Rating of the best external graphics cards for computers and laptops for 2022

Modern technologies open up amazing opportunities for all fans of virtual entertainment. Developers spend a lot of money and effort on creating new games, which in turn translates into material problems for gamers, because industry innovations require serious capacities. However, the world does not stand still, and companies have come up with a relatively inexpensive and effective way out for players - they have created external video cards. For many, even in 2022, this term is not entirely clear, because everyone is used to the fact that “graphics” is installed inside the case. But now the popularity of external devices (which are a compact or not very compact case with a set of adapters, a video card and a power supply) has increased significantly both among manufacturers and among users. Despite the imaginary high cost and inconvenience, these devices can really solve many problems. For owners of modern laptops, this is a great opportunity to significantly strengthen their “machine” with a video card, because often processors are much less likely to cause poor performance in games.

The rating of the best external video cards for computers and laptops for 2022 will help you quickly navigate among the many popular models, analyzing in detail their advantages, disadvantages and characteristics. For a quick reference, you can use the tables below, broken down by price categories of devices.

Budget Solutions

Having a good, but slightly outdated laptop or PC, do not despair, because the performance problem can be solved with relatively little bloodshed - up to 20 thousand rubles. All the models listed below, despite the relatively low cost, received positive feedback from experts and users, and therefore there is no doubt about their effectiveness. The article contains approximate price tags, since external cards are not very common in the Russian and CIS market, which contributes to a significant price fluctuation.

Table for reference:

Model	Dimensions	Video card support	Power supply power	Interfaces	approximate price
Zotac AMP Box	271 x 257 x 146mm	up to 22.8 cm	450 W	USB 3.1 (x4), Thunderbolt 3	16 000 rubles
HP Omen Accelerator	200 x 400 x 200 mm	up to 29 cm	500 watts	USB 3.0 (x4), LAN ports, USB-C	18 000 rubles
Power Color Devil Box	400 × 172 × 242 mm	up to 31 cm	500 watts	USB 3.0 (x4), USB 3.1	18 000 rubles

Zotac AMP Box

Approximate cost: 16,000 rubles.

Perhaps the most affordable solution that will really show a performance boost is the Zotac AMP Box. The company is well known in the market, because the first models went on sale in 2017. By the way, the AMP Box is more advanced than the mini that preceded it due to its increased size. So, its dimensions are 271 x 257 x 146 mm, which allows you to install powerful video cards of the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti level and shortened versions of other high-end models (for comparison, the Mini supported NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 cards).

The station has a 450 W power supply, which is more than enough for its class. It is also worth mentioning the presence of four USB 3.1 ports and one ThunderBolt 3 (it is this interface that provides connection to a laptop).

The case looks quite neat, has rounded edges and a lot of ventilation grilles. The power button is located on the front panel in its upper part. Cooling AMP Box is quite primitive - there is a fan that cools the power supply directly, no additional systems are provided. But the noise level of a working device is minimal, which is distinguished by all owners.

• Acceptable price;
• USB 3.1 ports are plentiful;
• Neat design, nothing more;
• Works with mid-range and shortened high-end graphics cards;
• Low noise level.

• Powerful video cards are not supported (they simply won't fit into a 22.8 cm long slot - modern models can reach sizes over 30 cm);
• Cooling.

Conclusion: Zotac AMP Box is one of the most affordable external graphics cards with good value for money.Yes, it has a strictly limited set of features, but it has practically no minuses. By the way, the card has been on the market for quite a long time and most users consider it a very successful version.

HP Omen Accelerator

Approximate cost: 18,000 rubles.

Despite the slight difference in price, the HP Omen Accelerator is already much more interesting than the previous model. Even outwardly, the station looks much more attractive: having the shape of a cube with two legs on the edges, beautifully cut corners and pleasant colors, it resembles real gaming equipment. This can be seen from the dimensions of the external dimensions - 200 x 400 x 200 mm, and the maximum fit length of the video card up to 29 cm. So, you can easily install a medium and high-level video card into the docking station. Also pleased with the ability to install a hard drive size of 2.5 inches.

