Chipset Brand | AMD |
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Node - Thunderbolt3 eGPU for Windows (Now Compatible w/ Thunderbolt3 Mac Running MacOS High Sierra Using AMD Cards)
Brand | Akitio |
Graphics Processor Manufacturer | AMD |
Compatible Devices | Laptop, Desktop |
Graphics Card Interface | PCI Express |
Model Name | NODE-T3IA-AKTU |
About this item
- Currently only supports AMD on MacOS High Sierra
- Multiple GPU cards supported over Windows
- Thunderbolt 3 for lighting fast transfer speeds up to 40 Gbps
- Built-in 400W SFX power supply to provide extra power to GPU
- 1 PCIe (x16) slot supporting full-length, full-height, double-width cards
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AKiTiO Node (EGPU Enclosure for Mac and PC)
Akitio
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Product Description
AKiTiO Node - Finally an affordable eGPU box
The Thunderbolt 3 eGFX box is a low cost expansion chassis designed to house an external graphics card. Connected to the computer via Thunderbolt 3, the additional GPU power instantly upgrades a regular laptop or a mini PC and makes it possible to do things that would normally require a high-end workstation or gaming computer. For video editors and colorists, the dedicated GPU reduces the time it takes to render the footage, a computer that was not powerful enough for a VR headset is now potentially VR ready and for those that like to play games, these can now run at much higher frame rates than before.
Features- Thunderbolt 3 for lightning fast transfer speeds up to 40 Gbps
- 1 PCIe (x16) slot supporting full-length, full-height, double-width cards
- Spacious enclosure for use with standard and large sized graphics cards
- PCIe x16 slot supplying up to 75W of power
- Built-in 400W SFX power supply to provide extra power to GPU
- 4 lane PCI Express 3.0 compliant interface
- Removable back panel for double-width cards
- Carry handle to easily transport the device
The power of external GPUs
Thunderbolt 3 brings Thunderbolt to USB-C at speeds up to 40 Gbps, creating one compact port that does it all – delivering the fastest, most versatile connection to any dock, display, or data device. In combination with the AKiTiO Node, this makes it possible to instantly upgrade your regular laptop or Mini-PC and achieve a performance that usually requires high-end workstations or specialized gaming computers.
Supports standard and large sized PCIe card
The PCIe (x16) slot accepts full-length, full-height, double-width cards with enough space available inside the enclosure for both standard and large sized graphics cards.
Extra power for graphics cards
The built-in power supply provides enough power for the AKiTiO Node (~10W) as well as for graphics cards. If the standard 75W through the PCIe slot is insufficient, two extra pairs of 8-pin (6+2 pin) power connectors are available inside the AKiTiO Node that can be connected to the GPU, providing a total of about 390W.
40Gbps bandwidth of Thunderbolt 3
The four PCIe Gen3 lanes and the Thunderbolt 3 interface are capable of transfer rates up to 40Gbps, providing enough bandwidth even for the most demanding PCIe cards.
Product information
Technical Details
Brand | Akitio |
---|---|
Series | NODE-T3IA-AKTU |
Item model number | NODE-T3IA-AKTU |
Hardware Platform | PC, laptop |
Item Weight | 14.67 pounds |
Product Dimensions | 22 x 10 x 15 inches |
Item Dimensions LxWxH | 22 x 10 x 15 inches |
Voltage | 12 Volts |
Batteries | A batteries required. |
Manufacturer | Akitio |
ASIN | B06XKKSNTS |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | February 17, 2017 |
Additional Information
Customer Reviews |
4.1 out of 5 stars |
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Best Sellers Rank | #2,361 in Computer Graphics Cards |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the performance, build quality and ease of use of the video card. For example, they mention it works well in games, it's well vented and easy to set up. Some appreciate the value, and appearance of the product. That said, opinions are mixed on fit, noise and quality.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the performance of the video card. They say it works well in games, with a monitor, and without any problems. Some mention that it runs flawlessly with Mac and Windows, and is easy to keep working once they get the hang of it.
"...whenever software updates come through, but it's very easy to keep it working once you get the hang of it...." Read more
"+ It works, and full size graphic card like GTX 1070 G1 Gaming is fit into this external GPU box..." Read more
"...It DOES work well...." Read more
"...Overall, the device does what it says perfectly and I can get 60+fps on R6S and 100+fps on Unigine Heaven Benchmarking with my GTX 1060." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the build quality of the video card. They mention that it is well-vented, has a solid case, and is reliable. Some say that the product is big but has been very reliable. Overall, customers are happy with their purchase and recommend it to others.
