I'm looking into pairing an Akitio Node with a thunderbolt laptop,
One laptop is the hp spectre 13 with a i7-7500u mobile processor. Are these processors powerful enough to be paired with a graphics card such as the gtx 1060? It seems like they might not be able to power high end games.
Would a laptop such as a the Dell xps 15 9560 with a i7-7700HQ quad core processor be more suitable for gaming with an Egpu?
To do: Create my signature with system and expected eGPU configuration information to give context to my posts. I have no builds.
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I'm using an i5-2450m in a 6 year old laptop via Expresscard (1x pcie), GTX 1050ti and I can play on medium to high (ultra in some games) at around 40-60fps so you'll have plenty of cpu power 
Always opt for the quad-core if that is an option. While the 7500u will do the job decently, quad-cores do perform better in modern games (even if by a little). It is also worthwhile to keep in mind that DirectX12 makes it easier to utilize multiple cores in gaming, so a quad-core is automatically more future-proof. The only exception to this rule would be when you compare a fast-clocked dual-core and a slow-clocked quad-core: In the battle between a 4Ghz dual-core and a 2Ghz quad-core, the dual-core is the superior choice every time.
Want to output [email protected] out of an old system on the cheap? Read here.
Give your Node Pro a second Thunderbolt3 controller for reliable peripherals by re-using a TB3 dock (~50$).
"Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done, and why. Then do it."- Robert A. Heinlein, "Time Enough for Love."
2012 14" Lenovo Thinkpad T430s [3rd,2C,M] + RX 550 @ 10Gbps-TB1 (Atto Thunderlink) + Win10 [build link]
I'm using an i5-2450m in a 6 year old laptop via Expresscard (1x pcie), GTX 1050ti and I can play on medium to high (ultra in some games) at around 40-60fps so you'll have plenty of cpu power
No bottleneck? A 1050Ti paired with a dual core cpu? We have the same processor and I am planning to upgrade into an eGPU as well. If 1050Ti does not cause bottlenecks, then I'm getting it.
To do: Create my signature with system and expected eGPU configuration information to give context to my posts. I have no builds.
.@wapak_pakaw, It was find for me but shortly after I posted this I upgraded to an old GTX970 which gave far better performance. I’d avoid the 1050Ti and see if you can find a better performing 75w (PCI-e power only) card or buy an external PCU and a decent mid range GPU.
@wapak_pakaw, I have tried quote a few cards, from 1050 to RX5700XT with my dual core U class CPU laptop and I found the 1060 to be around the sweet spot before bottlenecking makes any further gains marginal. That being said, a faster GPU will always be a faster GPU regardless of CPU.
2017 13" MacBook Pro Touch Bar
GTX1060 + AKiTiO Thunder3 + Win10
GTX1070 + Sonnet Breakaway Box + Win10
GTX1070 + Razer Core V1 + Win10
Vega 56 + Razer Core V1 + macOS + Win10
Vega 56 + Mantiz Venus + macOS + W10
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LG 5K Ultrafine flickering issue fix
2017 13" MacBook Pro [7th,2C,U] + RX 5700 XT @ 32Gbps-TB3 (Mantiz Venus) + macOS 10.15.4 & Win10 2004 [build link]
Thank you very much for your answers. It seems I will be getting a GTX 950 for it.
To do: Create my signature with system and expected eGPU configuration information to give context to my posts. I have no builds.
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