Although some may not know an external graphics card, they are devices or hardware that have renewed the display of graphics and their processing in computers such as a PC. In this article we are going to start by explaining what it is and its importance, and then specify the best and most functional ones on the market today.
external graphics card
Graphics cards come in two forms: internally and externally in a computer. Depending on what the buyer is looking for, they can have different features and functions. But first, before we start, we are going to explain what it is and how it actually works on a computer.
What is it?
The first thing to keep in mind is that the cards and an eGPU are both the grouping of hardware that forms a card that is powered by current. These are connected to a PCI-Express port which contains a dock that will allow communication between the computer and said device.
It is basically a vehicle where information will be exchanged from one side to the other, however it is not both ways. The card is the channel that sends signals and data, and the port is the one that receives it and sends it to the CPU.
For a dock to work and therefore the graphics card, it must have: Power source, USB Type-C components with Thunderbolt 3 technology and a port that receives said signals.
How does an eGPU work?
These mechanisms, if we see it from a developer's point of view, could be difficult to understand, so we will try to explain its operation in a simple way. For this we will describe it as follows:
A graphics card is connected to a device and, when receiving power, it automatically sends the information and data to the eGPU, a device that is responsible for pausing the processing of the CPU and the internal graphics chip so that they do not reproduce the graphics.
For this to happen, it is important that both devices are compatible, because otherwise it will not work as it should. In fact, old computers generate this type of problem since they do not have a Thunderbolt 3 interface under a USB-C.
Basically this program suspends the graphics card of the computer so that the external USB can work; and this improves the graphic capabilities of the programs and makes them work better.
Local
Modern eGPUs come with Intel Thunderbolt 3 interfaces, one of the fastest today with a speed of 40 Gbps.
In addition, these devices provide additional powers of 100W of feedback to devices that share the same space and that need this current.
In fact, it may even charge a laptop simultaneously while the GPU is up and running.
Compatibility
Not all GPUs are compatible with all tablets and computers, so you should investigate the operating system of the PC well and see if it is supported by the graphics card.
However, Windows 10 is known to have no issues with most of these devices. On the other hand, MacOS X has greater compatibility with AMD RX 560, 570 and 580 graphics cards.
If the user does not want these inconveniences then he must acquire Mac Book and MaxQ brands so that his cards can function in all their fullness.
In addition, it must be checked that there is compatibility with the eGPU and its port because otherwise there will be no feedback for other devices. It must be checked if there is enough processing capacity available because otherwise the load will not be able to be distributed correctly,
The Thunderbolt 3 firmware must be installed on the computer and be at the latest version, and the eGPU must be connected in close proximity to the devices of interest.
Costs
Depending on the type of eGPU, you can have different costs, since each of them has different elements that compose them.
First of all we have the eGPUs that come with or without a graphics card or the dock. The cheapest ones are usually when they do not include this last component or they have few power capacities.
For example, an AORUS brand eGPU with a GTX 1070 is priced at almost $600. What includes? a case and power supply in addition to the graphics card.
The user also has the option of buying everything separately, such as the dock that costs 200 euros and later the card with a price of 400 euros, however, as we can see, much more would have to be paid.
In addition, the computer must also be considered since if you have an unsupported or very old one you would have to pay for a new one with a Thunderbolt 3 interface.
In the event that the user has the possibility, they can also purchase a laptop-eGPU that includes everything in one, especially for gamers. However, they are highly expensive, approximately 2 thousand euros.
Things to keep in mind
We already know how to use an external graphics card and its operation, now it's time to see some important data about the dock connections.
In general, some include 4 USB ports, with them the user can make feedback or have more space for more devices such as a mouse.
You should also check that the card has 100W power, since without it the computer will not be able to have enough power to power the Thunderbolt.
Similarly, when these cards are purchased, the manufacturers specify all the information for the card to work well, such as the recommended dock and power supply.
Another aspect to consider is the eGPU box, since if the measurements are clear then the graphics will be better. That is to say, we are not referring to a real box, but to the space where the graphics are going to be positioned, if it is too small they will be cut off and it will not look good visually.
Basically what we must take into account of an eGPU is the following:
- These are boxes that come in different sizes, require connection to a power network.
- They are usually expensive, some come bundled with cards.
- For the operation of these "boxes" a Thunderbolt 3 processor is required.
- The user must verify that it has an eGPU port connection and gives 100 W power.
- There must be compatibility between the card and the computer.
When are we interested in having an external graphics card?
Obviously not everyone requires this type of technology in their computer, however if the person has a job that requires good graphics, they will have to make the investment for a good card processor.
