An eGPU can give your Mac additional graphics performance for professional apps, 3D gaming, VR content creation, and more.
- External Graphics Card For Mac Mini
- External Video Card For Mac Mini 2012
- External Gpu For Macbook Pro
- Mac Mini With Egpu
The Mac mini (stylized with a lowercase 'mini') is a desktop computer made by Apple Inc. It is one of four desktop computers in the current Macintosh lineup, serving as an alternative to the all-in-one iMac, and sitting below the performance range iMac Pro and Mac Pro. The Mac mini is Apple's only consumer desktop computer since 1998 to ship without a display, keyboard, or mouse. An easy way to boost your graphics performance, on a Mac, is with an external graphics card (or eGPU). This video will show you how to use an external GPU wi.
eGPUs are supported by any Thunderbolt 3-equipped Mac1 running macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 or later. Learn how to update the software on your Mac.
Rcc building design software free download. An eGPU lets you do all this on your Mac:
- Accelerate apps that use Metal, OpenGL, and OpenCL
- Connect additional external monitors and displays
- Use virtual reality headsets plugged into the eGPU
- Charge your MacBook Pro while using the eGPU
- Use an eGPU with your MacBook Pro while its built-in display is closed
- Connect an eGPU while a user is logged in
- Connect more than one eGPU using the multiple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports on your Mac2
- Use the menu bar item to safely disconnect the eGPU
- View the activity levels of built-in and external GPUs (Open Activity Monitor, then choose Window > GPU History.)
eGPU support in apps
eGPU support in macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 and later is designed to accelerate Metal, OpenGL, and OpenCL apps that benefit from a powerful eGPU. Not all apps support eGPU acceleration; check with the app's developer to learn more.3
In general, an eGPU can accelerate performance in these types of apps:
- Pro apps designed to utilize multiple GPUs
- 3D games, when an external monitor is attached directly to the eGPU
- VR apps, when the VR headset is attached directly to the eGPU
- Pro apps and 3D games that accelerate the built-in display of iMac, iMac Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro (This capability must be enabled by the app's developer.)
You can configure applications to use an eGPU with one of the following methods.
Use the Prefer External GPU option
Starting with macOS Mojave 10.14, you can turn on Prefer External GPU in a specific app's Get Info panel in the Finder. This option lets the eGPU accelerate apps on any display connected to the Mac—including displays built in to iMac, iMac Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro:
- Quit the app if it's open.
- Select the app in the Finder. Most apps are in your Applications folder. If you open the app from an alias or launcher, Control-click the app's icon and choose Show Original from the pop-up menu. Then select the original app.
- Press Command-I to show the app's info window.
- Select the checkbox next to Prefer External GPU.
- Open the app to use it with the eGPU.
You won't see this option if an eGPU isn't connected, if your Mac isn't running macOS Mojave or later, or if the app self-manages its GPU selection. Some apps, such as Final Cut Pro, directly choose which graphics processors are used and will ignore the Prefer External GPU checkbox.
Set an external eGPU-connected display as the primary display
If you have an external display connected to your eGPU, you can choose it as the primary display for all apps. Since apps default to the GPU associated with the primary display, this option works with a variety of apps:
- Quit any open apps that you want the eGPU to accelerate on the primary display.
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences. Select Displays, then select the Arrangement tab.
- Drag the white menu bar to the box that represents the display that's attached to the eGPU.
- Open the apps that you want to use with the eGPU.
If you disconnect the eGPU, your Mac defaults back to the internal graphics processors that drives the built-in display. When the eGPU is re-attached, it automatically sets the external display as the primary display.
About macOS GPU drivers
Mac hardware and GPU software drivers have always been deeply integrated into the system. This design fuels the visually rich and graphical macOS experience as well as many deeper platform compute and graphics features. These include accelerating the user interface, providing support for advanced display features, rendering 3D graphics for pro software and games, processing photos and videos, driving powerful GPU compute features, and accelerating machine learning tasks. This deep integration also enables optimal battery life while providing for greater system performance and stability.
Apple develops, integrates, and supports macOS GPU drivers to ensure there are consistent GPU capabilities across all Mac products, including rich APIs like Metal, Core Animation, Core Image, and Core ML. In order to deliver the best possible customer experience, GPU drivers need to be engineered, integrated, tested, and delivered with each version of macOS. Aftermarket GPU drivers delivered by third parties are not compatible with macOS.
