This is a very niche deal, not for everyone. Normally $3999 at JB and around $3600 elsewhere. Occasionally dropping to $3.2k at JB. This is the cheapest I have seen it. Wishing I had $2889 worth of discounted gift cards right about now!
Seems to be on back order. Estimated delivery is 1 month.
Delivered by 20 August
The ROG XG Mobile are some of the most overpriced (mobile) GPUs out there, and use proprietary.connectors. Good price compared to RRP, but overpriced in my opinion.
Only good if you own a ROG Ally and want to turn it into a gaming PC
or a Flow 2 in 1 which I believe what it was intended for
Yeah my wife has one of those Flow Z13 laptops but it has a built in RTX 3050 and she says that for what she uses and plays on it, it's fine. No need for the extremely overpriced external GPU upgrade.
ROG Ally X removed the XG Mobile port and now using a more friendly USB4. What's the use of XG Mobile when there's a better option?
Why are you asking me?
FYI, this uses proprietary connector.
The Ally X ditches that proprietary connector.
It also doesn't perform anywhere near a real desktop 4090.
Well no of course not, because it's the 4090 Mobile, similar to a desktop 4080. Blame NVIDIA and their marketing for that one.
Marketing? More like greed!
4090 laptop, or any xx90 laptop is the best NVidia mobile GPU out there from a series. It us very simple, and has nothing to do with greed.
It is obvious a laptop variant won't have same performance as desktop variant.
NVidia is not selling it to desktop users, or telling the laptop users it has the performance of desktop variant.
If they start naming laptop GPUs from xx40-80 it is still going to confuse a bunch of people thinking why there is no cheap xx40 variant for desktop! NVidia forcing desktop users to pay more due to greed!! NVidia don't care about laptop users to give them a 4090 like desktop folks!!
And then there will be some generations where the xx90 laptop is not on par with Desktop xx4080, but on par with Desktop xx70 and then these people will start yelling Nvidia greed! Trying to sell xx70 level laptop GPU as xx80, unless they start that laptop generation from xx30-xx70 which will cause even more confusion and people will be annoyed NVidia is changing their naming every year.
Not NVidias fault some people lack common sense and doesn't understand the simplicity.
@tjoy: No, it is just greed. It's intentionally misleading the customer by giving their mobile parts the same name as the desktop parts.
It might be obvious to you that it won't have the same performance as the desktop counterpart, but the average person purchasing it for themselves, or a parent for their child, won't know any better. "Same name = same performance?"
It gets even worse when the same parts have different TDPs across different laptops, leading to (sometimes) large performance differences.
Why are you trying to defend the multi trillion dollar company? NVIDIA (yes NVIDIA, not NVidia), don't care about you, only your money.
@ldd-mn: Average person buying a laptop for a child wouldn't know the performance of a Desktop variant counterpart to compare it to begin with, so there is no misguiding. Those who are savvy enough to know, would also know laptop wouldn't perform the same.
"It gets even worse when the same parts have different TDPs across different laptops, leading to (sometimes) large performance differences."
Desktops also vary in performance due to environmental factors outside of Nvidia's control of such as other parts of a Desktop someone chooses, power/cooling/overclocking etc so the argument above is also pointless. Downgrading the name of a laptop GPU to match performance of Desktop counterpart won't solve that problem since different manufacturers can power it differently regardless of what it is called.
Why are you trying to hate a company just because it is successful?
I gave very clear examples of why the current naming is the simplest. Maybe you should propose non-greedy better naming conversion that doesn't have any of the downsides that I mentioned above, if you know better. Instead of beating around the bush.
@tjoy: This is true, I am surprised you are getting neg'd for it. Guessing OB is being overrun by simpletons of late
@tjoy: It's totally misguiding.
The 1060 mobile and desktop used the same chip.
The 2070 mobile and desktop used the same chip.
If you check for laptop gpus after nvidia dropped that "m" at the end, they actually use the same chip.
BUT now they are using different chip (the 4080 chip) and naming it 4090.
This is a scam.
Note, I am NOT talking about performance here.
Mobile will always perform worse, due to power budget and thermal budget.
But the chip used to be the same when the name was the same (10 series, 20 series, 30 series).
Suddenly, and silently, they changed the chip (40 series 4090 laptop uses the 4080 chip AD103, NOT the 4090 chip AD102).
It's called bait and switch.
The connector is also a bit dodgy since the retracting mechanism can easily get stuck and cause the whole connector to be unable to be removed from the laptop port.
Who the hell will pay the 'Normally $3999' to buy this thing?
No one was doing that in the first place.
YouTube reviewers… oh wait, “this is a sponsored video, thanks to the folks at Asus for providing this… but these are my personal opinions”.
Can only be used with that handheld??
It is designed for use with the Flow series of laptops but the original Ally also has the capability too.
Who said I didn't buy it? My poor wallet 😂
They don’t have to prove anything. Lawd have mercy!
Never knew that the prerequisite to post a deal was to buy it first.
It’s recommended though if the deal is for something finite haha
Since when has it been a requirement to buy whatever deal you post? What a dumb comment!
