System specsΒ
Inc screen: FHD 1080p
External Monitor: LG UltraGear GN850, QHD, 144hz, G-sync compatible - connected via display 1.4.
CPU: i7-10750H
dGPU: GTX 1650ti
eGPU: Razer Core X Chroma + EVGA RTX 3070 XC3 Ultra
RAM: 16GB DDR4-2933MHZ
SSD: 1 TB WD Black SN750
Hardware/Setup Pictures
Β Time Spy free benchmark
CPU temps with fan setupΒ
(see above picture - internal laptop fan setting on cool, 2 external fans on keyboard, cooling pad with 5 fans)
CPU temps run at around 60-70 C without fans under light load/idle, so there is a significant decrease in temps with the added fans.
external fans: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLV4BWC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
laptop cooling pad: https://www.amazon.com/Kootek-Laptop-Cooling-Cooler-Adjustable/dp/B01469DJLM
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Everything was essentially plug and play. As expected, saw massive FPS gains, and ability to play on high-ultra settings for most, if not all games. Using MSI Afterburner, I notice my CPU hitting a consistent 90-100 C during heavy load (games like Witcher 3 - ultra and Cyberpunk - med/high). Quite concerned over these temps if I plan to game often. I've got a raised laptop cooler and some external fans blowing in and out on top of the laptop keyboard, which keeps everything very cool, except CPU on these heavy loads. I get little to no game stuttering and everything runs at consistent 50-90 FPS when I hit 90-100 C, so I'd assume there is no throttling going on, its just concerning seeing these temps. I should also note that for the most part the laptop games around 80 C. CPU intensive areas see the 90-100 C spike and tend to stay there until I leave a crowded area or city within an RPG like the Witcher 3, or Cyberpunk 2077.Β
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Reading countless articles, forum posts, etc., about these temps on the i7-10750H reveals a mixed consensus: people either say Intel's 10th gen chips are made to run at those high temps (90-100) or they say don't let your CPU get hotter than 80 C. Not sure if I should try to undervolt the CPU (this will be its own monster, as comet lake is not easily undervolted now). Would appreciate any input on the safety/longevity of running my CPU at 90-100 C while under heavy gaming. Thanks for reading.Β
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UPDATE ON TEMPS: I turned off Intel's turbo boost easily using throttle stop, and my temps don't go over 70 C even under the heaviest loads. This was a very easy fix with little to no performance loss.Β
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@don-bones, Nice to hear a positive experience with H-CPU and RTX 3000 series eGPU! If you get no frame drops or stuttering, I'd say to leave things as is and enjoy gaming.Β
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β’ external graphics card builds
β’ best laptops for external GPU
β’ eGPU enclosure buyer's guide
2020 Gigabyte Z490 Vision D [10th,8C,K] + RTX 2080 Ti @ 32Gbps-TB3 (AORUS Gaming Box) + Win10 2004 [build link]
@don-bones , pls consider following the build template and including pics of your gear to bring it all to life.
eGPU Setup 1.35 β’ eGPU Port Bandwidth Reference Table
2015 15" Dell Precision 7510 (Q M1000M) [6th,4C,H] + GTX 1080 Ti @32Gbps-M.2 (ADT-Link R43SG) + Win10 1803 // compares M.2 vs TB3 performance inc unoptimized H-CPU BIOS [build link]
That cpu is very powerful so you can disable turbo mode,and than the temperature is very low.
@nando4, Will add some pictures and 3Dmark's free benchmark. Hitting my 5th post here so should be able to add pictures now.Β
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does the laptop charge via thunderbolt?
To do: Create my signature with system and expected eGPU configuration information to give context to my posts. I have no builds.
.@kuba_nowak, It does indeed. My XPS 15 will give me a slow charge notification when hooked only up to the Core X Chroma, but it stays at 100% even under heavy use, so this warning can be ignored. I believe it's because the charger that comes with the laptop charges it faster and has a higher power output, but the Core X works just fine alone.Β
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@don-bones, I like your laptop cooling solution. It seems better CPU/system cooling for the host laptop does wonder for eGPU performance.
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LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube | Instagram
β’ external graphics card builds
β’ best laptops for external GPU
β’ eGPU enclosure buyer's guide
2020 Gigabyte Z490 Vision D [10th,8C,K] + RTX 2080 Ti @ 32Gbps-TB3 (AORUS Gaming Box) + Win10 2004 [build link]
@itsage, thank you, laptop cooling was definitely my main concern with the XPS 15/eGPU setups in general. The laptop is awesome all around, but suffers from high heat due to it's sleek design and poor thermals under heavy gaming (not a gaming laptop). This website was invaluable in me trying to understand where the bottlenecks are, so I really tried to focus on external cooling here and it seems to be giving substantial results. Best part is the external fans are considerably cheap at only $20 and I highly recommend them to anyone looking to reduce laptop heat as the cooling pad only does so much, but certainly helps. I also couldn't find anyone online using external fans on the keyboard for cooling, so glad it worked out.Β Β
Definitely wish the tiger lake CPUs had come out when I bought this laptop, but the 10th gen H series is nothing I can complain over. Looks like you've got some great results with the new chip, and awesome you were able to get a 3080 hooked up to it as well. We are certainly inching closer to a mobile workstation that can replicate high-end desktop performance.
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@don-bones, I thought about where eGPU manufacturers could go to distinguish their solution. One prototype I tried had a laptop dock built-in. It's a nice convenience. What I would like more is an integrated cooling solution such as a fan controller inside the enclosure that allows users to control both eGPU cooling fans and external cooling fans for host laptop. Control dials and a laptop/stand would be nice touches.
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LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube | Instagram
β’ external graphics card builds
β’ best laptops for external GPU
β’ eGPU enclosure buyer's guide
2020 Gigabyte Z490 Vision D [10th,8C,K] + RTX 2080 Ti @ 32Gbps-TB3 (AORUS Gaming Box) + Win10 2004 [build link]