Compare our community’s most popular Thunderbolt 3 & 4 eGPU enclosures based on 6-monthly builds tally with linked hands-on reviews from our regularly update guide below. Read our Thunderbolt 3 & 4 external GPU enclosure overview to learn more about eGFX features, performance and setup. Support eGPU.io by purchasing your selected eGPU enclosure from the affiliate links [Amazon & Aliexpress]. Last but not least, visit our forum to seek help and advice from other enthusiasts on the best eGPU enclosure that fits your needs.
GPU PCIe to ADT-Link Razer Sonnet 50 Lenovo Legion RX560 2xDP, 2xHDMI, Sonnet RX560 45W Cooler Master Netstor GPU TB3
Rank
6moThunderbolt 3
EnclosureDesign
Included
GPU1Price
US$
Review
User
buildsUser
builds
macOSSize (L)
compare
Weight
(kg/lb)PSU
type2
PSU
max
powerPower
delivery
(PD)3
GPU
max
power4
GPU max
length
(in/cm)
portsI/O ports
bandwidth5 USB-C
ports6
& ctrl
to TB3
encoder7slots
@widthUpdated
firmware8Cable
cm9Vendor
page
#1
UT3G
✖
discuss
link
link
GPU
0.1/0.22
ATX-ext
nolimit
15W
nolimit
nolimit
✖
✖
1
2023
ASM2464PD1@x4
35.35 ✔
80
link
#2
EXP GDC
TH3P4G3/
TH3P4G2
✖
$120
+ case
(optional)
link
link
link
GPU
0.23/0.51
ATX-ext
or AC-ext nolimit
85W
nolimit
nolimit
✖
5Gbps
2 & TI83
2018
JHL74401@x4
??
50
link
#3
Core X
✖
$300
link
link
link
14.45
6.48/14.29
ATX-int
650W
100W
500W
12.99/33.0
✖
✖
1 & TI83
2015
DSL6540
1@x4
33.1 ✔
50
link
#4
Razer Core
X Chroma
✖
$400
link
link
link
14.45
6.91/15.23
ATX-int
700W
100W
500W
12.99/33.0
✖
5Gbps
1 & TI83
2016
JHL6540 x21@x4
40.1 ✔
70
link
#5
Breakaway
350|550
650|750
750ex
✖
✖
✖
✖
✖
$199
$250
$300
$300
$350
link
link
12.71
3.20/7.10
SFX-int
SFX-int
SFX-int
ATX-int
ATX-int
350W
550W
650W
750W
750W
15W
87W
87W
85W
85W
300W
375W
475W
475W
475W
12.20/31.0
✖
✖
✖
✖
✖
5Gbps
1 & TI83
DSL6540
DSL6540
DSL6540
JHL6540
JHL6540+
JHL6240
1@x4
25.2 ✔
50
50
70
70
link
#5
AORUS/
Gigabyte
Gaming Box
RX580
GTX1070
GTX1080
RTX2070$420
$500
$670
$650link
link
link
unboxlink
link
3.30
2.35/5.19
fATX-int
450W
100W
225W
6.65/16.9
AMD:3xDP,HDMI
Nvidia:DP,HDMI,
2xDVI-D,
USB-C (RTX)5Gbps
1 & TI83
2015
DSL6540
1@x4
F1.1 ✔
F1.0 ✔
F1.0 ✔
F1.0 ✔50
link
link
link
link
#6
Wikingoo
eGPU
✖
$115
link
link
link
< 9.1
??
ATX-ext
nolimit
15W
nolimit
nolimit
✖
✖
1 & TI83
2016
JHL63401@x4
??
50
link
#6
ADT-Link
R43SG-TB3
✖
$140
+ stand
discuss
equiv
equiv
GPU
0.1/0.22
ATX-ext
or AC-ext
nolimit
15W
nolimit
nolimit
✖
✖
1 & TI83
2015
DSL65401@x4
??
30
link
#6
AKiTiO
Node
✖
$200
link
link
link
14.09
4.90/10.78
SFX-int
400W
15W
375W
12.60/32.0
✖
✖
1 & TI83
2015
DSL65401@x4
25.1 ✔
50
link
#6
BoostStation
✖
$230
discuss
link
link
13.31
8.50/18.74
ATX-int
500W
100W
300W
12.60/32.0
✖
8Gbps x2
1 & TI83
2016
JHL6540+
JHL62401@x4
??
