I absolutely love it. I was getting frustrated with Thunderbolt eGPU performance and was seriously considering building a desktop PC. Then I came across the OCuLink mod and decided to give it a try. It ended up costing much less than building a PC while giving me almost exactly what I wanted.
The Thunderbolt enclosure does block one of the vents, but temperatures are still excellent—around 85°C under maximum load in Performance mode. It’s paired with an RTX 5080, so I get the best of both worlds: a portable handheld when I’m on the go and desktop-class gaming when I’m at my desk.
I also completed the 80Wh battery mod and use an angled Thunderbolt adapter for charging.

What I used:
80Wh battery upgrade
Custom 3D-printed back cover (Amazon)
GRAUGEAR Thunderbolt 4 NVMe enclosure (Amazon)
M.2 2280 adapter
PCIe 5.0 M.2 eGPU adapter
That’s it!

It’s actually a very straightforward mod. The only hardware you need is:

An OCuLink eGPU dock
A USB4 NVMe enclosure
An M.2 2280 adapter
A custom 3D-printed rear cover that exposes the M.2 connector easily available on Amazon.

First, move your internal SSD into the USB4 enclosure and boot from it to make sure everything works. In some cases, you may need to run a small registry (.reg) file once while booted from the internal SSD before moving it, but that’s a one-time step.

After that, connect the OCuLink eGPU adapter to the M.2 slot and you’re done. Mine is not oculink but direct m.2 but works same for oculink like aostar ago2 or minisforum deg1.

Some double side tape to stick the usb4 enclosure.

It’s much simpler than it sounds, and once it’s set up, it works really well.

Hi, a few days ago I bought an egpu mini pcie adapter, and I can't get this gpu running

I'm using a Thinkpad E431, GT 1030 2gb LP OC edition. With i7 3632qm and 16gb of RAM. I'll link a video below.

What i tried so far:

• DDU.
• Updating Windows ( 21h1 -> 22h2 ).
• GPU is working as normal on desktop, but not on EGPU.
• Swapping the GPU from a GT 1030 to a RX 7600

Sorry for my bad English. (Note :The Microsoft display adapter is my hd4000)

Someone have any suggestions?

Host Device: Xbox Ally X

GPU: RTX 3060 12Gb

PSU: EVGA PSU 750W, GT, 80PLS

eGPU Dock: Negent Dockr USB4

Operating System: Windows 11 Home

My Experience:

Very satisfied with the eGPU Dock it arrived very quick! I have been using it with my Xbox Ally X connected to my main setup or even my TV in my bedroom. The Negent Dockr uses replaceable core boards, allowing it to support or switch between TB3/TB4/USB4, Thunderbolt 5, and OCuLink. It works with different types of PSUs and includes a customizable ARGB lighting with a display that shows you information. The founder and the team are very open for Feedback from the Founder Beta users.

Strongly considering using an eGPU to get more performance and life out of my 2018 Razer Blade 15 1060-MaxQ Base model. Im not 100% sure but i think the TB3 is PCIe 3.0 ×4

Trying to better understand the best GPU card for my situation (tb3 limitations, CPU bottleneck, etc.)

My understanding is that the 5060 Ti's lower core count and narrower native bus means it will be better for TB3 bandwidth limits, so it loses less performance?

Also, because of the TB3 bandwidth bottleneck, I am better off aiming for high-resolution gaming over 1080p because the workload becomes more GPU-bound? Therefore, I want a card with more than 8Gb of VRAM (I will not accept 8GB of VRAM - I also do video editing too).

I'm also open to AMD cards, but because I already have NVIDIA drivers on my laptop for the 1060 max Q, I think staying green over red is more convenient and should help me run into fewer issues?

**edit/note: I'm finding a few ppl saying that they get issues using an Nvidia card for eGPU if their laptop has an Nvidia dGPU because the drivers can conflict, and that using an AMD card for the eGPU resolves this issue and keeps the drivers separate. So I think an AMD card would be better (also seem to be better value for more VRAM)

Also, any GPU dock recommendations for this scenario? I will most likely just get a Razer Core X, unless there's a good reason not to/better alternative?

