Mini PCs are getting quite the attention these days, partly thanks to the Mac mini’s influence and partly thanks to improvements in computer hardware. You can now cram as much power inside a small box that could easily match laptops while still providing some level of flexibility and customization when it comes to some components. You can, for example, easily upgrade RAM and storage, not to mention having access to almost a dozen ports that would never fit in today’s ultra-thin laptops.
Compared to their towering cousins, however, mini PCs still lag behind a bit when it comes to graphics, limiting their potential when it comes to creative work, especially when it comes to editing videos or 3D modeling. Sure, you can attach a hulking external graphics card, but at that point, you lose the space-saving benefits of a Mini PC anyway. This mini PC GPU dock, however, manages to keep the design compact and tidy so that you can harness the power of discrete graphics cards while still keeping the whole setup looking minimalist and aesthetic.
Designer: Beelink
Enclosures for desktop-grade graphics cards are nothing new and it’s a well-known method for empowering laptops, mini PCs, and handheld gaming PCs to handle heavier graphics processing tasks. Since their use has mostly revolved around gaming, most of these GPU enclosures adopt gamer aesthetics that are often dark, cold, and menacing. Putting that beside a sleek and stylish mini PC like the Beelink GTi3 Ultra creates an awkward clash of designs, not to mention wasting precious desk space.
The Beelink Multi-functional EX Docking Station solves that problem by putting the mini PC and a naked graphics card on the same space gray block of plastic, making them almost look like a single unit. The dock itself looks just like a multi-layered box that matches the motif of the Beelink GTi3. The mini PC slides into the PCIe connector to the side, while a compatible graphics card slots in from the top, almost like a gaming cartridge. Other than for power, there are no cables to connect the two, creating a clean and minimalist appearance.
Unlike enclosures that, as the name suggests, confine graphics cards inside a case, the Beelink dock’s open design allows for a more natural heat management system, using natural airflow to help cool both the graphics card as well as the mini PC. That said, it might be best to buy a graphics card that has its own built-in fans to further help keep temperatures down during intense gaming and work sessions.
As ideal as the design might be, there are also some drawbacks to the Beelink GPU dock, the primary of which is its limited compatibility with the brand’s mini PCs as well as graphics cards. The simplicity of the design also seems to limit the communication between the two devices. The mini PC, for example, can’t “wake up” the graphics card, so you have to remember to turn on the dock first before turning on the mini PC, otherwise, you get a blank screen. Still, it’s a rather creative design that respects the strengths of mini PCs by keeping the footprint down to a minimum while still providing that graphics muscle to handle both work and play.
