The Gaming Box is simple to set up, with plug-and-play functionality making it fast to switch between a docked setup for gaming, and a traditional ultraportable for work on the go. Power delivery, extra USB ports, and a very compact design are great complementary features as well, though its RGB lighting is a bit laughable.
The best aspect to the Gaming Box, though, is its price. At $600 with the included GTX 1070 it’s a lot cheaper than the Razer Core, which sits at $500 without a graphics card. It even manages to undercut some other external graphics solutions by around $100, making it a highly attractive option for those looking to game on their existing ultraportable. There are some cases where I wouldn’t recommend the Gaming Box. If you’re tossing up between this solution and a gaming laptop, the gaming laptop will provide better performance in most cases at a similar price to the cost of an entry-level ultraportable plus the Gaming Box. You won’t get the same portability advantages, but gaming laptops are still a good choice for those more concerned about gaming than working on a laptop.
I also had a few concerns during my testing, which you should be aware of, like the tendency for the Core i5-7200U in my test laptop to cause a bottleneck, and some stuttering issues in a handful of games. External graphics is far from a perfect solution right now, and your experience may vary depending on what laptop you hook it up to. Shopping shortcuts: In general, though, the Aorus GTX 1070 Gaming Box is the best external graphics solution I’ve seen so far. It should definitely be on your radar if you want to transform your Thunderbolt 3-equipped laptop into a genuine gaming machine. Cons: Performance heavily depends on your laptop’s processor. Compact design could limit upgradeability. Thin and light powerful gaming laptops are not as far fetched as they were 2-3 years ago.
