Minisforum DEG2 announced, eGPU dock with Thunderbolt 5

At least this one has both Thunderbolt and OCuLink.

As we know, Minisforum was among the first brands to adopt USB 4 v2, which enabled 80 Gbps bandwidth with USB-C cable, but there’s hardly anything on the market that can take advantage of this new standard, all except Thunderbolt 5, which has the same bandwidth and connector.

MINISFORUM has officially introduced the DEG2 external GPU dock, a follow-up to the earlier DEG1 enclosure . The new model significantly expands connectivity by supporting both Thunderbolt 5 and OCuLink (PCIe 4.0 ×4) interfaces, offering users a choice between traditional laptop eGPU setups and high-bandwidth OCuLink systems.

According to the official announcement, the DEG2 uses the Intel JHL9480 controller and features a full-length PCIe slot (remember it’s just physical spec), supporting standard desktop GPUs. It is compatible with both ATX and SFX power supplies, using 24-pin + 8-pin power connectors. Inside the chassis, there’s also a slot for an M.2 2280 SSD, allowing additional local storage.

Source: Minisforum

Minisforum DEG2 features

• Connectors:
  • OCuLink
  • Thunderbolt 5 (upstream, 140 W PD-out)
  • Thunderbolt 5 (downstream, 30 W PD-out)
  • USB-A 10 Gbps
  • USB-A 5 Gbps
  • M.2 2280
  • PCIe x16 (physical)
  • 2.5 GbE RJ45 port
  • 24p+8p ATX power
• Buttons/Switches and LEDs
  • OCuLink/TGX/Thunderbolt
  • Startup Switch
  • Reset Debug/LED

Compared to the DEG1, which offered only an OCuLink interface, the DEG2 introduces much broader device compatibility. Thunderbolt 5 enables connection to many laptops and compact PCs that lack OCuLink ports, while retaining direct PCIe Gen 4 ×4 connectivity for systems that support it. It should also backward compatible with Thunderbolt 3/4 and USB4, keep that in mind.

The company has not yet listed the product on their global website, but it was included in announced products for IT Week in Japan.

Source: Minisforum Japan