My review for the Aoostar AG03 Thunderbolt 5 eGPU dock.
Hello, let‘s start with a quick disclaimer. The AG03 was sent to me free of charge to test and compare it with other eGPU docks. It is a retail unit, and I am allowed to keep the dock after the review. No money has changed hands, and they have no influence on the contents and opinions contained in this review and won’t see it before publication. I’m also pretty certain that my unit wasn’t a cherry-picked review unit (see section about noise). No generative AI was used during any part of this review.
What is the Aoostar AG03?
The Aoostar AG03 is the successor of the popular Aoostar AG02 eGPU dock. It features the same aesthetics and overall design language as the AG02 but with improved internals, better performance, and higher compatibility (see compatibility section) than the AG02.
In short, it’s a new Thunderbolt 5 eGPU dock that also features an Oculink connector and includes the power supply.
What is different compared to the AG02?
The AG02 uses an ASMedia ASM2464PDX controller that offers better performance than the older Thunderbolt 3/4 controllers used in other docks around the time (approx. 3850 MB/s compared to 2360-2570 MB/s (source: eGPU io)). This controller was the best we had when the AG02 launched, but it has its flaws. The main one is that it is not really recognized as an external device and therefore will break your Windows Hello (PIN/password/fingerprint/etc.) if you unplug it without disconnecting it first. I think this is also the reason why you need the Error-43 script for NVIDIA GPUs (I didn’t need it with any TB5 docks (including the AG03), so that’s why I think it’s because of the ASMedia controller).
The AG03 fixes this by using a new Thunderbolt 5 controller chip (INTEL JHL9480; this is also the same chip you find in all other Thunderbolt 5 docks currently). From my experience, this is an excellent chip that offers the same performance as the ASMedia one (from the AG02) on current devices but will also offer even better performance on Thunderbolt 5 and USB4v2 devices in the future. Because it’s now Thunderbolt, you also gain an additional Thunderbolt 5 downstream port. This port is advertised to support 27W USB PD and DisplayPort (from the host device, not from the eGPU. This will also heavily impact the eGPU bandwidth, so don’t use that port for display out if you can). As it shares the bandwidth of the eGPU, I wouldn’t connect bandwidth-intensive things like ethernet, displays, or storage to it (but you can if you wish). One use case I have for this port is connecting the dongle of my wireless headset to it while I play with my friends using my Legion Go on the internal screen (because the second port of the Legion Go is at the bottom, and therefore it’s risky and annoying to attach a dongle there). Using a cheap USB-C to USB-A adapter, you could also connect controllers, keyboards, mice, headsets, and such stuff that doesn’t noticeably cut the bandwidth.
Another difference is that it advertises 100W PD 3.0 and 140W PD 3.1 charging on the Thunderbolt upstream port. This is something that I couldn’t get working because on my unit it capped out at 96W PD3.0 despite using a tester that can detect 140W PD 3.1 on other devices just fine. I contacted Aoostar because of this, and they tested it on their side with another, more expensive tester and got 28V 5A, so it’s working for them.
The last difference is that the button on the front now actually has a use. It now toggles between the Thunderbolt 5 mode and the Oculink mode. Note this means that in the Oculink mode, the dock has to be powered on by an Oculink host first in order to supply power over the Thunderbolt upstream port (not a deal breaker at all as long as your device has a battery or separate power source). At the same time, you can use the downstream port of the AG03 as a replacement for the port that you use to charge the host with. Here you could now also connect bandwidth-intensive stuff, as the GPU now uses the Oculink connection and is therefore no longer impacted. This also means that the power button mod from the AG02 isn’t viable here. The AG02 and AG03 leave the power supply running all the time (it’s a server power supply, so it’s not really harming the power supply; it’s just making some noise), and users of the AG02 have wired the button to the power supply to turn it off. Now you need to resort to other methods like power cords with switches to power off the dock.
How is the Performance?
