Are premium eGPU setups finally practical for AI experimentation?

[Brett42]

External GPU setups always sound great in theory: keep a portable laptop, then plug into serious graphics power at a desk. For AI experimentation, that could be useful if the connection bandwidth, drivers and cooling behave. The problem is that eGPU setups can become expensive and awkward compared with just building a desktop. Practicality depends on whether someone truly needs portability or just likes the idea of a clever setup

[Shannon91]

eGPUs are neat, but they often cost too much for the performance you actually get

[Wendy5]

For people with one laptop and limited space, I get the appeal

[Kev94]

Driver problems are what scare me. I want to work, not troubleshoot docks all evening

[Seb51]

A small desktop still feels cleaner if AI workloads are the main goal