Razer Core X

Affordable eGPU performance.

The Razer Core X is the spitting image of Razer’s more expensiveCore V2, but larger at 6.6 x 14.2 x 9.1 inches. The case is constructed out of hefty metal with a black painted exterior. There are cutouts on each side of the outer shell, providing cool air to the Core X’s internal fan and your GPU. The front of the case features a slotted design while the bottom has a wide rubber foot to keep the case stable.

The Core X features the same simple sliding mechanism in Razer’s flagship V2, which makes it easy to open. Pulling the rear folding panel unlocks the mechanism, allowing you to pull the GPU dock out. Just be sure not to carry the Core X by this handle, as this will cause the exterior case to slide off.

Most of the Core X’s bulk can be attributed to the included 650W

SFX power supply, which makes it considerably wider than its predecessor. While it isn’t as elegant as the Core V2, the PSU allows you to install more power-hungry GPUs, up to 500W.

The internal motherboard is simple. Front and center is the PCIe x16 slot for your GPU. Before you install your GPU, you need to remove the placeholder bracket, which comes with a thumb screw. To release the GPU, you just to push a small switch on the front of the

PCIe slot.

We tested the Core X with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Founders Edition (Razer supplied a 2080 Ti, but that seemed a little beyond what most gamers would be aiming for) graphics card and an external FHD 60Hz monitor. To get the maximum performance out of your eGPU, you’ll need to go to display options and choose to extend your display to your external monitor only. We tested the Core X with and without an external monitor to illustrate how much performance is lost from the internal display’s loopback.

For the purpose of this review, Razer provided us the Blade Stealth ultrabook. It has an Intel Core i7-8550U, 6GB of LPDDR3-2133 memory, a 512GB SSD, and a 13.3-inch QHD+ (3200x1800) touchscreen display.

In 3DMark, The Razer Core X exhibits performance comparable to the Core V2, which is to be expected. The Thunderbolt 3 bandwidth restrictions damage their scores overall, but using an external display alleviates this. Because the Core X is using the Blade Stealth, which has an i7-8550U, it falls short of the competing laptops in physics performance.

As for gaming, Alien: Isolation is easy to run, so any gaming system with adequate GPU power can achieve well

In 3DMark, The Razer Core X exhibits performance comparable to the Core V2.

over 60 frames per second. With the Core X and an external display, the Blade Stealth delivers close to 160 fps.

The Razer Core X is incredibly price effective, especially for an eGPU. It offers similar build quality and performance as the more expensive Core V2 without the flashy lights and additional ports. The only eGPU setup the Core X can’t definitely top price-wise is the Aorus Game Box because of its included GTX 1070.

However, the Core X can support any modern GPU, and can be upgraded in the future. This makes the Razer Core X easy to recommend.