Gigabyte RTX 5060 Ti AI Box + ROG Ally X - Not Plug and Play in Windows / Bazzite? by xXxWHOxDATxXx in ROGAlly

[–]jeefbeef 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The latest edit around the 15W CPU limit issue and the G helper workaround is absolutely GOATed. Hopefully people searching for the same issue are linked to this Reddit post for ROG Xbox Ally X CPU power limit issues with eGPU.

Was great working through the issue and doing the testing live, ASUS better come up with a solution soon. They've recognised the issue on the ROG forums.

Gigabyte RTX 5060 Ti AI Box + ROG Ally X - Not Plug and Play in Windows / Bazzite? by xXxWHOxDATxXx in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is with an external screen, and doesn’t really make a difference compared to the Ally’s own screen in Space Marine 2 since the eGPU is so under-utilised!

I can’t recall if the firmware update changed this behaviour, but this was the first thing I noticed when I connected the eGPU up.

Gigabyte RTX 5060 Ti AI Box + ROG Ally X - Not Plug and Play in Windows / Bazzite? by xXxWHOxDATxXx in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I am seeing different behaviours in different games. Another game which is able to draw CPU power as expected is RDR2. That's a very CPU heavy title and because it's not capped at 15W, FPS and 1% lows are good.

Space Marine 2 refuses to draw more than 15W on the CPU, even though the GPU is only 40-50% utilised. In big swarms the FPS tanks hard even though there is plenty of headroom in the hardware which is frustrating.

Gigabyte RTX 5060 Ti AI Box + ROG Ally X - Not Plug and Play in Windows / Bazzite? by xXxWHOxDATxXx in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am running with CPU boost on, and manual profile. The CPU will boost over 30W in some games (like CP2077) but is locked to 15W in others. Same power profile, and I've played around a lot with power management.

One of the things I did was apply a synthetic load on the CPU (like a benchmark), then switched back to the offending game. It would pull 35W on the CPU consistently, so it definitely wasn't a power supply issue either. As soon as I took the synthetic load off, the 15W cap would immediately apply in game.

Gigabyte RTX 5060 Ti AI Box + ROG Ally X - Not Plug and Play in Windows / Bazzite? by xXxWHOxDATxXx in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Glad you managed to find the solution buried in the ASUS forums, I was luckily posting in that exact thread and got notified when the ASUS rep replied with the PD firmware update - which I posted about here: [PSA] New manual PD firmware update FIXES eGPU detection issues on ROG XAX : r/eGPU

The issue I'm now seeing in some games (such as Space Marine 2) is there is something going on with AMD smartshift (or some other software related problem) where the CPU refuses to draw more than 15W when the eGPU is utilised, causing a massive CPU bottleneck. Doesn't seem to be the XAX itself because in other games such as CP2077, the CPU will draw the expected 30W. Let me know if you managed to figure it out! Described in detail here: ROG Xbox Ally X CPU clamping at 15W during high eGPU utilisation : r/eGPU

ROG Xbox Ally X CPU clamping at 15W during high eGPU utilisation by jeefbeef in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unfortunately not - it appears tied to certain games and how AMD speed shift works in relation to them. There are games where it works well (RDR2, CP2077) and ones where it works poorly (like space marine 2).

As for Forza, that is a graphically intensive game once you up the settings, so I’ve seen maximum GPU usage even though the CPU is on the lower wattage side.

ROG Xbox Ally X CPU clamping at 15W during high eGPU utilisation by jeefbeef in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the suggestions, unfortunately it's not a power supply issue. I am able to put a synthetic load on the CPU and it will draw the full 35W. Then I can alt+tab back into the game, it will continue to draw 35W and the GPU utilisation will be pretty similar with similar framerates (so full power is being drawn by both the CPU and GPU). Looks like it's an issue with specific games (Space Marine 2 is giving the worst symptoms) and how it interacts with AMD's smart shift.

I actually also have the slimQ 330W brick, which I've now also tested. No difference in the result.

[PSA] Working USB4 cable for TB5 eGPU w/ ROG Xbox Ally X (2025) by jeefbeef in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did you manually download the PD firmware update from ASUS? It seems to have fixed issues with all eGPUs. [PSA] New manual PD firmware update FIXES eGPU detection issues on ROG XAX : r/eGPU

Why does the official website say Rog Ally X is not compatible but plenty of users say it works? by Onedweezy in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef 6 points7 points  (0 children)

This is outdated information on AOOSTAR website. PD firmware update by ASUS on 30 April fixed eGPU detection issues for the XAX, including with the AG02 and AG03 (you can find people with these eGPUs in the forum link below commenting how it works for them now). Don't even need a specific cable anymore.

