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AOOSTAR AG01 vs PowerColor Gaming Station: Comparison
What is the difference between AOOSTAR AG01 and PowerColor Gaming Station?
The first real difference is cooling type: AOOSTAR AG01 Passive / Open-Air against PowerColor Gaming Station Active Fan. PowerColor Gaming Station also leads on psu wattage, 400 W on the AOOSTAR AG01 versus 500 W on the PowerColor Gaming Station. There is a split on connection standard as well, OCuLink on the AOOSTAR AG01 versus Thunderbolt 3 on the PowerColor Gaming Station. They differ on extra ports too, None onboard, GPU's own outputs pass through on the AOOSTAR AG01 versus 1 on the PowerColor Gaming Station. They differ on gpu compatibility too, GTX 10-series through RTX 40-series, TGX hot-swap interface on the AOOSTAR AG01 versus AMD Radeon and NVIDIA cards up to RTX 20-series... on the PowerColor Gaming Station.
AOOSTAR AG01 vs PowerColor Gaming Station: which one fits your build
it is not the pick for buyers who want laptop charging through the eGPU connection. It also earns its place with handheld PC and mini PC owners with an OCuLink port looking for the cheapest real GPU upgrade. It is not the one for laptops without an OCuLink port, since there's no Thunderbolt/USB4 fallback on this model. The PowerColor Gaming Station suits buyers who find remaining new-old-stock at a discount and anyone wanting a plain, RGB-free eGPU box with decent I/O, though it is not built for anyone wanting Thunderbolt 4/5 or USB4 bandwidth and buyers who need more than 60W of laptop charging. Avoid it for cards drawing near or above 375W, which push past its comfortable PSU headroom. Our rating of the AOOSTAR AG01 (7/10): unbeatable value for OCuLink-equipped mini PCs and handhelds, but strictly for OCuLink hosts only. Our rating of the PowerColor Gaming Station (6/10): competent Thunderbolt 3 box from a GPU maker, but discontinued and outpaced by newer standards.
AOOSTAR AG01 vs PowerColor Gaming Station price
Cost splits them too. AOOSTAR AG01 sits at $149, PowerColor Gaming Station at $329, 121% more.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- AOOSTAR AG01
- AOOSTAR
- PowerColor Gaming Station
- PowerColor
Connection Standard
- AOOSTAR AG01
- OCuLink
- PowerColor Gaming Station
- Thunderbolt 3
Model Number
- AOOSTAR AG01
- AG01
- PowerColor Gaming Station
- Gaming Station
Extra Ports
- AOOSTAR AG01
- None onboard, GPU's own outputs pass through
- PowerColor Gaming Station
- 1
PSU Wattage
- AOOSTAR AG01
- 400 W-20%
- PowerColor Gaming Station
- 500 WBest
Cooling Type
- AOOSTAR AG01
- Passive / Open-Air
- PowerColor Gaming Station
- Active Fan
GPU Compatibility
- AOOSTAR AG01
- GTX 10-series through RTX 40-series, TGX hot-swap interface
- PowerColor Gaming Station
- AMD Radeon and NVIDIA cards up to RTX 20-series / RX 6000-series, dual-slot
Price
- AOOSTAR AG01
- Launched at $149
- PowerColor Gaming Station
- Launched around $329 (2018)
Which one should you pick?
Choose AOOSTAR AG01 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Choose PowerColor Gaming Station if you want the higher PSU wattage (500 W vs 400 W).
Price comparison
| Retailer | AOOSTAR AG01 | PowerColor Gaming Station |
|---|---|---|
| AOOSTAR | $149.00 View on AOOSTAR | |
| Amazon | $329.00 View on Amazon | |
| PowerColor | View on PowerColor |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
AOOSTAR AG01
7 / 10 Expert Rating
Unbeatable value for OCuLink-equipped mini PCs and handhelds, but strictly for OCuLink hosts only.
PowerColor Gaming Station
6 / 10 Expert Rating
Competent Thunderbolt 3 box from a GPU maker, but discontinued and outpaced by newer standards.