The GPU drivers delivered with macOS are also designed to enable a high quality, high performance experience when using an eGPU, as described in the list of recommended eGPU chassis and graphics card configurations below. Because of this deep system integration, only graphics cards that use the same GPU architecture as those built into Mac products are supported in macOS.
Supported eGPU configurations
It's important to use an eGPU with a recommended graphics card and Thunderbolt 3 chassis. If you use an eGPU to also charge your MacBook Pro, the eGPU's chassis needs to provide enough power to run the graphics card and charge the computer. Check with the manufacturer of the chassis to find out if it provides enough power for your MacBook Pro.
Recommended graphics cards, along with chassis that can power them sufficiently, are listed below.
Thunderbolt 3 all-in-one eGPU products
These products contain a powerful built-in GPU and supply sufficient power to charge your MacBook Pro.
Recommended Thunderbolt 3 all-in-one eGPUs:
- Blackmagic eGPU and Blackmagic eGPU Pro4
- Gigabyte RX 580 Gaming Box4
- Sonnet Radeon RX 570 eGFX Breakaway Puck
- Sonnet Radeon RX 560 eGFX Breakaway Puck5
AMD Radeon RX 470, RX 480, RX 570, RX 580, and Radeon Pro WX 7100
These graphics cards are based on the AMD Polaris architecture. Recommended graphics cards include the Sapphire Pulse series and the AMD WX series.
Recommended Thunderbolt 3 chassis for these graphics cards:
- OWC Mercury Helios FX4
- PowerColor Devil Box
- Sapphire Gear Box
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 350W
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 550W4
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650W4
- Razer Core X4
- PowerColor Game Station4
- HP Omen4
- Akitio Node6
AMD Radeon RX Vega 56
These graphics cards are based on the AMD Vega 56 architecture. Recommended graphics cards include the Sapphire Vega 56.
Recommended Thunderbolt 3 chassis for these graphics cards:
- OWC Mercury Helios FX4
- PowerColor Devil Box
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 550W4
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650W4
- Razer Core X4
- PowerColor Game Station4
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, Vega Frontier Edition Air, and Radeon Pro WX 9100
These graphics cards are based on the AMD Vega 64 architecture. Recommended graphics cards include the Sapphire Vega 64, AMD Frontier Edition air-cooled, and AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100.
Recommended Thunderbolt 3 chassis for these graphics cards:
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650W4
- Razer Core X4
AMD Radeon RX 5700, 5700 XT, and 5700 XT 50th Anniversary
If you've installed macOS Catalina 10.15.1 or later, you can use these graphics cards that are based on the AMD Navi RDNA architecture. Recommended graphics cards include the AMD Radeon RX 5700, AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary.
Recommended Thunderbolt 3 chassis for these graphics cards:
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650W4
- Razer Core X4
Learn more
- Learn how to choose your GPU in Final Cut Pro X 10.4.7 or later.
- To ensure the best eGPU performance, use the Thunderbolt 3 cable that came with your eGPU or an Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) cable. Also make sure that the cable is connected directly to a Thunderbolt 3 port on your Mac, not daisy-chained through another Thunderbolt device or hub.
- If you have questions about Thunderbolt 3 chassis or graphics cards, or about third-party app support and compatibility, contact the hardware or software provider.
- Software developers can learn more about programming their apps to take advantage of macOS eGPU support.
1. If you have a Mac mini (2018) with FileVault turned on, make sure to connect your primary display directly to Mac mini during startup. After you log in and see the macOS Desktop, you can unplug the display from Mac mini and connect it to your eGPU.
2. If you're using a 13-inch MacBook Pro from 2016 or 2017, always plug eGPUs and other high-performance devices into the left-hand ports for maximum data throughput.
3. macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 and later don't support eGPUs in Windows using Boot Camp or when your Mac is in macOS Recovery or installing system updates.
4. These chassis provide at least 85 watts of charging power, making them ideal for use with 15-inch MacBook Pro models.
5. Playback of HDCP-protected content from iTunes and some streaming services is not supported on displays attached to Radeon 560-based eGPUs. You can play this content on the built-in display on MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac.