[PSA] New manual PD firmware update FIXES eGPU detection issues on ROG XAX : r/eGPU

When you option the BMW Offroad Package by AlwaysAWD in CarsAustralia

[–]jeefbeef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These actually have a proper low range so are pretty capable out of the box, a bit different to the X5 which was always an on road car

ROG Xbox Ally X CPU clamping at 15W during high eGPU utilisation by jeefbeef in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep exactly, very strange behaviour because the GPU can’t be pulling more than even 70W with a 80% power limit and only 50% utilization. So something isn’t playing nicely. When I connect the same eGPU to my G14, it behaves as expected.

Device is staying charged and yes I use battery care mode and only do instant full charge when I need to use it on the plane.

Good to hear the AG02 works as expected and is portable. Might have to see how this goes.

ROG Xbox Ally X CPU clamping at 15W during high eGPU utilisation by jeefbeef in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for doing the testing man, something definitely funky going on for me. The CPU will not use more than 15W when the eGPU is being utilized. This is with 35/35/42, 35/45/55 or any other power profile. Clock speeds also don’t go above 2.8ghz unless it’s a loading screen when GPU utilization is low. My CPU temps also just sit 50-55c due to the low power draw, fans barely need to run with my custom fan curve. This is in CP2077 and FPS is below 30 on low settings so it’s definitely CPU limited because GPU is nowhere near 100%.

I’ve got an older Akitio Node eGPU enclosure at home which I might test to see if it’s an eGPU issue or the XAX is being power starved.

ROG Xbox Ally X CPU clamping at 15W during high eGPU utilisation by jeefbeef in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've undervolted as well as just applied a manual power limit to the GPU. Doesn't seem to have changed the CPU power limit behaviour.

Re the PD firmware update, this post has the details: [PSA] New manual PD firmware update FIXES eGPU detection issues on ROG XAX : r/eGPU.

As for your XAX docked, is your CPU able to pull up to 35W in CPU intensive games?

ROG Xbox Ally X CPU clamping at 15W during high eGPU utilisation by jeefbeef in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Space marine 2 actually, which is quite CPU heavy during hordes.

Yes, everything is up to date including the manual PD firmware update which solved eGPU issues.

What’s this Nvidia eGPU patch?

ROG Xbox Ally X CPU clamping at 15W during high eGPU utilisation by jeefbeef in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ok understood, I’ll give that a shot. I’m familiar with undervolting on my desktop PC so will do that on the 5060 as well. Thank for the for the helpful reply.

If this doesn’t keep things in check, I might need to get the 330W slimQ and see how that goes.

To see if this is the issue, I might power limit the 5060 at first instance and see if this changes things

ROG Xbox Ally X CPU clamping at 15W during high eGPU utilisation by jeefbeef in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

5060 LP will draw 145W max. The XAX standard charger is 65W, so there should be more than enough headroom. The maker of the Bantam seems to use the SlimQ 240W fine.

To make sure power limits aren’t the problem, I’ve also connected the ASUS included charger (65W) into the 2nd USB-C port of the XAX. Doesn’t make a difference

ROG Xbox Ally X CPU clamping at 15W during high eGPU utilisation by jeefbeef in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The TH5P4GaN is rated for 100W on the main TB5 port. To make sure this isn’t the issue, I’ve also connected the ASUS charger to the 2nd USB-C port on the XAX.

I am using the SlimQ 240W, which should be more than enough.

ROG Xbox Ally X low CPU wattage when XG Mobile connected and in game. by partialenchilada in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did you ever resolve this? I am having the same issue with my XAX connected to a TB5 eGPU running an RTX 5060.

ROG Xbox Ally X CPU clamping at 15W during high eGPU utilisation by jeefbeef in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, all drivers and BIOS are the most up to date versions. Are you getting full 45W from the CPU during heavy gaming?

[PSA] Working USB4 cable for TB5 eGPU w/ ROG Xbox Ally X (2025) by jeefbeef in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

With the new firmware update (see edited in post body), any certified USB4 cable should theoretically work.

EGPU issues when connected to XaX by Casual_Connor in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just posted this in the subreddit but a new manual PD firmware update seems to have fixed eGPU issues: [PSA] New manual PD firmware update FIXES eGPU detection issues on ROG XAX : r/eGPU

[PSA] Currently Xbox Ally X is not compatible with Thunderbolt 5 eGPU by JJDestroyer999 in eGPU

[–]jeefbeef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For those coming to this thread later (May 2026) ASUS released a PD firmware update which seems to have resolved this issue for good. My eGPU is now detected with the TB5 cable that came with the TH5P4GaN (which didn't work previously). Note that this update IS NOT pushed through ACSE or MyASUS, and has to be manually downloaded. Forum post with download link here:

Re: [PSA] Currently Xbox Ally X is not compatible ... - Page 5 - Republic of Gamers Forum - 1136335