When Thunderbolt 2 made its debut in 2013, it brought impressive data transfer speeds of 20 GB/s to the table. Besides the obvious enhancements to the SSD speeds, the new technology also made it possible to use external graphics cards with underpowered systems. Over the years, Thunderbolt saw more revisions and better bandwidth, though it never managed to popularize eGPUs.

Quite the opposite, actually, because the sky-high prices of the external GPU enclosures, combined with the bulky nature of the setup and slower performance compared to the newer PCIe standards made them largely irrelevant to the general public. That’s quite a shame because these four devices could have used the performance boost provided by external graphics cards.

4 SBCs

Only select boards, though

Single-board computers serve as excellent cost-effective options for DIY projects that require tiny, low-power boards. Unfortunately, they’re extremely lacking in the performance department, with even the more powerful devices like the Raspberry Pi 5 failing to hold a candle to full-fledged desktop PCs.

So, the resurgence of eGPUs will obviously benefit these miniature systems. That said, the reason why SBCs lie at the bottom of the list is that the prominent boards aren’t compatible with OCuLink or Thunderbolt technology. As such, the PCIe slots remain as the last option for eGPU enthusiasts, though setting them up is almost always bound to fail. The fact that the extensively documented Raspberry Pi 5 can barely run an RX 460 speaks volumes about how most SBCs won’t pair well with an external GPU unless the PCIe interfaces on most SBCs receive better drivers. While we're on the subject of drivers...

3 Snapdragon Elite X laptops

We'll need better drivers, first

Laptops designed with Snapdragon Elite X’s power-efficient chips are highly optimized for longer battery life. As such, they’re clearly not built for applications or games that require powerful hardware. Sure, games like Baldur’s Gate 3 alongside DaVinci Resolve and certain other apps have been modified to make full use of the SD Elite X’s capabilities. However, they’re an exception rather than the norm, and many hardcore computing applications can’t provide solid performance on these laptops.

Theoretically, things can change drastically once you throw eGPUs into the fray. Unfortunately, the driver support for external graphics cards is downright abysmal in the Snapdragon Elite X department, which is why these laptops aren’t at the top spot in the article.

2 Mini-PCs

To turn your small, adorable system into a war machine

Mini-PCs have received major upgrades over the years, and serve as compact and affordable alternatives to full-sized desktops. While their CPUs are more than amazing for everyday tasks, these small-sized systems aren’t built for resource-intensive tasks like gaming.

However, the inclusion of an external GPU can alleviate a lot of your performance woes. Most mini-PCs are also equipped with newer versions of Thunderbolt, so they’re all-clear on the compatibility front. Heck, some of the more advanced systems, like our favorite Minisforum AtomMan X7 Ti, even feature the higher bandwidth OCuLink interfaces for a better experience when using external graphics cards.

1 Gaming handhelds

eGPUs could help them hit 4K60FPS

Combining solid performance with a portable design, gaming handhelds are great for users who require something smaller and more compact than a laptop to play games on-the-move. Although the Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally X, and other popular handhelds can tackle most games, they end up struggling should you attempt to play the more graphically demanding titles at higher resolutions.

If eGPUs were to return from the dead, they’d effectively act as the equivalent of the Nintendo Switch dock for the gaming handheld industry. In fact, our Windows editor João Carrasqueira benchmarked the OnePlayer X1’s performance with and without an external GPU, and the eGPU showed incredible potential in both productivity and gaming workloads.

The computing world would become a better place if eGPUs went mainstream

When the first wave of eGPUs hit more than a decade ago, I figured the prices of Thunderbolt-compatible enclosures would eventually go down as the technology became mainstream. Little did I know that my prediction would never come true, as even in their last throes of defeat, the more popular enclosures and docks cost more than entry-level GPUs.

However, the recent interest in the open-source OCuLink interface has renewed my hopes for eGPUs. Not only does the standard provide higher bandwidth than USB4/Thunderbolt, but it’s also cheaper to implement OCuLink. I might be jumping the gun a bit, but its affordability and better performance could be the key to bringing eGPUs to the front line of the computing sector.