6. If you use Akitio Node with a Mac notebook, you might need to connect your Mac to its power adapter to ensure proper charging.
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eGPU or External Graphics Card Box is an external device that can be used to enhance your laptop graphics performance in games or in high-end graphics applications or softwares. If your laptop has onboard or integrated graphics or an inferior graphics card then by using an external GPU box you can easily increase your laptop graphics card performance to a much higher level and can play latest games on high-end settings at 1080p or 1440p with comfortable frame rates.
An external GPU box or eGPU cannot be used with all laptops or computers as they have some basic requirements which a laptop or mini-PC should have and also the laptop / mini-PC should support the external graphics card. You can check the basic requirements of an eGPU box by going to its official website page. An eGPU box is a fairly portable device and you can carry it with you quite easily.
Must Read:List of MXM Graphics Cards for Laptops
Parts of eGPU or External Graphics Card Box
Here are the various important parts of an eGPU Box or eGFX box:
Case – Case is the enclosure that holds all the components of the eGPU box including external graphics card. It is the body of the eGPU box and is generally rectangular in shape. Generally, it is made up of strong metal like steel or strong alloy.
PCI-Express x16 slot – The eGPU box comes with one PCI-Express x16 slot where you can plug in your graphics card. The PCIe x16 slot is located on a circuit board and the version of PCI Express can be PCI-E 3.0 or PCI-E 2.0 depending on the eGPU box, but generally, you will find PCI Express 3.0 on the latest eGPU boxes.
Port / Interface – Every eGPU box comes with a port or interface by which it connects to your laptop or computer. It is usually a high-speed port because the graphics card processes a lot of data and requires high bandwidth. In the latest eGPU box, you will generally find Thunderbolt 3.0 port, USB 3.1 port or any other high-speed proprietary port.
Power Supply – eGPU box comes with power supply or PSU to power the graphics card. The power supply has to small and it is generally a Small Form Factor or SFX Power Supply. The power supply in the eGPU box is enough to power a single high-end graphics card and it may come with 6-pin and 8-pin PCI-Express power connectors for the graphics card. An eGPU box with 400W PSU is more than enough to power a high-end graphics card because the PSU has to supply power to graphics card only.
Other components may include a case fan for cooling & airflow and USB ports as part of USB Hub.
External Graphics Card For Mac Mini
Note: eGPU box comes without a graphics card and you have to buy a graphics card separately for it.
Must Read:Best Laptop Graphics Cards for Gaming and Work
Top eGPU or External Graphics Card Box
Here are the best eGPU Boxes for running External Graphics Card (eGFX) on laptops and computers with Windows and Mac OS. You can use these external graphics card boxes to increase your laptop or mini-PC gaming performance or performance in professional graphics applications or virtual reality (VR).
AKiTiO Node eGPU Box
This is unarguably the best and affordable eGPU box that can be used to install an external graphics card to your laptop or mini-PC. This eGFX box is the perfect solution to increase your portable computer graphics performance whether in gaming, VR or in high-end graphical applications or softwares. This eGPU box supports a wide range of graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD and it comes with one PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot.
AKiTiO Node eGPU Box uses the latest Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type-C) port that provides a maximum data transfer rate of 40 Gb/s for lighting fast operation. This eGFX card box is VR ready and can support high-end graphics cards such as GeForce GTX 1080 and GeForce GTX TITAN X. For power, the eGPU box comes with an inbuilt 400 Watt SFX PSU that has 33A current on 12V Rail and also comes with two 8pin (6+2) pin connectors to provide power to high graphics cards that require additional power from the PSU. The device is compatible with laptops, Macbooks, and PCs having Thunderbolt 3 port and support for external graphics cards. The device officially supports Windows 10 OS but you can also run it on Mac OSX Operating System. For Mac OSX you will require an enable script which you can get from the website egpu.io.