The connection process is extremely simple - you need to install a video card, a hard drive (if necessary) and connect the Omen Accelerator to a laptop using a special cable that comes with the kit.

The device's power supply is rated at 500 watts, so there will be no problems even with top-end video cards (even when an additional drive is connected). Everything is good with interfaces - there is one USB-C, four USB 3.0 connectors and LAN ports.

Of the real shortcomings, only a rather high noise level of the power supply can be distinguished.

• The cost corresponds to the characteristics;
• Pleasant appearance;
• Lots of ports;
• Support for video cards up to 29 cm;
• You can install a hard disk;
• All connection cables are included;
• 500 watt power supply.

• The PSU has a high noise level and it is difficult to do anything about it.

Conclusion: A very interesting option that is perfect both as a budget option and quite suitable for serious tasks. It has all the interfaces you need, and the premium features and price make it one of the most competitive options in its niche.

Power Color Devil Box

Approximate cost: 18,000 rubles.

PowerColor is a well-known Taiwanese corporation that needs no introduction. And the first thing that attracts the attention of buyers is, of course, the design. The station is made in a unique style, resembling a rectangular parallelepiped with cut edges. Most of it is occupied by a mesh for ventilation, and four large screws around the perimeter give it additional impressiveness. The final touch is a stylish logo made on the side face - demonic wings and the inscription "Devil". So the Devil Box looks really cool and fully lives up to its name.

The dimensions of the device are as follows - 400 × 172 × 242 mm. Such rather large dimensions allow you to fit a video card up to 310 × 140 × 50 mm into the “devil's box”, which undoubtedly significantly expands the list of possible solutions (AMD Radeon R9 Nano, Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan X, Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 and many others).

The power supply unit has a power of 500 W, but the "box" is designed for cards with power consumption up to 375 W. The interfaces are also in order - the standard four USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 (aka Type-C / Thunderbolt, which makes it easy to connect to a laptop).

Like the previous model, PowerColor Devil Box, allows the owner to connect a hard drive (2.5-inch, SATA-interface, speed up to 6 Gb / s). Connecting the docking station is very simple - all cables (power cable and Thunderbolt 3) are included, so there should be no problems.

• Price;
• Unique design;
• Working with large video cards;
• Power supply for 500 watts;
• Power cable and Thunderbolt 3 included;
• Supports drive installation;
• Lots of ports.

• Not detected.

Conclusion: The PowerColor Devil Box is a budget solution with a hint of a major performance improvement. "Box" has all the necessary functionality and supports a huge number of video cards, it is also worth highlighting the stylish design and a lot of positive feedback from the owners of this model.

Price equator

Here are collected popular models from the best manufacturers, which are distinguished not only by a good set of features, but also by pleasant features such as support for multiple monitors, charging a laptop while working and, of course, equipped with a good cooling system.

Table:

Model	Dimensions	Video card support	Power supply power	Interfaces	approximate price
Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Puck	152x130x58 mm	Radeon RX 570 included	220 W	HDMI and (x3) DisplayPort.	32 000 rubles
BizonBox 3	360×80×205 mm	up to 32 cm	200 W (PSU 400 W optional)	1 × Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C)	33 000 rubles

Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Puck

Approximate cost: 32,000 rubles.

The advent of Thunderbolt 3 made a small revolution, allowing laptop users to significantly increase their productivity through docking stations. The eGFX Breakaway Puck is a high-performance universal solution created by Sonnet with the RX 560 video adapter. It is noteworthy that the device has a fairly compact size - 152x130x58 mm, takes up little space and can be easily transported along with a laptop.

The design of the device is quite simple - outwardly it is a neat "box" of a very discreet look with vertical slots for ventilation on the ribs. There are also mesh air intakes on the top, which, together with the company logo, look pretty good.

It is also worth noting that the eGFX Breakaway Puck is equipped with a portable Radeon RX 570 GPU - one of the best solutions at the moment for working with professional video editors like Adobe Premier, and provides good frame rates and smooth images in games. It is also interesting that the built-in video card can display an image on four screens at once (4K resolution). Also thanks to the Thunderbolt 3 connection, the Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Puck boasts high video speed.

