- Humbird 3 doubles Thunderbolt bandwidth, pushing as much as 120Gbps in single-display mode
- The CNC-machined aluminum physique offers this eGPU dock a desktop-class structural end
- Its modular PCIe slot allows seamless GPU, SSD, or workstation switching
The Humbird 3 has entered the eGPU market with a mixture of daring guarantees and stylish design decisions.
Introduced because the world’s first “desktop Thunderbolt 5 eGPU dock,” it claims to ship workstation-grade pace and flexibility in a physique slimmer than most gaming laptops.
With its 500W GaN power system, integrated 1-inch LCD screen, SSD slot, and a full array of ports, the gadget seems prepared to exchange a number of desktop equipment directly.
A leap in bandwidth and performance claims
At its core, the Humbird 3 uses Intel’s JHL9480 controller, which reportedly doubles the bandwidth from 40Gbps to 80Gbps and may attain as much as 120Gbps in single-display mode.
The corporate describes it as the primary Thunderbolt 5 dock able to absolutely supporting exterior GPUs, and it is vitally skinny, showing like a pocket gadget.
In idea, this gadget permits customers to connect a full desktop GPU and expertise a lot increased efficiency.
Reported figures counsel as much as 2.3x increased body charges in video games, with triple the efficiency in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 when paired with an RTX 4080.
Nonetheless, such figures stay unverified and should rely closely on CPU and GPU pairing, driver optimization, and thermal headroom.
Past efficiency, the dock’s design has generated as a lot dialogue as its specs.
The aluminum alloy chassis is CNC-machined from a single block and optionally completed with a pure wooden accent.
Whereas the LCD display offers real-time system info, the Humbird’s modular PCIe slot permits customers to change between eGPU mode, SSD, or skilled media workstations with out instruments.
The identical slot additionally helps community growth playing cards, enabling ultra-fast NAS and server setups that would attraction to studio customers or builders working with excessive information throughput.
The dock runs on a built-in micro-SOC powered by “Humbird OS,” which manages energy and efficiency robotically.
It additionally helps NVMe SSDs with claimed speeds of as much as 7GB/s, although precise outcomes will depend upon drive and interface effectivity.
This gadget contains a number of Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI, DisplayPort 2.1, Ethernet, and 5 USB connections, making a broad connectivity array for each Mac and Home windows customers.
The Humbird 3 GaN DC-DC pump is designed to exchange the necessity for cumbersome exterior energy provides, and the usage of gallium nitride guarantees higher energy conversion effectivity and decrease warmth output.
Nevertheless, delivering clear energy for high-end GPUs underneath sustained load would be the actual take a look at of this declare.
Obtainable configurations embrace adapters as much as 300W, with GPU help capped at 380W TDP, relying on the related laptop computer’s charging demand.
With its Kickstarter crowdfunding marketing campaign exceeding $60,000 from 169 backers, the Humbird 3 has actually captured consideration.
Disclaimer: We don’t advocate or endorse any crowdfunding venture. All crowdfunding campaigns carry inherent dangers, together with the potential of delays, modifications, or non-delivery of merchandise. Potential backers ought to rigorously consider the main points and proceed at their very own discretion.
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