TB3, TB2 or TB1 eGPU candidate notebook list  

Posted by: Tomas Kotal

Hi Guys, what do you think about the new ASUS Vivobook N580VD-DB74T?

http://store.asus.com/us/item/201707AM210000002/A17602-ASUS+Vivobook+N580VD-DB74T+15.6-inch+FDH+Touchscreen%2C+GTX+1050%2C+Intel+Core+i7%2C+512+GB+SSD%2C+16GB+DDR4%2C+Windows+10

It has  Intel Core i7 7700HQ Kaby Lake processor, 16Gb RAM and nice build. Do someone know if its TB3 has 4 lanes?

 

there isn't tb3 port!

http://www.ultrabookreview.com/17309-asus-vivobook-n580-review/

@Tomas Kotal, as pointed out the N580VD doesn't have a TB3 port. Consider instead a UX550 with similar specs + 4-lane TB3 port:

http://www.ultrabookreview.com/17143-asus-zenbook-ux550-review/

yes, you both guys are right - my mistake. I was thinking about the new zenbook, but there is still not official release date in EU and I can't wait any longer. I think I'm gonna buy last Macbook pro...

Please note the new Dell XPS 13 (9370 with 8th gen Intel CPU) has ThunderBolt at 2x lanes per Dell's website. 

"Thunderbolt™ 3 (2 lanes of PCI Express Gen 3) Type C supporting: Power in/charging, PowerShare, Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps bi-directional), USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps) "

http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/cty/new-xps-13-non-touch/spd/xps-13-9360-laptop/dncwtr744h

Posted by: testing123

Please note the new Dell XPS 13 (9370 with 8th gen Intel CPU) has ThunderBolt at 2x lanes per Dell's website. 

"Thunderbolt™ 3 (2 lanes of PCI Express Gen 3) Type C supporting: Power in/charging, PowerShare, Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps bi-directional), USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps) "

http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/cty/new-xps-13-non-touch/spd/xps-13-9360-laptop/dncwtr744h

Thank you for sharing the link. It's good to see Dell clearly states its XPS specs now.

Lenovo Yoga 920 seems like nice machine. But I can't find any information about thunderbolt lanes.

Hi, I am new to this site and want to buy a laptop for gaming. I am considering to buy a laptop and an eGPU.

http://www.sagernotebook.com/13-Inch-to-14-Inch-Gaming-Laptops/

How does this NP3132 look. I think it looks perfect as it has powerful CPU without an independent graphic card. I am just curious if the Akitio Node is compatible with any 1080Ti Card. 

https://9to5mac.com/2017/04/19/akitio-node-gtx-1080-ti-gpu-macbook-pro-gaming-egpu/     This link says  EVGA GTX 1080 Ti FE work in the box, but I searched for it and the specs show that it needs at least 600W power. The Akito Website shows that the box does not work with 1080Ti.

Not sure if this the right place to post. But recently got an Akitio Node to experiment.  I got it to work with my MSI GS63VR, but it is kind of silly since the GS63VR already has a GTX1060 built in. I could not afford to dedicate my GTX1070 from main desktop machine for the Akitio node, but I did have old GTX970 to spare for it. Nonetheless it was good sanity check.

I also got it to work with the Yoga 720 13" which I got for my wife, not that she really cares about that right now.  She'll probably appreciate that more when we have to go visit the in-laws and she wants to play Overwatch. In researching all this stuff about TB3 and all, I think the Yoga 720 13" turned out to a really nice machine (nice build quality and less than 3 pounds 2-in-1 form factor). I opt-ed for the i5, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD version and got it for $725 at Bestbuy, which is really good deal in my opinion. The i7 option does exist for both 13" and 15" but it is more money. The thing that is really curious is that the TB3 port of the Yoga 720 13" is actually a 4x PCI-E, but sadly for the Yoga 720 15" it is only a 2x PCI-E port which kind of ruins the Thunderbolt 3 eGPU option, and the 15" is larger, heavier, and more expensive.

In the process of experimenting with Akitio Node with both the MSI GS63VR and Yoga 720 13", I found the Akitio Node to be quite heavy, loud, and lacking USB ports. I really wish Akitio would just sell that PCB they used inside without the PSU and the oversized sheet metal enclosure. It would be excellent if they could sell that board for $120 and made it mounting holes to match say a mini-itx form factor, (DTX, or STX) which will allow us to pick the PC case we'd like to use as an enclosure, and get the PSU to match our GPU.

In any case I was NOT going to let that stop me. So here is my "modifications" to the Akitio Node.  I considered the Razer Core for a while, but it is really not an option, being so ridiculously expensive at $500.  The Razer Core does not look that much smaller or lighter either. I happened to have an old Shuttle SFF, which I mothballed about a year ago. The old SN21G5 SFF was from back when I built a media center using the socket 939 Athlon64 X2 in 2005:
http://global.shuttle.com/main/productsSpec?productId=88

And so start with stripping it down to bare metal:

With areas cut out using a nibbler and standoffs that might get in the way removed:

Cut out right side of case cover for installing a mesh grill to improve air flow. Final result
after sanding, paint, and clear coat:

Identify all the mounting points for the Akitio Node PCB on a transparency:

Drill hole into plate from matching the mounting points and install standoffs:

Putting all together:

Hacked together a power cable adapter for the 500W PSU:

Installed a USB 3.0 hub for the fronside access:

Finished product:

In operation with my old GTX970 inside

The 2-in-1/laptop/tablet is the Yoga 720 13" (i5, 8GB DDR4, 256 nvme SSD) with a Thunderbolt3 port. When I retire the GTX 1070 from my desktop, it will go to eGPU. The games run fine, 60fps@1080p at max quality at 

In contrast to the Akitio Node, eGPU enclosre that I started with:

It is now much lighter (nothing like aluminum over steel for weight reduction), more compact, much quiter, more powerful PSU, and now gets extra USB ports included with the USB 3.0 hub, and easier to pack for on-the-go.

@Shuhao Le

that NP3132 is a clevo n130wu. that model is the upgrade with coffee lake cpus of n130bu.

n130bu was successfully tested with akitio node