System specs
- Eve V 13" (Only version to date)
- Intel Core i7-7Y75 @ 1.30GHz - 3.6GHz
- 16 GB RAM
- Intel 615 integrated graphics
- Windows 10 1909 (build 18363.836)
eGPU hardware
- Razer Core X
- Using included 1ft Thunderbolt cable
- Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 OC Graphics Card
- Displaying to Acer H277HU 27" 2560x1440 60Hz
Installation steps
Pretty simple:
- Installed GPU card in Razer Core X
- Plugged in monitor via Display Port (using cable included with monitor)
- Plugged in Razer Core X to power
- Attached V to Core X via included Thunderbolt cable
- Reboot V
- Set Windows to only display to external monitor
- Install nVidia RTX drivers
The one misstep I made was trying to start with Gigabyte's drivers -- haven't used a discrete GPU in 20 years, so having different chip and card manufacturers is kind of different for me -- things started working as expected with nVidia's drivers.
Benchmarks
Comments
- Have not been able to get the setup working with hotswaping / plug-and-play: always have to reboot when switching between docked and portable configurations. That then becomes difficult because I use bitlocker (as everyone should, or something like it), which trips its hardware change detection so I either have to disable protection for the reboot or type in the crazy long recovery key.
- Setup is surprisingly quiet -- I was really worried about this as I got out of building my own computers 20 years ago in part because even they sounded like jet engines and you couldn't actually enjoy using them -- now I only hear the fan after I turn the game off and it is cooling down.
- The RTX might have been a bit overkill given the TB3 bandwidth, which is why I went with the entry-level RTX -- wanted to have the Turing architecture available to play with.
- Business case for this was virtual backgrounds in Zoom -- thought the iGPU was the limiting factor for me (let's face it, the 615 is pretty limiting), but it turns out the 4 hyperthreads on the i7 don't meet the 4 core requirement (yes, I know the difference -- I didn't think Zoom would know the difference).
- The non-business case is strategy / building games like Cities Skylines, which definitely work much, much better. Fallout 4 also runs much better.
- The best part is honestly being able to use my external monitor reliably again -- never had much luck with USB-C Alternate Display Port to HDMI adapters -- tried a bunch and they're all pretty flaky -- general desktop performance (browsing, spreadsheets, etc.) also feels snappier.
@drzow, Welcome aboard and thank you for sharing this build! Can you run HWiNFO64 and expand the PCI Express Root Port to where the eGPU connects? It looks like the Eve V might have used a 2 PCIe lane connection for its Thunderbolt 3 port based on the Memory Read.
• external graphics card builds
• best laptops for external GPU
• eGPU enclosure buyer's guide
2020 15" HP Spectre X360 [11th,4C,G] + RTX 2080 Ti @ 32Gbps-TB4 (AORUS Gaming Box) + Win10 2004 [build link]
@itsage: I appreciate the sharp eye! I believe this is what you are looking for?
I thought it would be great to share this build because I did not see much data out there on using an Eve V with an eGPU. If I am reading this correctly, it is advertising four lanes, but it would not surprise me if there is some other bottleneck limiting the use of those lanes. There is a lot I love about the Eve V, but that's because they made some definite trade-offs in its design, particularly around performance to make it fanless with a respectable battery life.
@drzow, Thank you for the screen capture. The Thunderbolt 3 port has a 4 PCIe lane connection. However it seems it's set at OPI 2GT/s (power efficient) instead of higher performance 4GT/s. You can read more about the difference in our laptop guide for eGPU.
• external graphics card builds
• best laptops for external GPU
• eGPU enclosure buyer's guide
2020 15" HP Spectre X360 [11th,4C,G] + RTX 2080 Ti @ 32Gbps-TB4 (AORUS Gaming Box) + Win10 2004 [build link]
Thank you @itsage! I would concur with your assessment. Unfortunately, I looked in the BIOS/UEFI settings and did not see any way to change the OPI setting.