Apparently, the 5060 Ti would be the better choice for this scenario (ChatGPT, Claude). Mostly because of the TB3 bandwidth limits, but the 3080 would be better if desktop? Also the 5060 ti will give me the newer DLSS and frame gen features, so would be better for the future?

Other cards I think would be good:
RTX 4070 Super 12GB (lower memory bandwidth than 3080)
RTX 4060 Ti 16GB (288 GB/s bandwidth)
The assumption I'm making here is that lower-bandwidth cards will do better against the TB3 bandwidth limitations? I could be talking complete rubbish tho

Mostly tho I would just like to boost my laptop's performance just enough so I can play/access new/modern AAA games at decent 60 fps performance. So I would lean more towards convenience and fewer issues over trying to get the most performance. I'm not fussed about 4k, 1440p or 1080p - I will do whatever resolution is best for my situation (although I would upgrade to a 1440p ultrawide monitor).

I just wanna share how i overcome mine. Hope it will help someone. I notice that everytime connect it via thundrrbolt. It detected as drive E. Ag will turn on for a few second. And light ring will blink once then stop. Fix it with ejecting the usb then pull out the usb as fast as posible then put it back in. before the notfication about safe to eject the device. While the laptop still busy with the ejecting plugging it back might help with the thunderbolt. Solve mine with that

I'm not so much into egpus myself, aside from finding them cool and maybe i'll get one eventually, but i've heard about certain gpus such as the Arc B580, needing resizeable bar enabled to have good performance. How do they work when used as an egpu for a laptop ? Just "not well" ?

I have recently switched from an RTX3070 8GB to an RX 9070 16GB OC.

My performance in Apex Legends has drastically lowered.

Using the exact same dock, cable and system with an RTX 3070 I averaged around 140 FPS in Apex, now it sticks to 50-60 average with some highs to 100+ and some lows around 40.

Hardware:

• Legion Go 1 (Z1 Extreme)
• TH3P4G3 eGPU dock
• Samsung G60SD via DP1.4
• Windows 11 25H2
• AMD Adrenalin 26.10.21.05
• UMA Auto (also tested 4GB and 6GB)
• ReBAR enabled (cant turn this off apparantly)
• PCIe link reports x4 Gen3 correctly in GPU-Z

Ingame:

• Looking at the sky: 250–300 FPS
• Looking at the ground: ~200 FPS
• Normal gameplay: 45–90 FPS
• Dropship: ~20 FPS
• GPU utilization sometimes falls to 15–20%
• GPU rarely exceeds 50% utilization
• Lowering graphics settings to minimum changes FPS by less than 10 FPS.

What I tried

• Fresh Windows install
• Latest AMD driver, older AMD driver
• Deleted Apex config and shader cache
• Cleared DirectX shader cache
• Disabled Anti-Lag / Chill / HYPR-RX
• Different UMA sizes in bios
• Different Apex settings
• Verified game files
• Disabling internal GPU
•  

3DMark Steel Nomad:

• Score: 5950
• Average for same hardware: 6009

GPU reaches 99% utilization during Steel Nomad.

I mostly use my windows installation for Apex only, but I installed CS2 and that runs fine (200 fps)

I have no idea what do try anymore at this point, any help is appreciated.

Hello fellow enthusiasts.

I’ve been trying to troubleshoot some performance issues with my current set up.

I’m hoping others who have run into this issue could offer some advice on where to look or insight.

