Top 5 Best Ranked Nvidia External Graphics Card For Laptops
With the flood of External Graphics Cards or eGPUs, high-end gaming has finally come to laptops. With an external GPU, you won’t need to upgrade your entire setup to get the best out of your graphics. But with so many options available, it can be challenging to make the right choice; thus, this guide will walk you through the Top 5 Best Ranked Nvidia External Graphics Card For Laptops as the most important aspects to look for when choosing an eGPU.
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1.  Asus ROG XG Station 2
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(Amazon)(Walmart) |
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2. Akitio Node
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3. Razer Core V2
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4.  ASUS XG-Station-PRO Thunderbolt 3
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(Amazon)(Walmart) |
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5. Aorus GTX 1070 Gaming Box
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(Amazon) |
1. Asus ROG XG Station 2 –
This is a stand-out piece from Asus as ergonomically, there’s no other eGPU that looks quite like the Station 2, it boasts a very aggressive futuristic design that looks incredible when paired with an RGB lighting ‘plasma tube’ on the front of the case. The frame measures at 8.3 x 6.3 x 3.7 inches and 5.2 pounds, being one of the larger devices on the list, So it would be ideal to have a larger desk that can support this eGPU large frame.
In terms of compatibility, the Station 2 comes equipped with a USB 3.0 ports, one USB 3.0 Type-B port, a Gigabit Ethernet, a Thunderbolt 3, and a power port all mounted in the rear. Accessibility is excellent as it is one of the most accessible external graphics cards to open. Considering its size, it can easily support a full-size graphics card, compatible with models such as the GTX 900 series cards, Radeon R9 series cards, and newer generations. Additionally, this eGPU also features several internal fans that assistant with cooling and overheating prevention.
In conclusion, the Asus RoG XG Station 2 is a great-looking case that offers an abundance of performance and compatibility options. The only real downside of this external graphics card is the price range, as this may be a deal-breaker for some.
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2. Akitio Node –
Next is the Akitio Node, which may be a surprise for some, as the AKitio name is not such a familiar name within the market. However, they have created an exceptional external graphics. The node comes with a very simplistic design created from sheet metal, and being a very robust machine weighing 15.2 lb and that is not including the graphics card that will go inside.
Due to proportion, it is not an ideal machine for transportation. Still, to aid within this matter, the manufacturer Akitio added a convenient handle at the top of the case to make transportation just a little bit easier. It’s powered by a 400W power supply with an abundance of internal components that can support any graphics card currently available due to its such large frame.
As for compatibility, it supports both Nvidia and Radeon GPUs with models GTX 900 series and onward and several Radeon R9 and RX cards. If you are unsure if your device falls within any of these ranges (Click Here To Get All The Model Types This eGPU is Compatible With). The only place where we felt that this device was a bit lackluster was in its connectability as it only equipped with a single Thunderbolt 3 port.
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3. Razer Core V2 –
Now moving on to a brand that almost every gamer it’s familiarized with would be Razer; they have great eGPU that is most definitely worth mentioning. And we are talking about the Razer Core V2. There are two models of this specific external graphics card, both being quite similar within dimensions and weight, but the V2 has extra features that it’s counterpart lacks.
In terms of design, the Core V2 weighs 10.1 pounds and a height of 11.8 x 5.7 x 1.7 inches and has implementations of chroma RGB lighting for aesthetics. The compatibility on this device is abundant, as it can store full-size graphics cards and three width cards. The feature the V2 offers that the original Core X doesn’t is the four green-colored USB 3.0 ports on the back, as well as an Ethernet port, in addition to the standard Thunderbolt 3 port.
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4. ASUS XG-Station-PRO Thunderbolt 3 –
You cannot go wrong with the purchase of this external graphics card as the XG Station Pro. And performs games and application incredibly well as ROG and can be equipped with Nvidia GeForce GTX 900 series cards and onward, including the latest RTX GPUs, some Quadro GPUs, and a couple of Radeon models.
