Find the best external GPU enclosures from our regularly updated Buyer’s Guide. See their rank based on recent build count. Compare the latest Thunderbolt 3 eGPU enclosures with linked hands-on reviews. Read Thunderbolt 3 external GPU overview to learn more about external graphics features, performance and setup. Last but not least, visit our forum to seek help and advice from other enthusiasts on the best external GPU that fits your needs. Support us by buying your components at the linked online retailers (Amazon, Aliexpress, etc).
| Rank 6mo |
Thunderbolt 3 Enclosure |
Design | Included GPU1 |
Price US$ |
Review | User builds |
User builds macOS |
Size (L) compare |
Weight (kg/lb) |
PSU type2 |
PSU max power |
Power delivery (PD)3 |
GPU max power4 |
GPU max length (in/cm) |
GPU |
I/O ports bandwidth5 |
USB-C ports6 & ctrl |
TB3 |
slots @width |
Updated firmware8 |
Cable cm9 |
Vendor page |
| #1 |
Razer |
 |
✖ | $300 |
link |
link | link | 14.45 |
6.48/14.29 | ATX-int |
650W | 100W |
500W |
12.99/33.0 | ✖ | ✖ |
1 & TI83 |
DSL6540 |
[email protected] |
33.1 ✔ | 50 |
link |
| #2 | AORUS/ Gigabyte Gaming Box |
 |
RX580 GTX1070 GTX1080 RTX2070 |
$420 $500 $670 $650 |
link link link unbox |
link | 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 |
DSL6540 |
[email protected] |
F1.1 ✔ F1.0 ✔ F1.0 ✔ F1.0 ✔ |
50 | link link link link |
| #3 | Mantiz Venus |
 |
✖ | $279 |
link | link | link | 11.56 | 3.60/7.92 |
SFX-int | 550W | 87W | 375W | 13.00/33.0 |
✖ | 5Gbps | 1 & TI83 | DSL6540 | [email protected] |
25.1 ✔ | 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 |
JHL6540 x2 | [email protected] | 40.1 ✔ | 70 |
link |
| #5 | Sonnet Breakaway 350|550|650 |
 |
✖ ✖ ✖ RX580 Vega56 Vega64 |
$199 $280 $399 $439 $799 $949 |
link | link | link | 12.71 |
3.20/7.10 | SFX-int | 350W 550W 650W 350W 550W 650W |
15W 87W 87W 60W 87W 87W |
300W 375W 475W 225W 375W 475W |
12.20/31.0 | 2xDP, HDMI, DVI-D |
✖ | 1 & TI83 | DSL6540 | [email protected] | 25.2 ✔ 25.2 ✔ 25.2 ✔ 25.1 ✔ 25.2 ✔ 25.2 ✔ |
50 | link |
| #6 | 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 |
JHL6540 | [email protected] | 29.1 ✔ | 150 | link |
| #7 | AKiTiO Node |
 |
✖ | $200 |
link | link | link | 14.09 |
4.90/10.78 | SFX-int | 400W | 15W | 375W | 12.60/32.0 | ✖ | ✖ | 1 & TI83 | DSL6540 | [email protected] |
25.1 ✔ | 50 | link |
| #7 | 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 | DSL6540 | [email protected] |
26.1 ✔ | 50 | link |
| #7 | 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 | DSL6540 | [email protected] |
25.25 ✔ | 50 | link |
| #8 | AKiTiO Node Lite |
 |
✖ | $219 | ✖ | link link |
link link |
2.64 | 2.00/4.39 | AC-ext | 72W | 15W | 25W | 7.87/20.0 | ✖ | 10Gbps | 2 & TI83 | DSL6540 | [email protected] |
B1-25✔ | 50 | link |
| #8 | Sapphire GearBox |
 |
✖ | $259 | link | link | link | 8.45 |
3.30/7.30 |
fATX-int | 500W |
60W |
300W |
10.50/26.6 |
✖ | 5Gbps |
1 & TI83 | JHL6540 |
[email protected] | 41.41 ✔ | 50 |
link |
| #8 | Lenovo TB3 Graphics Dock |
 |
GTX1050 | $325 | link | link | link | 0.74 | 0.69 / 1.51 | AC-ext | 170W | 65W | - | - | 2xDP,HDMI | 5Gbps | 1 & TI83 | JHL6540 | [email protected] |
v003 ✔ | 50 | link |
| #8 |
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 | DSL6540 | [email protected] |
23.1 ✔ | 50 | link |
| #8 | Powercolor/ VisionTek mini |
 |
RX560 |
$350 $480 |
link |
link | link | 2.30 |
0.85/1.90 |
AC-ext |
240W |
45W |
150W |
6.89/17.5 |
✖ 2xDP,2xHDMI,DVI-D |
5Gbps |
1 & TI83 |
JHL6540+ JHL6240 |
[email protected] | 40.1 ✔ | 50 |
link |
| #8 | 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 |
JHL7540 | [email protected] |
26.3 ✔ | 50 |
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 |
DSL6540 | [email protected] | ?? |
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 | DSL6540 | [email protected] |
✖ | 50 | link |
| - | AKiTiO Thunder3 |
 |
