Blackmagic Design

After several delays, the Blackmagic eGPU Pro is now available for purchase at Apple’s online and retail store locations. The Pro version of Blackmagic’s external graphics chassis is an upgraded version of 2018’s initial release.

The original Blackmagic eGPU was a limited device for several key reasons: it was expensive at $699; it couldn’t be upgraded; and with Radeon Pro 580 graphics, it lacked the punch of higher powered cards. Some of those problems carry over with the release of the new Blackmagic eGPU Pro, but it’s unquestionably a better device than its predecessor. Watch our hands-on video review for the full lowdown.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The long-anticipated Blackmagic eGPU Pro, which became available to order last month, should finally be arriving soon to customers. Those placing orders for the RX Vega 56-powered external graphics chassis should receive the Blackmagic eGPU Pro this week.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Blackmagic’s latest external eGPU release, the upgraded Blackmagic eGPU Pro, is now available via Apple’s online store for $1199 with orders shipping to customers next month.

The release, which was delayed from its original late-November scheduled launch, is the follow-up to the original Blackmagic eGPU (review). The upgraded ‘Pro’ version features additional I/O and a much more capable RX Vega 56 graphics card inside. 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Even though Final Cut Pro X curiously doesn’t support external GPUs yet, DaVinci Resolve is another popular NLE that already works with eGPUs on macOS. In fact, the $299 Studio edition supports multiple GPUs, which can have a noticeable effect on both timeline and render/export performance.

I’ve been super impressed with the relentlessness that Blackmagic Design, the creators behind DaVinci Resolve, has displayed while iterating on its hardware and software products. For example, DaVinci Resolve has progressed from what was primarily viewed as a colorist’s tool that you’d use and round trip back to your primary NLE, to a competent standalone NLE. The upcoming version 15, now in beta, even sports a motion graphics platform called Fusion that’s baked right in.

As I recently traversed the show floor in Las Vegas at NAB 2018, there was a noticeable buzz about DaVinci Resolve — several popular vendors specifically named-dropped Resolve in reference to its eGPU support, and noted the impressive performance gains made possible by this feature.

In this hands-on video walkthrough, I showcase using DaVinci Resolve with multiple eGPUs. As you’ll see, an eGPU can turn a MacBook Pro — a machine that may struggle editing in DaVinci Resolve on its own — into a capable editing machine.
Expand
Expanding
Close