I do own multiple other eGPU docks, so I gather data from my own testing. I currently don’t own any Thunderbolt 5 host devices, and I don’t have a fair way to test Oculink. So all the testing was done using USB4v1 AMD host devices. Also keep in mind that currently there are no CPU-built-in Thunderbolt 5 or USB4v2 controllers available, so the tests you find online about Thunderbolt 5 docks don’t show the real capability of those docks. Expect them to get closer to Oculink once built-in controllers are a thing (but it will never be faster than pure Oculink for sure, so keep your expectations in check).
In short, performance using the dock with USB4v1 is the same as other Thunderbolt 5 eGPU docks. Compared to ASMedia docks like the AG02 or UT3G you get a tiny bit less stuttering (not worth upgrading from an ASMedia dock just for that, though).
As a quick example, here is some of my testing data. This was done with a Legion Go 2 (Z2E, 32 GB) running at 30-32-32 W custom mode and using the internal display (so lower performance than on an external screen) to better showcase potential differences between the docks. I compared the AG03 with a TH5P4 using a 9070 XT on Windows 11:
Monster Hunter World (reasonable bandwidth using game): 1080p internal screen, DX12 Max. settings = 115-119 FPS.
Witcher 3 (low bandwidth using game): 1200p internal screen, DX11 Max. settings without hairworks = 116-120 FPS when paused, 90-96 FPS when not paused.
Remnant 2 (high bandwidth using game): 1200p internal screen, Max. settings, FSR4.0-NativeAA + Frame Gen = 88-94 FPS (with Frame Gen) looking at the stone, 109-113 FPS (with Frame Gen) looking at the shooting range.
You may have noticed that there is no real comparison in there, and that’s because in all tests (many more than shown here), the AG03 and TH5P4 performed in the range of 1-2 fps of each other, so it’s essentially just run-to-run variance.
What about Linux?
Currently almost all Thunderbolt 5 docks have the same issues on Linux. This is not specific to the AG03. I know from one source who I trust that his Razer Core X V2 works, but his other TB5 docks show the same issues as my Th5P4, AG03, and what people describe online. I have used the AG03 on Linux over Oculink with an ASMedia USB4-NVMe adapter as a workaround, but it wasn’t a great experience either (but it at least worked).
Oculink?
As mentioned earlier, I don’t have a device to test Oculink with. What I can tell is that the AG03 needs the same kind of Oculink cable as the Onexgpu V1. There are 2 types of Oculink cable that are sadly difficult to differentiate. With the other type, it would start but not connect. My ATD-Link F9G works with both types of cables, so it’s possible to support both (the F9G cable is one of the Onexgpu-style ones that work with the AG03 btw.).
Noise?
Here lies one of the fundamental flaws of both the AG02 and AG03. They use power supplies that are designed to be used in servers where noise isn’t a major factor. This means the power supplies in general are top-notch quality (one other tester took his AG03 apart and had a Delta 80-Plus-Platinum 800w unit inside). Both my previous AG02 and my AG03 are fine from a power supply noise point (that doesn’t mean that they aren’t audible/noticeable, of course), but the other tester has a unit that is much louder than his other AG02 units. There are also reports online about loud power supplies in the AG02, so this seems to be a thing in general. If you are concerned about power supply noise, you might take a look at the Aoostar EG02 instead.
My unit was special in that it also had a high-pitched whine during idle and excessive coil whine during use. This is a nice proof that I didn’t get a cherry-picked unit, but at the same time it was highly annoying to test/use this. I contacted Aoostar, and they confirmed that the noise isn’t normal. The other tester also has no whine, so I’m optimistic here. They send out a replacement unit for me. I will update this section once I receive the replacement unit.
Compatibility?
Maybe you have noticed that the AG02 on the Aoostar Webshop has a new warning text that it isn’t compatible with Legion Go and Xbox Ally X devices? I know there are people out there who don’t have these incompatibility issues, but let me tell you, they are indeed real. I ordered an AG02 in January 2026, and it behaved really strangely with most of my devices, including Legion Go 1 and 2 and a Lenovo Ideapad Pro (AMD 8845HS version). With an external screen connected to the eGPU, it was mostly fine, but I couldn’t play a game on the internal screen (which is possible with all my other eGPUs); it just froze the game while continuing the audio. Aoostar shared on their Discord that 60% of support cases are from the Legion Go and Xbox Ally X devices and that there is a nearly 40% chance of them not working correctly with the AG02.
