If you feel like your internal GPU is slow, a great alternative would be an external graphics processing units (also known as eGPU). That would be the case especially if you have a laptop. They have little space available and cannot handle the heat properly to operate optimally. Having the best external GPU is what you need if you want to run some of the latest games or render videos content on your laptop.
How does the external GPU work?
In most cases, the best external GPU comes with a PCIe port and a USB-C / Thunderbolt cord for a computer connection. It is very easy to set up — you just have to plug it in, install the required software and restart your machine. Usually, all of the steps are outlined in the user guide that comes with each product. After you are done, your device will start using the external GPU as its GPU. While this will in most cases bring you more graphical processing power, you need to be aware that it is not always worth it.
What do I need to consider before buying the best external GPU?
The internals of laptops are not made to handle the power of the best external GPU and the ports are unable to handle the huge data that needs to be transferred. These limitations could make the external GPU up to 14-15% less effective as compared to when internally connected. In most cases, this limitation does not matter, as the external GPUs come with far more power than your internal one. If you use a high-quality dense cable, you could also improve the efficiency and decrease the limitation, but that is still slightly not enough to run the latest games on maxed out graphics. In such case just investing a few hundred more bucks into building a gaming PC would be a much wiser decision.
Another thing to consider is that you a GPU dock on which to mount the external GPU. The GPU dock is a small motherboard that has connectors for the eGPU and the computer. To get the most out of the best external GPU, you nee the best GPU dock for it. As simple as this device might sound, it might cost you around $200, if not even more. You need to be wary as some docks are compatible only with some laptops and external GPUs. If you decide to change your laptop, later on, you will have to change your GPU dock as well.
Ultimately…
Even after summing all drawbacks of the external GPU — if you chose the right one it will improve graphics performance and speed up your workflow. You will be able to play the latest games with pretty decent graphics and you will be rendering video content much faster, especially if you are a Mac user. Having the best external GPU for your device is of significant importance if you want the biggest performance boost.
Finding the best external GPU is not an easy assignment. You need to consider whether it is worth the money, in the short and long term. If you are a gamer at heart or if you work in the field of multimedia, you will benefit a lot from the eGPU. In any case, there are many things to consider when buying it and it is a time-consuming task. When investing money into something important, you need to give it as much time as possible. Not everyone has time nowadays, so I have decided to share my personal top five choices for the best external GPU.
| # | Image | Brand | Price |
| 1 |    |
Gigabyte | $650 |
| 2 |    |
Akitio | $340 |
| 3 |     |
HP | $300 |
| 4 |  |
Alienware | $150 |
| 5 |   |
Razer | $500 |
1. Gigabyte AORUS with integrated GTX 1070
- Integrated Nvidia GeForce 1070
- 8GB GDDR5 VRAM memory
- 8008 MHz Memory Speed
- Thunderbolt 3 connectivity (Up to 40 Gbps)
- Multi-view up to 4
- Quick Charge (QC 3.0) and Power Delivery (PD 3.0)
- More than 90% efficiency
- PSU of 450W
- 3x USB 3.0 connections
Unlike most devices, the Gigabyte AORUS eGPU comes with the nVidia GeForce 1070 integrated. It brings with itself 8 GBs of dedicated Video RAM memory at 8008 MHz clock speed. The device features Thunderbolt 3 connectivity with up to 40 Gbps transfer speed, multi-view support of up to 4 and Quick Charge/Power Delivery 3.0 technologies. It is more than 90% efficient, which makes it the perfect external GPU for gamers at heart.
2. Akitio Node Pro
- One PCIe (x16) slot
- Thunderbolt 3 connectivity (40 Gbps)
- Dedicated DisplayPort for addition monitor
- Power Delivery up to 60W support
- PSU of 500W
- 4-lane PCI Express 3.0 compliant interface
- USB 3.1 support
The Akitio Node Pro does not come with an integrated GPU but rather a lot (PCIe x16). It also comes with Thunderbolt 3 connectivity that allows for transfers up to 40 Gbps. The Node Pro supplies the GPU with 75 W of power and comes with a built-in 500W SFX PSU for additional power to the PCIe card slot. It features 4-lane PCI Express 3.0 compliant interface.
3. HP Accelerator Shell OMEN GA1-1000
- One GPU slot
- Thunderbolt 3 connectivity (40 Gbps)
- 2.5-Inch HDD/SSD Slot
- PSU of 500W
- Compatible with Windows
- 1-Year warranty
Just like the Node Pro, the HP Omen external GPU comes with a single GPU slot and an additional HDD/SSD slot. The OMEN allows you to add additional storage to your laptop, either a Solid State Drive or a Hard Disk Drive, both up to 2.5 inches in size. If you need one, feel free to check out my reviews of the best SSD for your laptop or the best HDD for your laptop. Laptop SSDs and HDDs fit perfectly into the empty slot. The OMEN comes with a 500W PSU for additional GPU power and a 1-year warranty. The device is compatible with Thunderbolt 3-enabled Windows machines.
4. Alienware Graphics Amplifier (9R7XN)
- One GPU slot (up to 10.5-inch / 375W)
- Designed for Alienware 13 R2, 15 R2, 15 R3, Alpha R2, M17xR2, M17xR3, X51 R3 and R2 notebooks
- PSU of 460W
- Four USB 3.0 ports
- 1-4 Years accidental damage service
The Alienware Graphics Amplifier (9R7XN) can boost your performance significantly but it comes with a few downsides. It is designed to work optimally with the Alienware 13 R2, 15 R2, 15 R3, Alpha R2, M17xR2, M17xR3, X51 R3 and the R2 notebooks lineups. If you wish to change your laptop in the future, this might turn out to be of an issue for you. The 9R7XN comes with a 460W PSU for additional GPU power and with four USB 3.0 ports. It features 1-4 years of accidental damage service.
5. Razer Core V2
- One GPU Slot
- Thunderbolt 3 connectivity (40 Gbps)
- PSU of 500W
- Four USB 3.0 ports
- Supports latest chipsets (including GeForce GTX 10-series and AMD XConnect-enabled Radeon RX cards)
- Optimized for Razer Blade Stealth, Razer Blade or Razer Blade Pro (Thunderbolt 3) laptopsRazer Chroma integrated
The Razer Core V2 is definitely not affordable by anyone but is everything that you might ever need. The device connects to your laptop via Thunderbolt 3, which allows for transfer speeds of up to 40 Gbps. It also features USB and Ethernet ports to bring you the most comfort. The Core V2 comes with four USB 3.0 ports and with a 500W PSU for additional GPU power. Optimized to work best with Razer Blade Stealth, Razer Blade, and Razer Blade Pro laptops. It includes Razer Chroma for a spectacular gaming experience.
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