Asus’ Thunderbolt 5 eGPU to go on sale next week

By Kunal Khullar Published February 19, 2025

Asus’ latest external graphics unit, the ROG XG Mobile 2025, will be available starting February 25 as reported by IT Home. Showcased at CES 2025, the latest iteration comes with a sleek design and features Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, marking a major shift from the proprietary XG Mobile connector used in previous versions.

The original XG Mobile eGPU, launched alongside the ROG Flow X13 in 2021, came equipped with RTX 3080, 3070, and Radeon RX 6850M XT options. The biggest issue with the XG Mobile was its PCIe 3.0 x8 interface which limited the bandwidth to 63Gbps—far below what Thunderbolt 5 offers. Additionally, the previous proprietary XG Mobile port limited compatibility to select ROG laptops and the ROG Ally handheld. The ROG XG Mobile 2023, which included RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 laptop GPUs, kept the same proprietary connector, further restricting its use outside of Asus’ ecosystem.

With the introduction of Thunderbolt 5, the latest XG Mobile eGPU provides up to 80Gbps of data transfer, which is a significant jump over Thunderbolt 4’s 40Gbps, potentially reducing performance bottlenecks in external GPU setups. Unlike the older models, which only worked with specific ROG Flow laptops, the 2025 version will be usable with any device that supports Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, or USB4.

The ROG XG Mobile 2025 will be available with the latest RTX 50-series laptop GPUs in two configurations: an RTX 5070 Ti model starting at $1,199 and an RTX 5090 variant for $2,199. The RTX 5090 variant features 24GB of GDDR7 VRAM and runs at a 150W power limit—lower than the RTX 5090 desktop variant, which has 32GB VRAM and 575W power draw. The RTX 5070 Ti model, while more affordable, is aimed at mid-range users looking for an external GPU setup.

In terms of design, the 2025 XG Mobile gets a new translucent finish and is slightly smaller than its predecessor. It also weighs under 1kg, making it more portable than traditional external GPU enclosures, which often require a separate power brick. Like previous versions, it also doubles as a docking station, featuring DisplayPort 2.1, HDMI 2.1, USB-A ports, an SD card reader, and Ethernet connectivity.

By adopting Thunderbolt 5, Asus has addressed one of the biggest drawbacks of its previous XG Mobile lineup—limited compatibility. While the price remains steep, especially for the RTX 5090 model, this version is finally an option for a broader range of laptop users, not just those with ROG Flow devices. However, it remains to be seen whether the performance over Thunderbolt 5 can match the direct PCIe connection of previous models.