However, if the computer you purchased has a label with the words Nvidia or Radeon on it, then it already has a graphics card. But as we mentioned before, if the user has a job that does not require it then he has no need to buy or install this hardware.
Best cards on the market with GPU
As we mentioned before, there are eGPUs that come with and without a graphics card, and in this case we are going to focus on the first scenario.
However, this is up to the buyer, he or she will decide the quality of the graphic, number of ports, filters, etc. In short, the two best external graphics cards for laptops on the market today are the following:
→ Gigabyte AORUS Gaming Box
- GPU Form Factor: Mini ITX
- Weight: Kg 2,4
- PSU: 450W
- Installed GPUs: RX 580GTX 1070GTX 1080.
- Connectivity: Thunderbolt 3 Charge 100 W4 USB 3.0.
→ Sonet Breakaway Puck
- GPU Form Factor: Ultra Compact
- Weight: Kg 1,88
- PSU: 160W220W
- Installed GPUs: RX 560RX 570
- Connectivity: Thunderbolt 3 Charge 45 W
Gigabyte AORUS Gaming Box
→ Technical Specifications
- Gigabyte GV-N1070IXEB-8GD - Graphics Card - Black
- Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 Mini ITX OC Graphics Card
- Integrated 450 Watt Power Supply (80Plus Gold)
- Semi-passive fan cooler
- Connection to notebook with TB 3.0
- Includes carry bag for portability
- Cost: €450,00
This brand has 3 different types of models, depending on what the buyer is looking for, they can choose one of them. In addition, it is light and therefore easy to transport and will be considered one of the most versatile eGPUs on the market.
It is designed to have ventilation towards the internal circuits of the device, it has LED lighting that can be adjusted and AuraSync brand software.
Your package includes:
- Dock + AORUS Gaming Box Graphics Card.
- 3 cm Thunderbolt 50 cable.
- Cable for the plug to the current.
- Lining to transport.
- Manual and driver CD.
- 3 USB 3.0 + one charging
Gigabyte RX 580 Gaming Box.
This one is made especially for gamers and features the following elements:
- Thunderbolt 3 plug
- 1355Mhz GPU
- 8 GB of GDDR5 memory at 8000 MHz
- 3 DisplayPorts and 1 HDMI.
- Cost: €450,00
Gigabyte GV-N1070IXEB-8GD - Graphics Card - Black
This card has the following components:
- 450 watt power
- GPU up to 1746MHz
- 8 GB of GDDR5 memory at 8008 MH
- Cost of €450,00
- DVI-D, 1 DisplayPort and 1 HDMI connections
Gigabyte AORUS GTX 1080 Gaming Box GeForce GTX 1080 8GB GDDR5X - Graphics Card
This latest model is very similar to the previous ones, the difference is that it brings a more attractive package for more experienced consumers:
- 1771MHz processor.
- 8 GB GDDR5X memory at 10000 MHz.
- Connectivity: 3 DisplayPort, 1 HDMI and 1 DVI-D.
- High-end GPU included.
- Very portable eGPU.
- USB hub in the back.
- LED lighting and custom heatsink.
Sonnet Breakaway Puck
This other brand has portability for two eGPUs and is very portable, it also has a 3Gbp Thunderbolt 40 interface. Other technical details are:
- It has 45W of power.
- Multi-screen base for laptops.
- Compatible with Windows with Thunderbolt 3 ports and with Windows 10 (64-bit Edition Version 1703 or higher).
- It has 3 Display Port 1.4 ports and 1 HDMI 2.0b
- The dock is part of the GPU and has its own cooling system.
Best non-GPU cards
We already talked about GPU cards, now we are going to specify those that do not have a graphics card. Obviously they are cheaper but they are more expensive in the end because everything is bought separately, but the user has the control to choose the features that he wants.
→ Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box
- GPU Form Factor: ATX (up to 310mm) Dual Slot
- Measurements and Weight: 185x340x202 mm and 3.2 kg
- PSU: 550W and 750W
- Supported GPUs: Nvidia RTX, AMD Radeon RX 5000 and below
- Connectivity: Thunderbolt 3 Charge 87W
→ Alienware Graphics Amplifier
- GPU Form Factor: ATX Dual Slot
- Measurements and Weight: 409x185x172 mm and 3,5 Kg
- PSU: 460W
- Supported GPUs: Nvidia RTX, AMD Radeon RX 5000 and below
- Connectivity: Proprietary 4 USB 3.0
→ AKiTiO Node
- GPU form factor: ATX (up to 320mm) Dual slot
- Measurements and Weight: 428x227x145 mm and 4,9 kg
- PSU: 400W
- Supported GPUs: GTX 1000Nvidia, QuadroRTX and 2000AMD RX
- Connectivity: Thunderbolt 3
→ ASUS RoG XG Station 2
- GPU Form Factor: ATX Dual Slot
- Measurements and Weight: 456x158x278 mm and 5,1 kg
- PSU: 600W 80Plus
- Supported GPUs: GTX 900GTX,1000RTX 2000Nvidia, QuadroAMD and RXAMD RX Vega
- Connectivity: Thunderbolt 34 USB, 3.01 GbE1 and USB Type-B
→ Razer CoreX
- GPU Form Factor: ATX Triple Slot
- Measurements and Weight: 168x374x230 mm and 6.48 kg
- PSU: 650W
- Supported GPUs: GTX 700/900GTX 1000Nvidia QuadroAMD R9/RXAMD RX Vega
- Connectivity: Thunderbolt 3
→ Razer Core V2
- GPU Form Factor: ATX Dual Slot
- Measurements and Weight: 105x340x218 mm and 4.93 kg
- PSU: 500W
- Supported GPUs: GTX 700/900GTX 1000Nvidia and QuadroAMD R9/RX
- Connectivity: Thunderbolt 34 and USB 3.01 GbE
→ HP OMEN Accelerator
- GPU Form Factor: ATX Dual Slot
- Measurements and Weight: 400x200x200 mm and 5,5 Kg
- PSU: 500W
- Supported GPUs: GTX 700/900GTX 1000 and Nvidia QuadroAMD R9/RX
- Connectivity: Thunderbolt 34, USB 3.01 and USB Type-C1 GbE
Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box
This card is high performance and compatible with any Thunderbolt eGFX 3 port, it has a fan that controls the temperature inside the circuits.
It is designed to be compatible with different graphics cards and MacOS and Windows operating systems. It has LED lighting and side fans, though no additional USB ports.
This brand has 4 different types of models, each one similar but with the difference in the power it supplies for the PSU and Thunderbolt 3.
Other technical details are:
- The base version is very accessible.
- Comfortable and simple design.
- Compatible with different GPUs.
- Several models available.
Alienware Graphics Amplifier
This device is compatible with any card that is from the same company and with Thunderbolt 3 ports. However, the power it has only feeds the GPU itself although it has 4 additional USB 3.0 inputs for the buyer's use.
Akiti Node
It has Thunderbolt 3 and lighting; Exclusive 400W power to power the GPU. It has a slot for graphics cards, a carrying handle and an external fan to cool the hardware circuits.
In addition to this, it has USB 3.0 ports and is compatible with AMD Radeon RX Polaris brands, the Nvidia GTX 1000, Nvidia frame, RX 570, 580 and ProWX 7100 and Nvidia RTX of Windows.
Asus ROG XGStation 2
It costs 650 euros and its hardware includes one of the best eGPUs on the market today, its design is innovative and it has a cooling system to prevent the circuit from heating up. The installation of the graphics card can be done easily thanks to the peculiar shape of the equipment.
It also has red interior lighting that lights up during use and is compatible with other hardware from this same company.
As for the technical aspects, the dock has a power of 600W with the capacity to feed the Thunderbolt 3 connector in a capacity of 100W, it has 4 USB 3.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet connector and a USB Type-B.
In addition, if Thunderbolt 3 is used in conjunction with USB Type B, the transfer and speed of the eGPU is increased. It has compatibility with Nvidia GTX 900, GTX 1000, RTX 2000, AMD Radeon R9, RX, RX Vega, and Asus Aura RGB cards.
Razer CoreX
This hardware has a Thunderbolt 3 port compatible with Windows 10 and Mac brands, as well as a cooling system. For its price of 300 euros, buyers get good features such as:
It is made of aluminum and is not compact like other eGPUs, and it does not have additional ports for other uses. The user will be able to enjoy ventilation for the circuits and a space to install refrigerants in the internal part.
Likewise, its power supply is very good since it has 650W and is compatible with those that are 500W. It powers 100W for the Thunderbolt port and there's enough left to power laptops. As for operating systems, it can be used with the Razer Blade, Blade Stealth and Blade Pro.
As for graphics card compatibility, it can be used with: Nvidia GTX 700, GTX 900, GTX 1000, GTX Titan V, X, Nvidia Quadro, AMD RX, R9 and RX Vega.
Razer Core V2
This hardware has two slots for graphics cards and LED lighting on certain components of the device. It is compact and easy to transport and also has a power supply of 500W, however only 65W is intended for the computer and the rest is necessary for the Thunderbolt 3 connector.