The cooling system includes a temperature controlled fan that does an excellent job of keeping the device cool during load. It is worth saying that the power supply is remote, that is, the device itself must be connected to both the laptop and the PSU. Users do not like this solution too much (the PSU takes up space, you must always have a power cable with you), but this avoids additional heating in the device case. The built-in interfaces are as follows: one HDMI and three DisplayPort.

Of the pleasant surprises - the ability to charge a laptop from the station. All cables, as well as a bracket for permanent mounting (wall mounting) are included.

But it was not without unpleasant moments. So, the docking station will only work with the Windows 10 operating system (starting with build version 1703). And the very obvious disadvantage is the lack of USB ports, which owners often talk about.

• Good cooling system;
• Price quality;
• Integrated Radeon RX 570 GPU;
• The ability to charge a laptop (even if it is turned off);
• The kit includes cables and mounting bracket;
• The presence of HDMI (x1) and DisplayPort (x3) connectors;
• Simultaneous work with four 4K screens;
• Powerful enough for gaming and professional applications.

• Works only on devices running Windows 10;
• No USB ports.

Conclusion: an extremely interesting solution that comes immediately with a good internal video card. In terms of price / quality ratio, it is significantly ahead of its direct competitors, due to good performance and a set of interfaces. Also pleased with the delivery and cooling system. And a small minus like the lack of USB is quite an acceptable fee for the opportunities provided.

BizonBox 3

Approximate cost: 33,000 rubles.

This docking station will be of interest to all those who have laptops and PCs from Apple. Having a rather ascetic appearance, the "box" can help increase productivity up to 7 times. BizonBOX 3 connects via eGPU Thunderbolt (cable included).

It is worth saying that BOX 3 is the brainchild of the popular company of the Russian company Bizon, so there should be no problems with its purchase. In addition, when ordering, the station can be understaffed at will by choosing a 400 W power supply (PSU included with an external power supply with a power of 200 W) and any video card up to 32 cm in size (this list includes initial video cards from GTX 960 to professional Titan X-series ). By the way, the official price of a 400 W power supply is about $100, so this amount will have to be added to the price if you buy powerful graphics.

Interestingly, by connecting the box only once, the user no longer needs to configure anything - the station will turn on by itself without rebooting and updating any data. The design of the device, as it was written above, is quite ascetic, but it is worth considering that the case material is aluminum, on a large area of ​​which there are holes for ventilation. And there are special paired handles on top and bottom, with the help of which the device can be easily transported and conveniently stored (the elevation of the main part of the case contributes to additional cooling and reduces dust ingress). The dimensions of the “bison” are 360 ​​× 80 × 205 mm, so you can’t call it miniature (the weight of the docking station, PSU and all cables is 2 kg).

• Huge potential;
• Aluminium case;
• Thunderbolt cable included;
• Does not require a reboot when turned on;
• Convenient to transport and store;
• There are PCI-Express slots;
• A variety of graphic cards (up to 32 cm long) are connected.

• When buying a serious video card, you will also have to spend money on a power supply unit, since the power of a standard one is simply not enough;
• The cost can vary significantly from place to place.

Conclusion: BizonBOX 3 is a universal station for Apple devices, because it works with both inexpensive cards and top models. In fact, this is an excellent choice for the future, because all components are easily found in Russia, and the potential of this system is huge, so by buying BOX 3, the user provides himself with a high-quality and reliable device for many years to come.

Advanced docking stations

This section is already represented by really serious gaming equipment, which can be seen even by the names of manufacturing brands - Razer, ASUS, Aorus and Gigabyte.There is no doubt about their quality, because they have decades of developments in this field behind them. And although it is quite difficult to find the best in this segment, it is enough just to get acquainted with the favorites - choosing any model, the user will be satisfied with the purchase.

