Can I Use External GPU With A Laptop?
An external GPU (or eGPU) can be an excellent addition to your laptop especially if you play video games or do any graphic design work on your computer.
While they can get a bit pricey they’re very easy to install and use.
Here’s everything you need to know about eGPUs whether or not you have the money to spend on one.
What is an external graphics card?
An external graphics card (also called an eGPU) is essentially a desktop-class graphics card that you connect to your laptop via a special interface.
The benefits of using one are huge: higher performance longer battery life and more room in your bag.
External GPUs can be used for more than just gaming too—they’re excellent at handling video editing and 3D rendering tasks so you could potentially replace your entire desktop computer with a high-powered eGPU setup.
How to connect an external GPU with a laptop?
To connect your external graphics card you’ll need a PCI Express cable and an adapter that can fit onto your laptop.
It’s usually best to purchase a cable that is tailor-made for a specific brand of laptop.
The easiest way to find these cables is through Amazon or other retailers with free shipping (because buying a new graphics card shouldn’t be complicated).
Once you have those two pieces all you have to do is plug in both ends of the cable into their respective sockets: one end into your computer and one end into your graphics card.
Is an external laptop GPU worth it?
A common question among Mac and PC users who are thinking about adding a graphics card to their system.
The answer as it usually is depends on your particular needs.
Many modern Macs can take advantage of external GPUs (sometimes called eGPUs) through Thunderbolt 3.
However they may not give you much in terms of performance.
If you’re looking for better graphics or if you want to use more than one display at once then yes—you should get an external GPU.
But whether it’s worth it will depend entirely on what that eGPU setup costs compared with just buying a new computer that has everything you want out of the box.
And there’s always upgradeability.
What laptops support external GPUs?
First off it’s important to note that most laptops don’t support an external graphics card.
You’ll definitely want to check compatibility before buying a new laptop otherwise you could end up with some serious sticker shock and no video output whatsoever.
Fortunately we’ve got you covered: here’s a table of all laptops that do support eGPUs out of the box as well as a list of other systems that can be configured to run one.
In both cases it’s worth noting that only certain Nvidia cards are supported by each system—so make sure your favorite model is on our list before pulling out your wallet.
