Thunderbolt 5: Peladn Link S-3 eGPU performance compared with OCuLink and native desktop system
Thunderbolt 5-based eGPUs are now becoming generally available after debuting at the start of the year by way of the latest Asus ROG XG Mobile. While Asus' GeForce RTX 50 laptop series options are difficult to come across, solutions that call for desktop graphics cards like the Razer Core X V2 are freely orderable (curr. $349.99 on Amazon).
To that end, ETA Prime recently showcased the performance levels to expect from a GeForce RTX 5090 when paired with Razer's latest eGPU. In summary, Nvidia's most powerful consumer GPU can still hit around 90 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K Ultra settings with DLSS disabled, even when connected over Thunderbolt 5.
Theoretically, Thunderbolt 5 should match or even exceed the peak bandwidth that OCuLink provides. However, YouTuber Try Some Tech has demonstrated that this is barely ever the case. Using the Peladn Link S-3 and a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, Try Some Tech confirms that Thunderbolt 5 falls far short of the bandwidth offered by OCuLink, shown at around 3:29 minutes into the video embedded below.
As a result, the Peladn Link S-3 restricts the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti to delivering noticeably fewer frames per second than when the same GPU is connected to a device via OCuLink or used in a desktop system. Not only that, but 1% FPS lows are more exaggerated over Thunderbolt 5, arguably leading to a less fluid gameplay experience, too.
Overall, while Thunderbolt 5 closes the gap to OCuLink, it has a way to go before matching the bandwidth the latter delivers. With that being said, OCuLink remains an imperfect eGPU solution as well, with performance drops from a desktop system, cable incompatibilities and the lack of hotswapping, among other issues. Please see Try Some Tech's video below for more details.
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