(Part 2) Top products from r/eGPU

This manipulation will make your laptop a bit more bumpy chassis-wise and I won't take any responsibility if something goes wrong :P (Don’t forget to think about the warranty)

I am a lurker but I can really understand your feelings since I was in the same situation (same laptop) before however, I was able to fix this, let me explain How to avoid TDP-downs:

After dealing with multiple slim laptops and also thanks Reddit for some data, I have concluded that these are the main types of throttling linked with the thermals:

• CPU throttling (duh), however my laptop goes to 10W whereas the CPU was only around at the early eighties °C at 15W, and the laptop itself has another more powerful fan state at this temperature, so I think it is supposed to handle that CPU heat (these fans suck tbh).
  My laptop was not thermal throttling but power limiting (except at TDP-high but that’s not the issue) so I skipped it.
  
  
• software throttling, setting at High performance plan and removing + disabling the reinstallation of the Intel Dynamic Platform & Thermal Framework Driver should be enough (no, it won’t wreck your PC, but staying at High Performance will make your laptop uncomfortable because of the heat).
  
  
• VRM throttling, now this one is a little bit more implicit, but it is also very important, I am not an electronic expert and feel free to correct me, but I think that when it overheats, the component won’t be able to deliver as much power to the CPU thus the TDP-down. (Did Intel specified a TDP-down for mobile processors because slim laptops have generally a hard time cooling the CPU and VRMs at the same time?)
  
  To begin the fix you will need to buy these thermal pads (personally I bought two):
  https://www.amazon.com/Thermal-Grizzly-Minus-High-Performance/dp/B00ZJS8RWQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526667081&sr=8-1&keywords=TG-MP8-120-20-10-1R
  
  So, I have sacrificed my laptop to check it, and after removing the black foil there are indeed some VRMs that are not under the heat sink. I have a very empirical way to find them (I don’t have a thermal camera unfortunately).
  Launch TS Bench from ThrottleStop and then on the back of the computer, near the CPU, try to find very hot components (the ones that are barely too hot to touch) then place 3-4 thermal pads on them so that it can reach the chassis of the laptop.
  
  Of course this is not enough, and that’s where the cooler joins in, I found two coolers that are really useful:
  
  
• a cross-flow fan:
  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F3971YK/ref=twister_B01F3971X6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
  
  https://i.imgur.com/8IpUd4b.jpg
  
  The cross-flow fan is easier and cheaper to use however it is not as efficient as the next one, the laptop will be able to, at long term and at least, use 14W at 24°C ambient temperature. However, I would still buy it for travels etc.
  
  
• a DIY powerful fan stand:
  
  This one is not hard to do but requires some money but I suppose that budget won’t be your issue since the laptop itself is quite expensive already.
  
  For this you will need:
  
  
• a 3-pin 12V fan with good air pressure:
  https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NF-A14-industrialPPC-2000-140x140x25mm-2000rpm/dp/B00KESSI2A/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1526667148&sr=1-1&keywords=B00KESSI2A
  
  
• fan grills:
  https://www.amazon.com/140mm-Black-Grill-Guard-screws/dp/B01M2YI7BM/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1526667587&sr=1-3&keywords=fan+grill+140mm
  
  
• 5V to 12V USB to 3-pin:
  https://www.amazon.com/FAN2USB-12V-USB-Converting-Adapter/dp/B00MNB40ZU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1526667190&sr=8-1&keywords=FAN2USB
  
  
• a stand with hole:
  https://www.amazon.com/Urbo-Adjustable-Heat-Vent-Elevate-Notebooks/dp/B01I0KN91I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1526667370&sr=8-2&keywords=urbo+stand
  
  The hole is where we are going to place the fan and the height will help the fan to get more air, so that is very important.
  
  
• a cable tie set to attach the fan on the stand:
  https://www.amazon.com/Uxcell-Nylon-Resistant-Cable-White/dp/B00UJ95URU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526667534&sr=8-1&keywords=Cable+Tie+Set+400
  
  Optionally you can also buy a voltage regulator to turn it off but yeah unplugging the USB do the work too haha:
  https://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Fan-Speed-Controller-FANMATE-2/dp/B000292DO0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1526667258&sr=1-1&keywords=FANMATE2
  
  After it is done and placed your laptop on it, you should be able to play all night without seeing the laptop throttling.
  
