Best eGPU for 2024

Gaming in a smaller form factor is increasingly feasible. While gargantuan gaming desktops still abound, mini gaming PCs, gaming laptops, and handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck or ASUS ROG Ally X offer compromise-free play and portability. However, as great as laptops, mini PCs, and handheld gaming PCs are, upgrade options are limited. Although many offer the ability to add more RAM and storage, you typically can’t upgrade the CPU or GPU. But external GPUs, or eGPUs, provide a means of utilizing desktop graphics cards with laptops. Check out the best eGPU options on the market!

What are the best eGPUs on the market in 2024?

The best eGPUs on the planet are:

• Gigabyte AORUS Gaming Box 4090: The best eGPU overall, great for 4K and 1440p gaming
• OneXPlayer GPU: The best budget external GPU
• GPD G1: The best value eGPU

Best External GPU Overall – AORUS Gigabyte Gaming Box

The Gigabyte AORUS Gaming Box is a solid eGPU that includes a graphics card. It’s available in different versions including a beastly RTX 4090 variant, as well as 3090, 3080 Ti, and 3080 versions. The AORUS Gaming Box eGPU features some of the best graphics cards for gaming and excellent connectivity. Onboard, you’ll find dual Thunderbolt 3 ports, three USB 3.0 ports, and an Ethernet jack. There’s power delivery for laptop charging, and the entire external GPU enclosure is watercooled. With up to an NVIDIA RTX 4090, you can max out most AAA titles and even use ray tracing at 4K or 1440p. I use a Gigabyte AORUS NVIDIA RTX 3080 eGPU, and am able to run games like Diablo IV at up to 4K, 60 frames per second (FPS) with DLSS — an artificial intelligence (AI) way to improve resolution and frame rate — or 1440p without DLSS.

Unlike many modern eGPUs, the AORUS only uses Thunderbolt 3, not USB4 or Oculink, so you miss out on a lot of your GPU’s horsepower because of its bandwidth bottleneck. Disappointingly, the Gigabyte AORUS Gaming Box eGPU doesn’t come cheap. For the price, you can get a decent desktop and laptop. Granted, that’s to be expected since external graphics card enclosures typically run a premium, and high-end options like the RTX 4090 carry a hefty price tag. Nevertheless, if you demand a ton of power, the Gigabyte AORUS Gaming Box packs quite a punch, making it the best external GPU enclosure with a graphics card.

Pros:

• Includes GPU (RTX 4090 or RTX 30-series cards) with Ray-Tracing support
• Watercooled
• Great I/O – 2 x Thunderbolt 3, 3 x USB 3.0, 1 x Ethernet
• Power delivery for laptop charging
• Can run many AAA games at 4K or 1440p at ultra to high settings

Cons:

• Expensive
• Lacks USB4 and Oculink — only Thunderbolt 3

Best Budget eGPU – OneXPlayer OneXGPU eGPU

The OneXPlayer eGPU packs an AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT graphics card with 8GB of GDDR6. Onboard, you’ll find USB 4 support (which works with Thunderbolt 3 and 4 ports), as well as Oculink. Since the OneXPlayer eGPU supports Oculink and USB4, it has better bandwidth than Thunderbolt 3.

You’ll find great connectivity, including a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports, dual DisplayPort 2.0 jacks, two USB-A 3.2 hosts, an Ethernet connector, and an M.2 2280 SSD slot. As such, the OneXPlayer external graphics processing unit is a solid USB hub. You can install up to a 4TB solid-state drive and load up virtually your entire Steam library to share between handheld gaming PCs, your laptop, and a mini PC.

You can run games like Forza Horizon 5 in 1080p at ultra settings with over 120 FPS, GTA 5 at 1080p on high settings with over 110 FPS, or CyberPunk 2077 at 1080p ultra settings with over 100 FPS. If you want to step up to 1440p and even 4K on some games, then you may consider the OneXGPU 2. You do pay a premium though, and the OneXGPU isn’t upgradeable. Moreover, HDMI 2.1 support is limited to 4K 60, so you’ll need DisplayPort or a DisplayPort to HDMI 2.1 adapter for use with a 4K 120Hz or higher monitor/TV/projector. But if you need an external graphics card to use with a mini PC, handheld like the OneXPlayer or ASUS ROG Ally X, or a mini PC, the OneXGPU and OneXGPU 2 are excellent options.

