Apple Offers External GPU Enclosure to Developers As Valve Opens Door to VR Mac Gaming

[MacBH928]

Whats the point of this if you can only use it on TB3?

Out of all Apple users, only late 2016 MBP and MacBook owners have TB3. Thats a very very very small percentage of Apple users. Also, others have tested eGPU on TB2 machines and it worked fine.

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

Whats the point of this if you can only use it on TB3?

Out of all Apple users, only late 2016 MBP and MacBook owners have TB3. Thats a very very very small percentage of Apple users. Also, others have tested eGPU on TB2 machines and it worked fine.

It's a small percentage, but the actual number of potential customers is high enough now and very high 2-3 years down the line. Ultimately the external box holds your data too. I don't see the point of it only having a GPU.

 

[rawweb]

It's a small percentage, but the actual number of potential customers is high enough now and very high 2-3 years down the line. Ultimately the external box holds your data too. I don't see the point of it only having a GPU.

Agreed...

I'll have the Venus soon which has internal PCIe, SATA as well as Ethernet, USB 3 and 87w charging...The ultimate docking/desk station for when you need the power.

I see a lot of needs/potential!

 

[MacBH928]

It's a small percentage, but the actual number of potential customers is high enough now and very high 2-3 years down the line. Ultimately the external box holds your data too. I don't see the point of it only having a GPU.

Sure, but why not make the TB2 users join the revolution too?
As I said earlier, people have done this eGPU with TB2 already

 

[Spendlove]

Sure, but why not make the TB2 users join the revolution too?
As I said earlier, people have done this eGPU with TB2 already

Any love for the thunderbolt 1 crowd?

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

Sure, but why not make the TB2 users join the revolution too?
As I said earlier, people have done this eGPU with TB2 already

They can with a little script

 

[shadowmatt]

I can't speak for Windows and I haven't tried High Sierra since "become paid apple developer" is ranked after "learn swift" on my todo list but...

1. High Sierra is not necessary if you are willing to make kext edits.
2. Nvidea is not required. (I've used an RX 460 eGPU on a TB1 2011 iMac.)
3. An external monitor (real or faux) IS required.
4. A non-retina internal monitor is required (for internal screen acceleration).

Under Sierra applications default to using the gpu associated with the monitor they started on. As a result if you set an eGPU connected display as primary and launch a game in windowed mode you can drag it over to the internal display where it will continue to be accelerated by the eGPU. Doing so is usually not recommended since that adds a frame rate penalty but it can be done... unless you have a 5K. Reports indicate that the retina magic gets in the way somehow.

You can use the INTERNAL screen if both the internal GPU and the external GPU are both Nvidia. It allows you to select where you are outputting the video. On Windows only.

Apple's new OS must do that as well, given its running on a laptop. So their drivers must allow that and given how the community hack everything, more support will follow.

 

[spiddyman007]

You guys reckon that this would work with Thunderbolt 2?

It could. May need an adapter
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I can't help but be very underwhelmed. I have enjoyed a lot of apple products over the years and have always looked forward to each and every announcement, with new equipment to look forward to. Yesterday however isn't even catching up with hardware available for PC from over a year ago. And with Nvidia launching its Max-Q laptop specifications why on earth do you need an external box for high end graphics when Nvidia can run a GTX1080 in a slim laptop configuration. Now we have to wait until December for the "Pro" imac using outdated Xeon cpu's, never mind how long until the new Mac Pro is available, and every spec is already superseded with 18 core Intel i9x processors that will be available for PC in a few weeks!! Come on apple, get back in the game? This is just very very disappointing.

Well why not just ask china to let you use their supercomputer while your at it?
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Whats the point of this if you can only use it on TB3?

Out of all Apple users, only late 2016 MBP and MacBook owners have TB3. Thats a very very very small percentage of Apple users. Also, others have tested eGPU on TB2 machines and it worked fine.

And the point of an egpu is to improve graphics. But if you have a mac that has tb3 it would likely already have good graphics. So Apple should DEFINITELY make a patch / adapter for tb2. They would get a lot more customers spending money on *APPLE* *AMD* cases if they did that too.

 

[stab]

Because nobody in their right mind would use that on their lap unless they want roast some nuts to go with their covfefe.

I laughed so hard a bit of wee came out!