Docks for external GPUs with Thunderbolt 5 are starting to arrive. The first one is the PELADN Link S-3, an option that allows us to reuse our power supply as well.
A few weeks ago we knew the specifications of the Thunderbolt 5 protocol, a new USB-C connector that can reach 120 Gbps in certain scenarios, but for eGPUs it remains at 80 Gbps. This Dock offers PCIe 4.0×4 slot, a standard ATX power supply connector, an M.2 2280 PCIe socket for adding a drive, microSD 4.0 reader and 2.5G Ethernet port. This is a version of the previous PELADN Link S-1/2 model that had variants with USB4 and OcuLink ports.
This connection system for external graphics cards is compatible with any mini PC or notebook. The graphics power for gaming will be multiplied as we have seen in our eGPU comparison.
PELADN Link S-3 technical specifications
The new PELADN Link S-3 dock offers a Thunderbolt 5 port with USB-C format that reaches speeds of 80 Gbps. A speed that doubles USB4 40 Gbps and 64 Gbps OcuLink connector. For the system to give us the optimal speed we need Thunderbolt 5 cables with support for 80 Gbps, they can not be longer than 2 meters. By default, this dock provides us with enough cabling to get it up and running.
If we want to use this eGPU system we need a mini PC or computer with at least USB 3.2 or USB 4, as it is backwards compatible. By giving it power it will automatically be detected as the new main graphics of our system, games or applications will use it by default.
Other notable features
The box in its upper area behind the GPU has an area to place our ATX or SFX source, so we can use one of our own that we have available. In the rear area we have two USB-C TB5 ports to connect to the PC and if we want to connect an external monitor, plus a 2.5G Ethernet port.
On the front we have the power button, a USB-A 3.0 and SD 4.0 mico reader. In the upper area under a cover we have the socket for the M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0×1 disk that we can use as an external drive, but it is quite slow.
Price and availability
- The PELADN Link S-3 dock with Thunderbolt 5 is available on Geekbuying only for $266 / 229 € using the discount coupon 9X6JOG1V.
