is an eGPU worth it for local AI? For laptops, it's better than the gaming reviews suggest

eGPUs get a bad rap from gaming benchmarks — but local AI is a totally different workload, and an external GPU can hit ~92% of native speed. Here's… Aliteq Ravi Malhotra · Hardware Editor

eGPUs are great for local AI — ~92% of native inference speed on Thunderbolt 5.

Why: weights load into VRAM once, then run from the card — the cable is barely used.

Gaming ≠ AI — gaming loses 25-40% over the cable; inference barely notices it.

Gives a laptop desktop VRAM — run 14-32B models a laptop iGPU never could.

Connection: Thunderbolt 4/5 (mainstream) or OCuLink (direct PCIe, the perf-per-dollar favorite).

Best for: laptop owners who want serious local AI without building a desktop.

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