Question E gpu with compact laptop setup

[mamqek]

Hello, thjs is my firat question on such forums, hope I am not missing the point of the forum with this question.
My current laptop is Predator Triton 500, 5 years old by now. I struggled a lot with keeping the temperatures in low to extend its lifespan but the perfomance is wearing off at this point.

I would like to replace it with an easy to go but also powerful for gaming machine, but such models would be either too big or too expensive (also most of the laptops still need additional configuration to keep the temperatures low).

So I thought of getting a slim but powerful on CPU laptop and connecting an eGPU to it.
However, I am not sure whether every high end CPU from laptop would suit for gaming, cause by design such laptops are made for office work. Does the CPU have to be compatible with GPU sonehow?

Another concern I have is that cooling in a office laptop wont be able to handle the raised loads and overheating problems (for me its anything above 80°) would be the case no matter what I do (on 2 gaming laptops I tested such iverheating is a constant factor)

Would this idea work out? Is there anything I should take into account?

Thank you for your time.

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

My current laptop is Predator Triton 500, 5 years old by now.
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/acer-predator-triton-500-2020
If that's the laptop you're working with and have a Thunderbolt port to the right of the laptop, then you're able to hook up pretty much any eGPU dock to the laptop.

What sort of a budget for you have allocated for your purchase? Where are you located and what is your preferred site for purchase?

Just curious, did you perform an undervolt on your CPU core+cache/iGPU and discrete GPU? Reinstalled GPU drivers after using DDU, in an elevated command?

 

[helper800]

To use an external GPU enclosure on a laptop usually all you need is a thunderbolt port on the laptop.

 

[mamqek]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

My current laptop is Predator Triton 500, 5 years old by now.
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/acer-predator-triton-500-2020
If that's the laptop you're working with and have a Thunderbolt port to the right of the laptop, then you're able to hook up pretty much any eGPU dock to the laptop.

What sort of a budget for you have allocated for your purchase? Where are you located and what is your preferred site for purchase?

Just curious, did you perform an undervolt on your CPU core+cache/iGPU and discrete GPU? Reinstalled GPU drivers after using DDU, in an elevated command?

Predator is my current laptop, for this setup I want to get a new one like Asus Zanbook or smth with a touch screen. Basically slim, small but powerful on CPU. For it by itself I would aim for something under 1000 euro. I am from Netherlands btw. For GPU I was hoping to get better or equal to 3070 under 400 euro. I am not experienced with buying GPUs and dont know what is the current actual price for these. If you could recommend some trustworthy, non-overpriced websites it would be very helpful.

Oh, I tried everything with my current laptop, undervolting, reinstalling, even the motherboard was changed (under warranty). It had a bunch of problems and still does, like if I dont undervolt CPU it will get to 70 degrees with only open browser opened. Drivers should be outdated, provided from manufacturer, or it doesnt work :/
Now I got a test run with a Omen 16 with 3070ti and despite good perfomance and no lags in al games, I get 85 degrees on CPU in almost every game while GPU is at 65. I believe with such temperatures after 2 years laptop will almost die and I want a long term purchase.

Do you think I would encounter problems with CPU cooling on slim laptops like I mentioned.

 

[mamqek]

To use an external GPU enclosure on a laptop usually all you need is a thunderbolt port on the laptop.

Thats great. If its so well compatible, laptop model shouldnt be a big issue. Do you know whether enclosure matters a lot? Like does perfomance of connection depends on the model of enclosure. Could I work this out with smth like TH3P4G3 or there are more proved models.

 

[helper800]

Thats great. If its so well compatible, laptop model shouldnt be a big issue. Do you know whether enclosure matters a lot? Like does perfomance of connection depends on the model of enclosure. Could I work this out with smth like TH3P4G3 or there are more proved models.

I am not sure. I would defer to any reviews of specific enclosures to professional review sites.

 

[helper800]

Predator is my current laptop, for this setup I want to get a new one like Asus Zanbook or smth with a touch screen. Basically slim, small but powerful on CPU. For it by itself I would aim for something under 1000 euro. I am from Netherlands btw. For GPU I was hoping to get better or equal to 3070 under 400 euro. I am not experienced with buying GPUs and dont know what is the current actual price for these. If you could recommend some trustworthy, non-overpriced websites it would be very helpful.

