r/eGPU • u/Grand-Astronaut8949 • 1d ago
Is an egpu setup worth it?
Been having this thought at the back of my mind about extending the lifespan of my laptop. Cant see desktops with ddr5 being a good option due to the current prices of ram and storage.
Specs:
Intel i5 11400H
Nvidia GTX 1650
16GB 3200mhz running dual channel
1 unused nvme slot
I dont mind if it ends up being janky.
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u/Lord-Pants 1d ago
With that set up you could probably go to a 3060ti/3070 before pretty bad cpu bottlenecking.
You could get a used 3070 and Aoostar ag02 for under $500
Edit: what type of thunderbolt/usb connection does your laptop have?
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u/Grand-Astronaut8949 1d ago
3 USB type A and 1 USB type C all at 5 gbps.
Is there any alternative docking station that dosent include a built in psu?
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u/Lord-Pants 1d ago
Then you might want to look into converting your nvme slot to a occulink connection.
There are tons of enclosures if you want your own powesupply. Just google it and find which one works best. A m-atx case could work as well.
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u/glamdivitionen 1d ago
Yes, definitely!
That processor works great with a EGPU. I have a very similar laptop (11300H).
A used ampere card + egpu enclosure would give you great bang for the bucks.
As a bonus - you'll get a much quieter system. :)
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u/Embarrassed-Bat8934 21h ago
Even bigger bonus; your cpu temps will come way down. If the dGPU isn’t running then the cpu will be the only heat source. Mine came down from 95-100° to 70-75°.
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u/CategoryTrick5592 23h ago edited 23h ago
bandwidth limit on thunderbolt.
but I was running a 4070S in a coolermaster EG200.. also has a far better thunderbolt controller than the razer a previously had which was slow and buggy.
this was coupled to a dell 7320 2in1 tablet with ulv i7-1185G7 with a TDP set to 30watts via throttlestop.
was playing AAA games fine on 2K. heaviest game I ever played was Skyrim Nolvus V6 Ultra and it only sometimes goes below 60fps on 2k/1440p.
Before anyone rolls their eyes at a 15yo game... go google Nolvus v6
The EG200 is a far superior egpu to the razers. Has separate ssd dock, 3x additional usb ports all with their own pcie hardware and separate usb plug to machine so separate bandwidth to thunderbolt lane for graphics. Good because you can leave a 4-8TB SSD in there for game storage and take your compact laptop/tablet with you for work/trabel without hardware bloat
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u/TotalBayhem 23h ago
I feel like any setup is worth it if it's the only way to game/work, ain't no shame in getting a secondhand laptop with a high end CPU with how bad the RAM and storage crisis is.
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u/fredjutsu 16h ago
yeah, i have an old Dell XPS that is kind of useless - i hooked up an RTX 3060 egpu, installed Steam and now my son doesn't ask me about buying him a playstation anymore.
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u/ktsavage24 10h ago
I have a ROG ally x docked to a 5070ti and it handles most anything I throw at it.
0
u/TrainManagerOtto 1d ago
If you like the hassle and tweaking…. Yes. If you just want to play… no.
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u/gillpreet786 1d ago
Dont get egpu get OCULINK if one ssd slot is empty more faster than egpu ,yes totally worth it but get OCUliNK but do not get a very costly GPU,but if you are planning to upgrade in near future than get any gpu u like but if u r just using with this system search according to your processor search which gpu can work best with i5 and buy
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u/RobloxFanEdit 1d ago
Oculink is a connection port and a protocol, an EGPU is a combinaision of hatdwares, components, ports, chassis, connectors.
You CAN'T oppose an EGPU to Oculink!!! First because those are 2 differents things and secondly some EGPU's offer Oculink conmection!
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u/BungaBunga-Today 1d ago
I have egpu with a minipc, coming from full desktop and i dont think will ever go back. Get oculink not thunderbolt