MSI's Luxium external graphics solution spotted

Although external graphics on a laptop were once a pipe dream, things are starting to come together for those yearning for desktop-style graphics processing on a mobile machine. MSI's first shot at the solution is apparently dubbed Luxium, and our Chinese brethren were able to steal a few shots from the display kiosk at Computex. Details are a bit scant at the moment, but the device will apparently provide a PCI-e to ExpressCard interface to get your desktop GPU interfacing with your lappie, several USB ports, a "USB to LAN" connector, S/PDIF in / out, optical audio input, and 7.1-channel Dolby Digital support. Yeah, we can't wait to see the benchmarks on this one either, but for now you'll have to be content with tapping the read link and taking a good first look at this promising product.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 10th 2007 3:42AM]

So I could finally play Oblivion on my lappy?

Well, next to my lappy?

:D I would so buy this if it was priced reasonably and evidently beneficial, being stuck with an Intel 945GM integrated.... *Sigh*

[LRawlins Posted Jun 10th 2007 5:25AM]

These things need to mature, fast. Ideally, external graphics solutions would be housed INSIDE an external monitor.

Therefore allowing your external graphics card by default to power the monitor it shipped with to it's fullest capabilities, and largely simplyfying both the form factor, and the amount of deskspace you'd need to accomodate all these excess components.

It should be a simple case of plugging in the external gpu capable monitor into my petite notebook and having both focal and GPU tasks passed through simultaneously. Turning my primary notebook screen, into the secondary screen of the augmented setup.

There are even DS-like connotations with that kind of setup, especially if you could use the notebook screen below/next to the bigger unit as your map, inventory, communication window...etc, in games.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 10th 2007 10:07AM]

"Ideally, external graphics solutions would be housed INSIDE an external monitor."

Nice idea. Mind if I patent it?

[Kinetic Posted Jun 10th 2007 5:50AM]

How about just buying a desktop for gaming and leave the notebooks for working on the move.

Or al least get one that doesn't try to cram everything in the smallest space possible.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 10th 2007 6:18AM]

Oh wow, and I am still messing around with my ancient Acer (which has an 8 MB ati rage mobility). Does Play Starcraft though

[SoCoolCurt Posted Jun 10th 2007 7:32AM]

yea KineticOnline is probably on the right track. this technology is probably not going to be "great" right off the bat and pricing will more than likely make it easier to just buy a new desktop instead. i mean dont get me wrong, i would love to see this succeed since my primary computer is a laptop with integrated graphics (you should see it try to play WoW, dear god). i just cant wait to see some pictures/videos of this thing in action and some type of pricing.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 10th 2007 7:36AM]

Now what i would love is if they could pipe the output back into the laptop using its screen. :)

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 10th 2007 12:05PM]

I've seen interviews where some Asus guys are saying they are working already on a new version of the XGstation that will allow for exactly that (using the laptop's own display rather than needing an external one).

[MonkeyHood Posted Jun 10th 2007 12:38PM]

I don't think it would be that hard. You can play video files off a USB stick can't you? Well, unless USB can't handle the resolution, it should be more a software hack. The XG plugs into a PCIe cable, and then resends the signal through USB.

[mRichardy629 Posted Jun 10th 2007 8:43AM]

But Will it play Doom?

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 10th 2007 9:16AM]

@Mike: Strangley, it'll play everything but doom. Ironic, no?

[mRichardy629 Posted Jun 10th 2007 9:17AM]

heh

[FuturePastNow Posted Jun 10th 2007 1:14PM]

These external graphics solutions are going to be great for people who want a couple more external displays, but they sill suck for gaming.

The ExpressCard slot is a PCIe x1 interface. ONE lane. Not sixteen, one. It has more bandwidth than an old fashioned PCI slot, but not enough for high-end 3D graphics.

I don't know, maybe I'm wrong about this. We'll see when these things get out in the wild.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 10th 2007 1:59PM]

The Asus one if I remember correctly should be about 9x better than an Intel 945. I'm sure that speed increase would be worth it if the price wasn't silly. I'd certainly pick one up if the price wasn't high enough to warrent buying a desktop PC

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 10th 2007 3:25PM]

I wasn't too thrilled with the idea in the first place but this may develop to a really nice product. I love google's translations, instead of previous | next for the gallery it's On a map | Under a plan.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 10th 2007 7:11PM]

Seems to me that I can alread do this. Just find a decent PCIe video card an plug my T60 into this: http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/catalog.workflow:item.detail?GroupID=38&Code=250310U¤t-category-id=C115F1DCFEEC4FC98B385898D5DB0658
I would just have to use an external monitor... Which from what I understand is still necessary with this getup. soooooo........ wtf? This really isn't all that innovative...

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 10th 2007 9:18PM]

Hey - its a Video Toaster! I remember lusting after a Video Toaster some 15 years ago. History repeats itself....

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 19th 2007 3:25AM]

Umm, no. Expresscard has both a usb and a full 16* pciX lane and the different cards choose what to use. This thing can get at full 16* bandwidth.