External GPUs?
External GPUs?
I've heard of a couple places that have external GPUs that a laptop can use to give more power when needed for more resource heavy gameplay. Is there anything that remotely possible to do so? I have a laptop, but I was debating on selling it and getting a desktop that's 900. But I doubt there's anything that has a 3050 RTX in it alongside Intel for that kind of price. What do you think? I only have 4gb of VRam, so I was debating on looking into something that can at least increase that. I wish they had a simple thing that could be plugged in by USB to just add more Vram, but nothing else. And yes, I finally got a new laptop. I like it, but I don't kinda like it like it..
Yes, laptops equipped with thunderbolt ports can work with external GPUs. If you don't have one, there aren't many straightforward options. Sharing more details about the laptop would help us better assist you.
Of course. This is a new one, so i'm hoping I get this right.
Asus TUF Gaming F15
Processor: 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-11260H @ 2.60GHz
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU & Intel® UHD Graphics
RAM: 16GB
The current Vram I have is 4gb. My old laptop that was crashing so much only had 6, but this one has 2 less. I was thinking of refunding it and getting a desktop, but I don't know of anyone that has a desktop I could trade this for a desktop or purchase one that's even 900.
The laptop GPU with 6 GB of VRAM shouldn't be the main reason for crashes. It's more likely another factor is involved. You can't increase VRAM, and a 3050 model isn't powerful enough for that. I think sharing the full issue details would be more helpful than just the diagnosis, as my belief is your problems aren't related to VRAM.
A very variable model of laptop. I presume this is the lowest end 2021 model with 16GB of ram. Not a single stick of ram I hope?
144hz 1080p display.
It does indeed have a thunderbolt 4 port. So external GPUs are on the table. But it is odd to already have an internal GPU and use an external one. I guess you would have some on the go gaming performance, and then much more if you spent another $1000 or so on an external GPU. Doesn't sound like you have the money for that though.
It did also have this note: (Thunderbolt 4 not supported on FX506HCB/HEB) check if that is anything on your model.
The issue with an external GPU is that it can sometimes require purchasing another system. High-quality enclosures usually cost triple-digit amounts, and without a suitable power supply, you might need to buy one separately. This means you're already looking at over $200 before considering a video card.
Additionally, adding VRAM or similar components via USB is impractical because USB speeds are far too slow compared to the bandwidth GPUs demand from VRAM. For example, the RTX 3060 has a VRAM bandwidth of 360 GB/sec, while USB 4.0 can only manage around 4.5 GB/sec after accounting for protocol overhead.
This was a previous laptop. I'm using a new one and it's running fine. I was just looking into ways to get more Vram, or I can refund this laptop and just look into desktops. I know my posts comprised of crashing issues, but I finally got a new laptop. I was only debating on what to do with this laptop. Keep using it, refund it and just buy a desktop or see if there's a place around to trade for a desktop, or just go neutral on ideas.
And yup, you're right. This laptop does have a C port on it as well, but I just thought there'd be a way to increase the Vram since when i'm in VR, it does warn me of low vram, frame stutters may happen and it does a lot sometimes. I just need more turbo under the hood for more power is all. Shame..this laptop can't use it since that's the exact model of this laptop. Ah well!
Well shoot.