Best External Graphics Card
Online gaming has always been an attractive arena of virtual sports offered by the world of internet to humankind! Gone are those days when computer gaming only referred to as pinball or card games, SimCity, etc. The gaming world has, since, fast developed from arcade games to international tournaments exponentially in less than a decade. Products manufactured especially for gaming purposes started to gain momentum and quickly changed the entire gaming experience. Such a gaming gadget is the graphics card. The application of external graphics card enhanced the entire online gaming experience. The introduction of external graphics cards made gaming much more exciting with high speed and even cooler visual graphics. With it, the gaming world changed in leaps and bounds and here we are, curating a list of the best graphics cards.
Hence, without delay, let us look at some of the best types of external graphics cards for laptop & desktop below:
#1 – ASUS ROG-XG-Station-2 Thunderbolt 3 ( External Graphics Card Docks Reviews )
ASUS is a trustworthy brand and the ROG XG Station 2 Thunderbolt 3 is an amazing addition to the ASUS family. ASUS external GPU for laptop is designed to increase the gaming capabilities of your laptop or pc. Speed, space and reliability, is what ASUS as a brand is known for. Let’s break down this model to its great features to understand it better:
Design :
Stylish and pleasant to the eyes, the ROG XG Station is designed like an intricately made piece of equipment that could receive alien signals from outer space! The black color of the Thunderbolt 3 is a definite eye-catcher, with the red LEDs only adding to its aesthetic beauty. Weighing only 8.56 pounds, this baby is 6.2 inches in length and 10.9 inches in breadth, reaching 18 inches in height. The cooling fans add to the beautiful design of the ROG XG. With 3 cooling fans working tirelessly to ensure your device functions well and looks gorgeous.
Features :
The ROG XG Station 2 comes with some incredible features which are listed below:
Easy Plug and Instant Play
The ROG XG Station 2 can be connected or disconnected from your PC without requiring to restart it. Moreover, this eGPU comes with five USB 3.0 ports and one Gigabit Ethernet port for keyboard, mouse, VR headset, monitor, and internet connectivity each.
Powerful Yet Efficient
The internal power supply in this Thunderbolt 3 can boast about providing up to 600W to a high-performance graphics card, thereby eliminating the need for a different power cable to help keep up with the speed of your system flawlessly!
No Competition
This is probably the coolest feature of this graphics card made by ASUS as there are literally millions of colors and 5 different effects designed especially to enhance your gaming experience and add colors to the otherwise limited choice of a colored graphics card.
Performance
The brand of ASUS has always delivered the very best in terms of performance value. The ROG XG Thunderbolt doesn’t disappoint either. It comes with a 600W power supply and comes with access portability and 4K performance showcase. This graphics card is designed especially to transform your computer into a VR-ready gaming machine by enabling you to connect it to a Thunderbolt 3-enabled notebook or 2-in-1 PC. The ROG XG Thunderbolt is built-in AURA Sync-ready with a plasma tube. There are five USB 3.0 ports that support peripherals present in this uber-cool gadget and are sure to provide you some intense gaming experience. The 3 cooling fans installed on the side is a much-needed feature as it ensures that your graphics card doesn’t overheat from a mere gaming session. You can continue to enjoy your gaming marathons without having to worry at all!
The ROG XG Station is equipped to transfer data up to 8X faster and offers 4X the video bandwidth of HDMI 1.4. It is also built to supply power to your devices, so you can experience desktop-grade performance including gaming and video editing as well. This machine also supports full-length desktop graphics cards with coolers up to 2.5 slots wide, thereby providing you a number of options to choose from.
| Pros | Cons |
| Beautifully designed | Not easily available |
| External cooling fans | |
| High power supply | |
| High bandwidth |
Final Verdict
If you are looking for a high functioning graphics card that not only is pleasing to look at but comes with excellent performance, the ROG XG Station is the best choice. Gaming experts swear by the usage of this product because of the multiple high powering functions it is meant to provide. It can only be concluded that ASUS hasn’t failed to impress us with their latest addition and has once again proved themselves to be a reliable brand for electronics.
