-in display on the Ayaneo Kun. It was usually around five to ten fps, but it’s nice to know that you can have an even better experience when moving to a larger display.
If your device supports it, OCuLink should be your connection method of choice. In my testing, it typically offered anywhere from 30% to 50% increases in average frame rate at the same settings. Some of this is due to the newer processor in my test system but it certainly doesn’t take all the credit. The higher bandwidth makes a meaningful difference and lets the AG-01 shine.
I also outfitted the dock with a Team Group M.2 SSD. Due to the USB connection, it didn’t offer the same kind of speeds you would expect if it were installed directly into a motherboard. The SSD itself is rated for 1,800 MB/s read speeds and 1,500 MB/s for writing data, and as I mentioned above, both typically hovered around 800 MB/s due to bandwidth limitations. If the goal is to use an SSD to minimize loading times, however, it’s perfectly fine and is an exceptionally easy way to increase the storage of your device.
Article by:Source – Michael Higham
