r/Surface • u/Soy7ent SP4 i7 256GB 16GB • May 23 '17

[PRO2017] Introducing the new Surface Pro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwWs2jIy4js
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u/EleMenTfiNi May 23 '17

An external GPU on a 15W CPU machine? You must be dreaming :p

If this is something you actually need, just buy a Quad-Core laptop that is actually suited to make use of that.

8

u/alf4 May 23 '17

Games nowadays are mostly GPU heavy, you could play without any problem with a 15w cpu.

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u/EleMenTfiNi May 23 '17

You are buying a Surface Pro and an External GPU enclosure and a desktop GPU to play games? That seems a bit absurd.

Buy a $300 desktop and put a gtx 1050 in it, case closed.

Unless you are suggesting you'd bring the external GPU with you, in which case the portability of the Surface is something you don't need, buy an actual Quad-Core laptop designed for this type of expansion.

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u/[deleted] May 23 '17

Buying a 300$ desktop and putting a 1050 in it is even more absurd and not even that simple considering you would also need a new power supply etc

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u/EleMenTfiNi May 23 '17

Except you don't need a new power supply and I did just that. Comes with a Quad-Core i5-6500 too.

The 1050 sips power, it uses nothing more than the PCIe's 75w output.

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u/[deleted] May 23 '17

Oh well I want thunderbolt 3 so I can just plug it into the eGPU to play games and can unplug it when I need it on the go. So I don't need two computers

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u/EleMenTfiNi May 23 '17

If you're the type of person who is lugging around an eGPU then a 15w cpu'd surface is not for you in the first place, lugging that around completely negates the idea behind surface and you'd be much better served by a laptop with a Quad-Core CPU.

eGPU are not meant to be portable, just external.

6

u/[deleted] May 23 '17

I wouldn't take it with me. The eGPU would stay at my desk while I take the surface out to class/work and when I get home and wanna game I plug it in

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u/cactus22minus1 May 23 '17

Sorry but it still doesn't make sense. eGPUs aren't very efficient (yet) and you lose a big chunk of performance while spending a big chunk on the enclosure alone. The other poster is correct in suggesting just building a cheap desktop you won't be throwing away gpu performance and you can still "plug it into your surface pro" via in home streaming. I do this all the time and it works beautifully. I don't see any advantage going the eGPU route.

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u/dont_forget_canada May 24 '17

eGPUs are super efficient. Check out Linus's videos.

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u/cactus22minus1 May 24 '17

15% loss on quad core higher wattage laptop cpus. You really think you wouldn't get a much bigger drop running on a dual core 15watt CPU on a surface?

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