A wireless eGPU is coming soon! WiCi will sell a GeForce RTX 5060 Ti with 16GB GDDR7 that runs through Wi-Fi 7, but you will actually be paying for an entire PC — a local server by any other name

WiCi is set to release a wireless external graphics processing unit (eGPU) that features a GeForce RTX 5060 Ti with 16GB of GDDR7 memory. This device will connect to a host computer via Wi-Fi 7, eliminating the need for a physical cable. The WiCi One contains a processor, storage, power hardware, cooling, and networking components within its enclosure, making it a self-contained computer.

The company emphasizes that this is not a cloud-based streaming service, as it is a standalone machine with its own hardware and software.

The RTX 5060 Ti configuration is paired with an Intel Core 3 100U processor, 1TB NVMe 4 storage, and 16GB GDDR7 memory. The device supports Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, which allows for a 4x4 MIMO setup and a 320MHz channel. This setup enables the host device to communicate wirelessly with the WiCi One, while ensuring that data remains within the user's network unless intentionally transmitted.

WiCi also plans to offer an RTX 5090 variant with 32GB GDDR7, an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H processor, and 4TB NVMe 5 storage. The company's software allows the GPU to be accessed through various modes, including drivers, software development kits, and application programming interfaces. Wi-Fi 7 theoretically offers 46.1 Gbps of throughput, but WiCi's hardware only supports 11.52 Gbps due to its 4x4 MIMO configuration and 320MHz bandwidth.

However, WiCi compensates for this limitation through software techniques such as caching, deduplication, compression, streaming, and pipelining.

The company claims that the WiCi One can run Cyberpunk 2077 at 80 FPS in 4K Ultra with DLSS 4 and Black Myth: Wukong at 60 FPS at 4K Cinematic settings. However, these claims will need to be verified through independent testing. WiCi's device is positioned approximately 50 cm away from the connected laptop, which may impact performance when using the eGPU in conjunction with walls or competing wireless signals.

At $1,999 for early signups, the WiCi One is significantly more expensive than a conventional external GPU enclosure, but it also includes a processor, storage, and other components needed to function as a standalone computer. This makes its pricing more comparable to other compact computing systems, such as the Mac Studio M5 Max, which starts at $2,499.

While these systems serve different purposes, WiCi aims to provide a local alternative to cloud processing by making a discrete GPU accessible to multiple nearby host devices over a wireless network.