Thanks for the post… have a linky for this little gem?
Sure thing here ya go. I think they prob wrote it because they sell laptops, but hey they also make Pop OS and it all seems non-specific to any manufacturer:
2 Likes
Much appreciated James.
I SHOULD be getting my batch 2 this week (with the exception of the 1TB Expansion card I ordered), but here is what I decided on for specs:
CPU:
Intel i7-1165G7 12M Cache 4.7 Ghz boost 10nm (Tiger Lake, 11th Gen Intel chip)
RAM:
16GB (2 x 8GB) G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4 PC4-25600 3200MHz SO-DIMM (CL16) 1.20V
STORAGE 1 (OS/ Documents/ Save Game Data etc):
500 GB WD_Black SN850 GEN4 M.2 (2280) NVMe (Up to 7,000 MB/s read)
STORAGE 2 (Game Installs):
1 TB SSD (3.2 Gen 2 Interface) Expansion Card (Up to 1,000 MB/s read and write)
VIDEO 1 (On Board):
Intel Iris Xe (Tiger Lake, 11th Gen Intel Chip)
VIDEO 2 (Gaming Dock):
Sonnet Thunderbolt eGPU Breakaway Box 750ex (750w PS + 4 USB + 1 Gb Ethernet)
w/ Zotac nVidia GeForce GTX 1060 AMP! Edition 6GB GDDR5X Desktop GPU
NETWORK:
Intel AX210 6E Wi-Fi Module (+ a 1 Gb Ethernet on eGPU dock when connected)
5 Likes
this time it’s not entirely refind that i use
refind → grub
Hi DannyT,
Just wondering where have you found this guy? And what is a price( if it’s not a secret. 
)
1 Like
I ended up buying it straight from the vendor, it’s almost double their price on places like Amazon which is ridiculous. Still ended up costing just under $470 CAD with shipping from the states.
3 Likes
Awesome, thank you! Just hope shipping (and taxes) to Canada is not the same as this eGPU price.
Just under $470 CAD with shipping to myself in Alberta.
1 Like
The non Chroma version of the Razer Core X (the one your looking at) and Sonnet 750 (non-ex) are just fine… The only thing they are missing is the extra ports (4 USB and network port) on the eGPU. I only want to use 1 USB-C cable for everything when “docking” so I spent a little more. I was looking at the Razer Core X Chroma but it’s more than I just spent on the 750ex. Hope that helps.
1 Like
… Plus 750 watt PS with dual 8-pin connectors is nice for future proofing… you know… if I can ever find / buy a newer video card!
Oh and I should mention… got my Batch 2 DIY late last night and feeling a little less frustrated lol… install of parts and OS was all done in under 30 minutes and I was playing some CS:GO and Apex Ledgends on it right after that. When the eGPU comes in I will try some benchmarks and more games.
4 Likes
I’m running the 750ex. I would recommend the non ex version for maximum performance. Attach your USB/ethernet through a separate dock. Right now, it’s adequate, but if I had the time/money I’d go for the Thunderbolt eGPU + USB 3 dock, or Thunderbolt eGPU + Thunderbolt dock (keep in mind the separate TBT controllers, though).
Too much detail to follow:
I’d like a single cable experience, but I can’t justify getting the Asus Flow/XG Mobile combo. My wants are too far ahead of the current offerings:
- eGPU
- 2.5 GbE
- SATA (1 port minimum, possibly 3)
- at least one USB 3 at 10 Gb/s, but at least two USB 3 ports
- at least two USB 2
- SDXC/microSD port
As far as I can tell, all of the currently available TBT3 eGPU enclosures that have more than one Thunderbolt “device” use two TBT controllers. There’s a dual port controller that connects to the laptop, GPU via 4 PCIe lanes and to the 2nd controller. The 750ex utilizes another TBT controller to connect the FL1100 and I210 via PCIe (x1 lane each, the Fresco Logic FL1100 is a USB 3.0 controller chip for the 4 USB ports and the Intel I210 is for gigabit ethernet).
It seems that TUL is the OEM for many of eGPU enclosures, to include PowerColor, Sonnet, Mantiz, Razer, I believe. Which is why most of these designs are similar and have similar limitations. Some designs use more USB-based devices. (FYI, the BlackBeast Pro is unique in this aspect because it uses separate TBT cables for separate TBT daisy chains, in order to maximize the 32 Gb/s.)
From what I can infer, the USB 3.0 xHCI controller on the TBT controller is just there if you plug USB 3 devices into the type C ports; the Intel xHCI controllers won’t support additional USB devices but they can be safely ignored.Thunderbolt 3 is pretty annoying since Intel won’t freely release spec details. Maybe I’ll try to get the Thunderbolt developer welcome package which should have something more tangible.
And from what I’ve been able to test, if you were to have to two different TBT dock/eGPU devices, you should plug them into opposite sides. Although TBT3 has that nasty ~22 Gb/s bandwidth cap for a single eGPU, I was able to net an extra 3-4 Gb/s by adding another TBT device to the same side/controller (I connected 10 GbE over Thunderbolt, but it capped out at 400 MB/s peak while my eGPU was running CUDA-Z; if connected to the opposite side, the 10 GbE hit max performance figures while the eGPU was also doing its thing).
I suggest using a USB 3 dock/hub because:
- I believe it wouldn’t matter which side it was connected to because USB signals are sent through the PCH instead of the TBT lanes, potentially improving throughput & latency
- TBT devices don’t play well with pre-boot and pre-login (given the current BIOS, my experiences with Windows, keeping VT-d on, and keeping DMA protections on.
2 Likes
I have got everything except the 1TB SSD external storage card now. I was suppose to get it yesterday but… well… FedEx… their site doesn’t even show it coming into Canada yet 
1 Like