#2 – Razer External GPU – Razer Core – ( Best External GPU/ Most Portable eGPU ) Review
The next graphics card we have on our list is the Razer Core. This model was built as a successor to its previous model: Razer Blade. Its parent company Razer is notorious for its gaming accessories that most gamers and experts swear by. Hence it is not really surprising to find that this wonderful gadget doesn’t fail to impress in terms of its entire package.
Design :
The Razer Core is rather beautifully designed with an aluminum shell with two color changing lights and a transparent side panel. Weighing 10.89 pounds, this gorgeous graphics card is 13.9 inches in length, 4.2 inches in breadth and only 8.7 inches in height. With its sleek design, the Razer Core is known for its easy portability factor and takes less space. It is built to fit in a single double-wide, full-length PCIe (x16) external graphics card.
Features :
Powerful Gaming
The Razer Core graphics card provides an excellent boost in performance required for intense gaming. The plug and play feature in it supports compatible graphics cards and hence, you won’t need to reboot your system every time you connect your laptop/PC for gaming.
Future Ready
Razer Core is designed to support any and all the latest graphics chipsets including NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10-series and Radeon RX graphics cards, etc.
Ultrabook Unleashed
This baby connects with 4 USB 3.0 ports and Ethernet and it is incredibly easy for you to connect it to all your devices. By using a single Thunderbolt 3 connection, the external graphics enclosure ( external GPU enclosures ) provides you with both data transfer and notebook charging
CNC Machined
The compactly designed Razer Core can generate a good 500W power supply, providing optimal power for both graphics cards and all connected devices. The CNC enclosure and additional cooling fans are designed to keep it from overheating, thereby ensuring optimal performance at all times.
Performance
The Razer company has been known for its gaming products designed to provide you the best gaming experiences on your laptop/PC. Naturally, the Razer Core is built for excellent performance value as well. With 4 USB 3.0 ports, this little devil gives incredible power supply of 500W and you needn’t worry about running out at all! In the rear case of this graphics card, the provision for connecting to an Ethernet port is built-in as well.
For Razer Core’s maximum performance, a secondary monitor is required. The reason is that even with the thunderbolt 3 external GPU connection, the data needs to be transferred from your laptop to the graphics card and back, accelerating the laptop’s screen and thereby lagging your gaming performance. Therefore the requirement of a second monitor becomes a much more lag-free alternative for your gaming experience.
The only drawback of this graphics card is its price. The Razer Core comes at a little more than the budget buys, considering a GPU needs to be bought along with too. This, however, can be easily overlooked as it also comes with a year’s worth of warranty.
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent Design | Expensive |
| Competitive Performance Value | |
| Compact Build | |
| One year warranty (limited) |
Final Verdict
The Razer Core is a powerfully built graphics card with a high-level performance structure. The sleek design adds to the beauty that is offered by a reliable Razer company. The multiple features in this bad boy make gaming a whole new experience by reducing any lag, optimum power supply and of course the cooling fans that makes sure that your device doesn’t overheat. Although the price of this one is a little more than expected, its features and looks make up for it instantly.
#3 – Alienware Graphics Amplifier ( Best External GPU ) Review
The name Alienware is synonymous with gaming consoles that provide the best in the market. Laptop, PCs designed specifically for gaming purposes have revolutionized the gaming experiences exponentially by Alienware. Hence it is only befitting that the same brand also develops excellent graphics cards for the same.
Design
The Alienware Amplifier is an excellent choice of a graphics card, designed specifically for Alienware laptops. The size of a toaster oven, the Amplifier weighs 7.7 pounds and is 16.1 inches in length, 7.3 inches in breadth and 6.8 inches in height. With the brand logo on the front, the Amplifier has an attractive built and carries the sophistication of its features. What is incredible about this graphics card is that, with a simple switch, you can open up the device and add your graphics card as necessary.
Also, it has 4 USB 3.0 ports at the back of the device while having vents for keeping it cool for the device to run smoothly.