Note: This eGPU Box may also support laptops without external GPU support but having a Thunderbolt 3.0 port.
| AKiTiO Node eGPU Box Specifications | |
| Graphics Card Support | Most of PCIe x16 graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD |
| Graphics Card Slot | PCI Express 3.0 x16 |
| Port | Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type-C connector) |
| Power Supply | 400 Watt SFX PSU with two 8pin (6+2) PCIe connectors |
| Supported OS | Windows 10, Mac OSX |
| Supported Devices | Laptops and PCs having ThunderBolt 3.0 port and support External Graphics Card |
Other Recommendations:
Alienware Graphics Amplifier
This eGPU box is only meant for Alienware notebooks and PCs that include Alienware 13 R2, 15 R2, 15 R3, Alpha R2, M17xR2, M17xR3, X51 R3. This eGFX box supports PCI Express x16 graphics cards and comes with 460 Watt power supply, four in-built USB 3.0 ports and an Alienware proprietary port (for PCI-Express connection) for connecting to supported Alienware laptops or PCs. Using this Alienware External Graphics Card box you can really boost the performance of your Alienware laptop to a greater extent. This eGPU works only with the Windows Operating System.
| Alienware Graphics Amplifier Specifications | |
| Graphics Card Support | Most of PCIe x16 Nvidia and AMD Graphics Cards |
| Graphics Card Slot | PCI Express 3.0 x16 |
| Port | Alienware Proprietary Port/ Cable for PCI-E connection |
| Power Supply | 460 Watt |
| Supported OS | Windows |
| Supported Devices | Alienware 13 R2, 15 R2, 15 R3, Alpha R2, M17xR2, M17xR3, X51 R3 |
External Graphics Card Adapters for Laptops & PC
Spectrasonics download. External Graphics Card Adapters are the devices that are used for adding an additional display port to your laptop for setting up multiple monitors. These devices use the USB port and have one or multiple display port (VGA/HDMI/DVI/DP) on which you can connect your monitor and have multiple monitors with your laptop or PC. These are small external graphics cards that can be used for basic work, video playback but are not meant for gaming. They are also known as USB Graphics Cards or USB Video Cards. Here I am going to list down the best external graphics card USB adapters for setting up multiple monitors with your laptop or PC. All these below mentioned external graphics cards draw their power from the single USB port and they do not require any additional power.
Startech USB to VGA External Video Card Multi Monitor
A basic USB to VGA external graphics card from Startech which can support resolution to up to 1920 x 1200 pixels. It comes with 32MB DDR SD RAM and the device works pretty well and can be used with your Windows laptop or PC for extending display or setting up multiple monitors. This external video card has a small form factor and does not require any additional power other than from the USB port.
| Startech USB to VGA External Video Card Specifications | |
| Interface | USB 2.0 |
| Output Port | VGA (15-pin) |
| Max. Resolution Supported | 1920 x 1200 pixels |
| OS Supported | Windows XP/ Vista/7/8/10 (32-bit and 64-bit) |
Plugable USB 3.0 HDMI/DVI/VGA Adapter
External Video Card For Mac Mini 2012
This is a high-speed USB 3.0 external graphics card adapter for connecting multiple monitors to your laptop or mini-PC. It can support resolution as high as 2048 X 1152 pixels and has got one DVI output port for display. It comes with DVI to HDMI and DVI to VGA adapters so as to connect monitors with different ports. You can connect up to 6 monitors to your laptop or desktop PC (one adapter required per monitor). This is a reliable external graphics card adapter and it can be used with the Windows operating system. Highly Recommended by me.
| Plugable USB 3.0 HDMI/DVI/VGA Adapter Specifications | |
| Interface | USB 3.0 |
| Output Port | DVI |
| Max. Resolution Supported | 2048 x 1152 pixels (for DVI & HDMI) / 1920 x 1080 pixels (for VGA) |
| OS Supported | Windows XP/ Vista/7/8/10 (32-bit and 64-bit) |
Ableconn USB3HDMIS USB 3.0 to HDMI External Video Card
External Gpu For Macbook Pro
A decent quality USB 3.0 external video card to connect your monitor using the HDMI port. This device can support up to 1440p resolution and includes support for audio through HDMI port. The various resolutions supported by this external graphics card adapter include 1920×1080 @ 60Hz (1080p), 1920×1200 @ 60Hz (WUXGA), 2048×1152 @ 60Hz (QXGA), 2560×1080 @ 60Hz, 2560×1440 @ 50 Hz (1440p). It works with Windows and Mac OSX Operating Systems but not on Linux.
