[X-Post from r/BuildAPC] 4k Gaming Rig vs. eGPU + 13" MBP
[Original post from r/buildapc](https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/debcdr/build_decisions_for_a_4k_gaming_3d_modeling_web/)
Thought I'd post this here to see if any of you guys have advice on the eGPU end of the spectrum. Key point here is whether it's a total waste of money to do a Radeon VII through a 2016 13" dual core i7 MacBook Pro for 4k gaming (I already have the monitor for design work, I don't have the desk space for a 1440p high refresh monitor, and that'd be additional cost).
If you think it's worth it, do y'all have any better recs for my eGPU setup? AKiTiO Node v. Razer Core X, Radeon VII vs Vega 64 vs 2080 Super (+ scripts/driver headache), etc.
Original:
I'm a software engineer and UX designer currently running a 13" dual core 2016 MacBook Pro (mainly for design software like Sketch and InVision, Xcode, and Logic Pro X) through a 27" 4k 60Hz Dell U2718Q. The display is perfect for doing design work (high resolution, great color accuracy, low price), though my dual core i7 with integrated graphics is starting to kill my ability to run this 4k display with just Logic or Sketch open, let alone with anything else on top of it.
I plan to upgrade my machine to a 15" quad or 6 core MacBook pro once the non-butterfly keyboards are released in the next 1-2 years, but I'm starting to wonder if I should be considering alternative solutions in the meantime, especially since I want to start gaming again... on my same 4k monitor.
I've figured my best options were:
- Run bootcamp Windows with a Razer Core X eGPU and a Radeon VII or Vega 64
- Build a separate Linux machine with a Ryzen 5 3600, RTX 2080 Super for doing 4k gaming, web development and 3D modeling (dual boot into Windows for some games, Solidworks)
Option 1 is cheaper up front but has the following issues: the Radeon VII is overpriced versus the 2080 Super and the eGPU kills the performance of the card, getting even less bang for my buck. As a hobbyist iOS developer, lack of day 1 Nvidia driver support means running an RTX card in here would be a bitch and a half.
Option 2 is more expensive up front, is less elegant a solution (now I have 2 PCs and Logic/Sketch do not run on Linux), but affords me more of the graphics power I need to drive my 4k display. I can also later use it as a HTPC/NAS type machine, so it's flexible.
The games I plan on playing: Civ VI, Modded Minecraft, Battlefield 4, Metro Last light redux, WarThunder, World of Tanks, Ghost Recon, maybe Far Cry 5. Ideally those older titles at max settings 60fps, newer titles at 60pfs max settings minus some effects. I don't care about ray tracing. For the eGPU setup I'd take a small performance hit for the simplicity of the setup but from reading around the internet it seems like even with a Radeon VII I'd struggle to get any game running smoothly with my measly little laptop off a TB3 cable.
My budget: $1300 USD
An idea of what I'd be building:
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor | $194.79 @ OutletPC |
| Motherboard | MSI B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard | $114.85 @ OutletPC |
| Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory | $74.99 @ Newegg |
| Storage | Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | $169.89 @ OutletPC |
| Video Card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB Video Card | $699.99 @ Best Buy |
| Case | Corsair SPEC-05 ATX Mid Tower Case | $49.99 @ Newegg |
| Power Supply | Corsair VS 650 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply | $43.99 @ Newegg |
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts | ||
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1403.49 | |
| Mail-in rebates | -$55.00 | |
| Total | $1348.49 | |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-10-06 19:40 EDT-0400 |
My questions:
- Is my Option 1 eGPU setup even worth considering?
- What tweaks would you make to my Option 2 build to maximize 4k gaming performance per dollar without completely crippling 3D modeling performance?
- What am I overlooking here in my decision making process?
Posted Oct 7, 2019, 12:20 AM UTC
It will depend on how much you want to game. If you really want to game and squeeze every single juice of your PC components (you know, 4K is very demanding), you should build a PC. But if you’re fine with all of the drawbacks of using eGPU (including performance hit) and considering to have some: (1) degree of portability (2) plan to upgrade GPU in foreseeable future without upgrading the CPU (you’re stuck with you laptop CPU), eGPU might be for you. As for myself, I will consider to build myself a PC.