Features
Performance Amplifier
The Alienware Amplifier is designed to upgrade your graphics performance by supporting one full-length, double-wide, desktop graphics card inside. This will not only enhance your gaming experience but is built, keeping in mind, the maximum output enabled.
Personalized displays
The Amplifier allows you to customize the performance of the graphics card on your Alienware 13, 15 and 17 R2 notebooks LCD or on any other external display by simply connecting to the Amplifier.
Turn your device into a battle station
The Alienware Graphics Amplifier allows you to connect to your PC using a single cable, thereby enabling the PCI-Express graphics connection as well as the four USB 3.0 ports to be connected with minimum clutter and a simple connection.
Performance
Alienware has always maintained its reputation for being the best in the game. With enhanced modifications on each successor of gaming devices, the brand has never failed to impress us with their products.
However, the Alienware Amplifier does not come with a GPU included, so a graphics card is required to be separately bought. It is designed to support the GTX 600, and Radeon HD 5000 graphics cards which have proven to be best in the gaming arena.
The high compatibility of the Amplifier allows for a most full-sized graphics card to be installed in its casing. With a 460W power supply, the cooling feature added by the vents is an excellent modification to its previous models to maintain optimum
The Alienware Graphics Amplifier does not come with a Thunderbolt 3 port to connect to a laptop/PC. Instead, it requires to be connected with a direct PCIe cable connection which is actually an upgrade upon the Thunderbolt 3 by featuring consistent bandwidth.
Besides this amazing gadget comes with 4 USB 3.0 ports that will allow you to connect and/or charge any Alienware gaming peripherals along with.
| Pros | Cons |
| Graphics Upgradation | Only works with Alienware devices |
| Ventilated Cooling System | |
| Impressive Body Build | |
| Compatible with a various graphics card |
Final verdict
Alienware is a well-known brand that has since inception manufactured their products specifically for gaming purposes. Hence it is only befitting that the Alienware Amplifier doesn’t disappoint you at all. With high power supply and the provision for inserting various other graphics cards, this Alienware superhero has all the deal in it. Other than the basic flaw of the Alienware compatibility, this device is an absolute delight for some hardcore gaming.
#4 – Gigabyte AORUS Gaming Box
Gigabyte is a prominent brand in the world of gaming. This brand has acquired a name for itself since its inception by providing excellent performance and reliable products. The Gigabyte AORUS is one such trustworthy product. Let’s view the product in a little more detail. Shall we?
Design
The AORUS is built in a compact size set up, with the cooling fan in the front, making it look like a mini portable fan. With an attractive body, the AORUS is 6.4 inches in length, 3.8 inches in width and about 8.3 inches in height. Built-in square-shaped box, this little GPU can be mounted on top of your PC or fit into a small space while connecting with a laptop, as it weighs a mere 4.42 pounds.
The design of the AORUS is built in a simplified manner by placing the ports in an accessible manner for enhancing your gaming experience. The design speaks for itself as it is sure to make heads turn.
Features
The Graphics Card
The AORUS model comes with the GTX 1070 Mini ITX OC 8G. This GPU is a much compact version than the standard GTX 1070 card earlier and therefore, maintains all of the performance power of 4K and VR rendering in it.
Connectivity
The AORUS GPU is designed to connect to your laptop/PC with Thunderbolt 3.0 USB port which is capable of supporting a maximum transfer speed of 40 Gbps.
HD Display –The Gigabyte AORUS is equipped to connect with an HDMI port, a Display Port and two DL DVI-D ports respectively.
Multiple USB ports – Gigabyte’s latest addition is equipped with 4 3.0 USB slots, one of them supports quick charging. This makes it easier to connect all gaming peripherals and lets you charge any wireless four times faster.
LED lights – The Gigabyte’s AORUS has an excellent LED system that is capable of producing a full spectrum of 16 million colors! Also, it is designed to display them in a variety of regimes such as flash, breathing and/or static light.
