– GPD Box mini PC available on Indiegogo, starting at $1,452 for Intel Core Ultra 7 356H with MCIO 8i eGPU port (512Gbps bandwidth)
– Second config has Core Ultra X7 358H with Intel Arc B390 iGPU but no MCIO 8i port (starts at $1,534)
– Both have 160W GaN power supply, 15-80W TDP, dual M.2 slots (one PCIe Gen 5 x4), and up to 64GB LPDDR5X RAM
– MCIO 8i port offers near-native desktop eGPU performance, far exceeding OCuLink 4.0 (64Gbps)
– GPD G2 eGPU dock bundle with MCIO port available from $1,837
Pricing and Specifications
GPD has made the Box mini PC available to purchase through the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. Backers can get this Intel Panther Lake system at a discounted price, and the starting price is $1,452. That starting price is for the configuration with the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H, which doesn’t have the Arc B390 iGPU. Instead, it features the less capable 4-core Xe3 iGPU, but this config features the OCuLink-beating MCIO 8i eGPU port.
MCIO 8i Port Advantages
For reference, the MCIO 8i port is based on PCIe Gen 5 x8, and it promises 512Gbps of bidirectional bandwidth. The OCuLink 4.0 port that’s found on most mini PCs is rated for 64Gbps. This jump means that with a capable eGPU setup, it’s possible to get near-native desktop performance through this port. This is a significant uplift for users who need external graphics power.
Alternative Configuration Details
There’s another configuration of the GPD Box available, and it comes with the Core Ultra X7 358H. It has the more capable Intel Arc B390 iGPU but misses out on the MCIO 8i port. Beyond these, the other aspects of the two configurations are the same. Both come with a built-in 160W GaN power supply, and they can be adjusted from anywhere between 15W and 80W TDP.
Storage and Memory Options
GPD further highlights that this Intel Panther Lake mini PC has dual M.2 slots, and one of them can hold a PCIe Gen 5 x4 SSD (2TB Samsung SSD 9100 Pro curr. $423.91 on Amazon). There’s also a rich set of connectivity ports for easy expansion, including:
- Dual Thunderbolt 4 ports
- USB4 Type-C
- HDMI 2.1
- Dual 2.5GbE LAN
- Multiple USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports
- 3.5mm audio jack
Pricing Tiers and Bundles
The company is offering the mini PC with up to 64GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and on Indiegogo, it’s possible to purchase the Core Ultra 7 356H config bundled with the GPD G2 eGPU dock, which also features the MCIO port. This bundle starts at $1,837, while the config with the Core Ultra X7 358H starts at $1,534. GPD on Indiegogo provides these early bird options for backers.
Leave a Reply