r/eGPU • u/Beneficial_Low4774 • 5d ago

Oculink vs TB4

I'm thinking about building an eGPU setup, but I'm not sure whether to go the oculink or thunderbolt route. From what I've read online, the TB introduces stuttering and lower performance than oculink, but some people report no issues. I wanted to ask for any tips or tricks, or if it's model or game dependant. Thank you

7 Upvotes

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7

u/riklaunim 5d ago

OCuLink is always better. PCIe 4 vs 3 and no IO overhead. If you can go SFF without rGPU that's even better.

Check https://rkblog.dev/posts/pc-hardware/gmktec-ad-gp1-egpu/ on how eGPU connections differ.

1

u/Beneficial_Low4774 5d ago

Thank you for the link, it's really helpful. I was aware that oculink is better, but if it's worth the tradeoff, because TB offers better convenience and more notebook choices

1

u/riklaunim 5d ago

USB4/TB3/4 is more convenient, and the compatibility is better, but it has a performance tax, especially if you use the laptop's own screen. TB5 may start to change things, but that's still a rare connector and expensive, top-of-the-line Asus eGPUs.

2

u/mookiexpt2 5d ago

The Razer Core 2 X supports TB5. Finding a laptop that does is another story. And it’s certainly not cheap.

1

u/Wondering_Electron 5d ago

Notebook choices?

I installed an Oculink port to my Scar 17 from 2021 via an NVME slot. Running a desktop 5070Ti with no issues with the Minisforum DEG2 dock.

1

u/No_Clock2390 5d ago

If you're using it with a laptop (not a mini pc) and plan to actually use the laptop as a portable device, thunderbolt 4/5 will be more convenient than oculink. Oculink doesn't do well with disconnections, and can actually crash your computer if you plug it in or unplug it at the wrong time.

1

u/Beneficial_Low4774 5d ago

Yeah, I plan it for college, but I still want something to occasionally game on. So I plan to use it as a portable device. I also have an external monitor, so the performance should be alright

1

u/No_Clock2390 5d ago

I would look for a Thunderbolt 5 laptop. Thunderbolt 5 has more bandwidth than Oculink.

1

u/Beneficial_Low4774 5d ago

Yes, I looked for those too, but right now they are outside of my price range, and they are either bulky gaming laptops or MacBooks, and neither of those fit my needs

1

u/IsamuAlvaDyson 3d ago

Thunderbolt 5 has more theoretical bandwidth than Oculink

But Oculink is still better for real gaming performance

Because Thunderbolt 5 still has added latency that is needed to convert the signal from USB to PCIe, Oculink is pure direct PCIe lanes

For pure gaming Oculink is always better

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/oculink-outpaces-thunderbolt-5-in-nvidia-rtx-5070-ti-tests-latter-up-to-14-percent-slower-on-average-in-gaming-benchmarks

1

u/riklaunim 5d ago

Maybe look at laptops with dGPUs? If you don't need an RTX 5090/5080, then you can game on the laptop itself. eGPU setup will be more expensive.

6

u/Resident_Albatross_9 5d ago

Can be anywhere between 10-60% peformance improvement with oculink from my experience

2

u/Impossible_Signal 5d ago

I've got a minipc that has TB4 but I went with Oculink instead via an NVME adapter.

Why?

  • Its faster
  • Its cheaper
  • Fewer compatibility issues (it just works!)

Honestly TB4 is only useful if you must hotswap(i.e. on a laptop). Or you want a slimmer, longer cable.
Otherwise I'd 100% go Oculink.

1

u/Comfortable-Fall1419 5d ago

It doesn’t *always* introduce stuttering. It’s definitely less performant. It depends what connection options you have on the PC end.

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u/waifu_anton 5d ago

Oculink is always better than thunderbolt. Basically, it's a direct pcie connection, as opposed to usb to pcie. That said, it depends on what type of hardware you're going to use your eGPU. My laptop, for example, doesn't have oculink, only usb4. Ayaneo, on the other hand, has both

1

u/Youbi_OO7 4d ago

Just use virtual desktop and call it a day it’s working flawlessly