Minisforum has been on a roll with its product launches, and just a few days after starting orders for the EliteMini AI370, they have now rolled out the MGA1. This new device is already available in various markets.
Overview of the MGA1
The MGA1 is yet another external GPU (eGPU) that is built upon AMD's Radeon RX 7600M XT GPU. It features 32 Compute Units (CUs) that use AMD's RDNA 3 architecture. Additionally, the eGPU comes with 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM, which operates at 18 Gbps across a 128-bit memory bandwidth. Similar specs can be found in One-Netbook's OneXGPU, which is currently listed at $569.99 for refurbished models on Amazon, along with several other comparable devices.
Performance and Connectivity
Essentially, the MGA1 will deliver performance in line with its competitors. However, it does not have a USB4 port for hooking up external gadgets. Instead, Minisforum decided to include a USB 3.1 Type-C port that supports 65 W Power Delivery. The MGA1 opts for OCuLink 4i, offering a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface instead of the more common options.
Additional Features
On top of that, the MGA1 is equipped with two DisplayPort 2.0 video outputs, one HDMI 2.1 port, and three USB 3.2 Type-A ports, which can achieve a peak data transfer rate of 10 Gbps. Unfortunately, the device also lacks support for M.2 2280 storage expansion. Nevertheless, Minisforum has set the price for this first eGPU at $559, positioning it similarly to its more flexible competitors, and possibly even higher in some scenarios.