Setup

Legion Go 2 Z2 Extreme

Top usb Connected to: AOOSTAR AG02 OCuLink eGPU Dock with 800W PSU and USB4 Port

Connected via: Anker Thunderbolt 4 Certified USB C to USB C Cable, 8K/4K Display/40Gbps
Compatible with USB4

Bottom usb c connected to: JSAUX 12-in-1 RGB Docking Station for Steam Deck/ROG Ally/Legion Go-HB1201B
Connected via usb c cable in the box

Gpu: GIGABYTE - Radeon RX 9070 XT

Display is : Xreal One Pro AR Glasses (1080p @ 120hz)

Connected to the gpu over hdmi with this adapter: AGFINEST HDMI to USB C Adapter for AR Glasses - 4K@60Hz 2K@120Hz

What’s working
Both igpu and egpu are seen in adrenaline software

Windows settings:
- Display shows 2 displays 1 (internal) & 2 (Xreal Glasses)
- Glass are set to main display and “Only show 2” is toggled so that when the glasses are connected the internal display becomes “inactive” and turns off.
- All power saving / efficiency settings are off
- Power mode in windows is set to “best performance”
- In device manager both the iGpu (890m) and 9070 XT are visible
- Hardware Accelerated GPU scheduling is toggled off
- Graphical setting for Horizon Zero Dawn is set to “High Performance (AMD Radeon 9070 XT)”
- Full screen Experience is Turned off.

Legion Go 2 Settings

- Lenovo connection bridge shows all drivers are up to date from the official Lenovo site
- Thermal Mode set to Performance
- OS mode set to Performance
- UMA Buffer size is set to 10Gb

Adrenaline Software
- Recognizes both GPUs (GPU 1 9079 XT(primary / discrete) & GPU 2 890m (Integrated))
- CPU utilization 100%
-GPU 1 (discrete) utilization 80%+ inconsistently
-GPU 2 (integrated) utilization 0%

Windows is fully up to date
Legion space and bios are up to date
Adrenaline software and GPU drivers are up to date.
Steam is up to date.

Problem:

I’m currently playing through Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition on Steam
Graphics are set to “Ultimate Quality” preset
When running the in game bench mark average fps is 48
Max 124 - min 14
When idling in game frame inconsistently report 30-72 fps
When lingering in menus or going into cut scenes the fps spikes to 100+ sometimes.

CPU is pulling 28-30w of power when in game at 100% utilization even though the gpu utilization reads 0%
External GPU utilization fluctuates anywhere from 40% to 99%

What I’ve tried:

- Clean install windows
- Redownload (drivers) and reconfigure everything (settings)
- Use device manager to

1. Screen)
2. Disable internal screen

If anyone can offer their thoughts or suggestions or if more information is needed I’d be happy to respond.

I honestly thought it would be a bit more plug and play than this.

Thank you in advance.

Edit: Suggestions so Far

- Disable fast boot in BIOS - can’t find a setting that controls this
- Try tv / monitor - issue persists
-USB4 may be limiting factor on legion go 2 - tried msi claw 8 Ai+ which has 2 thunderbolt 4 ports - issue persists but still may be bottle necking due to usb4 on the Aoostar AG02

Hi.
Did anyone have any luck with legion go s and egpu?
I got wiko hi gt (huawei) egpu rx7600m xt egpu and its not working for me i trued new apple thinderbolt 5 pro cable so its not the cable
Please any help

Currently I use a RTX 4070 in my Miniforms DEG2 and got an offer for an RX9070 XT OC. I know I loss 30ish% via eGPU, its more is an RX9070 so much better?

I tried to google it and all those comparinsons are between desktop PCs kind find anything about this subject in regards to eGPU.

(I only game on PC, due to work my main hardware is Mac)

Cheers

I tried selecting high performance in display to all Fortnite clients but nothing worked but it does work with fitgirl games

We're putting together a community AMA with experienced GME1s users and wanted to hear from the eGPU community.

Instead of a traditional presentation, we'll be discussing real-world usage and answering questions live.

If you had the opportunity to ask people who use a Thunderbolt 5 / USB4 / OCuLink eGPU every day...

What would you want to know?

• Thunderbolt 5 or OCuLink—which questions should we answer?
• AI workloads or gaming performance?
• Compatibility and setup tips?
• Or anything else you'd like us to test live?

