Last Updated on September 4, 2022
In the world of gaming, enthusiasts are always on the lookout for ways to enhance their gaming experience. One such advancement that has gained significant attention recently is the external Graphics Processing Unit, commonly known as an eGPU. Gamers can unlock unprecedented graphics performance by connecting a powerful external GPU to a laptop, turning their portable machine into a gaming powerhouse. In this article, we will explore the best laptops for eGPU setups and guide you in choosing the right one for your needs.
Comparison Table Chart for Best Laptop For Egpu
Unlock the full potential of your graphics-intensive tasks with the best laptops for eGPU integration.
| No | Product | Score | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock : Thunderbolt 4 Certified - 10 Ports in One - Dual 4K or Single 8K Video Output - Future-Proof & Backward-Compatible - RGB Lighting - Chroma | 9.6 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 2 | [USB-IF Certified] iVANKY Thunderbolt 3 Cable 2.3ft (0.7m) | 9.6 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 3 | Laptop External Independent Video Card Dock for Mini PCI-E Without Power Supply | 9.4 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 4 | Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop | 9.2 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 5 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 9th Gen 9 Intel Core i7-1165G7 | 9.2 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 6 | PCI-E Riser VER009S for Bitcoin Litecoin Mining with Led Graphics Extension USB 3.0 Extension Cable & 6pin/MOLEX/SATA Powered GPU Riser Ethereum Mining PCIE 1X to 16X Slot Extension Adapter 6PCS | 9.2 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 7 | Razer Core X Aluminum External GPU Enclosure (eGPU): Compatible with Windows & MacOS Thunderbolt 3 Laptops | 9 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 8 | JMT EXP GDC Notebook External PCI-E Discrete Graphics Beast Series External Laptop Docking Station Mini PCI-E/M.2 A Key No Power (Expresscard) | 9 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 9 | Sonnet eGPU Breakaway Box 750ex - External GPU Chassis | 8.2 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 10 | StarTech.com Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Expansion Chassis w/DisplayPort – PCIe x16 – External PCIe Slot for Thunderbolt 3 Devices (TB31PCIEX16) | 8.2 | Check Price on Amazon |
Choose the Best 10 Laptops for eGPU Integration
When searching for the best eGPU laptop, it’s important to consider factors like the laptop’s GPU compatibility, the type and speed of the connection port, and the laptop’s overall performance. The goal is to find a laptop that can effectively leverage the power of an external graphics card.
What is an eGPU?
An eGPU is an external graphics card enclosure that connects to a laptop or desktop computer using a Thunderbolt or USB-C port. It allows users to harness the power of a dedicated desktop graphics card, significantly boosting the graphical performance of their system. With an eGPU, gamers can play the latest AAA titles, create high-resolution content, and engage in resource-intensive tasks that the laptop’s internal GPU would otherwise limit.
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Benefits of using an eGPU
There are several advantages to using an eGPU for gaming:
- It provides a cost-effective solution for gamers who already own a capable laptop but wish to upgrade their graphics performance without investing in an entirely new system.
- eGPUs offer greater flexibility as they can be easily connected and disconnected, allowing users to switch between a portable setup and a more powerful gaming rig as needed.
- eGPUs can extend the lifespan of laptops by offloading graphics-intensive tasks from the internal GPU, reducing heat and wear on the system.
Choose the perfect eGPU-enabled laptop to take your gaming and creative projects to new heights.
1. Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock : Thunderbolt 4 Certified – 10 Ports in One – Dual 4K or Single 8K Video Output – Future-Proof & Backward-Compatible – RGB Lighting – Chroma
- Thunderbolt 4 Certified: Fully compatible with Thunderbolt 4 devices providing 40 Gbps connections, USB4 compliance, laptop charging via one port, and ability to wake your laptop from sleep using peripherals connected to the dock.
- 10 Ports in One: Packed with 4x Thunderbolt 4 ports (1 Upstream and 3 Downstream), Gigabit Ethernet, 3.
- Dual Monitor Support: Access 2x 4K 60Hz displays (Intel Mac), 1x 4K 60Hz display (M1 Mac) with 1 Thunderbolt 4 cable.
- Future-proof and backward-compatible: Thunderbolt 4 PCs, Thunderbolt 3 Macs w/OS11.
- Pass-Through Charging: Keep your USB-C powered laptop topped off at all times using the dock’s built-in feature to charge your system while simultaneously powering all other connected devices.
2. [USB-IF Certified] iVANKY Thunderbolt 3 Cable 2.3ft (0.7m)
![[USB-IF Certified] iVANKY Thunderbolt 3 Cable 2.3ft (0.7m), 40Gbps Data Transfer, 100W Charging, 5K 60Hz, Compatible with Type-C Laptop, Smartphone, External SSD,eGPU,USB-C Docking Station and More](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41UL5Wsl5mL._SL500_.jpg)
- Go at Superhero Speed] Transferring data at lightning-speeds up to 40Gbps, this Thunderbolt 3 cable delivers the fastest connection to your device.
