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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11In one reported test with the same Radeon RX 9070, a USB4 eGPU setup ran DOOM (2016) at a locked 175 FPS, compared with about 130 FPS over Thunderbolt 3. That is a striking result, but it is not proof that USB4 is inherently faster: the test changed the bridge hardware and connection path as well as the interface, and it did not report repeated runs or frame-time data.
What did the USB4 vs. Thunderbolt 3 eGPU test compare?
MakeUseOf writer Dipan Saha reportedly moved the same non-XT AMD Radeon RX 9070 from an AM4 desktop between two setups. The details below come from a WindowsForum account of Saha’s comparison; the original MakeUseOf article was not available to verify independently.
| Setup | Reported hardware path |
|---|---|
| Thunderbolt 3 | Acasis eGPU enclosure with an Intel JHL7440 (Titan Ridge) controller. The report describes the GPU path as roughly 32Gbps, with remaining bandwidth reserved for enclosure USB features; that split is Saha’s explanation, not an Intel specification. |
| USB4 | Minisforum DEG1, OCuLink cable, M.2-to-OCuLink adapter, and a 40Gbps UGREEN M.2-to-USB-C adapter using the ASMedia ASM2464PD controller. |
The comparison therefore changed more than the connection standard: it used different bridge controllers and a different physical path. The host computer and its USB4 controller were not identified.
The reported test environment was Arch Linux with the Niri compositor, Dank Material Shell, stable Mesa drivers, and vulkan-radeon with hardware acceleration. The games were DOOM (2016) and The Blood of the Dawnwalker. For Dawnwalker, the report says settings were mostly low, with FSR Balanced at 3400×1440.
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What performance did the report find?
DOOM (2016): a large reported average-FPS gap
WindowsForum’s account of the 2026 MakeUseOf comparison puts Thunderbolt 3 at about 130 FPS and USB4 at a locked 175 FPS. That is a substantial difference in the reported run. No repeat-run count, frame-time graph, or 1% low figures are provided, so the result should be read as a single configuration’s outcome, not a general performance estimate.
The Blood of the Dawnwalker: similar frame rates, different reported smoothness
The report describes both connections as mostly in the mid-50s FPS, with USB4 occasionally exceeding 60. Thunderbolt 3 was said to have heavy stutter, while the USB4 setup was described as smoother and more stable, without the same camera-panning frame-rate collapse. The written averages do not show a dramatic FPS advantage for USB4 here, and the account gives no quantitative frame-pacing measurements or run count.
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The report attributes the phrase “playable versus a stuttery, unplayable mess” to Saha. That characterization is his reported experience, not a measured frame-pacing result.
Is USB4 faster than Thunderbolt 3 for an eGPU?
This comparison suggests that a particular USB4 build can outperform a particular Thunderbolt 3 enclosure in some games. It does not establish that USB4 itself caused the difference. The bridge chips, adapter chain, host controller, firmware, drivers, game, and display routing can all affect effective performance; the report does not say whether the display was connected to the eGPU or the computer’s screen.
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The interface speed printed on a port or cable does not tell you how much PCIe traffic reaches a GPU. Intel’s [Thunderbolt 3 JHL7440 specifications](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/94827/intel-jhl7440-thunderbolt-3-controller/specifications.html) identify PCI Express Gen 3 support. ASMedia’s [ASM2464PD specification](https://www.asmedia.com.tw/product/1E2YQ4s5a8Z3Uu5a/1F2YQ4s7b8c9d0e1) lists USB4/Thunderbolt 20Gbps x2 and PCIe Gen4 x4 downstream support. Those specifications show that the tested bridges differ; they do not verify that the DIY chain delivered a literal 40Gbps of usable GPU data.
Intel’s [Thunderbolt technology comparison](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/thunderbolt/thunderbolt-4-vs-usb-c.html) lists minimum PC-port requirements of 40Gbps speed and 32Gbps PCIe data for Thunderbolt 4. Its USB4 minimum PC speed is 20Gbps, and the table does not specify a minimum PCIe data rate. Thunderbolt 4 requirements should not be assumed for every USB4 port, and a USB-C connector alone does not establish eGPU compatibility.
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Why can an eGPU run slower over Thunderbolt?
An eGPU’s usable performance depends on the whole path between the computer and graphics card, not just the headline link rate. A host port may have different PCIe-tunnelling capabilities from another port with the same connector, and enclosure controllers can differ in PCIe generation and implementation. Firmware, drivers, the cable and adapters, and whether the display is driven directly by the eGPU can also matter.
The test report does not provide enough information to identify which of those factors explains its results. In particular, it does not isolate the interface standard from the controller and physical-path changes. A 40Gbps label is a nominal connection speed, not a promise of equal GPU bandwidth or equal game performance across systems.
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Does a 40Gbps USB4 port support an external graphics card?
Not necessarily. USB-C describes the connector shape, while USB4 capabilities and host implementation vary. Before buying, confirm that the exact computer port supports the PCIe tunnelling and connection mode required by the enclosure, and verify the enclosure’s compatibility information for that computer. Do not infer eGPU support from USB-C or a 40Gbps label alone.
Which eGPU enclosure chipset and features should you check?
Check the actual bridge controller rather than relying only on “USB4” or “40Gbps” in a product description. For context, the Intel JHL7440 supports PCI Express Gen 3, while ASMedia lists PCIe Gen4 x4 downstream support for the ASM2464PD. Controller specifications can help distinguish implementations, but they cannot guarantee a particular result on an untested host.
- Host support: Confirm PCIe tunnelling, the required connection mode, and compatibility for the exact computer and port.
- Controller and firmware: Identify the bridge chip and check current enclosure and host compatibility information.
- Power and ports: Decide whether charging passthrough, extra USB ports, or daisy-chaining matter. The reported DIY USB4 setup did not provide charging passthrough.
- Setup complexity: Treat the reported DEG1 and adapter chain as one DIY configuration, not a universal recipe.
- Performance evidence: Prefer comparisons that use the same host, GPU, drivers, game settings, and display connection, with repeated runs, frame-time graphs, and 1% lows.
How to judge USB4 and Thunderbolt eGPU benchmark claims
Ask what changed between the tested configurations. If the host, bridge controller, adapters, or display routing differ, the result describes those complete setups rather than the interface standard in isolation. Average FPS alone can also conceal stutter: look for frame-time data and 1% lows alongside averages, and check whether results were repeated under the same conditions.
In the reported comparison, the clearest numerical gap was in DOOM (2016). In The Blood of the Dawnwalker, the reported averages were similar, with the claimed advantage centered on smoothness and stability. Neither result supports a universal ranking of USB4 over Thunderbolt 3.
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