The AG03 uses Thunderbolt 5, and I haven’t seen any incompatibility with that on my systems. Maybe you are aware that Nvidia RTX 50xx cards have issues on Thunderbolt 3/4 docks. These issues are not present with both ASMedia and Thunderbolt 5 docks, as far as I can tell with an RTX 5080.
[EDIT: Please take a look at the incompatibility notice on Aoostar’s product website. The site was published after writing this review. I know as much about this as you do, so I can’t answer any questions about this part]
Physically there is no real limit in GPU size apart from gravity and cable length. The dock should also be able to provide 500 W (+ 150-300 W redundancy, whatever redundancy exactly means here?) for the GPU, so GPUs like the RTX 5090 will likely be limited to 450 W.
Usability and differences from my TH5P4?
This dock aims for a special open design that can look awesome, but also has its downsides. Generally, together with the included support bracket, the GPU sits firmly on the dock. When moving the dock to another room, it’s not a problem, even with a big 9070 XT on it. But the transportability of the TH5P4, especially with an SFX power supply, is better. It is not as tall and holds the GPU on the top of the PCIe bracket instead of the bottom. The TH5P4 also has an additional USB-A port that makes it easier to connect peripherals such as my wireless headset without needing a USB-C to USB-A adapter. Keep in mind that the USB-A port also shares the eGPU bandwidth, just like the downstream ports on both docks do. The TH5P4 (as well as the EG02) can also use a desktop power supply that can be quieter than the one from the AG03. That said, the AG03 features the Oculink port, which is a neat feature to give you more flexibility. The TH5P4 does provide real 100W PD 3.0 (compared to the 96W that you find on some products that follow the regulations and are still right to call it 100W even if it’s intentionally only 96W), and some higher-powered devices, like my Ideapad Pro, require exactly 100W to unlock the maximum TDP (even if real max power draw at full battery is only 70W). It’s more a fault of the Ideapad I know, but those devices exist, and it needs to be mentioned here because of that.
Package contains?
The dock ships in the same box as the AG02, at least as far as I can tell. It contains the 3 8-pin power cables and an 80 cm USB-C to C cable labeled with 80 Gbps. There is also the GPU support bracket that is also present on newer revisions of the AG02 as well as the main power supply cable. What’s missing compared to the AG02 is an Oculink cable. This is likely a cost-cutting effort to keep the price low for those who just want a Thunderbolt 5 dock, but it also means you need to search for a compatible Oculink cable yourself.
Would I recommend the AG03?
I generally like the AG03, but I think if you don’t value the design it’s aiming for at all, you’re probably better off with the EG02. Because you can choose the power supply on the EG02 yourself. On the other hand, the AG03 offers a nice all-in-one package if you don’t want to deal with sourcing a separate power supply.
If you like the design, I would highly recommend paying the $40 more for the AG03 over the AG02 because of the improved compatibility, second USB-C port, and general future-proofing. Because the AG03 includes the power supply, the $259 price is still rather competitive for a Thunderbolt 5 dock.
No matter what dock you choose, don’t even think about getting an older Thunderbolt 3/4 dock these days because of the mentioned lower bandwidth (and thereby performance) and issues with RTX 50xx cards. It’s just not worth it compared to a Thunderbolt 5 or ASMedia dock unless you can get it for less than $80, if you ask me.
Final words
This review became much longer and more detailed than I initially planned for, but I wanted to provide a solid source of information for people like me that value those details and additional context. If you have any questions that didn’t get answered in the review, feel free to ask them below. If I don’t reply immediately, keep in mind that I also have a full-time job and will also need to sleep from time to time. I will regularly look in here for the next couple of days to answer your questions.