We'll bring as many community questions into the AMA as possible.

System specs:

2026 14" Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G8+ IPH with TGX Port:

• Intel Panther Lake X7 358H
• Intel ARC B390 iGPU
• 32GB LPDDR5X
• Windows 11 25H2
• Additional 1TB Kingston SSD (limited to 2 PCIe lanes due to laptop specifications)

eGPU:

• AOOSTAR AG03 (OCuLink+TB5, Intel JHL9480, 500w for GPU)
• MSI RTX 5060 Ti Inspire 2x OC (16 GB VRAM, 180w TDP)

Problem description:

When I turn on my laptop with a graphics card connected via oculink, the boot process freezes on a black screen. The logo doesn't appear, and it's impossible to access the BIOS.

Everything works fine via Thunderbolt. On my old GPD Win Max 2 (2024, R7 8840u), everything works fine.

It's not the TGX; there are builds with these laptops and third-party docking stations.

I suspect the issue is with my docking station. Working builds mostly use Minisforum Deg2. But I don't understand how this is possible or why everything works with GPD.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've already tried a ton of things, but haven't gotten the desired result.

I've really been into Mini-PC's since I bought one as a media center for my TV. I wanted to build a gaming rig, but was a little discouraged by the price of things... I ended up getting the linked mini pc on prime day. It's awesome, and I've come back to playing WoW after atleast a decade. It plays great on fair to good graphics settings at 60fps, but now I'm in this trap where I want higher graphics with 60fps... What would my options be? eGPU? (Oculink) All in One, PSU dock etc. I've also heard that all in ones are very unreliable... Any and all feedback is appreciated.

I am on the fence of buying this egpu. I have been trying to find a good benchmark you tube video. But they are absolutely limited to none.

Can someone please tell which is more powerful a 5070ti laptop or the subjected 5060ti desktop egpu as I am looking for future proofing. Thanks

Edit:I will be using the egpu over thunderbolt 4 port

I'm looking for info related to building an egpu with a meanwell LOP-300 for PSU.

Planning on a Adtlink F9G oculink board, rtx 3070ti GPU, meanwell LOP-300-12 PSU, some sort of a PicoPSU plugin board, and a 3d printed case.

I believe in an power the GPU directly from the meanwell and the oculink board from the meanwell to picopsu, but I think I'll still run into problems due to the Meanwell not having a PS_ON capability. Is there some workaround to this? Anyone have a sample build where this has been shown to work?

Hello fellow redditors. I just recently got the AG03 including a 5060Ti and so far I am very happy with it. My question is, since it has no power button, would a wifi power plug/outlet work with it, and can I leave the oculink cable plugged in, whilst switching it on and off, or is it recommended to remove the oculink cable everytime I switch it aswell? I just want it off during nighttime, cause I sleep in the same room, and it is too loud for that. I don't mind the noise when using it, cause it gets drowned out by my pc and music etc.

So I bought the aorus rtx 5060ti ai box and connected it on my XAX and on my LG tv. I have benchmarked it. Are these good results?

This seems like a great egpu for a handheld. At $699 It seems inexpensive for what it is though. What am I missing? Is it ready to go out of box?
Would I be able to switch out the gpu down the road?

I’m learning a lot about Egpu, but this seems too good to be true. Any help is appreciated.

Hey guys, just a college kid trying to be able to play modded Skyrim or other high performance games on my laptop :P. I got a few hundred on me but I want to make the best choice possible.

eGPU:Negent Dockr USB4 version + ATX-PSU base

GPU:RTX3060TI

PSU:650W ATX-PSU

Reverse Chrage:PD85W

i was planning on getting a minisforum deg1 as i've seen it's pretty cheap and very well functional, and i've decided to get an rx 9060 xt 16gb for my mini pc, i wanted to ask specifically if a ryzen 9 8945HS would work well paired with an rx 9060 xt through oculink. I'm also getting a 650w psu 80+ bronze, but i think that one's just fine