With the growing popularity of ultra-thin laptops and the rising demand from gamers for high-quality visual experiences, brands are increasingly challenged with how to balance portability with powerful performance capable of running 3A games
（AAA/Triple-A game ）. For ultra-thin laptops designed to be lightweight and compact, integrating a dedicated GPU is often restricted by physical space and heat dissipation constraints—making it nearly impossible to achieve both form and function.
To address this issue, Thunderbolt and OCuLink technologies emerged.
These high-speed interfaces, when used with external GPU enclosures (eGPUs) and high-end graphics cards (e.g., NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090/4090), allow laptops without a built-in GPU to achieve a dramatic leap in graphical performance. This enables gamers to enjoy the best of both worlds: mobility and high-performance gaming.
Client Background & Challenges
This case involves a manufacturer of external GPU enclosures. The company had recently received market feedback regarding a sporadic black screen issue, occurring whether the user connected an external monitor or used the laptop’s built-in display.
Due to limited in-house test facilities, the manufacturer was unable to reproduce the issue and therefore turned to Allion’s expert consulting team for technical support.
Leveraging Allion’s extensive experience in testing and validation, the client sought actionable insights and optimization suggestions.
Allion’s Solution
Step.1 – Requirement Gathering and Technical Consultation
After understanding the client’s needs, Allion’s consulting team conducted a technical assessment and outlined common potential risks associated with Thunderbolt/OCuLink eGPU products:
- Black screens
- Laptop compatibility issues
- Corrupted GPU drivers
- Suboptimal performance
- OCuLink does not support hot-plugging and requires correct BIOS detection before operation
Step 2 – Test Plan Design and Issue Verification
Since the primary goal of Thunderbolt/OCuLink eGPU enclosures is to enhance laptop performance, Allion’s team designed comprehensive test scenarios based on different usage contexts:
Usage Scenario 1: Laptop connected to eGPU, using external monitor
Usage Scenario 2: Laptop connected to eGPU, using laptop’s internal display
The client adopted Allion’s proposed test strategy, which involved:
- 20 different laptops
- 4 high-end graphics cards
- 4 power supplies of varying wattages
- 20 chained monitors
Through this rigorous test matrix, Allion discovered over 10 potential issues.
Further analysis revealed that firmware incompatibility in the DUT (Device Under Test) was the root cause, leading to two main black screen scenarios:
- Scenario 1: Black screen during screen output configuration while setting up the game environment
- Scenario 2: Black screen triggered during high workload gaming after environment setup
Step 3 – Optimization Recommendations
Upon identifying the root cause, Allion proposed the following optimizations:
- Optimize the DUT’s firmware to improve compatibility across various environments
- Update and fine-tune GPU drivers to ensure full performance delivery
- Optimize the DUT’s power module to provide a more stable power supply
After implementing these recommendations, the client worked with Allion to re-conduct the full test cycle. The results confirmed that all previously identified anomalies were resolved, and both product quality and stability improved significantly.
Time to Market with Quality: Allion Paves the Way for Product Success
With its deep expertise in product testing, Allion not only helps clients solve technical issues and improve product quality, but also enhances the end-user experience. For manufacturers of Thunderbolt/OCuLink eGPU enclosures, this translates to greater market competitiveness and customer satisfaction.
Allion is committed to enabling clients to achieve their Time to Market with Quality goals through professional technical services and reliable test data.
Faster: Accelerate Time to Market
- Allion is equipped with the latest GPUs and comprehensive test equipment, enabling rapid compatibility verification between products and new graphics cards. Through detailed preliminary analysis, we help shorten the product development and validation cycle.
- By simulating various real-world usage scenarios with automation, we efficiently and accurately verify eGPU display performance under different conditions. This accelerates issue identification and correction, improving overall development efficiency.
Easier: Streamlined Validation Process
- With practical test experience, Allion simulates real-world usage scenarios to showcase product performance and provide data-driven optimization recommendations based on various testing environments.
- Our one-stop testing services simplify the entire validation process, allowing clients to focus their resources on product differentiation and feature tuning.
Better: Ensuring Product Quality
With years of display device testing experience and advanced automated tools, Allion focuses on simulating potential user issues across diverse usage scenarios. We help manufacturers optimize the overall quality of their eGPU products. Our validation covers everything from basic performance tests to long-term stability assessments, ensuring a stable and premium user experience prior to product launch.