Table for visual comparison:

Model	Dimensions	Video card support	Power supply power	Interfaces	approximate price
Asus ROG XG Station Pro	375×107×205mm	up to 31 cm	330 W	Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1	36 000 rubles
Razer Core Box	104×339×218mm	up to 31 cm	500W (375W for graphics card)	4x USB 3.0, Thunderbolt 3 and 1 Gigabit Ethernet	40 000 rubles
Gigabyte Aorus GTX 1080 Gaming Box	212 x 96 x 162	GeForce GTX 1080 Mini ITX 8G preinstalled	450 W	HDMI, DVI, (3x) DisplayPort, (4x) USB 3.0 and USB-C	40 000 rubles

Asus ROG XG Station Pro

Approximate cost: 36,000 rubles.

Many gaming portals call this station one of the best, giving it the first place in the ratings, in particular due to the rating of Asus itself, and an excellent price / quality ratio.

As for the appearance, the box is made in all the traditions of minimalism - a rectangular black box with round holes for the air duct and a little rounded corners. But the dimensions of the station are very impressive - 375 × 107 × 205 mm, this design allows you to easily place any modern video card inside, for example, the popular GeForce GTX 1080 Ti in 2022.

But there is also a small drawback - the built-in power supply with a capacity of 330 watts will not be able to "pull" top-level video cards, however, for an ordinary user, these characteristics should be enough.

By the way, despite the simplicity of the design, the developers did not leave their creation without a unique feature by adding 10 LEDs to the case. Their settings (color management, blinking, etc.) can be done using the special Asus Aura program, so there is nothing to prevent gamers from making their station a little brighter and more unique.

It is simplicity, starting from the appearance and ending with the LED settings, and connecting the box, together with an attractive price, that make the ROG XG Station Pro one of the most popular models not only from Asus, but from the entire segment. By the way, for those who find the model outdated or not too presentable, ASUS ROG XG STATION 2 is already on sale - an updated version of the classic with a modern design, improved performance and, for the time being, an overpriced price tag.

Also, in the cons, you can write down a rather meager set of interfaces for such a level (Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1), but these are all solvable problems that brand fans simply do not pay attention to.

• Aluminium case;
• Price quality;
• Compatible with almost all video cards;
• LED backlight with user-friendly Asus Aura software;
• External power supply;
• Good cooling (two fans);
• Convenient box design;
• Compatible with Windows and macOS.

• The PSU from the kit will not be able to pull serious video cards;
• Number of ports.

Conclusion: Asus ROG XG Station Pro deservedly takes its high positions in various ratings, because the station has all the necessary functionality and boasts a very affordable price. However, it is still impossible to call it a full-fledged leader - rather, it is the most reasonable purchase for reasons of price / quality, but there are more worthy models.

Razer Core Box

Approximate cost: 40,000 rubles.

In many ways, the Razer Core Box is an iconic docking station, because it was the first box that allows you to connect an external graphics card to your laptop without any problems. Despite the rather long time on the market, the device is still relevant to this day, and the number of positive reviews simply does not allow this model to be missed.

The first thing that pleases the model is, of course, the appearance. Compared to it, many past stations look like “gray mice”, because the Razer Core Box, in addition to the beautiful aluminum case in matte black, has a large mesh for air exchange, which allows you to see the video card and looks very attractive. In addition, there is a backlight. All elements are made very high quality and there is no feeling that this is just a beautiful wrapper. It is worth saying that the case looks great with Razer laptops, forming a kind of aggressive-industrial exposition.

The station is equipped with its own 500 W power supply, of which 375 W is allocated for the operation of the video card, which, in general, is not bad (considering that this is one of the oldest models on the market). The dimensions of the box are quite impressive 104 × 339 × 218 mm, which allows you to “shove” almost any video card up to 31 cm long inside.

Also, returning to the body, it is worth mentioning a large number of holes - they are on the sides, bottom and side. Inside, there are three full-fledged fans, each of which performs its task - cooling the PSU, video card and other components and the main fan that simply “accelerates warm air”, so everything is very good with cooling, thanks to a well-thought-out design.True, the station makes a noticeable noise - even without load, when turned on, the cooler on the power supply emits a very high noise level, so for a comfortable game you will have to consider buying headphones.

