Razer’s laptop graphics card add-on ships in April for $500

Razer is shipping a new $500 Razor Core 3D graphics add-on device in April which will enable gamers to turn laptops into PCs with desktop-level performance.

The new devices makes it easier to become more mobile when it comes to playing games on high-end PC gaming hardware. If you need more graphics performance, you can plug the Razer Core into the laptop and boost the graphics performance to desktop levels.

Kevin Sather, global director of product marketing at Razer, said in an interview with GamesBeat that the Core can transform your laptop into a powerful desktop experience. You can plug it into a device, even with the power turned on, and it just works. You can also disconnect it without shutting down the laptop.

“This is the world’s first true plug-and-play graphics enclosure,” Sather said.

Above: Razer Core lets you change graphics on the fly.

Image Credit: Razer

Rival Alienware has a similar system booster, but it isn’t plug-and-play, and it also uses a proprietary connector. It also uses an industry standard Thunderbolt connector for high-speed data transfer.

The Razer Core supports the 300 series graphics cards from Advanced Micro Devices’ Radeon product line, and it also supports Maxwell-based Nvidia graphics cards.

Sather said you can get triple-digit frame rates for games when the graphics are turned up for games such as Rise of the Tomb Raider.

The Razer Core supports larger displays. It costs $500 without a graphics card, and it costs $400 when purchased with a Razer Stealth laptop. The machines are shipping in April.

Above: The Razer Core has four USB ports.

Image Credit: Razer