If the computer requires more current then this graphics card will not work in a laptop, however it has 4 USB 3.0 ports and a Gigabit Ethernet port.
It has compatibility for brand cards: AMD Radeon R9, RX and Nvidia GTX 700, GTX 900, GTX 1000, Titan X, Xp and Nvidia Quadro.
HP OMEN Accelerator
When used in conjunction with the computer it increases the efficiency of the graphics, it has USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 ports. It supplies 500 W of power and 3 USB ports for free use, in addition to a headphone jack.
This hardware has one of the best docks on the market since it is 400 x 200 x 200 mm in size and its design allows natural ventilation towards the interior. It has compatibility with GTX brand cards, from 750 to 1080 Ti.
As it has good storage space, the buyer has the possibility of installing an SSD and even a fan, in fact, a liquid refrigerant cooling system is already pre-installed.
In addition, it has for different types of ports, a total of 4 USB 3.0, 1 USB 3.1 Type-C and a Gigabit Ethernet. It has compatibility with almost all GPUs, including old generation and new generation.
Final summary
As we could observe with knowing how to put an external graphics card on a computer is not enough to have a good installation, and even good hardware performance.
You must know both the computer and the hardware to know if they are compatible or not between them, if you buy a very sophisticated card or dock for a very old PC, one of the two will have problems and you will not have the experience that is expected. search.
One of the most common mistakes made by inexperienced users is to try to improve or add new elements to enhance an old computer, so that these hardware give it those improvements or updates that unfortunately the PC does not have to offer.
However, technology and software do not work that way and they are not simple. If there is no compatibility in the devices, no matter what is done, it will not be possible to update a laptop with these features.
Not only the computer must have software that is compatible with the graphics card, but also with the dock and other additional elements that locate it. For example, suppose you buy one of the best eGPUs on the market that has 4 ports, however when you install it we see that the computer does not have the drivers it has to make it work.
Then the user decides to buy and install them, but realizes that these drivers are not compatible with his operating system and therefore decides to change it to a newer version.
Suppose you install it, for example a Window 10, and you think everything will be fine but you realize that when you install the card and the eGPU different things happen that previously didn't happen:
- The battery, in case of being a laptop, no longer lasts as before.
- The computer during use locks up a lot to the point of freezing.
- The graphics card does not mail or render the images as it should, it connects and disconnects.
These and many more problems can be caused by the incompatibility problem, that is:
→ The installed operating system does not have support for the other elements that the computer has, which causes slow data processing and therefore freezing or response time.
→ The graphics card or dock does not have enough power to power the lighting, cooling system and other elements of the hardware, and therefore has to consume the laptop's, causing poor battery life.
→ Simply the computer even with the update does not have support to process each element that the dock requires and therefore the graphics do not look like high definition.
If the user has a very old computer and believes that investing to upgrade it is the solution, he is wrong, in fact he may even end up investing more than the cost of a new laptop.
Not because you buy current items and install them in an old pc, it will recover its old functions and be updated as one of the current market.
Obviously if some fixes are made it will only be to extend the useful life of the computer, however you will not be able to do more than that. A graphics card in conjunction with the dock requires: good processor + storage space + operating system + compatible drivers.
That is why both the PC and the card must be analyzed to see if both products can really work with each other. If you are one of those users who are interested in having a computer specifically for gaming, then it is best to seek the opinion of an expert, because knowledge in the area is required.
Installing hardware is not just a matter of downloading files and putting them to work on the laptop, you must study everything that has to do with its software and know what it may or may not be capable of doing.
The same happens with the hardware, obviously if you are not looking for so many complications, there are cards that have greater compatibility with old operating systems but obviously they will be much more expensive.
The idea is to find one that suits what you are looking for and see all the elements they have, in addition to their power. It makes no sense to buy a buck that has 4 USB ports, fans in addition to the Thunderbolt 3 input and LED lighting if it only has 300W that exclusively powers the card and even then it is insufficient for its operation.
If it has many elements but little power, it means that the hardware is going to take current from the laptop battery, subtracting charge and durability, which would affect the useful life of the laptop and the computer.
With this we hope to clarify some aspects of the graphics card and its components, and the aspects that must be taken into account to buy one of them for the PC that we have at home.
These tools are typically used on high-performance computers, specifically for gaming or graphic design laptops. If you don't know where to look for it in the same physical or virtual electronic stores they have them, in fact in their description they specify that they are for gamers and more information about it.
In the same way, if the user has doubts, they can ask a technician or a friend who has experience in the subject, or in this case, when visiting the electronic stores, they could advise them. If the user wishes, we will leave some links that could be of interest: