Key Takeaways
1. USB4 v2 and Thunderbolt 5 are compatible, showing significant performance improvements over Thunderbolt 4.
2. USB4 v2 maintains a bandwidth of around 5.4 GB/s (43 Gbps), while USB4 v1 drops to 3.8 GB/s (30.4 Gbps).
3. Gaming performance with USB4 v2 shows a 25% increase, with Cyberpunk 2077 achieving 74 FPS compared to 59 FPS on USB4 v1.
4. Further tests on other games like Borderlands 4 indicate strong performance, though direct comparisons were not provided.
5. The Thunderbolt 5 eGPU was tested with DOOM: The Dark Ages at 1440p, achieving an average of 72 FPS.
While USB4 v2 was revealed in 2022, products that utilize this new port have only recently begun to become available. One of the first mini PCs to feature this upgraded technology is the Minisforum MS-S1 Max, and the OneXPlayer OneXGPU Lite ranks among the initial accessories that are compatible with it.
Compatibility and Performance
It’s important to highlight that USB4 v2 and Thunderbolt 5 work together, indicating that this test also illustrates the leap in performance from Thunderbolt 4 to Thunderbolt 5. In fact, ETA Prime was the first to verify the TGP of the eGPU, discovering that the Radeon 7600M XT operates at 120 W.
To assess the bandwidth, the YouTuber conducted the PCIe feature test using 3DMark. The results showed that with USB4 v2, the bandwidth stays around 5.4 GB/s, which is roughly 43 Gbps. However, when switching to the USB4 v1 of the OneXGPU Lite, the bandwidth decreases to 3.8 GB/s, equating to about 30.4 Gbps.
Testing and Results
In both cases, the full rated bandwidth was not reached, something that another YouTuber, Try Some Tech, has recently examined. The positive aspect is that the performance upgrade in gaming makes USB4 v2 a significant improvement.
ETA Prime ran Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p without FSR and on Ultra settings. Using the USB4 v1 connection, the eGPU delivered an average of 59 FPS, while with the USB4 v2 port, it achieved an average of approximately 74 FPS. This indicates about a 25% increase in performance during this eGPU test.
The YouTuber also evaluated additional games with the OneXGPU Lite (which is on Amazon), but didn’t provide a direct comparison. Thus, it’s likely that these later tests were conducted with the eGPU linked to a USB4 v2 port. For instance, Borderlands 4 was assessed at 1080p resolution with Medium visuals, achieving an average of around 71 FPS.
Additional Game Tests
Subsequently, ETA Prime tested DOOM: The Dark Ages at a resolution of 1440p, with FSR set to balanced and Medium visual settings. The Thunderbolt 5 eGPU was able to run this game with an average of about 72 FPS. You can check out the video below to see the external GPU in operation.
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