"...macbook pro that I can use while I am out and about, and a powerful workstation when I am at home...." Read more
"...It has a very nice solid handle on the back to let you easily carry it...." Read more
"...The all metal construction is very sturdy and secure, but sacrifices portability (the node lite with a 1050ti is a much compact solution)..." Read more
"I liked the design and it's well built. Problem was it came and the fans were not turning on. I had to return this product...." Read more
Customers find the video card easy to use. They mention it's plug-and-play, easy to install, and easy to set up on the Mac side. They also appreciate the Thunderbolt support and the ability to use an external GPU.
"...Use was so simple: verified that I had the latest thunderbolt driver on my laptop; insert the card in the chassis, which is pretty easy to open;..." Read more
"...The installation was easy. I just inserted my GTX 1060, pluged-in the thunderbolt and installed drivers; extremely simple...." Read more
"...But, cannot determine a pattern or cause for it. And, it resolves fairly quickly. So, it's only a minor annoyance - to be expected IMO...." Read more
"...PROS:- Easy to use. Thunderbolt is pretty much plug and play, especially with the eGPU support that will come with macOS High Sierra.-..." Read more
Customers like the value of the video card. They say it's good for the price and has 5 stars for the performance.
"...It is also very competitively price when purchased from amazon...." Read more
"Great for the money, HOWEVER the power supply it comes with isn't nearly enough for power hungry cards...." Read more
"...It works when not secured, but it's not a premium solution. Also, I wasn't able to see any pass through charging." Read more
"...It's cheaper than most other options and works great!" Read more
Customers like the appearance of the video card. They mention that it looks good, is presented well, and has excellent packaging. Some say that the graphic card enclosure is great.
"While the akitio node is presented well and has excellent packaging as well as a standard form factor psu, it falls flat on its face in terms of..." Read more
"Very easy to set up.Looks good. And, does exactly what it says it will...." Read more
"...Just feels like sloppy industrial design." Read more
"I liked the design and it's well built. Problem was it came and the fans were not turning on. I had to return this product...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the fit of the video card. Some mention that it fits the big cards, is fairly sizeable, and well vented. However, others say that the unit is a little big, takes up a large footprint on your desk, and is unable to fit an extra long, double wide card.
"...It also takes up a large footprint on your desk, and unless you pay extra for a special Thunderbolt 3 cable, you will need to keep this within 2..." Read more
"...Big, can hold a full sized GPUCONS:- Fans are somewhat noisy (I will attempt to replace them at some point)..." Read more
"...The box is BIG, its almost like a normal desktop, I would recommend to check and visualize size before you buy" Read more
"Fits the big cards. Was able to fit an extra long, double wide card...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the noise of the video card. Some mention that it makes low noise, while others say that it produces tapping or buzzing sounds.
"...-It is large and noisy. Between the fan and the video card you install, the node is not quiet...." Read more
"...I do agree with other reviews, the Node's fans are very noisy. I may change them in the future. Other than that it is a great product...." Read more
"...Chassis has a small fan to provide cooling, and it very quiet. It has a very nice solid handle on the back to let you easily carry it...." Read more
"...Overall the box feels very cheap. The fans are a lot noisier than your standard PC case fans...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the quality of the video card. Some mention it's a great eGPU box, while others say that it has constant problems shutting down. The power supply dies after 28 days, and the Akitio Node will randomly shut off during gaming or benchmarks.
"...The Akitio Node will randomly shut off during gaming or benchmarks and I'll have to flip the power switch or unplug it in order to get the thing..." Read more
"Best product for gamers on laptop. Flawless quality and auto detects any graphics card to play any game you want. Highly recommend!!" Read more
"...PSU fan is always on.Was hoping for almost near silent enclosure...." Read more
"...When I recently moved up to an EVGA 1080 ti it had constant problems shutting down until I replaced the PSU with a corsair 600 watt SFX unit...." Read more
Reviews with images
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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This is not a perfect setup, and requires a bit of maintenance whenever software updates come through, but it's very easy to keep it working once you get the hang of it. When combined with my macbook display, I am able to run a three monitor setup, which makes working from home very enjoyable. I am also able to play most games at or near the highest settings using the Akition Node and a GTX 1070 (still running 1080p, but the 1440 looks promising). It is also very competitively price when purchased from amazon.