70
link
#6
PowerColor
Gaming Station
✖
$250
✖
link
link
13.71
3.60/7.92
SFX-int
550W
87W
375W
12.20/31.0
✖
5Gbps
1 & TI83
2015
DSL65401@x4
??
50
link
#6
PowerColor/
VisionTek
mini
RX570
$350
$480
link
link
link
2.30
0.85/1.90
AC-ext
240W
45W
150W
6.89/17.5
DVI-D
5Gbps
1 & TI83
2016
JHL6540+
JHL62401@x4
40.1 ✔
50
link
#6
AKiTiO
Node Titan 
✖
RX580
RX5700XT
RPW5700
$330
$550
$750
$1300
discuss
link
link
12.82
3.50/7.72
SFX-int
650W
85W
500W
12.60/32.0
✖
2xDP,2xHDMI,DVI-D
3xDP,HDMI
5xDP,USB-C✖
1 & TI83
2018
JHL74401@x4
??
50
link
#6
Breakaway Puck
RX570
RX5500XT
RX5700
$399
$499
$600
$900 link
link
link
1.01
2.38/5.25
AC-ext
160W
220W
220W
220W
45W
60W
60W
-
-
3xDP,HDMI
3xDP,HDMI
DP,HDMI
DP,HDMI
✖
✖
5Gbps
5Gbps
1 & TI83
2 &
TI83
2015
DSL6540
1@x4
25.1 ✔
50
link
link
link
link
-
Highpoint
Rocketstor 6661A
✖
$175
preview
link
link
2.40
5.18/11.40
AC-ext
60W
15W
25W
8.20/20.8
✖
10Gbps
2 & TI83
2015
DSL65401@x4
??
50
link
-
AKiTiO
Node Lite 
✖
$190
✖
link
link link
link 2.64
2.00/4.39
AC-ext
72W
15W
25W
7.87/20.0
✖
10Gbps
2 & TI83
2015
DSL65401@x4
B1-25✔
50
link
-
OWC Mercury
Helios 3
✖
$200
user
✖
✖
2.69
1.40/3.08
AC-ext
90W
15W
25W
7.75/19.6
✖
10Gbps
2 & TI83
2015
DSL65401@x4
✖
50
link
-
Zotac AMP
Box Mini
✖
$220
link
link
link
4.17
0.85/1.87
AC-ext
180W
15W
150W
7.87/20.0
✖
5Gbps
1 & TI83
2015
DSL65401@x4
26.1 ✔
50
link
-
Sapphire
GearBox
✖
$259
link
link
link
8.45
3.30/7.30
fATX-int
500W
60W
300W
10.50/26.6
✖
5Gbps
1 & TI83
2016
JHL6540
1@x4
41.41 ✔
50
link
-
Mantiz
Saturn Pro
✖
$299
link
link
link
14.57
5.70/12.54
ATX-int
750W
100W
550W
12.99/33.0
✖
5Gbps
1 & TI83
2016
JHL6540+
JHL62401@x4
44.4 ✔
70
link
-
AKiTiO
Thunder3
✖
$250
✖
link
linklink
link2.64
2.00/4.39
AC-ext
72W
15W
25W
7.87/20.0
✖
10Gbps
2 & TI82
2015
DSL65401@x4
✖
50
link
-
PowerColor
Devil Box
✖
$300
user
link
link
16.65
3.60/7.92
fATX-int
500W
60W
375W
12.20/31.0
✖
5Gbps
1 & TI83
2015
DSL6540
1@x4
25.101 ✔
50
link
-
HP Omen
Accelerator
✖
$300
link
link
link
16.00
5.50/12.10
ATX-int
500W
60W
300W
11.42/29.0
✖
5Gbps
1 & TI83
2015
DSL65401@x4
25.25 ✔
50
link
-
AKiTiO
Node Pro ✖
$349
link
link
link
12.82
3.40/7.40
SFX-int
500W
60W x2
400W
12.60/32.0
✖
10Gbps
2 & TI83
2016
DSL65401@x4
23.1 ✔
50
link
-
Lenovo TB3
Graphics Dock
GTX1050
$325
link
link
link
0.74