The design is very minimalistic and simple, with nothing too flashy. Being constructed out of aluminum, thus being very lightweight and portable, and durable too stand the test of time. As for connectivity, it only has one extra USB 3.1 Gen2 port apart from the standard Thunderbolt 3 port. The only downside of this device is that there’s a considerable amount of other options currently available on the market that are cheaper than the XG Station 2.
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5. Aorus GTX 1070 Gaming Box –
The Aorus GTX 1070 gaming box is one of the leading selling external GPUs, and for a good reason; first, it boasts a very slim design measuring at 6.4 x 8.4 x 3.8 inches and weighing 5.2 pounds being a wonderful option for those would like to conserve desktop space. In terms of design, it’s finished with a coated of mint black aluminum with a silver chrome avian logo. That’s sitting at the front of the device, along with a pair of grate panels allow you to see the interior of the device.
When it comes to connectivity, this is where this eGPU shines as a host a wide variety, including a single Thunderbolt 3.0 port, which is used to interface with a laptop or PC. In contrast, the GPU itself comes with one HDMI 2.0 port, one DisplayPort 1.4, and two Dual-Link DVI-D ports. As well as for USB ports three of them which are regular 3.0 port with the first one being a quick charge port. The only issue that we would say this external graphics card has is due to its size; it may be difficult to upgrade as the frame only allows it to host a mini ITX graphics card.
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What To Look For In An External GPU –
Now that you are aware of “The Best Nvidia External Graphics Card” for your laptop, it’s also important to be aware of what specific components are the most important when choosing an external graphics card.
Power –
High performing games require a lot of power to perform at their optimal level. Thus it is important the external hardware of your choice has access to this power and can perform at these peak levels. On the current market, there’s a wide variety of performance variations within external graphics cards ranging from 100w to 650w. We found that it was best to stay around the 400w range, and you will be able to power virtually anything you can imagine.
Cooling –
Graphics Card produce an enormous amount of heat being the reason why so many external cages are filled with a great multitude of fans. Thus if you’re planning on purchasing a graphics card that will be used for high-performance activities, be very keen on what type of cooling system is offered, for your card to stand the test of time and for continual optimal performance.
Size –
The average size of most modern external cards tends to be around 12 inches in length; thus, it is crucial that you have a card that will fit in your external chassis with enough room to house your GPU correctly. As if it doesn’t fit, it will be a complete waste, and you will need to purchase another different external graphics card, so make sure to double-check the sizing before purchasing.
Compatibility –
Finally, you must check the compatibility of your device as many competitors have restricted compatibility with there external graphics card as they can only work with other products of the same manufacturers. For example, razor external graphics cards work best with razor laptops but struggle to achieve the same performance with other various laptop models. However, there are some external graphics cards that reach the same amount of performance on various laptop manufacturers, all we say is to make sure to check the specific compatibility for the external graphics card that you have in mind with your laptop
How To Add A Graphics Card To Your Laptop –
This may be a shocking answer, but in most cases, it is impossible to upgrade your laptop’s graphics card, as If you wanted greater performance for your laptop in most cases, you would need to purchase an entirely new machine. The reasoning is that most laptops have integrated graphics GPUs meaning they are permanently attached to the motherboard unable to be removed, unlike desktop (Click Here For Our Post On Laptop Vs Desktop).
And modern CPUs are created containing the GPUmeaning; you would have to replace the processor to upgrade the graphics. But we do not suggest this as this goes against the warranty and can go catastrophically wrong if done incorrectly. However, there is a way that you can add a graphics card to your monitor as you can plug in into a USB port doing this gives you an extra graphics output so you can drive an extra monitor as well as your laptop’s built-in screen. If your laptop already has a VGA, DisplayPort, or HDMI output, adding a USB graphics card means you can drive a third screen: you’re not limited to two displays.