  I tried to exceed the 15W, but this step is probably impossible, with the cooling I was able to stay a few more seconds at almost 30W but even after dealing with max TDP via Throttlestop, it throttles down. I just think that HP has limited its device to 15W for long term state (no matter the thermals or power) which is quite understandable but still it would be nice to unlock it.
  I have for instance set the TDP max at 16W with ThrottleStop (so just a little bit more) and it still throttles after around 30 seconds to 15W with the cooler, I don’t know if I will give up but with -100mV undervolting I am able to reach STABLE 2.8ghz at full load, at 15W, so it is not that bad for a convertible 13-inch laptop.
  
  I would like to post more photos however I am on a trip for months, so I can't right now.
  
  Feel free to ask me any questions!
  
  EDIT: formatting because 1st post
  
  EDIT 2:
  
  Here is how I placed my thermal pads:
  https://i.imgur.com/0fHQTIl.jpg
  
  I have also stressed my laptop for almost 15min non-stop with my cross-flow fan, here are the results showing a stable performance:
  
  
• Start:
  https://i.imgur.com/h9Tq2fU.png
  
  
• End:
  https://i.imgur.com/j5P8osg.png

You don't need more than 400-450W for a modern eGPU, but the PSU needs to be a quality one. I had my eyes on this one because it is small, but eventually I went on with a Dell DA-2 as I was not planning on anything that eats more power than a GTX1060 or so. Any good quality 400-450W PSU will work for you.

Here is a good basis for the power mod. Take this, cut off the 6-pin side. You end up with two molex female connectors and free hanging wires. Connect the yellow wires to the CENTRAL contact (typically, that will be marked as the plus) on the barrel plug's screw terminal. Connect the black wires to the OUTER contact (typically, that is marked as the minus connector). You don't need to use all 4 black wires, two will do just fine. Use the ones right next to the yellow wires. End result, you have an adapter that takes 2 Molex connectors and leads to a barrel plug. As always, check connectivity with a multi-meter to make sure that power will go where you want it to. Now connect the 2 molex to your PSU and the barrel plug to the Akitio.

The final thing you need is some means to power up the PSU without a motherboard. This will do.

yeah, plugging the egpu before turning it on helps me too.
im not sure about the cpu tem, but i have a external usb fan on both the laptop and the egpu. i do get around 54-58C on the gpu with the fan on. and about 60-70 with it off. ill link the fan below.

AC Infinity MULTIFAN S4, Quiet 140mm USB Fan for Receiver DVR Playstation Xbox Computer Cabinet Cooling https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MWH4FL4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_90-QDbXKSY5QJ

Also, ive been experimenting on different set ups. currently i have a type c dock (charjen pro) it has a hdmi connector so i plugged it directly to the monitor. so far it seems promising (seems like it eliminated the stutter issue).

CharJenPro USB C Hub, Certified... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MXKJC4M?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I bought a 430 EVGA Power supply. Here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H33SDR4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And i bought the EXP GDC V8: http://www.banggood.com/NGFF-Version-V8_0-EXP-GDC-Beast-Laptop-External-Independent-Video-Card-Dock-p-1009978.html?rmmds=search


I believe you can get a better connection with a pe4c v4.1: http://www.hwtools.net/Adapter/PE4C%20V4.1.html

It's more expensive than the GDC dock. I havent done it yet since I'm in college and my schedule is quite busy. I don't exactly have the funds yet either lol.

I would suggest a 1060, since bottlenecking is a factor. If you buy a 1070, you probably won't be able to harness all of it power, thus decreasing the price to performance ratio when compared to a 1060.

Good Luck!

Most thorough guide I have seen thus far.

Although... How does one tell which gen of mini PCIe they have?

I have a samsung 700z7c-S01UB which as far as I can tell no one has a build for yet

It has this

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Centrino®-Advanced-N-6235-6235ANHMW/dp/B009SJTSWU#Ask

wifi/bluetooth in its mini PCIe slot if that helps

Also, has anyone ever tried desoldering the iGPU (x16 connection in my case) and DIYing that into a eGPU connection?

