Put a Desktop GPU in a LAPTOP… The CHEAP WAY!
Linus Tech Tips・7 minutes read
External graphics cards like the EXP GDC can enhance a laptop's gaming performance by connecting an external GPU, offering advantages of increased PCI Express lanes and compatibility with laptops featuring multiple M.2 slots. However, despite potential benefits, issues with compatibility, custom BIOS settings, and warranty concerns limit the practicality of these external GPUs to niche users such as owners of aging laptops or mini ITX desktops seeking specific upgrades.
Insights
- The EXP GDC, known as "the beast," offers an affordable way to boost a laptop's gaming performance by connecting an external GPU, leveraging additional PCI Express lanes and compatibility with laptops featuring multiple M.2 slots.
- While external graphics cards like the beast can significantly enhance gaming capabilities, they face limitations due to compatibility issues, custom BIOS settings requirements, and warranty concerns, making them more suitable for niche users with specific upgrade needs, such as owners of older laptops or mini ITX desktops.
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Recent questions
How can external graphics cards enhance laptops?
By connecting to an outlet, external graphics cards can transform lightweight laptops into powerful gaming systems, offering increased performance for graphically intense games.
What is the budget-friendly solution to enhance a laptop's gaming capabilities?
The EXP GDC, also known as "the beast," is a cost-effective option to boost a laptop's gaming performance by connecting an external GPU, providing advantages like increased PCI Express lanes and compatibility with laptops featuring multiple M.2 slots.
What are the performance results of testing the beast with a powerful desktop and a GTX 1080 GPU?
Testing the beast with a powerful desktop and a GTX 1080 GPU shows performance comparable to Thunderbolt 3 enclosures, with slight variations in graphically intense games but similar FPS in older CPU-bound games like CS:GO.
Which laptops can benefit from the beast by upgrading their GPU?
Laptops with spare M.2 NVMe slots, such as the MSI GL62, can benefit from the beast by upgrading their GPU, effectively turning them into gaming-ready machines at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a new laptop.
What limits the practicality of external GPUs like the beast?
Despite potential benefits, compatibility issues, the need for custom BIOS settings, and the risk of voiding warranties restrict the practicality of external GPUs like the beast to niche users, such as owners of aging laptops or mini ITX desktops seeking specific upgrades.
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Summary
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Enhancing Laptop Gaming with External GPUs
- External graphics cards can transform a lightweight laptop into a powerful gaming system when connected to an outlet, although they face criticism for their cost compared to PCI Express cards.
- The EXP GDC or "the beast" is a budget-friendly solution to enhance a laptop's gaming capabilities by connecting an external GPU, offering advantages like increased PCI Express lanes and compatibility with laptops featuring multiple M.2 slots.
- Testing the beast with a powerful desktop and a GTX 1080 GPU reveals performance comparable to Thunderbolt 3 enclosures, with slight variations in graphically intense games but similar FPS in older CPU-bound games like CS:GO.
- Laptops with spare M.2 NVMe slots, like the MSI GL62, can benefit from the beast by upgrading their GPU, turning them into gaming-ready machines for a fraction of the cost of a new laptop.
- Despite potential benefits, compatibility issues, the need for custom BIOS settings, and the risk of voiding warranties limit the practicality of external GPUs like the beast to niche users, such as owners of aging laptops or mini ITX desktops seeking specific upgrades.
