AORUS RTX 5090 AI BOX: Thunderbolt 5 eGPU is 27% slower than desktop 5090 in gaming for $2999

GIGABYTE's new AORUS RTX 5090 AI BOX has been benchmarked: new Thunderbolt 5 eGPU solution is 27% slower than desktop RTX 5090 in gaming, costs $2999.

AORUS RTX 5090 AI BOX: Thunderbolt 5 eGPU is 27% slower than desktop 5090 in gaming for $2999
Comment IconFacebook IconX IconReddit Icon
Gaming Editor
Published
2-minute read time
TL;DR: GIGABYTE's AORUS RTX 5090 AI BOX is a Thunderbolt 5 external GPU offering significant laptop gaming boosts, averaging 40% better performance than RTX 5090 laptop GPUs. Despite its $2999 price, it runs up to 27% slower than desktop RTX 5090s but excels with DLSS 4, advanced cooling, and versatile connectivity.

GIGABYTE's new AORUS RTX 5090 AI BOX is now out in the wild, and has been tested by Notebookcheck with some rather interesting results: it's up to 27% slower than a desktop RTX 5090. Let's dive into it.

AORUS RTX 5090 AI BOX: Thunderbolt 5 eGPU is 27% slower than desktop 5090 in gaming for $2999 36
6

Firstly, the new AORUS RTX 5090 AI BOX is a new external GPU solution running over the new Thunderbolt 5 standard, and while in theory the new TB5 standard is one of the fastest, this solution ends up with the same bandwidth as OCulink. Thunderbolt 5 does have some things going for it over OCulink, where it can transmit power (to charge your laptop and other devices over the TB5 port), and it can be daisy-chained and used for external monitors.

The new AORUS RTX 5090 AI BOX is available right now and costs $2999, matching the price of the AORUS RTX 5090 Master White Edition graphics card (at Newegg) so you're effectively getting a cool Thunderbolt 5 external enclosure for free. On the same day that GIGABYTE launched its new AORUS RTX 5090 AI BOX, Notebookcheck published their review and it has some fantastic performance information and testing to geek out over.

In terms of gaming performance, Notebookcheck writes: "Games benefit from the eGPU to varying degrees depending on the title, which is likely related to the available PCIe bandwidth. However, in most tests, the combination of a notebook and the AORUS RTX 5090 AI Box provides a significant performance boost".

AORUS RTX 5090 AI BOX: Thunderbolt 5 eGPU is 27% slower than desktop 5090 in gaming for $2999 37
6

"Compared to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 laptop GPU, an average increase of around 40 percent can be seen at 2160p. With DLSS and MFG enabled, the performance advantage increases even further. Comparing the results with a conventional desktop PC, it becomes clear that the AORUS RTX 5090 AI Box falls far short of expectations. In fact, the eGPU solution competes with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090".

AORUS RTX 5090 AI BOX features:

  • Powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture and DLSS 4
  • The GeForce RTX 5090 empowers laptops with robust computing power, capable of handling gaming, creation and AI.
  • Thunderbolt 5 & USB4 plug and play
  • Supports Thunderbolt 5 daisy chain
  • WATERFORCE all-in-one cooling system
  • Supports Thunderbolt 5*1 and USB 3.2 Gen 2 *3 for peripherals
  • Supports Ethernet port
  • Supports Power Delivery (PD 3.0) for Quick Charge
  • RGB lighting