OCuLink Beats Thunderbolt 5 in New Test for eGPU Speed
In the direct comparison of eGPU interfaces, the recent test from the YouTube channel "Try Some Tech" demonstrated that OCuLink maintains a considerable edge over the latest Thunderbolt 5 standard in terms of performance.
Direct Performance Comparison
A GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card was used in an eGPU configuration and connected through OCuLink, Thunderbolt 5, and directly to the PCIe slot on the motherboard for a baseline. This established a clear hierarchy in data transfer speeds and gaming frame rates.
- Bandwidth: OCuLink performed at 6.6GB/s, whereas Thunderbolt 5 was restricted to 5.6–5.8GB/s.
- Gaming Performance: The 16.3% increase in gaming performance with the OCuLink on titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, God of War, and Red Dead Redemption 2 was clearly owing to the bandwidth difference.
When measured against a direct PCIe connection, the performance gap was of even more consequence, with OCuLink lagging only 7–8% while Thunderbolt 5 was almost one-fourth of its value with 19–25%, almost hovering to 36% in extreme cases, primarily benefitting OCuLink because of lower latencies in its transfer back from the GPU to the system.
Functionality Versus Raw Speed
Third, it means that OCuLink is just for raw performance being an outright winner. It will never be user-friendly. Thunderbolt 5, on the other hand, is considerably more versatile and conducive for the end user.
OCuLink Drawbacks:
- Does not support hot-plugging.
- Power cannot be transferred for the connected device.
- Does not carry any video signal.
Thunderbolt 5 Advantages:
- Fully supports plug-and-play.
- Can deliver power for charging laptops or other devices.
- Transmits a video signal to external monitors through a single cable.
Ultimately, decision-making between the two interfaces will come down to user priority. For the maximum gaming performance with an eGPU setup and to overcome the limitations, the preferred option is OCuLink. Thunderbolt 5, on the other hand, is for customers who look for convenience, one-cable solution, and a wider range of functions.
