External graphics processing units (eGPUs) sound great. You can get desktop-quality graphics on a laptop, which means you only need one computer for portability and high-level gaming.
But do they stand up against internal GPUs? Is it worth dropping a few hundred bucks on a dock? How much performance can you really expect? Unfortunately, expectations and realities may differ with external GPUs.
But they can still be useful. Let’s take a look.
1. How Do External GPUs Work?
In most cases, you’ll see an external GPU hooked up to a dock. An external GPU dock has a PCIe port for the graphics card and usually either a Thunderbolt or USB-C cable to connect to your computer.
Using a dock is as a simple as installing the card, installing the drivers, rebooting, and installing any custom software. (Of course, your experience will vary depending on your hardware.)
Once you have it set up, your computer routes graphics requests to the external GPU instead of the default one supplied with your computer. In theory, this process will get you better graphics performance as, by and large, laptops don’t have much graphical processing power. (Bear in mind that you can use an external GPU for your desktop, but they are much more common for laptops.)
Using the bigger, more powerful card gives you better graphical performance. Maybe even enough to play some graphically intense games. Sounds great, right?
2. External Performance Doesn’t Stack Up
Unfortunately, using an external GPU doesn’t give you the same performance as it would if you had the same GPU mounted internally. How much performance do you lose, then? Estimates put the loss at around 10 to 15 percent. That isn’t a big deal, especially considering the monstrous capacity of the latest high-end graphics cards you can buy today.
However, the loss is something worth knowing about. If you’re hoping to play the latest AAA titles on ultra-high settings, an external laptop GPU setup might not do it for you. That’s not to say the external GPU won’t improve the graphical performance of your laptop; it definitely will. But the gains might not be as game-changing as you think.
Why not? Mostly because laptops just aren’t set up to handle that much power. And if they are, there’s a strong chance the laptop has an integrated GPU already, negating the need for an external GPU. Furthermore, while a PCIe port can transfer a lot of data very quickly, even the latest Thunderbolt and USB-C ports cannot match that data rate.
Now, the base laptop you use for your eGPU setup does have a big say in this. If you’re using an old laptop and hope that plugging in an RTX 3070 eGPU will magically make gaming incredible, you’re plum out of luck. But if you have a modern laptop with a decent CPU (say, from the last three years or so), there’s a good chance an eGPU will deliver an improved gaming experience.
3. External GPU Docks Are Expensive
Though an external GPU dock is basically just a small piece of motherboard with a PCIe port and a connector cord, you can end up shelling out a surprising amount. You’re looking at a couple hundred bucks or more. And that’s on top of the already expensive GPU to go in the dock. (Not forgetting the existing cost of your laptop, of course.)
Some docks are also only compatible with certain brands of laptops, which means you won’t be able to transfer them if you get a new one. That’s another cost to consider. On the flip side, many laptops that aren’t officially certified to work with a specific external GPU dock will, in fact, work just fine. You might have to do a little bit of tinkering to get them working.
On price, you’ll have to research the best eGPU for your needs. For example, the Razer Core X appears on heaps of “best eGPU” lists, but it’ll set you back at least $400.
4. eGPU Research Is Important
External GPU docks have a wide variety of compatibilities and features. For example:
- The OWC Mercury Helios 3 will only take cards up to 75″.
- The Akitio Node takes “half-length” cards.
- Alienware’s Graphics Amplifier doesn’t have any USB or Thunderbolt ports; it uses a proprietary connector instead.
- The HP Accelerator Omen has a SATA port for connecting an additional HDD or SSD.
In addition, each of the listed external GPUs comes with specific compatibility requirements that you may or may not need to consider. As previously mentioned, the Alienware Graphics Amplifier has a proprietary connector and will only work with Alienware laptops. The Razer Core external GPU dock only works with Thunderbolt 3. The ASUS ROG XG Station 2 is unclear about which non-ASUS products it will work with.
Throw in the prospect of the latest Nvidia RTX 30-series and AMD Radeon RX 60-series GPUs (which are all behemoths), and you’re going to have to complete some serious research before taking the plunge.
