The Limitations of External Graphics on Thin and Light Laptops

In recent years, there has been a growing trend towards creating thin and light laptops that are designed to be portable and versatile. One way that manufacturers have attempted to enhance these laptops is by incorporating external graphics capabilities, allowing users to upgrade their laptop's performance with the addition of a dedicated graphics card. In this article, we will explore one such example, the Razer Blade Stealth 13, which comes equipped with an Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce MX 150 graphics. We will also examine how adding an external graphics solution, in this case, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, affects performance in various games.

To assess the performance of the Razer Blade Stealth's built-in graphics versus the external graphics solution, we ran a series of benchmarks using popular titles such as Fortnite and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. We used the same replay file for all tests to ensure consistency across different scenarios. At 1080p, we can see that the MX 150 graphics in the Blade provide acceptable results at low settings and medium settings, with the orange bars indicating the performance of the built-in graphics and the red bars showing the performance of the external graphics solution.

However, when we ran the game at higher settings, such as 20% above the recommended settings, the performance gap between the two became more apparent. The MX 150 graphics struggled to keep up, while the external RTX 2080 Ti graphics provided a significant performance boost. We also tested the game at different resolutions, including 1440p and 4k, where the external graphics solution continued to provide impressive results.

Another title we tested was Dota 2, which is more CPU-bound than some of the other games on our list. Even with the external RTX 2080 Ti graphics, the laptop's CPU struggled to keep up with the demands of the game, resulting in high CPU utilization and performance issues at higher settings. However, as we increased the difficulty level and used lower settings, the performance gap between the two became less apparent.

We also tested the game Hurtful Watch, which provides a unique benchmarking tool that allows us to test the performance of games without actually playing them. In this case, the external RTX 2080 Ti graphics provided significant improvements in frame rates, even at low settings and with high CPU utilization. However, we did notice some issues with stuttering, particularly at epic settings.

In conclusion, our tests demonstrate that adding an external graphics solution to a thin and light laptop can provide significant performance improvements, especially when compared to the built-in graphics. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti in particular provides impressive results in games such as Fortnite, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Dota 2. However, it's essential to note that this solution comes with its own set of challenges and limitations.

One of the main issues is the cost. A dedicated external GPU enclosure for the RTX 2080 Ti can range from $200 to $300 in the US, which is equivalent to the cost of the entire laptop. This makes it a niche solution that may only be practical for users who have already invested heavily in a gaming PC at home and want to use their existing equipment.

Another concern is the feasibility of incorporating high-end graphics into thin and light laptops. Given the limited space and weight constraints, manufacturers must carefully consider the placement of components and ensure that they can fit within the laptop's design. Furthermore, the additional power requirements for external graphics solutions may also limit their adoption in these types of devices.

Despite these challenges, it's clear that external graphics solutions are becoming increasingly viable options for users who want to upgrade their laptop's performance without sacrificing portability or style. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see more laptops incorporating external graphics capabilities, and manufacturers will need to address the limitations and challenges associated with this approach.

For now, only those who have a specific use case in mind, such as using their laptop at home with an existing gaming PC setup, may find this solution practical. However, for users who want to experience top-notch performance without the added expense or complexity of a separate gaming PC, other solutions, such as high-end laptops or desktops with dedicated graphics cards, may be more suitable.

