External Graphics Cards for Laptops

The PE4H by HWTOOLS

Computer graphics are a growing industry for both desktops and laptops as computer games and media production grow more prevalent.  However, laptops are still newer to the gaming industry compared to desktops.  The vast majority of the most powerful cards are still designed for desktops.  Annual benchmark tests from sites such as Tom's Hardware support this notion with desktop graphics cards still topping the charts.

To help provide laptops have this same graphics processing edge, one innovative Taiwanese company HWTOOLS has created an adapter for literally using these desktop cards with laptops.  It's called the PE4H and it provides a connection of the latest graphics cards (using PCI Express) to laptops with an ExpressCard input.  The current cost revolves about $90 including shipping and handling.  Unfortunately, the unit is still experimental and won't work with every laptop.  However, two helpful communities found at notebookreview.com & villagetronic.com have provided detailed compatibility results for many specific laptop models.

There are several significant drawbacks to this device as well (being that it's still extremely new). The first is the fact that not every laptop has an ExpressCard slot and using an add-on adapter to install one is not recommended either due to severe performance reductions.  Another lesser catch is the necessity for running it with Windows 7 for maximum driver support.  Third is the fact that, although these graphics cards have their own onboard memory, this external device requires this memory to work in conjunction with the laptop's memory (so if you have a 1GB graphics card, it will instantly take away 1GB of your laptop's memory).  Finally, some laptops with the ExpressCard slot still won't work with this device for a number of known and unknown reasons.  

Besides all of these complications of the experimental device, some users will certainly benefit from the greater flexibility of beefing up their graphical horsepower whenever needed.  If these devices are improved over time, they can certainly expand the desktop graphics card industry into the portable computing market as well.  All we need now is an external enclosure for these cards to make them safer to transport with their laptops.