An eGPU can give your Mac additional graphics performance for professional apps, 3D gaming, VR content creation, and more.

1. Egpu For Mac Mini

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.

Jan 07, 2019  Do you really need an eGPU with a 2018 Mac Mini? We combined a Vega 56 full-sized video card with a 2018 Mac mini using the OWC Mercury Helios FX Thunderbolt 3.

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:

1. Quit the app if it's open.
2. 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.
3. Press Command-I to show the app's info window.
4. Select the checkbox next to Prefer External GPU.
   
5. 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:

1. Quit any open apps that you want the eGPU to accelerate on the primary display.
2. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences. Select Displays, then select the Arrangement tab.
3. Drag the white menu bar to the box that represents the display that's attached to the eGPU.
4. 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.

BestAffordable eGPUWindows Central2020

An eGPU is a powerful addition to a laptop with Thunderbolt 3, adding incredible graphics power to a machine that simply might not have it. While there are some compromises, essentially it allows you to turn a laptop into a high-powered desktop PC, but even better than that is that it doesn't have to cost the Earth. And the Razer Core X ticks all the boxes if you're looking for an affordable eGPU.

What you get in an eGPU and why they're still fairly pricey

While products such as the Razer Core X are pretty affordable for an eGPU, you may well be looking at the prices here and thinking they're still quite expensive. It's important to understand what you're getting with one of these products to understand why they're still several hundred dollars.

An eGPU is, essentially, half a desktop PC. It contains a power supply, the necessary PCIe interface to process the GPU output, the Thunderbolt 3 interface and in some cases additional ports, as well as a chassis that allows the GPU to cool. You're providing the CPU and the RAM, the eGPU is providing the rest.

Considering a good quality power supply would cost between $60 and $100 at least on its own, the pricing starts to make more sense.

Our pick

Razer Core X

Great hardware and great value

Pairing any laptop with the Core X is a smart choice, with this little box packing a 650W power supply to handle anything you want to throw inside it while keeping the price sensible

Who should buy this eGPU?

Anyone looking for a top-quality eGPU to pair with a graphics card but wants to keep the cost down should check out the Razer Core X.

Is it a good time to buy this eGPU?

Absolutely! Pricing has been stable for a while, and there's no imminent sign of a replacement model. If you want something with a little added RGB, there's now a Chroma-enabled version for $100 more, but for most people that really isn't worth the extra cost.

Reasons to buy

• Supports NVIDIA and AMD GPUs
• 650W power supply with 100W to charge the laptop
• Compact size
• Good value
• Fits longer graphics cards

Reasons not to buy

Egpu For Mac Mini

• No additional ports to expand your laptop

The perfect affordable eGPU

The Razer Core was first launched as a companion to the Blade Stealth, adding gaming chops to the company's first true Ultrabook and arguably bringing the idea of an eGPU to the masses. The space has developed a little since then, and the Core X is Razer's most affordable eGPU to date at just $300.

The Core X is Razer's most affordable eGPU.

What you can do with the Core X is install a full desktop graphics card, even an RTX 2080 Ti if you wish, and use it with your laptop over Thunderbolt 3. That single cable connection to your is all you need, since the Core X has its own power supply to keep everything juiced up. Of its 650W on tap, 100W is left free to power the laptop connected to it, which is super convenient.

It also means plenty of overhead, so literally any modern graphics card will work without any issue. The Core X also supports both NVIDIA and AMD, so you really do have your pick. And because it keeps the cost down, you've potentially got more funds to put towards the GPU it will house.

It's also worth considering just why it's better to get an eGPU that you'll have to supply the graphics card to. Simply, it's longevity. In the long term, you'll never need to replace the Razer Core X, only upgrading what's inside if you need more power. An eGPU with embedded graphics both costs more initially (not factoring in an additional graphics card purchase) but hasn't that upgrade path, leading you to have to buy an entirely new unit down the road.

If you have a graphics card available already it's a no-brainer, but even on a budget you can now get great deals on new or used units that would be a perfect companion to a Razer Core X.

Alternatives to the Razer Core X

The Razer Core X might be the best choice, but it's not the only one. Here are a couple of alternatives for more specific requirements, including an even tighter budget and an eGPU that supplies its own graphics horsepower without breaking the bank.

All-in-one

PowerColor Mini

An eGPU with an included RX 560

PowerColor is most well known for its Radeon GPU lineup and in the Mini they've combined a highly compact and portable eGPU chassis with a Radeon RX 560 4GB, which is handy for both 1080p gaming and professional applications.

Not only is this a pretty powerful little box, but it's also incredibly compact and portable, with the only real downside being you're unable to upgrade the GPU inside.

Unusually it opts for a power brick with a 6-pin connector to keep it juiced up, but it helps keep the noise and the size down. There's also a built-in Ethernet port, which is always handy.

Budget choice

Sapphire Gearbox

A solid choice from a respected brand

Sapphire is known more for its line of AMD third-party graphics cards, but this affordable box works with both AMD and NVIDIA GPUs.

Despite the price, you still get a 500W power supply to keep both your graphics and laptop powered up while you play. You also get a couple of regular USB ports and Gigabit Ethernet, which is extra nice.

The Gearbox is a tremendous value, but it's a little smaller than some eGPUs, meaning longer graphics cards may not fit inside. It's something to ensure you check before you buy against what you plan to use with it.

Conclusion

When shopping for an eGPU that's affordable, you need look no further than the Razer Core X. It's stylish and well priced, you have ample power to keep both your graphics card and your laptop powered up while you work or play and it's also big enough to fit even longer cards, so whatever you want to put in there, chances are you can.

A good alternative though for folks who simply don't have something they can slot into an eGPU is the PowerColor Mini. With this you get everything you need in one compact package. Simply plug it in, load up your favorite games and away you go. You lose the upgradeability you get with the Razer Core X and you'll not be pushing above 1080p for gaming, but it's an excellent place to start if you currently have nothing at all.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Richard Devine Richard Devine is an Editor at Windows Central. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you'll find him covering all manner of PC hardware and gaming.

Rich Edmonds is a staff reviewer at Windows Central, which means he tests out more software and hardware than he cares to remember. Joining Mobile Nations in 2010, you can usually find him inside a PC case tinkering around when not at a screen fighting with Grammarly to use British words. Hit him up on Twitter: @RichEdmonds.

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