Portability
As discussed earlier, the AORUS is lightweight and weighs only 4.42 pounds, making it portable for use. It can also be easily mounted atop your PC due to its low weight and the best part is that it also comes with a carrying bag specifically designed for the same.
Performance
The manufacturers at the Gigabyte made their latest model be compatible with the graphics card GeForce FTX 1070, enhancing your gaming by tenfold. The best part is that it comes with 8GB video memory space, giving you an unlimited optimum performance level!
The compact size of the AORUS does not limit its capabilities at all! In fact, you can easily install a mini-ITX style graphics card in it and continue endless gaming sessions on it! Moreover, it includes an internal graphics card so you needn’t buy any extra at all!
Not only that, but you will also get two HDMI ports and two DVI-Connectors for better data transferring capabilities. The thunderbolt port available in the AORUS ensures you get optimal connectivity in your laptop/PC.
The only probable downside to this genius is the lack of options for upgrading. Although the high-end graphics card included in it is a huge relief, however, there is no scope for upgrading the same and you would not be able to change the interface.
| Pros | Cons |
| Graphics card included | Low Upgradation available |
| Better portability | |
| Easy Setup | |
| Impressive build |
Final Verdict
Gigabyte being a reliable brand for producing high-end gaming products, the AORUS leaves very little to complain about. With impressive performance level, this latest addition to the family has, hands down, proved to be a reliable GPU which is sure to give you the best experiences in some serious gaming experiences.
#5 – Akito Node External GPU
The brand Akitio is a familiar name in the gaming world that has earned a name for its reliability and practicality of their products. Over and over again, they have proved to have lived up to their name consistently over the years. The Akitio Node is no less and maintains its reputation with excellent performance and mobility. Come let’s look at it in detail!
Design
This external GPU from Akitio is designed heavily weighing a heavy 15.2 pounds, it looks like those old modeled UPS that early 90’s PCs had. This big sized GPU is 22 inches in length, 15 in width and a good 11 inches in height. The heavy-duty external GPU shouldn’t be taken by its size for it is very spacious and the body is built in black metal chassis which is very stylish to look at.
Features
Variety of Graphics cards
The Akitio Node might be heavy in size but the best feature that Alicia has to offer is that it can support almost any graphics card in it such as Nvidia or AMD Radeon GPU.
If you imagine that this is the only cool feature Akitio Node comes with, you are mistaken. Combined with a power capacity of 400w, it has more than sufficient space and allows maximum flexibility in terms of the graphics card.
Connectivity
The Node has a single Thunderbolt 3 port that is used to connect it to your laptop/PC.
Portability issue
As told earlier, it is well established that this GPU by Akitio weighs a lot more than the others on the list. However, it is impressive that the Node comes with a handle for easy carrying around.
Performance
The Node may be built in a heavy body but it comes with some cool features which include Thunderbolt 3 which provides speed up to 40 Gbps. It has one port that delivery fast connectivity with any display, GPU dock or devices to transfer data.
Unlike the Gigabyte AORUS, the Akitio Node can be upgraded on any laptop/PC and be assured that the performance shall remain high level as any other gaming-specific devices.
The Akitio Node is capable of disseminating a 390W power supply and also comes with 2 extra pairs of power connectors (every 6+2 pins) in order to suit your needs.
Besides the Node also comes with four PCIe Gen3 lanes; combined with a Thunderbolt 3 interface, it is incredible how much the data transfer rates increase up to 40 Gps. The bandwidth provided by the Node is unlike most GPUs in this list. The inbuilt PCIe (x16) interface slot in this Akitio model accepts maximum-length, height, and double-width cards, which is incredible given its size. Moreover, there still remains enough space left over inside for both standard and large-sized graphics cards easily.
However, the built-in cooling fan emanates loud noises and can be a slight disturbance for the ears like those early UPS devices. This can be overlooked given the powerful features that it packs it in.
| Pros | Cons |
| High-Speed Interface | Heavy in weight |
| Upgrade Available | Loud built-in fan |
| Accepts most graphics card |
Final Verdict
Here we can safely conclude that the Akitio Node is an excellent external GPU despite its large size, it can accommodate almost all kinds of graphics cards which is an incredible feature for an external GPU. Besides with high-speed data transferring, gaming on your laptop/PC just became all-new exciting with this bad boy by Akitio. Overall, it is a good investment if you are willing to overlook its aesthetic beauty!