I only have a few criticisms of this box, even though I give it a 5 start rating.
-It is large and noisy. Between the fan and the video card you install, the node is not quiet. It also takes up a large footprint on your desk, and unless you pay extra for a special Thunderbolt 3 cable, you will need to keep this within 2 feet of your computer
-No official support. Even though laptop manufacturers are including TB3 ports knowing that eGPU setups are a major interest for their customers, you will have to do a little digging to get this to work. Luckily, there is a great online community that is pretty quick to provide updates and assistance. Reddit has been a great resource, and also egpu.io . Just know that you will need to install some software and possible mess with the command prompt to get it working. Also, I get mine running with 100% success rate by following this tip: 1. Boot up your Mac without the Akitio plugged in. 2. Plug in the Akitio node and log out. 3. WHen logging back in, the eGpu should activate
-The Akitio Node is very simple and can pretty much only serve one purpose at a time. Other boxes have additional USB ports and other features. It's hard to complain about this because some of the other options are more expensive and/or less reliable, but it would be nice.
I highly recommend this if you want to setup and eGPU. Don't be intimidated by the setup, I'm not super tech-savvy, but I got mine running within 30 minutes and have been able to keep up after various updates from NVIDIA and Apple.
The Node supports up to a full length, full height, dual width card. It has the power supply and connectors to power a GPU, but in my case I did not need that.
Use was so simple: verified that I had the latest thunderbolt driver on my laptop; insert the card in the chassis, which is pretty easy to open; plugged in power to chassis; turned on chassis; plugged in a 40gb certified thunderbolt cable into chassis; plugged cable into laptop; answered "ok" when laptop asked if I was attaching Thunderbolt device and selected "always" to attach that device; installed the device drivers for the card I inserted. Bingo - card showed up and ran exactly as it does when plugged into a PCIe slot in a motherboard.
Make sure you get a certified 40gb thunderbolt cable. There are many cables which are only certified at lower rates, or only to be used for providing charging.
Chassis has a small fan to provide cooling, and it very quiet. It has a very nice solid handle on the back to let you easily carry it.
So this is a great device for those that want to add a PCIe card to their windows (I am running Win 10 pro) laptop which is equipped with a Thunderbolt 3, and want to support any length card. I couldn't be happier with it, as now I don't have to lug my whole development platform with me when going away. And again, great that it supports not just GPU cards.
Note - my Alienware laptop made a point when it detected the chassis to say it does not support eGPU cards. So if buying for that purpose, make sure your laptop actually supports eGPU.
+ the performance of my 2015 Air 13 is good for play Witcher 3 and Quantum Break on Ultra
+ Final Cut and Davinchi resolve works 2-3 times faster
+ built in power supply
- Its hard to set up and understand how it works: If I want to use power of external graphic card I need to power off then power on the box, then start OS load and in the moment when OS starts loading connect the AKITIO box to macbook thunderbolt port. Only this how it works, if you connect all then power on it will hang, if you connect the box after system came up GPU will not be recognised by system.
- The case front cover is very soft, deformation when transporting the box is normal
- The box is BIG, its almost like a normal desktop, I would recommend to check and visualize size before you buy
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2017
+ the performance of my 2015 Air 13 is good for play Witcher 3 and Quantum Break on Ultra
+ Final Cut and Davinchi resolve works 2-3 times faster
+ built in power supply
- Its hard to set up and understand how it works: If I want to use power of external graphic card I need to power off then power on the box, then start OS load and in the moment when OS starts loading connect the AKITIO box to macbook thunderbolt port. Only this how it works, if you connect all then power on it will hang, if you connect the box after system came up GPU will not be recognised by system.
- The case front cover is very soft, deformation when transporting the box is normal
- The box is BIG, its almost like a normal desktop, I would recommend to check and visualize size before you buy
Top reviews from other countries
Le ventilateur se fait entendre, donc la peut être au désireux d'avoir du silence vous devrez passer par la case ''Changement de ventilateur".
Petit bémol mais non problématique c'est l’épaisseur de la carte graphique qui ne doit pas dépasser 2 slots auquel cas le boitier ne ferme plus donc les asus Strix et autres cartes 2.5 Slots et plus il ne faut pas y penser a moins de les watercooler :).