What is eGPU? How to speed up laptop?

eGPU is seen as a solution to help laptops without discrete video cards still have enough power to run graphics applications, even play heavy games. So what is an eGPU? Let’s find out with this article.

What is eGPU?

eGPU stands for external GPU, which is a set of discrete video cards that can be connected to a laptop to increase graphics processing and gaming capabilities. There are many types of eGPU on the market with many different connection ports, depending on the laptop in use. In addition , the eGPU can replace the video card , you can completely buy and choose the type of graphics card that suits your needs to use.

Popular eGPU connectors

Thunderbolt 2

This is the most used port on MacBooks from 2015 and earlier, this port has a fairly fast bandwidth, up to 20 Gbps , equivalent to 2500 Mb/s. In addition, eGPUs using this interface are very expensive.

USB Type C – Thunderbolt 3

eGPU using Thunderbolt 3 port is quite popular today, this standard is present on most MacBook lines since 2016 and Lenovo or LG laptops with Windows operating system. This connection standard is 2 times faster than Thunderbolt 2 , speeds up to 40 Gbps equivalent to 5 Gb/s. The eGPUs using thunderbolt 3 are expensive but in return they are stable and provide higher performance.

Is the performance of the eGPU really good?

The power or performance of the eGPU depends on the power of the video card attached to it , so you should choose the right video card for your needs and costs. Another thing is that the data transfer speed between the eGPU to the laptop is not fast, so sometimes you will not be able to take advantage of the full power of the video card, usually you can only use 70% to 80 % of the power of the video card on the eGPU only.

Notes when using eGPU

You should choose the right type of eGPU for your laptop, use the right connection port . In addition, after installing the eGPU on the laptop, you should install the driver for the video card, to be able to achieve the highest and most stable performance.

For higher laptop performance, using an additional eGPU is also ideal. Need more information about eGPU, don’t hesitate to ask Tnhelearning.edu.vn questions to choose the best option for you.