In any case, it's always exciting to explore new and innovative ways that technology can enhance our user experiences. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic in the comments below, and if you're new here, don't forget to subscribe for future tech videos like this one.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enI've got the new razor blade stealth here which only goes up to nvidia MX 150 graphics this does allow it to play less demanding games but how much of an improvement can we get by attaching an Nvidia r-tx 20 atti graphics card let's find out this video is mostly just for fun I've got the newest razor blade stealthier for review and I have a 20 80 TI and was curious to see how that go together using an external GPU enclosure the enclosure that I'm using is the mantas Venus which I've previously covered in another video basically you plug in your graphics card then connect the enclosure to a laptop using Thunderbolt 3 my enclosure also provides enough power to charge the blade stealth over thunderbolt so I literally just need a single cable for this setup the razor blade stealth that I'm testing has an Intel i7 a t56 5u whiskey Lake CPU so four cores eight threads with pretty high boost clock speeds there's sixteen gig of LP ddr3 memory running at 2133 megahertz and dual channel and of course the NVIDIA MX 150 graphics so it's capable of playing less demanding games like overwatch csgo fortnight order - without many issues while more graphically intensive games are just not possible unless we use external graphics anyway let's get into the benchmarks and see how these games run fortnight was tested using the same replay and at 1080p we can see that the MX 150 graphics in the blade are giving us acceptable results at low settings and medium ran well enough to shown by the orange and red bars if we run the 20 atti through the laptops own display shown in the green bars we get a massive performance boost and then even further gains when connecting to an external display plugged into the 28 ET I shown in blue this is because when using the laptops own display there's more overhead involved the thunderbolt bandwidth needs to be used to send the display signal back to the laptop whereas this is not required with an external display for this reason I've only tested with the external display for the rest of the games for Best Performance at 40 40p fortnight was still seeing very good performance it still ran quite well even an epic settings with this high resolution on our external monitor with the 2080 ti even 4k was playable at most setting levels something that the MX 150 has no chance of doing csgo was tested with the illogical benchmark and again we've got the built-in MX 150 graphics in orange and red and the 2080 ti with the external screen for best performance shown in the blue bars there's a massive difference at 1080p even the one percent lower from the 20 80 TI is above the average frame rates of the MX 150 stepping up to 1440p the 20 ATT is still provided very high frame rates for this test and was easily playable and then similar at 4k still very high frame rates in this test with over 300 fps still possible at low settings hurtful watch was tested in the practice range so that I can perform the same test run and once again the external 20/80 TI is giving us massive performance improvements note the low 1% low performance of epic settings learn with these settings that was noticeable stuttering while playing I'm not exactly sure what the issue was the CPU is a 100 percent utilization even at the lower settings - at 1440p this issue was seen between epic and high settings as identified by the poor 1% low results the average frame rates are still high but again this did cause noticeable stuttering while playing when testing with 4k the same thing was same still nice average frame rates but Paul 1% lows make the highest settings basically unplayable illustrating that adding external graphics will not be a silver bullet for all games as other components will start to limit us depending on the laptop you use dota 2 was only tested at 1080p and is an example of a test that's more CPU bound even with the 20 ATT I installed I was often seeing 100% CPU utilization indicating a CPU bottleneck this explains why we're seeing much less of a performance difference in this test between the built-in MX 150 and external 28 e TI graphics although the gap does widen as we use higher settings which are more graphically intensive seeing the CPU pegged a 100 utilization was pretty common and it was running with a 15 watt TDP most of the time and expected based on the high-end graphics that I'm using but even so we are able to get a massive performance improvement by attaching the 2080 TR to the razor blade stealth over Thunderbolt 3 is this solution practical no not really considering a typical external GPU enclosure it goes for around 200 to 300 u.s. dollars while the 2080 Ti is around 1,300 US dollars and that combined cost is about as much as the entire laptop that I'm testing with without even including an external display you can find updated pricing in the description if you've got money to burn and want a super portable laptop to connect up to your high powered graphics at home then it may make sense but realistically I only see that working if you just want to use the same machine and have access to the same windows installation because you could definitely also just have a pretty capable gaming PC at home for that money to making this a pretty niche solution either way it was still fun to test out what we can get out of a thin and light razor blade stealth and top-end 20 80 TI graphics do you think we'll ever see the 20 80 TI inside a laptop or will an external GPU enclosure be the you and the option personally I doubt it given we never had the 1080 T on a laptop but I did just get a 9900 K laptop so hey