Since eGPUs must be connected to your computer or laptop via a cable (USB-C Thunderbolt), there will be a loss in performance. Budget Pick: Sonnet eGFX Breakaway BoxAn eGPU (or, external GPU, or external graphics card) is, essentially, a graphics card that sits in an external chassis apart from the main computer (be it a laptop or a desktop.) It’s basically the same idea as an external storage device (like an external hard drive.) In the same way that, if you plug an external hard drive into your computer you’ll have access to the storage on that device, if you plug in an external GPU to your laptop or computer, you’ll gain the ability to use the external GPU rather than the GPU that your existing laptop or computer is using.While external graphics cards can give users access to more GPU-computing power, they aren’t without their own drawbacks. Plug & Play: Gigabyte AORUS Gaming Box5. On a small number of video cards, adding a USB Video Adapter can exceed the limit of available resources, causing one of the connected displays to turn off. As a possible workaround for this issue, we recommend using a more powerful USB Video Adapter that has a higher amount of integrated RAM, such as our USB32VGAPRO (512MB), USB32DVIPRO (512MB), or USB32HDDVII (1GB).OWC Video Card Power Cable for 2006-2012 Apple Mac Pro - Connect the internal power port(s) to ATI and NVIDIA graphics cards which require booster.
External Video Cards Upgrade Your GPUIf you have a newer laptop that came with integrated graphics, you could upgrade your GPU-computing power by adding an external graphics card. And, most older laptops (or even slightly older budget-friendly laptops) won’t come with a USB-C port.So, while an external GPU can be an legitimate option for some users, the types of users who could probably benefit from it the most are the types of users that won’t actually be able to use an external graphics card.Still, though, there are use cases where an external graphics card makes sense. That’s because external graphics cards currently rely on a USB-C Thunderbolt 3 connection in order to work. But, unfortunately, for the majority of people who could benefit from the use of an external GPU (users with older laptops), using one isn’t actually possible.However, it’s important to note that the power supplies that come in these external GPU enclosures won’t have to deliver power to other components like they would have to in a traditional desktop. If you’re familiar with desktop power supplies, a 400W power supply might now seem like enough power to run a modern high-end graphics card. It comes with a built-in 400W power supply. They give you the option to install the graphics card of your choice.In our opinion, the Akitio Node is one of the better enclosure-only options. But, that’s the standard with external GPU enclosures.At just under ~$200, the Breakway Box is one of the most affordable options currently available. That means that, if you wanted to put an RX 580 inside of it, it would end up costing you over $400—which doesn’t make it as good of a deal as the Gigabyte Gaming Box in terms of price-to-performance.The Node is also quite a bit bigger than the Gigabyte Gaming Box, measuring in at ~17″ x 6″ x 9″ and weighing in at ~2-pounds (without a graphics card installed.) However, its extra interior space will be able to accommodate full-size video cards, whereas, with the Gigabyte Gaming Box, you’ll be limited to using low-profile graphics cards.And, the Node does come with a carrying handle as well, so, even though it is a bit larger than the Gigabyte Gaming Box, it should still be fairly easy to move around.If you’re not looking to run a higher-end graphics card in your external GPU enclosure, perhaps Sonnet’s eGFX Breakway Box is the right option for you. So, with that in mind, a 400W power supply should be plenty for mid-range or higher GPU.The Node also comes with a PCIe (x16) slot and has a price tag of just under ~$250.So, if you were to pair the XG Station 2 with a higher-end GPU, you could be looking at a total of ~$900+ when all is said and done. The main downside of the XG Station 2, though, is the fact that it comes in at ~$550 and it doesn’t include a graphics card. For starters, at just under $330, the XG Station PRO is much more expensive than both the Akitio Node and the Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box.And, despite being ~$100 more expensive than the Node and ~$130 more expensive than the Breakaway Box, it only comes with a 330W power supply—which is less power than both of the two options listed above.ASUS does have a higher-powered option in the ASUS ROG XG Station 2, which comes with a 600W internal power supply. However, it comes with a couple of downsides. And, if that’s not enough power for you, you can also opt for the 550W or 650W version of the Breakaway Box.Ultimately, if you don’t have a large budget and you want an affordable option that will allow you to install a mid-range-level GPU inside of it, then the Breakaway Box is worth considering.ASUS XG Station PRO is another option worth mentioned. It measures in at ~14″ x 8″ x 7″ and weighs about 7-pounds (without a graphics card installed.) So, while it is a bit smaller than the Akitio Node, it also quite a bit heavier.But, the 350W power supply should be able to accommodate mid-range and budget-friendly graphics cards. For a limited time you can get parallels desktop 12 for mac and parallelsSo, with all that being said, how is this not the best external GPU option on this list?Well, the main problem with the Alienware Graphics Amplifier is the fact that it has a propietary connection that only works with certain Alienware computers and laptops. At just under $170, the Alienware Graphics Amplifier is easily the most affordable external graphics enclosure option currently available.And, with a 460W power supply built-into the enclosure, it can easily handle a higher-end video card. However, seeing as how an eGPU will lose some performance as it is through the Thunderbolt connection, adding another bottleneck into the process isn’t ideal.Again, it won’t be a significant difference… but, considering that there are more affordable options that do come with an x16 slot, that’s the route I’d recommend instead.The final option on this list is actually the option that offers the best price-to-performance. This isn’t a terrible problem as the performance difference between an x4 slot and an x16 slot isn’t significant across a wide range of benchmarks. However, the Mercury Helios FX has one downfall…Rather than using a PCIe 3.0 (x16) slot, the Mercury Helios FX only comes with a PCIe 3.0 (x4) slot. The OWC Mercury Helios FX comes with a 550W built-in power supply and costs just a little under $300.That is easily one of the bigger power supplies in a sub-$300 external enclosure and so you’d think it would be a solid option for anyone that is looking to use a high-end GPU.
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