BEST EXTERNAL GPU ENCLOSURE UPGRADE
BEST EXTERNAL GPU ENCLOSURE FULL
BEST EXTERNAL GPU ENCLOSURE SOFTWARE
BEST EXTERNAL GPU ENCLOSURE PC

Sonnet's compatibility page lists Nvidia cards up to a GeForce RTX 2080 and AMD Radeon 5700 XT in this enclosure. Its 550W power supply delivers up to 375W of power to graphics cards, with two integrated eight-pin power connectors. We're using the 550W version (not in production but you can pick it up at a range of secondary retailers) but there is also a 650W model still in production. Sonnet sells a number of different power configurations. Sonnet sells two different eGPUs, the Breakaway Box, which is a barebones eGPU enclosure sold without a graphics card, and the Breakaway Puck, which is smaller and sold with an integrated AMD Radeon RX 560 GPU – we have the former on test. Thankfully though, it's very straightforward to replace the included fan with something more premium and improve the airflow considerably. Also, despite the decent set of exhausts, noise levels aren't great.

BEST EXTERNAL GPU ENCLOSURE PC

It's about the size of a mini-ITX PC case and not particularly portable. The Core X Chroma is 37.4cm deep, 16.8cm wide and weighs a hefty 6.91kg. And no external power brick is needed either – top marks for design.īut squeezing all this into one case means some whopping dimensions. It opens via an excellent mechanism, where you pull a handle at the back and slide it out.

There's also a physical power switch, which provides some useful tactile feedback to let you know the device is turned off. Ventilation is great, with exhaust ports on both sides and at the rear. Yes, you can remove the add-in card and replace it with whatever you choose, offering a way to add any PCIe device to a laptop, something that has previously been impossible. The Chroma serves up these ports via a small add-in card placed in a PCIe x1 slot above the graphics card. We suspect that has something to do with Razer being well known for selling ultra-thin powerful laptops that sometimes lack USB or Ethernet built into the chassis. Plug in a laptop and one cable charges the battery, adds USB ports, Ethernet and graphics performance, with an external display.

BEST EXTERNAL GPU ENCLOSURE FULL

Currently rated number two on specialist website eGPU, not only does it have a really beefy 700W PSU that is sure to handle the widest range of top-end graphics cards, but it has been kitted out with a full range of four USB-A ports and Ethernet. eGPUs: Our testĪlongside the eGPUs, we used an up-to-date Dell XPS 1390, a light 13-inch 2-in-1 laptop with a fast 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and Thunderbolt, but no discrete GPU, making it a perfect candidate to be paired with external graphics.įirst up in our list of eGPUs is the Core X Chroma – one of the most popular eGPUs around.

BEST EXTERNAL GPU ENCLOSURE SOFTWARE

And also don't miss our guide to the top 3D modelling software around. Meanwhile, if you want to compare graphics cards too, head to our roundup of the best graphics cards. In our guide to eGPUs, we look at the three external GPU enclosures, and give you the information you need to compare them.

With a number of manufacturers to choose from, eGPUs also have varied features – and that's where our handy guide will cut through the noise.

BEST EXTERNAL GPU ENCLOSURE UPGRADE

But with an external enclosure you can always swap out the GPU and upgrade it. Using Thunderbolt technology, a eGPU offers the freedom to use 3D software on devices where the option for powerful graphics hardware otherwise doesn't exist.īuy a laptop with discrete graphics and you're forever stuck with that specification. Take any desktop graphics card, capable of delivering the kind of performance needed to run professional 3D applications, and put it into an external enclosure connected to a PC, rather than housed inside a tower chassis or shrunk down to fit into a laptop.

Best external gpu enclosure