The Razer Core Box is equipped with a good set of interfaces: 4x USB 3.0 is available, a Thunderbolt 3 slot, and even a 1-gigabit Ethernet connector. Interestingly, despite the use of an older TI3 in the docking station, it works much more stable than the new ones. There are no problems with compatibility either, but sometimes the signal from some USB ports may disappear.

• Stylish design;
• Test of time (issued since 2014);
• Aluminium case;
• Support for many video cards;
• Good compatibility with laptops;
• Housing illumination;
• Stable work;
• Sophisticated cooling system;
• Lots of slots.

• Problems disconnecting some USB devices;
• High noise level;
• The supplied Thunderbolt 3 cable is short (0.5m), which often leads to the need to connect the box through the rear panel (the aesthetic “face” of the station looks better).

Conclusion: Razer Core Box is one of the most popular devices among docking stations, because it was Razer that was the first serious company to release a truly workable product. Even today, boxing is highly sought after and boasts enviable features as well as unique designs. The only thing that users will have to put up with is noise - but there will be no problems with cooling.

Gigabyte Aorus GTX 1080 Gaming Box

Approximate cost: 40,000 rubles.

Gigabyte officially introduced this station in 2017 and since then this model has been probably one of the best deals on the market. The thing is that the Aorus GTX 1080 Gaming Box is immediately equipped with a GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card (as the name implies). For comparison, for 40,000 rubles, the user receives a ready-made solution, while other manufacturers sell the station itself without graphics for 30-35,000 rubles, so the benefit is obvious.

The station looks quite simple, although very attractive - black metal with cut corners, cooling grilles (you can see what's going on inside), a stylish company logo and a discreet but very comfortable rear panel. By the way, the manufacturer includes a bag for transporting the box, which is good news.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the dimensions of the device - 212 x 96 x 162 mm with a weight of 2.4 kg (for comparison, the company's junior model weighs the same). This compactness was achieved using the GeForce GTX 1080 Mini ITX 8G adapter (its length is only 169 mm). The power supply is internal and delivers 450 watts of power.

Another feature is customizable lighting, which looks very good. True, it will not be easy to set it up on the go - the tuning algorithm is too complicated.

The box is equipped with two fans, but with its size and proper location, this is quite enough for efficient cooling.

But what the “baby” will definitely surprise with is the set of interfaces – there are HDMI, DVI, three DisplayPort ports, four USB 3.0 and USB-C (aka Thunderbolt 3) ports. There is support for fast charging Quick Charge 3.0.

Aorus GTX 1080 Gaming Box can work in two modes - Gaming and OC Mode.

• Compact dimensions;
• Gaming and OC Mode;
• Efficient cooling;
• Stylish body lighting;
• Support Quick Charge 3.0;
• Attractive cost;
• A lot of ports;
• Stylish design;
• GeForce GTX 1080 inside.

• Great weight;
• The backlight setup algorithm could be simpler.

Conclusion: Gigabyte Aorus GTX 1080 Gaming Box is an excellent solution for gamers who want to get the most features at the lowest price. There are just a lot of positive reviews about the station, but there are practically no minuses, so the verdict is obvious - it is definitely worth considering as a purchase option with a limited budget.

Summing up

If in the middle of the decade finding a docking station in Russia, and even at an adequate price, was an incredibly difficult task, today the market for external video cards is represented by various models of the most popular brands. And most importantly, in a few years the blocks themselves have become an order of magnitude better and more thoughtful - almost all of them do not have serious problems with cooling, compatibility and performance. And the prices have become an order of magnitude lower, which allows each user to find a device for their own needs and wallet. So, summing up, we can say that the most interesting budget station is PowerColor Devil Box due to its good potential and stylish design, in the middle segment you should definitely pay attention to BizonBOX 3 and Asus ROG XG Station Pro, among professional cards, Gigabyte looks the most attractive Aorus GTX 1080 Gaming Box, although the rest have decent specs.