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    HomeGadgetsMiscellaneous GadgetsThe Razer Core X Chroma External GPU

    The Razer Core X Chroma External GPU

    External GPUs seem to be gaining traction in the marketplace due to their easy plug-and-play with a single cord. You can literally transform your laptop into a top-tier gaming rig.

    Razer has made these enclosures for years now, but its newest entry blends the best of its previous attempts into one sleek package. The Core X Chroma has the larger size and wattage capability of the X model, but reintroduces RGB lighting and USB ports. Taking the place of the Core V2, this new external GPU is the best of the line

    The Razer Core X Chroma looks identical to the previous Core X. Its black, machined aluminum and sturdy panels are designed with a fit and finish befitting Razer laptops. It’s the same size, as well. About a foot long and a half a foot tall, it’s not unlike a small desktop tower sitting flat on your desk. Last year’s Core V2 was considerably smaller, but the Core X has a slightly larger 400-watt power supply, opposite the stock 120mm fan. The tray still easily slides out using the handle on the back. From there you have easy access to the PCIe slot.

    A Razer product without RGB just never felt quite right, but that’s been rectified. You’ll find Chroma lights, meaning they can be customized and programmed with Razer’s Synapse software. It’s the same lighting in the Razer Core V2

    RGB lights might be the headline feature, but the more important update to the Core X Chroma is the extra USB ports on the back. Along the Thunderbolt 3 port used for connecting to your system, there are now two USB-A 3.2 ports, as well as HDMI and an additional USB-C. This matches what you get on the Core V2 and is a big step up over the original Core X, which only has a USB-C port.

    These ports turn the Core X into a USB hub. You can have your monitor, mouse, keyboard, and external SSD all plugged into the Core X. You’re just one Thunderbolt 3 port away from accessing all these peripherals. It makes for a clean desk setup, and connecting is wonderfully simple.

    The Razer Core X, while external, still performs nearly as well as an internal setup. Stability has improved as well. Plug-and-play was one of the big innovations of Thunderbolt 3 and the first crop of external GPUs. Since then, it’s only improved.

    You’ll pay $400 for the Razer Core X Chroma, while the standard Core X is $300. That’s more expensive than a lot of options, especially those that include a graphics card inside. But you do get a rig that PC gamers have long wanted, as well as a do-it-all solution that combines excellent portability with desktop-like power. The Core X Chroma, and its siblings, finally deliver that, especially if you ever already got a Thunderbolt 3-powered laptop.

    David Novak
    David Novakhttps://www.gadgetgram.com
    For the last 20 years, David Novak has appeared in newspapers, magazines, radio, and TV around the world, reviewing the latest in consumer technology. His byline has appeared in Popular Science, PC Magazine, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Electronic House Magazine, GQ, Men’s Journal, National Geographic, Newsweek, Popular Mechanics, Forbes Technology, Readers Digest, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Glamour Magazine, T3 Technology Magazine, Stuff Magazine, Maxim Magazine, Wired Magazine, Laptop Magazine, Indianapolis Monthly, Indiana Business Journal, Better Homes and Garden, CNET, Engadget, InfoWorld, Information Week, Yahoo Technology and Mobile Magazine. He has also made radio appearances on the The Mark Levin Radio Show, The Laura Ingraham Talk Show, Bob & Tom Show, and the Paul Harvey RadioShow. He’s also made TV appearances on The Today Show and The CBS Morning Show. His nationally syndicated newspaper column called the GadgetGUY, appears in over 100 newspapers around the world each week, where Novak enjoys over 3 million in readership. David is also a contributing writer fro Men’s Journal, GQ, Popular Mechanics, T3 Magazine and Electronic House here in the U.S.

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