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November 13th, 2021 06:00
External GPU dock - Inspiron 7490
Hi there,
I have an Inspiron 14 7000 (7490) laptop which is about 2 years old.
The laptop itself is fine and runs well -
Processor - Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10510U CPU @ 1.80GHz 2.30 GHz
RAM - 16.0 GB
The internal GPU is not great however, and I am looking to purchase an eGPU dock such as the Razer Core X to replace my current Dell WD19TB thunderbolt dock, which will perform the same function of adding my peripherals but with the added GPU.
One concern I have is that the Razer website says "Laptops require a Thunderbolt 3 port with external graphics (eGFX) support."
My Inspiron 7490 does have a thunderbolt 3 port I believe, but I am not sure if it supports external graphics. Is anyone able to confirm whether my laptop will support eGFX and whether my plan to replace my WB19TB dock with the Razer Core X gpu dock will work?
Thanks in advance.
ejn63
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November 13th, 2021 06:00
This system does not have official support for an eGPU -- the only Dell systems that do are Alienware systems, and only with a (now-discontinued) Alienware Graphics Amplifier.
You're on your own to try the Razer Core -- it may work -- or it may not, so carefully consider the costs of returning the device if it doesn't work.
Some other considerations:
Depending on the GPU you want, you are looking at a minimum of a few hundred -- and even for a mid-level card, over $1,000 -- for just the GPU card itself. GPU cards are in short supply these days and as a result are breathtakingly expensive.
An eGPU will never run a card at its full potential due to the constraints imposed by the connection to the system.
Further, be sure you realize that the eGPU should be used (and in some cases, MUST be used) with an external monitor. Even where the eGPU can feed the internal display, using it will impose a very steep performance penalty.
Given that the eGPU is about $300 bare, plus the video card -- carefully consider another option: simply purchase a decent desktop system. You'll then remove the performance limitations imposed by the eGPU and wind up with a desktop system -- which is exactly what you get with an eGPU plus an external monitor.