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Godot on laptop using external GPU? Good idea? Bad idea? (reddthat.com)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/gamedev

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So I'm looking for advice on external GPUs. I want to try out Godot, but I don't have a GPU. I don't think I've ever had a GPU in fact. I'm a software developer actually, python mostly, but I've never done GPU stuff in my work, and my PC gaming days were mostly prior to the existence of GPUs. So I'm way out of touch with them.

I do have a reasonable laptop that I've been using for dev stuff, a Dell XPS 9370 (build number from Dell is CNX37014), but it has no GPU, so I guess it won't be great for trying out 3D stuff in Godot. It does have thunderbolt ports though, so I think I can plug an external GPU into those? Anyone tried that kind of thing out? I'd rather fork out for an external GPU if that will work decently rather than try to build a whole new PC or something. I actually have no idea if there is a performance hit for the GPU being external, just heard they were a thing and trying to figure out if they are a viable option.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I assume you know that even if you have not been using a dedicated GPU, you still have been using GPUs all this time, albeit probably integrated ones. On that note, I have successfully used Godot with an integrated Intel HD 630, but would not recommend this for 3D stuff.

While I don't know your specific model, Godot generally works with external GPUs on Laptops.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

While I don't know your specific model, Godot generally works with external GPUs on Laptops.

Ok good to know! Yeah there is no specific model in my mind yet, I am so far out of touch with them that none of the model numbers mean anything to me and I don't even know what performance metrics or characteristics to look for in the things.