0.69 / 1.51
AC-ext
170W
65W
-
-
2xDP,HDMI
5Gbps
1 & TI83
2016
JHL6540 1@x4
v003 ✔
50
link
-
ASUS XG
Station Pro 
✖
$330
link
link
link
8.23
2.95 /6.50
AC-ext
330W
15W
300W
12.24/31.1
✖
10Gbps
1 & TI83
2016
JHL6540 1@x4
29.1 ✔
150
link
-
MasterCase EG200
✖
$350
unbox
link
link
9.7
5.20/11.50
SFX-int
550W
60W
375W
12.79/32.5
✖
5Gbps
1 & TI83
2018
JHL7440 1@x4
59.1 ✔
50
link
-
AKiTiO
Node Duo 
✖
$370
link
link
link
10.54
5.00/11.00
AC-ext
150W
60W+15W
25W x2
8.66/22.0
✖
10Gbps
2 & TI83x2
2015
DSL65402@x2
33.3 ✔
200
link
-
HL23T-Plus
✖
$429
link
link
link
8.98
3.40/7.40
fATX-int
400W
15W
350W
12.60/32.0
✖
✖
1 & TI83
2015
JHL6540
1@x4
33.1 ✔
50
link
-
Netstor
Hercules HL23T
✖
$435
link
link
link
8.16
2.70/5.94
fATX-int
300W
15W
300W
12.60/32.0
✖
10Gbps
2 & TI83
2015
DSL65401@x4
25.1 ✔
100
link
-
Razer
Core V2
✖
$500
link
link
link
7.65
4.95/10.89
fATX-int
500W
65W
375W
11.81/30.0
✖
5Gbps
1 & TI83
2015
DSL6540 x2
1@x4
26.1 ✔
50
link
-
ASUS ROG
XG Station 2
✖
$550
link
link
link
20.03
5.10/11.22
fATX-int
680W
100W
500W
12.20/31.0
✖
5Gbps
1 & TI83
2015
DSL6540
1@x4
v25 ✔
50
link
-
Blackmagic
eGPU | Pro
RP580
Vega56
$699
$1199
link
link
link
9.64
4.60/10.20
custom-int
400W
85W
✖
✖
HDMI
TB3/USB-C
5Gbps
2 & TI83x2
2018
JHL75401@x4
26.3 ✔
50
link
link
-
AORUS RTX
Gaming Box
RTX2080Ti
RTX3080
RTX3080Ti
RTX3090
$1500
$2000
$2500
$3000link
unboxlink
7.26
3.79/8.34
3.83/8.42
3.83/8.42
3.83/8.42
fATX-int
450W
550W
550W
550W
100W
300W
375W
375W
375W
12.60/32.0
3xDP,
HDMI,
USB-C8Gbps
1 & TI83
2015
JHL6340 x2
1@x4
44.44 ✔
50
link
link
link
link
N/A
Mantiz
Venus
✖
ended
link
link
link
11.56
3.60/7.92
SFX-int
550W
87W
375W
13.00/33.0
✖
5Gbps
1 & TI83
2015
DSL65401@x4
25.1 ✔
50
link
Rank
6moThunderbolt 3
EnclosureDesign
Included
GPU1Price
US$
Review
User
buildsUser
builds
macOSSize (L)
compare
Weight
(kg/lb)PSU
type2
PSU
max
powerPower
delivery
(PD)3
GPU
max
power4
GPU max
length
(in/cm)
portsI/O ports
bandwidth5 USB-C
ports6
& ctrl
ctrl7slots
@widthUpdated
firmware8Cable
cm9Vendor
page
1 For macOS ≥ 10.13.4: AMD RX480/580 & these are supported. Nvidia 10.13.x support can be added with purge-wrangler.
2 Flex-ATX (fATX) PSUs have a tiny 40mm high RPM cooling fan that is noisy under load. Separate external-AC PSUs are not included in product’s size.
