With the release of external GPU solutions from various manufacturers, driver support is going to be crucial to ensure that external GPU solutions for laptops aren’t just a gimmick. To that end, AMD, in collaboration with Intel and Razer, is introducing XConnect technology.
XConnect is a new piece of technology that can be found in Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.2.2. What this tech does is that it provides driver level support for external GPUs. It would also allow users to hotswap external graphics cards using a Thunderbolt 3 port without needing to restart the system.
The first laptop that is expected to fully support AMD’s XConnect technology is the Razer Blade Stealth with the Razer Core, although AMD has said that so long as the laptop meets certain requirements, they could utilise XConnect as well. Another thing to note is that XConnect will only support AMD’s high-end graphics cards for now. AMD has promised that it will be expanding the list of GPUs that XConnect will support in the coming months.