- Astonishing 5K Video Output] This Thunderbolt 3 cable supports one 5K 60Hz display or dual 4K 60Hz displays.
- Power Your Device Quickly] With power delivery up to 100W (20V/5A), this Thunderbolt 3 cable reliably powers your USB-C devices (laptops, tablets, phones, etc.
- Universal Cable Connectivity] This cable has been certified to work flawlessly with all Thunderbolt 3 devices and is backward compatible with USB 3.
- Last for Years] This Thunderbolt 3 cable is built to last thanks to its premium materials to maintain consistent performance, reduce heat, and provide an optimum user experience every time.
3. Laptop External Independent Video Card Dock for Mini PCI-E Without Power Supply
- Support dual TD compatible switch (hardware conflict resolution), multistage anti-interference circuit and data line reinforcement.
- 8p power output interface can connect 220W power supply and ATX cable with ATX desktop power.
- Unsupported models:Not fit for Asus N55SF/N75SL/ASUS/A53XI24/1SV-SL/K43SD/A73S /K53SD/X8dij/A43s/N55SL/K45dr, Not fit for Lenovo E530/L430/E43/U410/E49/K49/G50-75M(New Add),Not fit for HP H533OM/6910/5310M,Not fit for Hasee ui45/EVI4,Not fit for Haier T68,Not fit for Acer 4739z/E1-451G,Not fit for Samsung 450R/270e5k/np450r5j-x05cn,Not fit for Dell 5437/N55SL.
- Instructions: Disable the built-in independent graphic card in the BIOS and turn off the network.
- Instructions 2: Restart the notebook after the hardware installation is complete.
4. Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
- AMD Ryzen 3 3200U Dual Core Processor (Up to 3.5GHz); 4GB DDR4 Memory; 128GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- 6 inches full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED backlit IPS display; AMD Radeon Vega 3 Mobile Graphics.
- 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 port, 2 USB 2.0 ports & 1 HDMI port with HDCP support
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Backlit Keyboard; Up to 7.5 hours battery life
- Windows 10 in S mode. Maximum power supply wattage: 65 Watts
5. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 9th Gen 9 Intel Core i7-1165G7
- Processor: Intel Core i7-1165G7 (4C / 8T, 2.8 / 4.7GHz, 12MB)
- Graphics: Integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics Display: 14″ FHD IPS 400nits Anti-glare
- Memory: 16GB soldered memory; Storage: 512GB SSD M.
- Dimensions:(WxDxH) 315 x 221.6 x 14.9 mm (12.4 x 8.72 x 0.59 inches)
- Integrated Intel UHD Graphics Webcam with Microphone, Wifi-6 (Intel AX201 11ax), Bluetooth 5.
6. PCI-E Riser VER009S for Bitcoin Litecoin Mining with Led Graphics Extension USB 3.0 Extension Cable & 6pin/MOLEX/SATA Powered GPU Riser Ethereum Mining PCIE 1X to 16X Slot Extension Adapter 6PCS
- VER 009S】 N N.
- STABLE and SAFE】 4 Solid Capacitors deliver power to Graphics stably and safely.
- REDUCE MOTHERBOARD BURDEN】6-pin PCI-E power to 15-pin SATA power cable for direct connection to your power supply reduces the power burden on your motherboard and ensures maximum compatibility with your power supply.
- STABLE CABLE】 60cm USB 3.
- WIDELY APPLICABLE】Suitable for all Window systems, LINUX and MAC.
7. Razer Core X Aluminum External GPU Enclosure (eGPU): Compatible with Windows & MacOS Thunderbolt 3 Laptops
- Desktop Grade Performance: Boosts Thunderbolt 3 laptop performance with support for up to 3 slot wide PCIe full sized desktop graphics cards (graphics card NOT included).
- Built-In Power Supply: Includes a 650W ATX PSU with 100W laptop charging via Thunderbolt 3
- Compatibility (Windows): Requires Thunderbolt 3 external graphics (eGPU) support with RS45 or later and compatible NVIDIA or AMD graphics cards.
- Compatibility (macOS): Requires Thunderbolt 3 and High Sierra 10.
8. JMT EXP GDC Notebook External PCI-E Discrete Graphics Beast Series External Laptop Docking Station Mini PCI-E/M.2 A Key No Power (Expresscard)
- EXP GDC is the laptop’s external equipment; It can help them to use the independent external high-performance graphics, can be used to use any of the pci-e interface equipment, to improve the performance of the laptop, so that they can play the huge game requirement high high-performance graphics.
- The EXP GDC notebook external independent video card base has an Express card data cable and a 6-pin/8-pin power cable.
- The enhanced MINI PCI-E data cable , uses a 26pin interface and supports Type 54 and Type 34 Express card interfaces.
- With 6pin interface for connecting graphics card power supply; 8pin interface for connecting EXP GDC power supply.
- Industrial applications such as engineering measurement, data acquisition, server debugging, GPU computing, etc.
9. Sonnet eGPU Breakaway Box 750ex – External GPU Chassis
- Boosts Graphics Performance – Connects a high-performance GPU card to your computer with Thunderbolt 3 ports.