3 Meet or exceed your TB3 notebook’s charger wattage for the TB3 enclosure to be a single-cable solution that includes charging. eg Macbook USB-C chargers.
4 Meet or exceed your intended video card’s peak power requirements. See TechPowerUp card reviews, eg: GTX1080Ti to find this.
5 If used on a TB2/1 system via a US$49 Apple TB3-TB2 adapter, USB ports are not visible in Windows (inc AORUS’ fan control). They do appear in macOS. Ref: theitsage.
6 2nd TB3 port can be DP, USB-C or daisy-chain TB3. Note: Intel often disallows a 2nd TB3 port on eGFX enclosures.
6 ports’ use reduces eGPU bandwidth by up to 31.2% @10Gbps, 15.6% @5Gbps. Except for (i) Displayport devices (ii) XG Station 2 that hosts ports off a separate USB-B cable.
7 USB-based enclosure I/O ports exhibit flaky behavior under load as described, except those using a 2nd TB3 controller to host I/O ports.
7 2018 Titan Ridge (JHL7xxx) as found in EXP GDC TH3P4G3, AKiTiO Node Titan, CM MasterCase EG200 and others gives ~10% more PCIe bandwidth than older 2015 Alpine Ridge (DSL6xxx/JSL6xxx) though has a negligible affect on game FPS as discussed.
7 Titan Ridge (JHL7540) allows internal routing of onboard GPU DisplayPort signals for Thunderbolt 3 monitor output. Alpine Ridge (DSL6xxx/JHL6xxx) does not.
8 Allows eGPU detection in Windows for systems reporting “external GPUs supported: no” in the Intel Thunderbolt software.
9 If require a longer TB3 cable, consider these: US$50 AKiTiO 200cm, $50 Cable Matters 100cm.
9 USB4 systems have stricter USB4-certified cable requirements where these are confirmed to give full performance: Anker 515 1m USB4 cable, Belkin Connect USB4 cable, Cable Matters 40Gbps USB4 cable, Orico 2m active TB3, Satechi USB4 Pro cable, Spigen 0.8m USB4 cable, SKY USB4 4k 240w cable, Ultunite USB4 cable.
Reference material
here ◄ Q: What do the ‘eGPU port’ acronyms like 32Gbps-TB3 mean and what are their ranked & measured bandwidths?
Best eGPU for Mac: Sonnet Breakaway 750ex, Mantiz Saturn Pro, Razer Core X Chroma and ASUS XG Station Pro
Most portable / smallest eGPU: Gigabyte AORUS Gaming Box, PowerColor Mini eGFX and Sonnet Breakaway Puck
Best value / cheapest eGPU: ADT-Link R43SG-TB3, EXP GDC TH3P4G3, Wikingoo eGPU, Sonnet Breakaway 350 and Razer Core X
Most customizable / DIY eGPU: ADT-Link R43SG-TB3, EXP GDC TH3P4G3 and Wikingoo eGPU
Most performant on AMD Ryzen USB4v1 systems: ADT-Link UT3G
Thunderbolt 3 & 4 External GPU Enclosure Overview
External graphics card adapter or external GPU enclosure is an ever-developing solution for laptop users who need more power (than integrated graphics) for gaming, AR/VR development, AI/machine learning, and many other high demand computing tasks. Thunderbolt 3 & 4 can now be integrated to the same physical port as USB-C. Flexibility and convenience is Thunderbolt 3 & 4’s best selling point so it became the chosen standard input/output for external graphics solution. A single laptop that’s highly portable for daily use would transform into a capable gaming machine or workstation thanks to the power of an external graphics card.
External GPU Components
There are more than a dozen of Thunderbolt 3 external graphics solutions (eGFX) currently available. They share the same core components to enable external GPU for laptop with a Thunderbolt 3 & 4 connection. In this buying guide we focus on the eGPU boxes rather than the main host computer. We have also written an ultrabook laptop buying guide if you’d like to learn more about the other end of the equation.
An Intel-certified Thunderbolt 3 external GPU enclosure must have these four components:
- Thunderbolt 3 Controller – Alpine Ridge is most popular while the newer Titan Ridge also works with USB/C systems (non-eGFX use).
- USB-C Controller – Texas Instrument TPS65983 chipset has the best compatibility with host systems and regulates power delivery.