Oh, I tried everything with my current laptop, undervolting, reinstalling, even the motherboard was changed (under warranty). It had a bunch of problems and still does, like if I dont undervolt CPU it will get to 70 degrees with only open browser opened. Drivers should be outdated, provided from manufacturer, or it doesnt work :/
Now I got a test run with a Omen 16 with 3070ti and despite good perfomance and no lags in al games, I get 85 degrees on CPU in almost every game while GPU is at 65. I believe with such temperatures after 2 years laptop will almost die and I want a long term purchase.

Do you think I would encounter problems with CPU cooling on slim laptops like I mentioned.

Here is the thing, there are almost no laptops that are made that actually get good temperatures like desktops do. Most CPUs are designed to run at 80-100C in laptops. This is normal behavior. What is not normal is sudden loss of performance. This almost always means that the cooling has changed. For instance, CPUs are matted to heatsinks with thermal grease. Over time, because of the constant temperature fluctuations, this grease can dry up and can crack. When that happens the CPU is no longer being properly cooled by the heatsink and clock speeds drastically reduce to combat the failed cooling system. Because clock speeds on a CPU are tied to how efficacious its cooling system is, performance can suffer if anything related to that cooling system is wrong like the above example. Another example would be that dust clogs up the air intakes for the heatsink's fan.

 

[mamqek]

Here is the thing, there are almost no laptops that are made that actually get good temperatures like desktops do. Most CPUs are designed to run at 80-100C in laptops. This is normal behavior. What is not normal is sudden loss of performance. This almost always means that the cooling has changed. For instance, CPUs are matted to heatsinks with thermal grease. Over time, because of the constant temperature fluctuations, this grease can dry up and can crack. When that happens the CPU is no longer being properly cooled by the heatsink and clock speeds drastically reduce to combat the failed cooling system. Because clock speeds on a CPU are tied to how efficacious its cooling system is, performance can suffer if anything related to that cooling system is wrong like the above example. Another example would be that dust clogs up the air intakes for the heatsink's fan.

Do I understand you correctly that if CPU runs on 85-90 degrees but no perfomance issueas are noticeable, then its actually working properly and doesnt get damaged overtime? Like CPUs behaviour can change over time only if cooling system gets worse?

I would happily believe in, it if not my current laptop. Without undervolting it (so its 2200 MHz steady), on a desctop after boot up it stays on 3500-4200 MHz with 77-87 degrees. Cooling is in good condition with no signifacant dust in there (spins on 3500 rpm on desctop) and I change thermal paste every 1.5 months This happened after 2 years I got it. If not perfomance issues what else could it be?
I would attach a screenshot of CPU temperatures, but dont get how to upload an image (not via link)

 

[helper800]

Do I understand you correctly that if CPU runs on 85-90 degrees but no performance issues are noticeable, then its actually working properly and doesn't get damaged overtime?

Yes. Modern CPUs typically run much closer to the sun, but have been designed to do so.

Like CPUs behaviour can change over time only if cooling system gets worse?

Typically with modern CPUs the cooling system determines how high the CPU clocks. The better the cooling the better the clocks at the same temperature. CPUs in laptops are temperature constrained for performance. Of course CPUs do break down over time, but we are talking about 10s of years, nothing relevant to the lifetime of the CPU. And of course CPUs or their corresponding power subsystems on the PCB near them can become damaged in all sorts of ways, but not this specific talking point. PCs and laptops shut themselves down before they get hot enough to cause any damage. Temperatures that actually cause damage are usually 110-130+ C.

 

[helper800]

If not perfomance issues what else could it be?

Bloatware, and other software considerations are likely to be what has made your CPU work harder and become hotter running the usual stuff you do. More work means more heat. When was the last time you cleaned up your OS and its background programs and services. For instance, have you added any programs for peripherals that run in the background?

 

[mamqek]

Bloatware, and other software considerations are likely to be what has made your CPU work harder and become hotter running the usual stuff you do. More work means more heat. When was the last time you cleaned up your OS and its background programs and services. For instance, have you added any programs for peripherals that run in the background?

Havent added much lately, except connected OneDrive. However I believe thats not the cause of the problem, because this issue have been in the system even after complete reinstallation of Windows. So no sowtware (except inbuild) could be the reason.
Now I think of what you said and temperatures make sence cause clock speed is high. However I dont understand why would it run on 4200 (which is its overclocked state I think) under no load.
In games it throttles a lot under these conditions anyway, like all computational power from high clock spped goes to waste.