If I buy a laptop with Thunderbolt 3.0... (external GPU question)

[TareX]

Knowing this:

Source: https://thunderbolttechnology.net/blog/you-tweeted-we-listened-thunderbolt-3-capabilities-and-more

Only specific GPUs will work with specific PCs that have been designed to support eGPU capability and pass Thunderbolt 3 certification. Without Thunderbolt certification for eGPU capability, the system behavior can be unpredictable. To address this question about certifications, we’re creating a page on the Thunderbolt website where you can find available Thunderbolt certified devices. Currently we only have one product listed, but we’re working to add all of the existing Thunderbolt certified products to the page.

@richardholt56 asks: Are the new Dell XPS machines certified?

Yes, the new Dell XPS machines are Thunderbolt 3 certified. More information about capabilities are available from Dell: Dell XPS 15 laptop, Dell XPS 13 laptop, and Dell XPS 12 2-in-1 laptop.

- See more at: https://thunderbolttechnology.net/b...-3-capabilities-and-more#sthash.0srhXIUo.dpuf

Since Thunderbolt 3.0 supports eGPUs by default, if I buy an XPS 15 laptop, how likely is it that I'll be able to drive an eGPU via something like the Razer Core?

Also, knowing that:

- Thunderbolt 3.0 is faster than Alienware's proprietary Amplifier connection
- With Alienware's solution, there was barely any bottleneck in GPU performance with the new mobile CPUs

1) How bad will the bottleneck be with the XPS' quad-core i7 Skylake processor when used with something like the 980ti?

2) Will the presence of a dedicated mobile GPU cause problems? The Razer Stealth doesn't have a dedicated GPU (I presume it's to keep costs/weight to minimum).

Also, worth mentioning: I'd be getting the desktop GPU for VR gaming. I would output to the Oculus Rift directly from the GPU enclosure.

Please lemme know, thanks.

 

[Red Storm]

Would love to know the answers to these questions as well. I want to buy a new laptop but I also really want to utilize an eGPU. It's crazy how slow this tech seems to be progressing.

 

[FleshLight]

1. Maybe less than 10% compared to a desktop
2. Yes there would probably need to be device specific firmware, such as Optimus, to switch off the laptop GPU's.

Check out this forum for DIY egpu. Not sure if they made it work with TB3 yet.

https://www.techinferno.com/index.php?/forums/forum/4-notebooks-e-gpu-discussions/

 

[giantpandaman2]

Considering that switchable GPU's still have issues, so will eGPU's. Want to know why the technology has been moving so slow? It's because it's difficult to implement. Sure people say the specs are fine for it...but if it were so easy this stuff would have been out awhile ago.

Personally, I wouldn't pay to be a early adopter beta tester. I'd give it a year at least unless you really like tinkering and don't mind a lot of down time.