- Power Supply – Internal PSU for all-in-one eGPU dock or external power adapter for smaller footprint/quieter & cooler operation.
- Enclosure/Case – This component pays for R&D and therefore no Thunderbolt-3-mainboard-only solution is available for DIYers.
External GPU Features
External graphics card for laptop is what a sidecar is to a motorcycle; it adds capacity and utility only when needed while also remaining mobile. The convenient plug-and-play connectivity allows hot-plug and surprise removal. Besides the graphics performance boost, there are several note-worthy features some Thunderbolt 3 external graphics card enclosures provide.
- Power Delivery – Standard 15W for downstream bus-powered devices and up to 100W for upstream charging for Thunderbolt 3/USB-C laptops.
- Expansion I/O – A wide host of connectivity protocols ranging from Ethernet and USB 3.0 ports to SATA drive and Audio IN/OUT.
- Daisy-Chain – Up to six devices can connect to the host system through a single Thunderbolt 3 cable via the dual port eGPU case.
External GPU Performance
The actual performance of your laptop + external graphics card depends on many variables. Beginning with Intel 6th generation U and H processors, many laptops have Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. Appropriate pairing of processor and external graphics card would prevent CPU-bottlenecking during use. Generally speaking, an external graphics card performs at best 80% of desktop-level when gaming. External GPUs perform much better in computing tasks with many scenarios seeing very marginal loss or none at all when the application is designed to take advantage of an external graphics card.
- CPU Architecture – Quad-core CPU helps minimize performance loss. A laptop with Intel 8th gen and newer CPU is recommended.
- PCIe Lane – x4 PCIe connection over Thunderbolt 3 provides optimal bandwidth. Direct CPU attachment on H-CPU systems for best performance.
- Cooling System – Proper cooling for external GPU enclosure as well as Thunderbolt 3 connection through the system PCH & CPU.
- Thunderbolt 3 Cable – A passive .5m provides full 40Gbps bandwith and 100W PD. Active cable provides same bandwidth in longer sizes.
- Application Design – Well-optimized software and games deliver the best eGPU experience.
External GPU Setup
Windows is the most mature operating system with external graphics support. Most Thunderbolt 3 Windows systems requires no manual setup. Once connected, Windows can detect and configure appropriate drivers for the external graphics enclosure enclosure and the installed graphics card. Recent Linux distros have great support for Thunderbolt 3 as well. The main issue is driver installation and screen output configuration. Apple has been improving eGFX support in macOS. Unfortunately AMD is the only choice starting with Mojave 10.14. Boot Camp mode to run Windows on a Mac also lacks official external GPU support. At eGPU.io, we have built a community of external graphics card enthusiasts who provide creative solutions for non-officially supported configurations.
- Windows: Error 12 solutions and Boot Camp solutions to set up external graphics card on Mac computers.
- macOS: kryptonite, Purge-Wrangler and automate-eGPU EFI to enable Mac external GPU through Thunderbolt 1/2, and older AMD Radeon cards/Nvidia GeForce GTX cards.
- Linux: Xorg config, easy-to-setup script, and primary display script to facilitate external graphics card configuration.
Best External GPU enclosures
Our community has reviewed every external GPU enclosure available today. We have also worked with Thunderbolt 3 vendors to provide consumer feedback so that next generation eGPU enclosures improve in usability and performance. Below are their build popularity ranking and review conclusions. Click an item to read the full eGPU enclosure review.