In short, if you want an external GPU, you need to spend some time researching to make sure it’s going to work. Fortunately, there are a huge number of people interested in external GPUs, and they’ve already tested many combinations.
If you’re unsure where to start, check out Reddit’s /r/eGPU. It’s an active subreddit with a lot of people who might be able to help. Another excellent resource for external graphics cards for PCs is eGPU.io. You can search their extensive database for user builds and hardware combinations to figure out which external graphics card will work best with your laptop (or desktop).
5. Will You Get Better Graphics Performance From an eGPU?
Despite the drawbacks, external graphics cards do work. You will get better graphics performance out of your laptop, and they’ll enable you to play games or run apps that wouldn’t have worked before. (Which upgrades improve your PC performance the most overall?) Plenty of benchmarks show that external GPUs provide a huge boost in graphics power, but it’s not always clear cut with newer CPU/GPU combinations, as you’ll see in the following video.
It’s difficult to say exactly how much of a boost your external GPU will give, or even how easy it’ll be to get everything up and running. However, if your laptop cannot run a particular game and you really want it to, an external graphics card is a viable solution.
Oh, and one word of warning for M1 Mac owners. Apple has removed eGPU functionality for its newest hardware, so don’t go thinking you’ll soup up your M1 Mac’s performance with an eGPU. They don’t play nicely!
6. External GPUs Keep Improving
The Thunderbolt/USB-C bandwidth issue isn’t going to alleviate magically. External GPU hardware and software will continue to improve, and it’s more than likely that external GPUs will continue to improve.
Many people are interested in external GPUs. Additionally, hardware manufacturers want to get their GPUs into more people’s hands. As such, there’s plenty of incentive for them to keep improving the technology.
7. What Are the Best External Graphics Card Docks?
Finally, several excellent external GPU options are available, depending on your budget and requirements. Here are two eGPU docks for you to consider.
Best Combined Nvidia & AMD eGPU Dock: Razer Core X
The Razer Core X is the top-rated external GPU dock on eGPU.io, and it’s clear to see why. It delivers enough space for both Nvidia and AMD’s latest GPUs, all of which require three PCIe lanes of space. Providing enough space for these chunky GPUs is one thing, but delivering enough power is another. That’s why the Razer Core X comes with a separate 650W PSU, along with support for Thunderbolt 3 to maximize your performance.
You should also note that, in typical Razer style, there is a flashy Razer Core X Chroma model, which comes with a 700W PSU, additional USB ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and of course, RGB.
Combined Nvidia & AMD eGPU Dock Runner Up : Akitio Node Titan
The Akitio Node Titan builds upon the successes of the Akito Node Pro, and comes with many advantages. Number one is the additional 650W power supply unit for the external GPU. For moments when you need maximum power from your external GPU, you can plug it in for optimal graphical output. The Node Titan supports GPUs up to 2.5 slots wide, which means you won’t fit an RTX 30 Series or AMD Radeon 60-series, but most GPUs before the latest generation should work just fine. If in doubt, check Akitio’s compatibility list.
Furthermore, while this is an excellent choice for an AMD external GPU solution, you can easily swap your AMD GPU for an Nvidia card in the future.
You’ll find the Node Pro is a significant upgrade on its predecessor, the standard Akitio Node Pro. The Node Pro weighed 10.2 pounds, which, while not exactly lightweight, you could feasibly take with you on public transportation. Now, the Node Titan drops that weight down to 7.7 pounds, much lighter and more portable. However, one thing to note is the Node Titan’s overall size. It is better suited to living on your desk at home, but then, most eGPUs are the same.
The Akitio Node Titan external GPU dock features a single integrated Thunderbolt 3 port.
Is an External GPU Worth It?
All this information should give you a good idea of what you’re getting if you want to invest in an external GPU. There’s a lot to factor in, really. For example, the outlay for a top-tier external GPU dock, the price of a graphics card to go in the eGPU dock, and whether or not your laptop is built to run high-performance games are all important considerations.
So, as with most things in life, it all comes down to one thing: budget. If your budget allows for an eGPU laptop setup, go for it!
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