✖ | $250 | ✖ | link link |
link link |
2.64 |
2.00/4.39 | AC-ext | 72W | 15W | 25W | 7.87/20.0 | ✖ | 10Gbps | 2 & TI82 | DSL6540 | [email protected] |
✖ | 50 | link |
| - | ADT-Link R43SG-TB3 |
 |
✖ | $260 |
discuss |
✖ | ✖ | GPU |
0.1/0.22 |
ATX-ext or AC-ext |
nolimit |
15W |
nolimit | nolimit |
✖ | ✖ | 1 & TI83 | DSL6540 | [email protected] | ?? |
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 | DSL6540 |
[email protected] | 25.101 ✔ | 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 | DSL6540 | 2@x2 |
33.3 | 200 | link |
| - |
Sonnet |
 |
RX560 RX570 |
$399 $499 |
link | link | link | 1.01 | 2.38/5.25 | AC-ext | 160W 220W |
45W | - | - | 3xDP,HDMI | ✖ | 1 & TI83 | DSL6540 |
[email protected] |
25.1 ✔ | 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 | DSL6540 | [email protected] |
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 |
DSL6540 x2 |
[email protected] |
26.1 ✔ | 50 | link |
| - | ASUS ROG XG Station 2 |
 |
✖ | $550 |
link | link | link | 20.03 | 5.10/11.22 | fATX-int | 680W | 100W | 500W | 12.20/31.0 | ✖ | 5Gbps | 1 & TI83 | DSL6540 |
[email protected] |
v25 ✔ | 50 | link |
| Rank 6mo |
Thunderbolt 3 Enclosure |
Design | Included GPU1 |
Price US$ |
Review | User builds |
User builds macOS |
Size (L) compare |
Weight (kg/lb) |
PSU type2 |
PSU max power |
Power delivery (PD)3 |
GPU max power4 |
GPU max length (in/cm) |
GPU |
I/O ports bandwidth5 |
USB-C ports6 & ctrl |
TB3 |
slots @width |
Updated firmware8 |
Cable cm9 |
Vendor 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 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.
Reference material
here ◄ eGPU Port Bandwidth Reference Table for CUDA-Z or AIDA64 measured bandwidth
Thunderbolt 3 External GPU Overview
External graphics card or external GPU is an ever-developing solution for laptop users who need more graphics power for gaming, AR/VR development, AI/machine learning, and manny other high demand computing tasks. Thunderbolt 3 can now be integrated to the same physical port as USB-C. Flexibility and convenience is Thunderbolt 3’s best selling point so it became the chosen standard input/output for external graphics use. 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.
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 with a Thunderbolt 3 capable laptop. In this buying guide we focus on the enclosures rather than the main host computer. We have prepared 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 graphics solution 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 TI83 chipset has the best compatibility with host systems and regulates power delivery.
- Power Supply – Internal PSU for all-in-one enclosure 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.
Features
An external graphics card for your 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 GPU 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 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.
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 GPU performs 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 of both external GPU 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 delivers the best external graphics card experience.
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 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 external graphics card support in macOS. Unfortunately AMD is the only choice starting with Mojave 10.14. Boot Camp mode to run Windows on a Mac also lack 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 setup external graphics card on Mac computers.
- macOS: Purge-Wrangler script and automate-eGPU EFI to enable external GPU on Thunderbolt 1/2 Macs, older AMD cards and Nvidia cards.
- Linux: Xorg config, easy-to-setup script, and primary display script to facilitate external graphics card configuration.
Which is the most popular Thunderbolt 3 eGPU enclosure?
