A capable laptop, preferably one that supports eGPU, is a must-have for gamers, designers, video and photo editors, photographers, and others in the creative industry. For this reason, this post focuses on the best laptops for eGPU.

eGPUs provide the extra power to keep your laptop from lagging, overheating, and producing too much noise. Aside from these benefits, an eGPU is affordable and offers the best way to get a high-performing machine.

If you are in a hurry, here is a list of our top picks:

• Apple 2021 MacBook Pro– Editor’s Pick
• LG-Gram 17Z90N Laptop– Best Value
• Dell Inspiron 13 5310– Best Budget

Best Laptops For eGPU Analyzed

1. Apple 2021 MacBook Pro

• RAM: 32 GB
• Storage: 512 GB SSD
• Screen Size: 16.2 Inches
• Processor: Apple M1 Pro Chip
• Graphics: Apple 32-core GPU

This laptop is built to provide all the power and features you need for work and entertainment. Its exceptional features include the Apple M1 Pro Chip that powers this device, offering great machine learning, GPU, and CPU performance.

The Apple 32-core GPU is also excellent for games and graphics-intensive applications, offering up to four times faster performance. Additionally, it has 32 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD storage (the laptop also comes in a version with 1 TB SSD).

You can easily connect your eGPU, among other peripherals such as monitors, to this MacBook laptop because it has 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports. Moreover, it offers up to 21 hours of battery life. However, with a screen size of 16.2 inches, it is a big machine.

Pros

• Slim and sleek design
• A great, big, bright display
• Quality keyboard and keypad
• Excellent speed and performance

Cons

• Costly

2. LG-Gram 17Z90N Laptop

• RAM: 16 GB
• Storage: 1 TB SSD
• Screen Size: 17 Inches
• Processor: 10^th Gen Intel Core i7- 1065G7
• Graphics: Intel Iris Plus

This Intel Core i7-powered laptop is an excellent choice for eGPU and performs superbly when running intense applications and demanding games. This laptop is lightweight and highly portable, weighing 2.8 pounds.

The 17-inch IPS LCD bright screen provides plenty of room for the keyboard with a four-complete column Numpad. The keyboard also has a fingerprint reader. While the display works well, its quality dips a bit when you connect an eGPU.

The LG Gram 17 does not have a dedicated graphics card, but the presence of a Thunderbolt 3 port solves this issue. It lets you connect your laptop to an external GPU. It also has a microSD card slot, an HDMI port, and 3 USB-A 3.0 ports.

3D designers will love this laptop since it can effortlessly run heavy graphic workloads and tasks on Microsoft Excel and Adobe Creative Cloud Software Suite.

Pros

• Excellent battery life- 17 hours
• Vast storage space
• Great performance
• Bright, crisp display

Cons

• Subpar speakers

3. Dell Inspiron 13 5310

• RAM: 16 GB DDR4
• Storage: 512 GB SSD
• Screen Size: 13.3 inches
• Processor: 11^th Gen Intel Core i7- 11370H
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce MX450

While this laptop comes with impressive features, the highlight is the 13.3-inch HD borderless IPS display that offers sharper, clearer images. The Dell Inspiron 13 is powered by an 11^th Gen Intel Core i7-11370H processor and has 512 GB SSD storage and 16 GB DDR4 RAM.

This laptop is ideal for web browsing, photo and video editing, and handling productivity software. However, you can do more with it with the help of an eGPU.

The Dell Inspiron 13 also features 2 USB-C Thunderbolt 4, an HDMI port, a USB-A port, a headphone jack, and a WiFi adapter. The keyboard has a backlight and chiclet-style keys, ideal for low-light conditions and gaming.

In addition, the laptop is light, weighing 2.78 pounds, and thus portable. While the NVIDIA GeForce MX450 graphics card isn’t the most powerful, it can support creative software and basic gaming.

Pros

• Fast processing
• Multiple connectivity options
• Durable and sturdy
• Thin and portable

Cons

• Average graphics performance

4. MSI GE76 Raider Gaming Laptop

• RAM: 16 GB DDR4
• Storage: 1 TB SSD
• Screen Size: 17.3 Inches
• Processor: 11^th Gen Intel Core i7-11800H
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX-3060

The excellent hardware specifications in this laptop make it ideal for eGPU. It has an assortment of ports, such as a Thunderbolt 4 port, a USB-C, and 3 USB-A. Additionally, there is an SD Express card reader, analog audio jack, and HDMI port.

Moreover, it is equipped with a huge storage space (1 TB SSD), a hefty 16 GB RAM, and a powerful 11^th-Gen Intel Core i7-11800H processor. It also has the NVIDIA GeForce RTX-3060. This laptop is made for gaming but is also excellent for everyday use, like web browsing and multitasking.

MSI GE76 also offers impressive sound, a 144Hz refresh rate, and a 17.3-inch FHD display. However, it doesn’t support VR, and the battery backup is low.

Pros

• Durable and affordable
• Powerful processor
• Large, beautiful display
• RGB keyboard

Cons

• Poor battery backup

Buyer’s Guide

Consider the following factors when buying a laptop for eGPU:

CPU

You need a powerful processor to support eGPU, so choose an Intel Core i7, i9, or AMD Ryzen 7.

GPU

You require a fine dedicated graphics card to support external graphics properly. Great choices include NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070.

Ports

You need sufficient ports with enough bandwidth to connect your laptop to an eGPU. The good choices include PCle Gen 4 x 16 slots, Thunderbolt 3, and USB-C.

Storage

Ample storage helps run the GPU easily. 1 TB SSD or 512 GB SSD should be enough.

RAM

It’s best to get a laptop with at least 8 GB RAM if you wish to add an eGPU. 16GB RAM is preferred for heavy tasks like gaming, video editing, and rendering. 

Final Remarks

An eGPU is an excellent idea if you want your laptop to provide remarkable gaming performance. Most eGPUs have a video card but others don’t. While not every laptop is suitable for eGPU, there are plenty of options at your disposal, with the best ones analyzed above.