#6 – HP OMEN Accelerator Shell GA1-1000
In this entire list, we have seen so far are GPUs with incredible power supply, memory space, and performance excellence, the HP Omen is the next on the list. The HP brand has been well known for its reliable products with a reputation for excellent performance; be it be in terms of laptops, PCs, gaming accessories like graphics cards, etc. The Accelerator Shell is the latest device in the HP family and like the ones before in the list, this external GPU comes in a neat package altogether. Let’s look at it in more detail.
Design
This external GPU is probably the most stylish and sleek designed in our list. It is exciting to see an uncommon build since we have so far witnessed generic builds only. The entire body is shaped in a diagonal square-shaped box, set atop a small stand to finish it off an excellent aesthetic look to it.
Shell has an average weight of 12.125 pounds and is 15.75 inches in length, 7.9 inches in both width and height. In terms of looks, this HP latest external GPU looks pretty much like a beautiful showpiece with its red-colored graphic design in front, outlined with small dots around on the matte black body, adding showmanship to its beauty.
Features
Extra room for hard drive
The Accelerator Shell is built with space for inserting extra graphics card, enhancing your gaming experience to its optimum, boosting performance. Also, it can accommodate an extra hard drive on it which is rare for most external GPU to come with.
Connectivity
With Thunderbolt 3 connectivity port, gaming with this group is a delight altogether. Not only that, but the port at the Accelerator Shell also serves as a charging port.
Easy accessibility
The graphics card slot is easily located on the body of the Shell and with a 2.5 inches drive slot, the neat packaging of this HP product is commendable.
Power Supply
The HP Omen Shell packs a solid 500W of power which is unlike most eGPUs, providing uninterrupted gaming sessions.
Performance
The performance capacity of this eGPU is as excellent as its aesthetic beauty. You can count on HP to receive the maximum out of this incredible product! With a large door on the side for inserting an extra graphics card, the Shell ensures an uninterrupted power supply of a good 500W in it.
What will amaze you about this HP product is that it comes with hard drive expansion properties which means more storage capacity? Both 2.5” SATA hard drive or the SSD hard drive can be used. Moreover, the Shell is compatible with either an AMD or NVidia external graphics card.
The HP Omen Shell has an accelerator software in order to ensure maximum performance out of any and all graphics cards. The primary feature of this software is to provide you with a choice of customizing your graphics card to suit your performance outcome. It also helps you switch from the laptop GPU to the external GPU with ease. Since it is an accelerator, it eliminates the lag by giving the game a boost.
With Thunderbolt 3 connectivity port, you are assured to never worry about any network glitch or lag to interrupt your gaming sessions. This is obtained primarily due to the numerous ports designed into the Shell at the back of it. The Gigabit Ethernet port allows you to view your gaming world in full HDMI, Display port and lot more exciting options with it.
Possibly the only downside of this product would be its slightly expensive cost which is reasonable for the number of features it carries along, including an easy setup.
| Pros | Cons |
| Attractive built | Expensive |
| High-level performance | |
| Stable mount | |
| Multiple ports |
Final Verdict
The HP Omen Shell in overall is worth every penny it demands. Aesthetically beautiful, it boasts excellent performance with its multiple ports for enhancing its capacity to the maximum. For any gaming enthusiast, this eGPU is a good investment all in all.
You can easily purchase ( order ) the best External Graphics Card online through Amazon and also get free shipping [ if applicable ] based on expert advice from our research team. So, get an External Graphics Card today.
Happy Shopping
Online gaming has always been an attractive arena of virtual sports offered by the world of internet to humankind! Gone are those days when computer gaming only referred to as pinball or card games, SimCity, etc. The gaming world has, since, fast developed from arcade games to international tournaments exponentially in less than a decade.…