- Cuts Application Task Times – Enables GPU acceleration to significantly improve editing, rendering, color grading, animation, and special effects performance.
- 750W Power Supply – Support the power requirements of the latest compatible GPU cards; future-proof design handles higher power requirements of cards to come.
- Supports Many of the Latest GPU Cards – Includes AMD Radeon VII, RX, RX Vega, Pro W and Pro WX models; and NVIDIA GeForce RTX series, TITAN, and Quadro models.
- 750ex Model: Additional Connectivity Adds four 5Gb/s USB Type A ports to connect peripherals, plus an RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port for a wired network connectivity.
10. StarTech.com Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Expansion Chassis w/DisplayPort – PCIe x16 – External PCIe Slot for Thunderbolt 3 Devices (TB31PCIEX16)
- EXPAND YOUR CONNECTIVITY: Add an external PCIe (PCI Express 3.
- HIGH SPEEDS: Experience increased productivity with Thunderbolt 3 and up to 40Gbps bandwidth which is twice the speed of Thunderbolt 2 (20Gbps) and eight times faster than USB 3.
- BROAD COMPATIBILITY: For ultimate convenience, this Thunderbolt 3 external PCIe enclosure works with both your Mac and Windows computers so you’re not limited to what systems you can use with the expansion box.
- DISPLAYPORT CONNECTION: This Thunderbolt 3 PCIe expansion slot supports one 4K DisplayPort monitor, and a second extended monitor display through the Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port.
How to Pick the Best eGPU Compatible Laptop
Power and Performance: Key Factors for eGPU Compatibility
When it comes to eGPU compatibility, power and performance play a crucial role. Choosing a laptop with a compatible Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C port is vital to ensure optimal performance. These ports provide the necessary bandwidth and power delivery required for eGPU connectivity.
Graphics Card Compatibility and Connectivity Options
Compatibility between the laptop and the external graphics card is vital for a successful eGPU setup. Ensure that the laptop supports the specific graphics card you intend to use. Moreover, consider the connectivity options offered by the laptop, such as multiple USB ports, HDMI or DisplayPort outputs, and an Ethernet port.
Thermal Management and Cooling Solutions
Selecting a laptop with robust thermal management and cooling solutions is crucial to prevent performance issues caused by heat. Look for laptops with efficient cooling systems, heat dissipation mechanisms, and adequate ventilation to ensure optimal performance.
Display Capabilities and External Monitor Support
A laptop with excellent display capabilities is essential to fully enjoy the enhanced graphics performance an eGPU offers. Look for high-resolution displays, high refresh rates, and support for technologies like G-Sync or FreeSync. Also, consider the laptop's support for external monitors.
Portability and Design
When selecting an eGPU laptop, consider the weight, dimensions, and overall design. Look for laptops that strike a balance between power and portability, allowing you to take your gaming rig wherever you go.
Battery Life and Power Efficiency
Consider the laptop's battery life and power efficiency, especially when using the eGPU. Some laptops offer power-saving features and technologies to optimize battery life and balance performance and mobility.
FAQs
Can any laptop be used with an eGPU?
Yes, eGPUs can be used with many laptops with a compatible Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C port. However, checking the manufacturer's specifications and compatibility lists is vital to ensure successful integration.
What is the best eGPU laptop for gaming?
The best eGPU laptop for gaming depends on various factors such as budget, desired performance, and personal preferences. Some popular options include the Razer Blade, Alienware m15, ASUS ROG Zephyrus, and Gigabyte Aero laptops. Researching and comparing different models is recommended to find the one that suits your specific needs.
How does an eGPU enhance gaming performance?
An eGPU enhances gaming performance by offloading the graphics processing tasks from the laptop's internal GPU to a more powerful external graphics card. This allows for smoother frame rates, higher graphical settings, and an improved overall gaming experience.
Can I upgrade the external graphics card in the future?
Yes, one of the significant advantages of eGPU setups is the ability to upgrade the external graphics card in the future. As new graphics card models are released, you can swap out the older card for a more powerful one, keeping your gaming setup up to date.
Are there any limitations to using an eGPU?
While eGPUs offer remarkable performance improvements, there are a few limitations. eGPUs typically introduce additional latency compared to internal GPUs, although the impact is often minimal. Additionally, the external graphics card's performance may be slightly lower compared to the same card installed in a desktop PC due to the bandwidth limitations of the Thunderbolt or USB-C connection.
How much does an eGPU setup cost?
The cost of an eGPU setup can vary depending on the laptop, the external graphics card, and additional peripherals. On average, you can expect to spend several hundred dollars for a mid-range eGPU enclosure and several hundred dollars more for a compatible graphics card.
Conclusion
In conclusion, selecting the best laptop for eGPU compatibility is essential to enhance your gaming experience. Consider factors such as power and performance, graphics card compatibility, connectivity options, thermal management, display capabilities, portability, and battery life. By choosing the right laptop, you can unlock the full potential of eGPUs and enjoy desktop-level gaming performance on the go.