Pros:

• USB4 and Oculink support
• Great connectivity: 2x HDMI 2.1, 2x DisplayPort 2.0, 2x USB 3.2, 1x Ethernet, M.2 2280 SSD slot
• RGB lighting
• Small and compact
• Works with tons of devices, including OneXPlayer handheld gaming PCs, the ASUS ROG Ally X, and mini PCs
• Can run games newer AAA games on 1080p and 1440p at ultra to high, and even some titles at 4K
• AMD RX 7600M XT with 8GB DDR6

Cons:

• Expensive
• HDMI 2.1 limited to 4K 60

Best Portable eGPU – GPD G1

The GPD G1 is a small-form-factor external graphics card with an AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT at its core. You’ll find solid inputs and outputs, including three USB 3.2 ports, an SD card reader, HDMI 2.1 with 4K 120Hz support, and DisplayPort 1.4a. Both the GPD G1 and OneXGPU sport an RX 7600M XT with 8GB DDR6, but the GPD G1 can handle 4K 120Hz video output via HDMI 2.1, while the OneXGPU can’t.

Thanks to its AMD GPU, the GPD G1 can play Doom Eternal at 1080p ultra settings with over 160 FPS, God of War at 1080p ultra with over 80 FPS, and Final Fantasy VII Remake at 4K high settings with over 60 FPS.

As is expected, the GPD G1 is pricey, and not upgradeable. But its modest footprint makes it super portable, and the AMD RX 7600M XT lets you easily run most AAA games at 1080p or 1440p and even 4K depending on your settings and the game’s optimization. If you’re looking for an eGPU to pair with your mini PC, the MSI Claw, or a mini PC, the GPD G1 is an excellent option that elevates your graphical capabilities above your device’s built-in integrated GPU (iGPU).

Pros:

• Small footprint
• Great connectivity: 1x SD card reader, 3x USB 3.2, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a
• Can output 4K 120Hz via HDMI 2.1
• USB4 and Oculink connectivity
• AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT with 8GB DDR6
• Can run most modern AAA games on 1080p, 1440p, or even 4K at anywhere from medium to ultra settings

Cons:

• Pricey

What is an eGPU and Why Should You Buy One?

An external graphics processing unit, or eGPU, takes a desktop-class GPU and shoves it into an external box. Then, this connects to a laptop or a small-form-factor (SFF) desktop thereby affording more processing power. An eGPU pairs well with a gaming laptop as an upgraded graphics card over the built-in GPU, or as an add-on to a laptop with integrated graphics. For instance, you can benefit from a thin-and-light laptop on the go, but still game respectably at home with an external graphics card.

What is an eGPU: An external graphics card that connects to a laptop or desktop for using a desktop GPU.

Why buy an eGPU:

• Add dedicated graphics to a machine that has integrated graphics
• Upgrade over the dedicated graphics of an older gaming laptop
• Enjoy the portability of a think-and-light ultrabook on the go and desktop-caliber graphics at home

What to Look for in an eGPU

When selecting an eGPU, there are several considerations.

Support: First, there’s compatibility. Figure out what connector you’ll need to use an eGPU with your laptop. Most connect via USB4, Oculink, or Thunderbolt 3. For the best performance, look for Oculink and USB4, which each have greater bandwidth than TB3, meaning you’ll get more of your GPU’s processing power for better frame rates at higher resolutions.

Graphics card included vs. barebones kit: You’ll also want to decide whether you want an external GPU enclosure sans graphics card, or an all-in-one bundle.

Connectivity: eGPU inputs/outputs (I/O) are important as well. Many external GPU boxes feature ports such as Ethernet, USB 3.0, USB-C, and audio/video (A/V) connectors. Some even feature built-in SSD slots, so you can store games from your Steam library or other files directly on your eGPU.

Power delivery: Power delivery is crucial to think about with many eGPUs capable of charging laptops via USB4 or Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C.

Price: eGPUs range in cost from a few hundred dollars for a standalone option to several hundred to over $1,000 for an external graphics card processing unit that includes a video card.

eGPU buying criteria: 

• Bare enclosure vs. comes with a GPU
• I/O: onboard Ethernet, USB 3.0, USB-C, etc.
• Connectivity: Oculink, USB4, Thunderbolt 3
• Compatibility with your laptop/desktop/gaming handheld PC
• Price

What About Real-world eGPU Performance – Is an eGPU Worth it?

Unfortunately, eGPUs take a slight performance hit. Real-world external GPU performance hinges on several factors including the GPU being used, specific external graphics card enclosure, and the laptop it’s paired with. Overall for gaming, an eGPU will likely see around 80% of the performance of a certain GPU when compared to a more traditional desktop setup. Outside of PC gaming, external graphics cards perform extremely well at GPU-intensive processing tasks with minimal bottlenecking.

Best eGPU FAQs

Best eGPU Solutions for All Budgets – Final Thoughts

Ultimately, an external graphics card is a worthy consideration that compromises only slightly on performance while allowing for future upgrades and maintaining laptop portability. You’ll find a bevy of different external graphics card enclosures at all prices. The Gigabyte AORUS Gaming Box packs up to an NVIDIA RTX 4090 and watercooling for a high-end eGPU experience. On the flip side, you can pick up a great budget eGPU in the OneXPlayer OneXGPU or GPD G1, both of which include an AMD RX 7600M XT GPU.

Your turn: which eGPUs are you using?