That didn't turn out how you envisioned did it.
Nah…for that money get a real 4090.
Sorry, but this is a stupid product. You can get an entire desktop PC with a 7800X3D and 4080 Super for this money.
There is no chance that any laptop with this mobile 4090 is going to perform anywhere close to a desktop 7800X3D / 4080 Super combo.
The point of this product is never to compete directly with their desktop counterpart lol. By your logic no one gonna buy any gaming laptop because for the same price there is always a better desktop pc build. Guess what, gaming laptop is still being bought and same thing apply to this one.
The point of this product is never to compete directly with their desktop counterpart lol. By your logic no one gonna buy any gaming laptop because for the same price there is always a better desktop pc build
No, that is a completely invalid point.
The whole point of a gaming laptop is that it is portable and can be easily taken away from your desk.
This product is not portable, and needs to be used at a desk with a fixed power source. As such, it is (essentially) a desktop.
Very good point with this money just get a whole separate pc lol
@viper8548: Who the (profanity) would want to be locked to asus proprietary crap though, it doesn’t even support the new Ally X.
This crap is so overpriced you’re better of buying the new ally x and a desktop gpu with an enclosure.
This is not portable? Lmao product details said it's 1.3 kg. If that is too heavy for you then seriously go for a doctor cause an average Asian student backpack weight much more than that.
"Need to be used at a desk with a fixed power source". Same thing with all laptops after you used it to low power. I guess laptop is not portable by your definition too.
I'm fine with you saying this product is overpriced or target to a very niche market. But comparing it to a desktop pc is plain dumb. You can unplug this external gpu, put it in a bag, travel anywhere then plug it back. You can't do the same thing with desktop pc for obvious reason.
"Need to be used at a desk with a fixed power source". Same thing with all laptops after you used it to low power. I guess laptop is not portable by your definition too.
This is the stupidest thing I've heard all day.
A laptop with a charged battery is portable as it can be used without a fixed power source. A laptop without a charged battery is no longer portable, as it can no longer be used without a fixed power source.
This dumb product is never portable because it can never be used without a fixed power source.
I'm fine with you saying this product is overpriced or target to a very niche market. But comparing it to a desktop pc is plain dumb.
The reason why it is targeted to a very niche market is because a desktop PC is better for the vast majority of users, i.e. my original point.
@p1 ama: Let me give you the definition of "portable" with dictionary:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/portable - "light and small enough to be easily carried or moved", "possible to take with you if you move to a different place or job"
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portable - "capable of being carried or moved about"
The product above fit the criteria of portable BY DEFINITION. So yeah nice try with that "can be used without a fixed power source" thing, but you basically using straw man fallacy now i.e changing the meaning of the word "portable" to prove your argument.
"The reason why it is targeted to a very niche market is because a desktop PC is better for the vast majority of users, i.e. my original point."
The reason it's targeted to a niche market is because of the limitation of hardware compatibility with ROG Ally and a few selected Asus laptops. Surely it's limited to a specific audience, but still work for those need it. Same thing with any "rich" hobbies: expensive shoes, watches or whatever that is. Law of supply and demand - plain and simple.
The product above fit the criteria of portable BY DEFINITION. So yeah nice try with that "can be used without a fixed power source" thing, but you basically using straw man fallacy now i.e changing the meaning of the word "portable" to prove your argument.
Sure, but that is not how words are used in the real world. To be portable requires plausible use cases whilst not being at a desk. Otherwise, you might as well say that an ITX desktop would also be portable.
The reason it's targeted to a niche market is because of the limitation of hardware compatibility with ROG Ally and a few selected Asus laptops. Surely it's limited to a specific audience, but still work for those need it.
I never said that the product won't work, I said that it's a stupid product that most people should not buy. My original argument is simply that the vast majority of people who just want something to game on would be happier with a desktop PC.
I'm actually not sure what you're trying to argue with me about. You seem to agree on the broader point that it is not a particularly useful product (for most people). The fact that it "works" or that someone out there might want it was never in doubt.
@p1 ama: You know those 4L 5L ITX build? Yes, technically they are portable and can be used to travel for LAN party. Big news for you maybe. I'm gonna finishing this point here cause we all know what's the correct definition of portable here is, anything more is beating around the bush
My point is don't compare this as general p/p for normal usage product. Normal watches cost few hundreds, a Rolex cost few grands to nearly a house. Do you ask Rolex buyers if there watches is 100x times more correct in time measurement or not? Or an anniversary Jordan air edition is 50 times more expansive than normal sneakers. Does that mean wearing that feels 50 times more comfortable?
Same thing apply here. For people who don't have the money, they wouldn't even bother to check this eGPU. For the people who have the money and want a 4090, they should clearly research and know whether they need a desktop pc, gaming laptop or this one. If you have loads of money and buy expensive things without even thinking it's optimal for your case or not, then you are dumb not the product lmao.