maybe anything's possible as always let me know your thoughts down in the comments and if you're new here don't forget to subscribe for future tech videos like this oneI've got the new razor blade stealth here which only goes up to nvidia MX 150 graphics this does allow it to play less demanding games but how much of an improvement can we get by attaching an Nvidia r-tx 20 atti graphics card let's find out this video is mostly just for fun I've got the newest razor blade stealthier for review and I have a 20 80 TI and was curious to see how that go together using an external GPU enclosure the enclosure that I'm using is the mantas Venus which I've previously covered in another video basically you plug in your graphics card then connect the enclosure to a laptop using Thunderbolt 3 my enclosure also provides enough power to charge the blade stealth over thunderbolt so I literally just need a single cable for this setup the razor blade stealth that I'm testing has an Intel i7 a t56 5u whiskey Lake CPU so four cores eight threads with pretty high boost clock speeds there's sixteen gig of LP ddr3 memory running at 2133 megahertz and dual channel and of course the NVIDIA MX 150 graphics so it's capable of playing less demanding games like overwatch csgo fortnight order - without many issues while more graphically intensive games are just not possible unless we use external graphics anyway let's get into the benchmarks and see how these games run fortnight was tested using the same replay and at 1080p we can see that the MX 150 graphics in the blade are giving us acceptable results at low settings and medium ran well enough to shown by the orange and red bars if we run the 20 atti through the laptops own display shown in the green bars we get a massive performance boost and then even further gains when connecting to an external display plugged into the 28 ET I shown in blue this is because when using the laptops own display there's more overhead involved the thunderbolt bandwidth needs to be used to send the display signal back to the laptop whereas this is not required with an external display for this reason I've only tested with the external display for the rest of the games for Best Performance at 40 40p fortnight was still seeing very good performance it still ran quite well even an epic settings with this high resolution on our external monitor with the 2080 ti even 4k was playable at most setting levels something that the MX 150 has no chance of doing csgo was tested with the illogical benchmark and again we've got the built-in MX 150 graphics in orange and red and the 2080 ti with the external screen for best performance shown in the blue bars there's a massive difference at 1080p even the one percent lower from the 20 80 TI is above the average frame rates of the MX 150 stepping up to 1440p the 20 ATT is still provided very high frame rates for this test and was easily playable and then similar at 4k still very high frame rates in this test with over 300 fps still possible at low settings hurtful watch was tested in the practice range so that I can perform the same test run and once again the external 20/80 TI is giving us massive performance improvements note the low 1% low performance of epic settings learn with these settings that was noticeable stuttering while playing I'm not exactly sure what the issue was the CPU is a 100 percent utilization even at the lower settings - at 1440p this issue was seen between epic and high settings as identified by the poor 1% low results the average frame rates are still high but again this did cause noticeable stuttering while playing when testing with 4k the same thing was same still nice average frame rates but Paul 1% lows make the highest settings basically unplayable illustrating that adding external graphics will not be a silver bullet for all games as other components will start to limit us depending on the laptop you use dota 2 was only tested at 1080p and is an example of a test that's more CPU bound even with the 20 ATT I installed I was often seeing 100% CPU utilization indicating a CPU bottleneck this explains why we're seeing much less of a performance difference in this test between the built-in MX 150 and external 28 e TI graphics although the gap does widen as we use higher settings which are more graphically intensive seeing the CPU pegged a 100 utilization was pretty common and it was running with a 15 watt TDP most of the time and expected based on the high-end graphics that I'm using but even so we are able to get a massive performance improvement by attaching the 2080 TR to the razor blade stealth over Thunderbolt 3 is this solution practical no not really considering a typical external GPU enclosure it goes for around 200 to 300 u.s. dollars while the 2080 Ti is around 1,300 US dollars and that combined cost is about as much as the entire laptop that I'm testing with without even including an external display you can find updated pricing in the description if you've got money to burn and want a super portable laptop to connect up to your high powered graphics at home then it may make sense but realistically I only see that working if you just want to use the same machine and have access to the same windows installation because you could definitely also just have a pretty capable gaming PC at home for that money to making this a pretty niche solution either way it was still fun to test out what we can get out of a thin and light razor blade stealth and top-end 20 80 TI graphics do you think we'll ever see the 20 80 TI inside a laptop or will an external GPU enclosure be the you and the option personally I doubt it given we never had the 1080 T on a laptop but I did just get a 9900 K laptop so hey maybe anything's possible as always let me know your thoughts down in the comments and if you're new here don't forget to subscribe for future tech videos like this one\n"