At CES 2024, Lenovo introduced its impressively powerful new external GPU, the ThinkBook Graphics Extension. However, it comes with a pretty major caveat: it's currently only compatible with one laptop model, the Lenovo ThinkBook 14 i Gen 6+.
Unveiled at the same time, the ThinkBook 14 i Gen 6+ is a sleek and smart business laptop with an Intel Core Ultra processor. It uses AI-enabled PC features to optimize user experiences across various workflows, including office tools, photo, video and audio editing, and meeting collaboration. It comes with up to 32GB of dual-channel LPDDR5X memory, integrated Intel Arc graphics, and a large 85Wh battery.
ThinkBook Graphics Extension, or TGX as it is known for short, is a smart graphics solution that connects to the ThinkBook 14 via the laptop's TGX port. This port was created by Lenovo specifically to allow a high-speed connection to a desktop GPU.
A powerful boost for AI tasks
The product of Lenovo's collaboration with NVIDIA, the TGX is compatible with NVIDIA GeForce RTX desktop GPUs, which can greatly increase AI computing power when combined with the laptop's Intel Core Ultra processor.
Lenovo says the combined intelligence provided by itself, NVIDIA and Intel will offer “the perfect solution for users who require additional power for graphics-intensive or AI-based tasks.” NVIDIA RTX GPUs are known for their ability to excel at parallel work, making them ideal for running generative AI models, such as Stable Diffusion accelerated by NVIDIA TensorRTTM.
The TGX also serves as a convenient sharing solution for office hot-desking environments. Users can simply plug in their ThinkBook laptop and use the extra power when needed.
While the launch of the ThinkBook Graphics Extension is great news, its current limitation to a single laptop model may disappoint many potential users. Hopefully, Lenovo will expand its support to other devices in the future.
The ThinkBook 14 i Gen 6+ and ThinkBook Graphics Extension will be available in select markets starting in the second quarter of 2024, and the starting price of the bundle is expected to be $2,199.