| Ableconn USB 3.0 to HDMI External Video Card Specifications | |
| Interface | USB 3.0 |
| Output Port | HDMI (with audio support) |
| Max. Resolution Supported | 2560 x 1440 pixels |
| OS Supported | Windows XP/ Vista/7/8/10 (32-bit and 64-bit) and Mac OSX 10.6 and later |
Diamond BVU3500H USB 3.0 to HDMI/DVI Adapter
Diamond BVU3500H is a high-quality USB 3.0 external graphics card adapter having an HDMI port with support for audio. It uses DisplayLink DL-3500 chipset and supports a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 6 channel audio (up to 5.1 channels).
You can use this device to hook up 6 monitors (one adapter for every monitor) to your laptop or computer. It also supports protected video playback HDCP 2.0 and an HDMI to DVI adapter comes included with the device. The device works on Windows, Mac OS, and Android operating systems.
| Diamond BVU3500H USB 3.0 to HDMI/DVI Adapter Specifications | |
| Interface | USB 3.0 |
| Output Port | HDMI (with audio support) |
| Max. Resolution Supported | 2560 x 1440 pixels |
| OS Supported | Windows XP/ Vista/7/8/10 (32-bit and 64-bit), Mac OSX 10.6 and higher, Android 5.0 and higher |
EVGA UV Plus+ 39 USB 3.0 to HDMI/DVI Video Adapter
EVGA UV Plus+ 39 is a branded external video card adapter that can support dual monitors with a single USB 3.0 connection. This device comes with one DVI and one HDMI port (with audio) and support resolution up to 2048 x 1152 pixels.
Mac Mini With Egpu
It is a high-quality external graphics card adapter and its features include high-speed DDR memory, onboard activity LED, Displaylink Certified, lossless compression, VGA support, and Windows AERO support. This device supports Windows OS but may also work on Mac too.
| EVGA UV Plus+ 39 USB 3.0 to HDMI/DVI Video Adapter Specifications | |
| Interface | USB 3.0 |
| Output Port | HDMI 1.4a, DVI-I |
| Max. Resolution Supported | 2048 x 1152 pixels |
| OS Supported | Windows XP/ Vista/7/8/10, Mac OSX |
StarTech USB 3.0 to 4K DisplayPort External Video Graphics Adapter
Here is a good quality USB 3.0 to DisplayPort External Graphics Card Adapter that can support up to 4K resolution. Using this device you can easily add a 4k monitor to your laptop or PC and can enjoy 4K video playback and picture clarity. It uses DisplayLink DL5500 graphics chipset and comes with 1GB DDR memory. This external video card adapter also supports 2-channel audio and is compatible with Windows, macOS, Unbuntu and Chrome OS.
| StarTech USB 3.0 to 4K DP Video Graphics Adapter Specifications | |
| Interface | USB 3.0 |
| Output Port | DisplayPort |
| Max. Resolution Supported | 4K x 2K @ 30Hz |
| OS Supported | Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10, MacOS 10.6 to 10.12, Ubuntu 14.04, 16.04, Chrome OS v55+ |
IOGEAR USB 3.0 to HDMI 4K External Video Card
Another high-quality 4K External Video Card with the super-fast USB 3.0 interface. This external graphics card comes with HDMI as an output port with audio and supports Ultra High Definition 4K resolution (3840×2160 pixels). You can connect up to 6 monitors (one monitor with each card) using this IOGEAR video adapter. It does not require any additional power and uses the power from the USB 3.0 port only. Also, it is backward compatible with Full HD (1080p) monitors.
| IOGEAR USB 3.0 to HDMI 4K External Video Card Specifications | |
| Interface | USB 3.0 |
| Output Port | HDMI |
| Max. Resolution Supported | 4K (3840×2160 pixels) |
| OS Supported | Windows 7 / 8 / 10 |
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Final Words
So if want to increase or extend your laptop graphics ability then these external graphics cards will surely help you to do so. If you want to boost your laptop graphics or gaming performance and want to play latest games on it then you can use the eGPU box and if you want to add multiple monitors to your laptop to increase productivity then you can use the external graphics card adapters with USB interface. If you have any queries or doubts then feel free to ask me by leaving a comment below.