- Thunderbolt 5 brings external GPUs closer to delivering genuine desktop-class performance on thin laptops
- Gigabyte Aorus RTX 5090 AI Box is a dream for power users, not relaxed players
- Heat and power supply are major concerns when running top-tier GPUs like RTX 5090
On Computex 2025, Gigabyte introduced a new external GPU cabinet designed to deliver high-performance games and AI capacities.
The Aorus RTX 5090 AI box connects via Thunderbolt 5 and is operated by Nvidia’s flagship GeForce RTX 5090, which follows in the footsteps of previous models such as the Aorus GTX 1070 and Aorus RTX 3080 Ti, which also contained top-tier nvidia GPUS at that time.
With the RTX 5090 is widely considered the best GPU on the market, the AI box promises desktop-class performance for machines previously maximized with integrated graphics or modest discreet GPUs.
Thunderbolt 5 unlocking new performance potential
Thanks to Thunderbolt 5’s dramatically increased bandwidth, many of the bottlenecks that once plagued EGPU setups bring users closer to the long-standing goal of running an advanced GPU on a lightweight, ultra-portable machine.
Theoretically, Aorus RTX 5090 AI Box controls almost every box: groundbreaking graphics, future-proofing connection and plug-and-play flexibility. However, EGPU setups are still delivered with inherent restrictions.
Despite lower latency and higher flow, external GPUs often do not lack to match the performance of internal GPUs due to data transfer and potential drives discrepancies.
Heating and power control also remains critical concerns, especially with a GPU as the power hungry as RTX 5090.
There is also the question of practical. This setup is likely to be excessive for casual gaming or office tasks, but it will be a compelling opportunity for developers, video editors and 3D artists who need the fastest PC performance with the flexibility of a mobile setup.
That said, pricing will be an important consideration. Gigabyte has not yet announced the price of the AI box, but with the RTX 5090, which has already commanded a prize, and Thunderbolt 5 components that add costs, this device will not come cheap.
As a reference, Gigabyte debuted Aorus GV-N4090IXEB-24GD, two years ago, to $ 2,000. The new model could very well surpass this figure.
Via PCWatch (originally released in Japanese)