Thanks for all your help! I am trying to see if it's at all worth it to hook up a GTX 1070 eGPU for VR dev

also you said that an eGPU can get 70-95% of the GPU cards processing power, is that based on bandwidth and connection type?

Careful, because that amazon link you pasted is for an M.2 USB C enclosure, which only has a 10Gb/s throughput. You want an M.2 to Thunderbolt 3 enclosure, which has a 40Gb/s throughput. However, I don't know if just any enclosure will work. I only know that this particular one has been tested and proven to work: https://www.amazon.com/WAVLINK-Certified-Thunderbolt-Enclosure-External/dp/B07YB4DDRB

​

That PSU is going to be overkill. 600w is what you need to power an entire system. An RX580 shouldn't be pulling more than 220w in gaming. Plus, it's generally not recommended to hold an internal PSU externally. It's just not shielded the way external ones are. Better to be safe.


And it's Wall > Power Cord > Dell PSU > GPU > R43SG > M.2 Enclosure > TB2 Adapter > Laptop

Enclosure

If you at all see yourself upgrading to a Thunderbolt 3-enabled MacBook Pro, buy yourself an AKiTio Node enclosure. If you're like me and you're going to keep buying used/refurbished 2015 model laptops until the day you die, just pick up the AKiTio Thunder2. The former comes with a 350W PSU and a Thunderbolt 3 cable, the later comes with a 65W and a Thunderbolt 2 cable.

Power Supply Unit

If you pick up a Node, you likely won't need an external PSU.

If you pick up a Thunder 2, you'll be DIY'ing your way to the dankest eGPU this side of a Solidworks Student Edition License. The best solution our community has engineered to date is the Dell DA-2 220W wiring hack. The PSU costs $15 used (they came off of old Dell Optiplex units, so they're are millions out there on eBay), and the associated wiring bits you need to turn that puppy into a compliant PSU is another $22^1.

Graphics Card
I know very little about Workstation/Professional Grade graphics cards, but I know how to read a stat sheet. Choose between one of these three (https://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?CompareItemList=449%7C14-133-645%5E14-133-645%2C14-105-068%5E14-105-068%2C14-105-067%5E14-105-067), and let somebody here correct me if I'm incorrect in my selection. I would choose the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100, but the WX 4100 should also do (and may actually fit in the Thunder2).
___
^1 Three parts needed to supercharge your AKiTio Thunder2 PSU:

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00VWEGKD4/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1WKMB149AEOE0&colid=227HDTPAA1PW1

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B018RE44DY/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I25QNEKJN40255&colid=227HDTPAA1PW1

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B004NNTVT6/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I2WIPZQP7LYVIL&colid=227HDTPAA1PW1

Oh, and I’d recommend something like this for doing the fan swap.

OK, thanks for the explanation, it appears there are Thunderbolt 3 versions

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SONNET-TECHNOLOGIES-USB3-4PM-Allegro-4-Port/dp/B00GRGCV2G/

I actually considered this but never got around to buying a proper 19V power supply for my dock largely because I didn't know what connector it used (product page doesn't specify). If anyone can provide any insight to what this could use I would appreciate it!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GGYU8TC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_ZyB8AbJYVGXJ7

I have this setup with a GTX 1070. You just need to have PSU and you can put any card you want in.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009AZSN14/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0121QHR2E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Buy these so you can power the barrel plug on the akitio thunder3 pcb with your PSU

Looks to be a T430. I have one of the same models as well. Appears to be an Express Card via EXP

You could probably use the board out of this with a custom chassis and PCI extenders:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1345364-REG
PCI Extenders: https://www.amazon.com/XRP-Express-Extender-Flexible-Extension/dp/B008BZBFTG


To allow 3 full sized graphics cards on a single TB3 connection.
Alternatively if you really only need 2 cards:
https://www.akitio.com/expansion/node-duo

You're correct, it uses standard PSU connectors (24 Pin).

The specific form factor is 1U, like this one.

Try putting this up for safety

Thanks, reading up on it now.


Edit:
For $20 we can be a bit destructive I can 3d print new covers.

[This is the Dock I will be getting, is it not possible for pass through?Lenovo Thinkpad Mini Dock Plus Series 3 433810U] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DUD0FC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6R2vCb2J3TJQN)