2. EXP GDC TH3P4G2 / TH3P4G3 Thunderbolt GPU Dock Review
3. Razer Core X Review – Thick and Juicy
4. Razer Core X Chroma Review – Absolute Unit
5. Sonnet Breakaway Box Review – It’s cool to be quiet
5. Gigabyte AORUS GTX 1070 Gaming Box Review – Tiny but Mighty
5. Gigabyte AORUS GTX 1080 Gaming Box Review – Tiny and Mightier
5. Gigabyte RX 580 Gaming Box Review – Little in the Middle
6. AKiTiO Node Review & The State of Thunderbolt 3 eGPU
6. Sonnet Breakaway Puck Review – Pint-sized Compromise
6. AKiTiO Node Pro Review – Jack of All Trades
6. VisionTek Mini eGFX Review – Mobility meets Utility
6. Wikingoo eGPU Review – DIY Thunderbolt 3 External GPU
| Thunderbolt 2 Enclosures | AKiTiO Thunder2 | HighPoint RS6361A | Sonnet Echo Express SE 1 |
OWC Mercury Helios |
Sonnet Echo Express III-D |
Netstor NA211TB |
| Appearance |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Price US$ |
$215 | $239 | $229 | $220 | $760 | $849 |
| Max PCIe bandwidth | 16Gbps | 16Gbps | 16Gbps | 16Gbps | 16Gbps | 16Gbps |
| PSU max power-location |
60W-external |
50W-external |
60W-external |
120W-external |
300W-internal | 300W-internal |
| Graphics max power | 25W | 25W | 25W | 75W | 150W | ~290W |
| Daisy chaining | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Size (in/mm) |
9.17 x 2.99 x 5.87 233 x 76 x 149 |
10.29 x 2.28 x 6.49 261 x 58 x 165 |
8.63 x 5.63 x 3.50 220 x 143 x 885 |
9.21 x 4.53 x 2.9 234 x 115 x 74 |
15.94 x 3.82 x 10.20 405 x 97 x 259 |
14.60 x 4.33 x 7.87 371 x 110 x 200 |
| Release date | Q3-2014 | Q3-2014 | Q3-2014 | Q1-2015 | Q4-2013 | Q1-2014 |
| Vendor page | link | link | link | link | link | ✖ |
| User builds | link & link | link | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
| User builds macOS | link & link | link | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
Note: better value Thunderbolt 3 enclosures work with TB2/TB1 Macs in macOS and with PC notebooks via a US$49 Apple TB3 (USB-C) to TB2 adapter. See examples.
Reference material
here ◄ Q: What do the 'eGPU port' acronyms like 32Gbps-TB3 mean and what are their ranked & measured bandwidths?
here ◄ TB3, TB2 or TB1 eGPU candidate notebook list
| M.2/NGFF adapter | ADT-Link K43SG | JHH-Link Dock-8 | JHH-Link Dock | PCE164P-N06 |
| Appearance |  |  |  |  |
| Price US$ | $55 (x4 NVMe) | $60 (x4 NVMe) | US$55 (x4 NVMe) US$52 (x1 NGFF) | $7 (x1 NVMe) |
| Max PCIe bandwidth | 64Gbps – PCIe 4.0 x4 (12th gen i-core or Ryzen 6000 CPU or newer) | |||
| Input PSU source | ATX or Dell DA-2 | ATX or Dell DA-2 | ATX, Dell DA-2 or DC jack | ATX |
| Cable type | soldered | soldered | socketted | socketted |
| BIOS defeating switches | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ |
| PCIe 4.0 (Gen4) reliable | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ |
| PCIe 3.0 (Gen3) reliable | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ?? |
| Rewiring adapter | x1 NGFF ⋅ mPCIe | x1 NGFF ⋅ mPCIe | x1 NGFF ⋅ mPCIe | mPCIe ⋅ extension |
| Stand | ✔ 🛈 | ✔ | ✔ 🛈 | ✖ |
| Vendor page | ADT-Link | ✖ | ✖ | eGPU.io (discuss) |
| User builds | x4/x2 NVMe | x1 NGFF/NVMe | |||
Differences between a M.2 NGFF and M.2 NVMe connector
See here where left: M.2 NGFF WLAN card and right: M.2 NVMe SSD card.
Pros
- a x1 M.2 NGFF port is commonly used to host a WLAN card in the latest notebooks
- a x4 M.2 NVME port is used to host NVMe SSDs in the latest notebooks
- a 32Gbps-M.2×4 eGPU NVMe eGPU outperforms a 32Gbps-TB3 eGPU by over 20% as seen here
- suggested tabled eGPU adapters all have a 12V->3.3V voltage regulator, insurance against overcurrent damage to your host system’s precious M.2 NVMe or M.2 NGFF slot and so are costlier than basic PCIe risers without it
Cons
- use of a x4 M.2 NVMe port for eGPU use is often impractical unless have a secondary drive slot/port. 2 or more M.2 NVMe slots are limited to only a few notebooks and NUC systems.