Our community has reviewed almost every external graphics solution available today. Below are their build popularity ranks and review conclusions. Click an item to read the full review.
| 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 to TB2 adapter. See examples.
Reference material
here ◄ eGPU Port Bandwidth Reference Table for CUDA-Z or AIDA64 measured bandwidth
here ◄ TB3, TB2 or TB1 eGPU candidate notebook list
| mini PCIe adapter |
EXP GDC Beast 8.4d | BPlus PE4C-PM060A 3.0 |
|
| Appearance |  |
 |
 |
| Price |
US$5 & |
US$30 | US$68 |
| Max PCIe bandwidth | 8Gbps – x1 3.0 (6th gen i-core CPU or newer) 4Gbps – x1 2.0 (2nd-5th gen i-core CPU) 2Gbps – x1 1.1 (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 port1 | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Spare parts | mPCIe ⋅ EC ⋅ M.2 | ✖ | |
| Vendor page | eGPU.io (discuss) | Cloud Hero (CN) | BPlus (TW) |
| 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
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 ◄ eGPU Port Bandwidth Reference Table for CUDA-Z or AIDA64 measured bandwidth
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$34 | US$78 |
| Max PCIe bandwidth | 8Gbps – x1 3.0 (6th gen i-core CPU or newer) 4Gbps – x1 2.0 (2nd-5th gen i-core CPU) 2Gbps – x1 1.1 (1st gen i-core CPU or older) |
||
| Input PSU |
ATX, PCIe or DC jack | ATX, Dell DA-2 or DC jack | ATX, Dell DA-2 or DC jack |
| Cable type | socketted | socketted | soldered |
| Static insulated | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ |
| USB port | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Spare cable | mPCIe ⋅ extension | mPCIe ⋅ EC ⋅ A/E M.2 | ✖ |
| Vendor page | eGPU.io (discuss) | Cloud Hero (CN) | BPlus (TW) |
| User builds |
link | ||
Compatibility references
here ◄ Expresscard 2.0 external GPUs – pros, cons and candidate notebooks
Known Issues
here ◄ [GUIDE] error 12/43 & other detection, bootup and stability problems
Reference Material
here ◄ eGPU Port Bandwidth Reference Table for CUDA-Z or AIDA64 measured bandwidth
| M.2/NGFF adapter |
PCE164P-N06 | JEYI Explicit |
ADT-Link R43/R53 |
EXP GDC Beast 9.0b |
|
| Appearance |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Price US$ |
$7 (x1) | $30 (x4) |
|||
| Max PCIe bandwidth | 32Gbps – x4 3.0 (6th gen i-core CPU or newer) 16Gbps – x4 2.0 (2nd-5th gen i-core CPU) 8Gbps – x1 3.0 (6th gen i-core CPU or newer) 4Gbps – x1 2.0 (2nd-5th gen i-core CPU) |
||||
| Input PSU source | ATX | ATX, DC, 8P |
4-pin floppy | ATX, Dell DA-2, DC jack | ATX, Dell DA-2, DC jack |
| Cable type | socketted | socketted |
soldered | socketted | soldered |
| Gen3 reliable | ?? |
❌ |
✔ | ❌ | ✔ |
| Spare cable | mPCIe ⋅ AE ⋅ extension |
✖ | ✖ | mPCIe ⋅ EC ⋅ M.2 | ✖ |
| Vendor page | eGPU.io (discuss) | ✖ | ADT | Cloud Hero (CN) | ADT |
| User builds |
link | ||||
Pros
- a M.2 port (x1) is a common interface used to host a WLAN card in the latest notebooks
- a M.2 port (x4) is a interface used to host a fast PCIe SSD, eg; NVMe in the latest high performance notebooks
- a 32Gbps-M2 eGPU outperforms a 32Gbps-TB3 eGPU by over 20% as seen here
Cons
- use of a M.2 drive port (x4) for eGPU use is often impractical unless have a secondary drive slot/port. Spare M.2 slots are limited to only a few workstation and NUC systems.
- requires cumbersome underside system M.2 port access
- M.2 port can be whitelisted or deactivated by BIOS when no vendor certified device is detected
Known Issues
here ◄ [GUIDE] error 12/43 & other detection, bootup and stability problems
Reference Material
here ◄ eGPU Port Bandwidth Reference Table for CUDA-Z or AIDA64 measured bandwidth
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