An eGPU is primarily designed to allow smaller notebook computers to benefit from the power of a full-sized graphics card via a high speed bandwidth connection.
Apple officially rolled out eGPU support in macOS with the release of macOS 10.13.4. eGPUs require a Thunderbolt 3 connection to work with Macs, meaning only Thunderbolt 3-enabled Macs are eligible.
macOS only supports AMD GPUs, like the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64. Several eGPU chassis/card combinations are officially recommended by Apple, including Sonnet’s eGFX Breakaway Box 650W.
Today we went hands-on with Razer’s new $399 Core X Chroma eGPU enclosure. The Chroma is based closely on the original Razer Core X, but there are several new enhancements, such as RGB lighting, Gigabit Ethernet, and USB ports. Watch our full video walkthrough for the details. Expand Expanding Close
With Apple equipping all its recent Macs with Thunderbolt 3 ports, using an external GPU – or eGPU – is a very convenient way to boost graphics performance. Apple already sells two of them, and it has just added a third: the Radeon RX 560 …
Apple today has made small change to its eGPU support document. The company has updated the page to reflect official support for the Sonnet Radeon RX 560 eGFX Breakaway, the first RX 560 eGPU to be officially supported.
PowerColor, a Taiwanese-based graphics card manufacturer, launched a brand new eGPU at CES 2019: The PowerColor Mini Pro — a pint-sized eGFX chassis powered by an included small-form-factor Radeon RX 570 graphics card.
Aimed specifically at Thunderbolt 3-enabled machines, the PowerColor Mini Pro provides a healthy graphics lift for GPU-starved Macs like the 2018 MacBook Air and Mac mini.
Should the PowerColor Mini Pro be on your radar if you’re looking for a smaller external graphics solution for the Mac? Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for the details. Expand Expanding Close
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.
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
On its own, the 2018 MacBook Air is a downright terrible gaming machine. Connected to my LG UltraWide 5K2K Display, the MacBook Air averages around 1-2 frames per second in Rocket League, and similarly abysmal scores in Unigine Heaven and Valley benchmarks. That’s no fault of the MacBook Air, as it’s a thin and light portable laptop built around maximizing battery life. In other words, it was never intended to be a gaming machine.
But if you own a MacBook Air and are looking for ways to get more out of your laptop, then an eGPU setup within a Windows Boot Camp environment can go a long way towards making that a reality. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for the step-by-step details. Expand Expanding Close
Can you game with the 2018 Mac mini? If you’re willing to install Windows 10 using our Boot Camp tutorial, and you have an eGPU at your disposal, the answer is yes. Watch our video showing you how to transform the 2018 Mac mini into a legit Windows 10 gaming machine. Expand Expanding Close
On the same day as the new Mac mini and MacBook Air were unveiled last month, Blackmagic Design announced a new eGPU Pro destined for release in November. Apple today, however, has updated its webpage for the product to indicate the release has been pushed to December.
In cooperation with the 4th annual FCPX Creative Summit in Cupertino, Apple today showed off its latest updates to Final Cut Pro X, Motion, and Compressor. The new software was demoed on the latest pro hardware from both Apple and third-party vendors.
The Mac mini is back for 2018, regaining its rightful place as the most versatile Mac in Apple’s entire computer lineup. The long-rumored update, which was announced during the midway portion of last week’s iPad Pro event, is exciting for a number of reasons.
For starters, the Mac mini 2018 gets brand-new, highly-capable 8th-generation Intel CPUs. The CPU lineup starts with a rather anemic, but still way faster than the last Mac mini, quad-core 3.6GHz Core i3. The mid-tier CPU option is a 3.0GHz 6-core Core i5 with 4.1GHz turbo boost, while the highest configuration adds a 3.2GHz 6-core Core i7 that turbos up to 4.6GHz.
While the CPU upgrades were much needed, the chip enhancements are arguably not even the most exciting thing about the new Mac mini. That award goes to the four Thunderbolt 3 ports on the machine’s rear. This opens up Apple’s smallest Mac to an ever-growing world of expandability, making it seem as if anything’s possible for what was once Apple’s forgotten Mac.