Asus surely doesn't think "I'm gonna sell this for mass audience" when advertise the product. Pricing high is also a way to say that your customer is (profanity) rich and boost their ego. That's why rich ladies buying expensive jewelries. This is the "jewelry" for rich Asus users. And yes this eGPU is ridiculously expensive to me, but I'm not that dumb to argue whether it's for most people or not because clearly it isn't for a reason.
@p1 ama: This product is overpriced but I think "portable GPU" is a genuine demand.
A laptop with a charged battery is portable as it can be used without a fixed power source.
The main purpose of this product is to boost up the gaming performance while used along with a less capable laptop, so it is portable as long as that laptop is portable.
This dumb product is never portable because it can never be used without a fixed power source.
Similarly, a gaming laptop must be used with a power source unless you don't mind getting only ~1hr of battery time and 50% performance.
The advantage of this + a lightweight laptop compared to a chunky powerful gaming laptop is that you don't need to always carry the weight around if you don't intend to play games.
Guess what, gaming laptop is still being bought and same thing apply to this one.
This is like people who buy a FWD "performance" car.
I think this mobile 4090 is basically a 4080, which is like 1.5K.
Actually might be even slower than 4080, also slower memory speed. Maybe clock speed as well due to thermal constraints.
And its probably just as good as a 4080 mobile which has more breathing room in a 17 inch laptop like this which can be had for cheaper:
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/837225
Well this is just a desktop 4070ti 🤣 (identical CUDA core counts).
Hmmm but this also shares the same thermal budget as the CPU. So I’m not really sure if it have “better” thermal headroom?
@Edyolo: 17 inch laptops tend to breathe better…
Even a bulky laptop like Legion Pro is already much better than Razer Blade for example…
Incorrect on both counts.
The 4090 mobile performs better than 4080 mobile by a non trivial amount.
Thermal performance on this will be better than a laptop because it doesn’t have to pull air from the confined underside of a laptop
@meong: Seem to sit between 4080 laptop and 4090 laptop according to JarrodTech's review when not bottlenecked by the CPU.
He didn't test many games but I have to admit it sit closer to the 4080 laptop than I would have thought.
Wouldn’t be surprised if this turns out to be desktop 4070 Ti Super level of performance for $1.1K (usually when discounted)
Avoid it like the plague. 4090 Mobile is on par with 4070S Desktop. That's right… For a low, low price of $2889, you can get all the performance of an $850 GPU. OZBARGAIN!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltvj2pab9VM watch this video .. it makes you think twice about gaming laptops and if they are the future
I watched this one on it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNlgrxNlt7E and he is also a member on ozbargain @JarrodsTech
You could build a whole mid-upper range PC with this. Even Asus ditched this in their latest Ally X
Or cop a high end with a 4080 from luke, gala or nebula, but again this was intended for their flow range of laptops
4090 Mobile: Lend me your jacket, Jensen! This is base 4070 I am up against!
i just a gaming laptop that can play Wukong in ultra settings. so no thanks.
Yeah yeah, you can have a $2889 desktop. But I can see the point of the product. It is just a super niche deal.
Won't buy anyway. Don't gaming on desktop.
I bet this thing would malfunction less than a year
How does this work?
Step 1: Plug into an ASUS ROG Flow or ally.
Step 2: install drivers.
Step 3: Bask in glory!
can't use on regular pc without a video card ?
Nope, it has a proprietary connection that is only on the above devices.
Are you trying to add a GPU into a machine with no available PCIE connection?
Does it have a thunderbolt or USB4 port?
IMO better off with a ITX rig with an RTX 4080 super desktop, faster easier to upgrade etc. $1600 for the GPU and just get a cheap ITX mobo, ram, 7500F or 7800X3D 1TB SSD etc. Cheap ITX cases like the Deepcool CH160 $69.00.
$260 7500F
$200 A620i mobo
$149 32GB DDR5 memory
$69 Deepcool CH160 Case
$1599 4080 Super
$89 1TB SSD
$29 Deepcool AG400 cooler
$88 ATX power supply (deepcool case supports ATX)
$2,483 total
There are more use cases than to replace a desktop rig.
For example, I already have a desktop rig with a 4090 but want to beef up my laptop but still kep it as compact as possible.
The problem with the 4080 is that it's so massive.
There's only ~ 3 (founders edition, pro art, 1 more) which MIGHT fit into that case if using SFX PSU, and every other 4080 just won't fit. those 3 particular variants of 4080 will cost ~2k minimum (assuming you can get your hands on one).
You can't fit most GPUs when using ATX PSU in that case. Length limit reduces from 305mm -> 230mm (i.e. only the Sakura Blizzard 4070 will fit, which you pretty much can't get your hands on anyway (looks to be only released in china and even there it's sold out), or you have to step down all the way to 4060/ti for more options).
Shame no oculink
I don't think there is anything on the market this compact and powerful with oculink unfortunately. You are stuck with either GPD, onexplayer, onedock V2 or a custom solution.
![[Back Order] Asus ROG XG Mobile eGPU (RTX 4090 Mobile) $2889 + Delivery (Online Only) @ JB Hi-Fi](https://files.ozbargain.com.au/n/28/858028.jpg?h=3b6c485c)
HODL!