- requires cumbersome underside system M.2 port access though emerging OCuLink-cabled M.2 NVMe adapters are attempting to correct this
- M.2 port can be whitelisted, deactivated or cause Windows boot issues by BIOS when no vendor certified device is detected. Can prototype test for this using a low cost M.2 NVMe to PCIe adapter like used here.
Known Issues
here ◄ [GUIDE] error 12/43 & other detection, bootup and stability problems
Reference Material
here ◄ Q: What do the ‘eGPU port’ acronyms like 32Gbps-TB3 mean and what are their ranked & measured bandwidths?
| mini PCIe adapter | JHH-Link | EXP GDC Beast 8.4d | PCE164P-N03 |
| Appearance |  |  |  |
| Price | US$45 | US$23 | US$5 & |
| Max PCIe bandwidth | 8Gbps – PCIe 3.0 x1 (6th gen i-core CPU or newer) 4Gbps – PCIe 2.0 x1 (2nd-5th gen i-core CPU) 2Gbps – PCIe 1.10 x1 (1st gen i-core CPU or older) | ||
| Input PSU | ATX, Dell DA-2 or DC jack | ATX, Dell DA-2 or DC jack | ATX, PCIe or DC jack |
| Cable type | socketted | socketted | socketted |
| Static insulated | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ |
| USB port1 | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Spare cable | mPCIe NGFF NVMe PCIe | mPCIe ⋅ EC ⋅ NGFF | mPCIe ⋅ cable extender |
| Stand | ✔ 🛈 | ✖ | |
| Vendor page | ✖ | Cloud Hero (CN) | eGPU.io (discuss) |
| User builds | link | ||
Pros
mPCIe is a common interface used to host a WLAN card which here is used to host an eGPU instead
Cons
- requires cumbersome underside system mPCIe port access
- mPCIe port can be whitelisted or deactivated by BIOS when no certified WLAN card is detected
- requires an additional USB WLAN product to then have concurrent WLAN functionality
Note: M.2 NVMe/NGFF eGPU adapters can be used as Gen2 mPCIe adapters via adapters listed AND offer future connectivity to M.2 NVMe/NGFF SSD/wifi slots in newer systems.
1 Notebook mPCIe WLAN ports often do not have the USB port wired, making this a non-feature.
Known Issues
here ◄ [GUIDE] error 12/43 & other detection, bootup and stability problems
Reference Material
here ◄ Q: What do the ‘eGPU port’ acronyms like 32Gbps-TB3 mean and what are their ranked & measured bandwidths?
mPCIe external GPU implementation videos
| Expresscard 2.0 adapter | PCE164P-N03 + DIY EC adapter | EXP GDC Beast 8.4d | BPlus PE4C-EC060A 3.0 |
| Appearance | |  |  |
| Price | US$5 & + US$5 | US$25 | US$78 |
| Max PCIe bandwidth | 8Gbps – PCIe 3.0 x1 (6th gen i-core CPU or newer) 4Gbps – PCIe 2.0 x1 (2nd-5th gen i-core CPU) 2Gbps – PCIe 1.10 x1(1st gen i-core CPU or older) | ||
| Input PSU | ATX, PCIe or DC jack | ATX, Dell DA-2 or DC jack | ATX, Dell DA-2 or DC jack |
| Cable type | socketted | socketted | soldered |
| Static insulated | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ |
| USB port | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Spare cable | mPCIe ⋅ extension | mPCIe ⋅ EC ⋅ NGFF | ✖ |
| Stand | ✖ | ✔ 🛈 | ✖ |
| Vendor page | eGPU.io (discuss) | Cloud Hero (CN) | BPlus (TW) |
| User builds | link | ||
Compatibility references
here ◄ Expresscard 2.0 external GPUs – pros, cons and candidate notebooks
Known Issues
here ◄ [GUIDE] error 12/43 & other detection, bootup and stability problems
Reference Material
here ◄ Q: What do the ‘eGPU port’ acronyms like 32Gbps-TB3 mean and what are their ranked & measured bandwidths?
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