Watch our hands-on video walkthrough as I explain why the Mac mini 2018 is the most versatile and adaptable Mac ever. Expand Expanding Close
Alongside the brand new Mac mini and MacBook Air, Blackmagic Design has launched a new external graphics chassis with a faster Radeon RX Vega 64 inside. The Blackmagic eGPU Pro provides a significantly faster GPU than its non-‘pro’ predecessor, along with the addition of DisplayPort connectivity. Expand Expanding Close
A couple of days ago Apple published a support document outlining Final Cut Pro X support for external graphics. The document notes a variety of ways that Final Cut Pro X users can gain benefits from an eGPU setup. Expand Expanding Close
Whenever I complain about how companies tend to ship 0.5-meter cables with their Thunderbolt 3-enabled products, I sometimes encounter pushback reminding me that longer cables noticeably hinder performance. But is that really the case? Expand Expanding Close
As we’ve touched on before, if you’re a DaVinci Resolve user, or if you use any other app that can wield multiple GPUs at the same time, such a setup can put up some noteworthy numbers. Watch the latest episode of Back to the Mac for more details. Expand Expanding Close
Now that new quad-core and hexa-core MacBook Pro models are here, I’ve been eager to see how they pair up with an AMD Vega 64-powered eGPU setup. Specifically, I’d like to see how such a setup compares with the recently released Blackmagic eGPU.
The Blackmagic eGPU is an external graphics enclosure sold exclusively (for the time being) at the Apple Store. It’s a notable product for several of reasons. First and foremost, it’s the first time that Apple has sold an external graphics enclosure in its store. This makes sense, considering that macOS was recently upgraded with official eGPU support in version 10.13.4 back in the spring.
Another reason to take note is that the Blackmagic eGPU is the first external graphics chassis to include official support for the LG UltraFine 5K display (hands-on), a monitor that Apple recommends as a replacement for its now discontinued Thunderbolt Display.
But perhaps the most appealing feature of the Blackmagic eGPU is its silence. Blackmagic advertises its ultra quiet status right on the product packaging, and it’s not joking, this enclosure is extremely low noise.
With a launch alongside highly anticipated new MacBook Pro hardware, the Blackmagic eGPU is now available exclusively at Apple Stores. Is this the eGPU that you should consider for your Mac? Watch our hands-on video for the details. Expand Expanding Close
Apple’s launch of refreshed MacBook Pros is the big news for today, and rightfully so. The update checks off many customer wants, such as DDR4 with up to 32GB of RAM on the 15-inch model, and quad-core CPUs on the 13-inch model.
But graphics are still an area that could use assistance, and Apple recognizes this. Earlier this spring it launched a new version of macOS with official eGPU support in tow. Today, The Verge revealed that Apple has worked with Blackmagic Design, known for its DaVinci Resolve NLE, on a brand new all-in-one $699 eGPU. Expand Expanding Close
A recently released script called set-eGPU, from eGPU.io alumnus @mac_editor, gives users more control over GPU rendering. The script overrides plist values assigned to GPUSelectionPolicy, available in macOS 10.13.4 and later, for installed apps dynamically.
In other words, this script uses tools already baked into the latest versions of macOS to give the end user more control over eGPU usage. A primary benefit is that it allows an external GPU to render installed applications and present them on your Mac’s built-in display. With this script you can now force eGPU rendering for many of your installed apps without an external display.
As you might expect, one of the first apps that I tested was Final Cut Pro X, and the results are encouraging. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for the details. Expand Expanding Close
Feral Interactive, the video games publisher specializing in porting popular PC and console games to Mac, has announced that it has begun offering official support for external GPUs …
Earlier this week Razer, best known for its PC Laptops and gaming-related peripherals, introduced a new eGPU solution called the Razer Core X. Razer already produces an eGPU called the Razer Core V2, but the Core X is a budget-friendly eGPU box that’s being marketed at both Mac and PC users.
Compared to the Core V2, the Core X is a more straight-forward solution, eschewing niceties like USB, Ethernet, and RGB lighting in favor of a less expensive, more corporate-looking external Thunderbolt 3 graphics solution.
Is the Razer Core X a good solution for Mac users in search of an eGPU? How does it stack up to the current crop of Mac-compatible external graphics boxes on the market? Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for the details. Expand Expanding Close
Razer has announced the Core X, a new entry-level eGPU enclosure which is compatible with Macs with a Thunderbolt 3/USB-C port.
Give your thin and light laptop the power of a full gaming rig. Whether you’re hunting down enemies in an apocalypse or designing your own 3D world, the Razer Core X delivers desktop-class graphics to your laptop instantly. Compatible with Thunderbolt 3 Windows 10 or Mac laptops …
