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Apple Online Store Lists Blackmagic eGPU 'Pro', Available Late November for $1,199

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Apple's online store is now listing a new Blackmagic eGPU "Pro", following several major product launches today.

blackmagic-egpu-pro-with-mac-mini-800x426.jpg

The new Blackmagic eGPU Pro features a Radeon RX Vega 56 graphics processor with 8GB of HBM2 memory, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, four USB 3 ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, and a DisplayPort 1.4 port, allowing for 85W of power to charge a MacBook Pro at the same time.

The eGPU is compatible with any Thunderbolt 3-enabled Mac, including the new space gray Mac mini and new MacBook Air with Retina display.

The Blackmagic eGPU Pro costs $1,199 and will be available to order from the Apple online store from late November.

Article Link: Apple Online Store Lists Blackmagic eGPU 'Pro', Available Late November for $1,199
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/10/30/apple-store-lists-new-blackmagic-egpu-pro/
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I like that these options exist, but my God the prices. $1200 is ridiculous for what is essentially a $500 GPU and a docking station.
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nate13 said:
The day is coming that we'll have cards with TB3 ports on them, and these custom solutions won't be necessary. I wonder why, given the price, they didn't just go for the Vega 64.
Click to expand...

Yea, this will be a welcome change when it happens.
 
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Still garbage!

For that price, you can get a 2080ti + Core X for and additional $200. (1080ti would be cheaper and still run circles around this)

That would absolutely annihilate this product. (Aside from size and noise level)

Apple needs to get off their high horse and start playing nice in this area. If they want to claim their “all in on egpu’s”, then they need to allow their efi to boot with eGPU’s attached. (Especially in Bootcamp) Not just select products they endorse for maximum profit.

I don’t understand Apples complete disregard for Bootcamp support this generation. If they are going to discontinue Bootcamp, I think I’m out all together. (17 year user here)
 
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Maven1975 said:
Still garbage!

For that price, you can get a 2080ti + Core X for and additional $200. (1080ti would be cheaper and still run circles around this)

That would absolutely annihilate this product. (Aside from size and noise level)

Apple needs to get off their high horse and start playing nice in this area. If they want to claim their “all in on egpu’s”, then they need to allow their efi to boot with eGPU’s attached. (Especially in Bootcamp) Not just select products they endorse for maximum profit.

I don’t understand Apples complete disregard for Bootcamp support this generation. If they are going to discontinue Bootcamp, I think I’m out all together. (17 year user here)
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aside from size noise level and non games apps
 
Beauty! Great options for users who don’t want to build their own, and fantastic for stacking multiple eGPUs!

These will hold their value for a good while, and with the poets offered they are far more flexible than a basic Sonnet enclosure.

They’re the quietest eGPUs on the market, and the nicest looking by far.
 
fenderbass146 said:
Probably not....seems they don't give a crap about bootcamp at all. I have a Sonnet Breakaway that I'll be putting a RX480 in shortly and I'm planning on having to do a little hack job to make it work with bootcamp on my 2017 15" Pro
Click to expand...

Proably never happend:/ So sad, the 5-6 times a year i play Pugb, and Call of duty with a friend via bootcamp, and it would be really helpfull, to have a eGPU in bootcamp!
 
budafied said:
I like that these options exist, but my God the prices. $1200 is ridiculous for what is essentially a $500 GPU and a docking station.
Click to expand...

Is there a cheaper alternative to this?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
DPH said:
Proably never happend:/ So sad, the 5-6 times a year i play Pugb, and Call of duty with a friend via bootcamp, and it would be really helpfull, to have a eGPU in bootcamp!
Click to expand...

I did my research, should work with a few minor tweaks. eGPU.io has tons of people who have done this setup.
 
Maven1975 said:
Still garbage!

For that price, you can get a 2080ti + Core X for and additional $200. (1080ti would be cheaper and still run circles around this)

That would absolutely annihilate this product. (Aside from size and noise level)

Apple needs to get off their high horse and start playing nice in this area. If they want to claim their “all in on egpu’s”, then they need to allow their efi to boot with eGPU’s attached. (Especially in Bootcamp) Not just select products they endorse for maximum profit.

I don’t understand Apples complete disregard for Bootcamp support this generation. If they are going to discontinue Bootcamp, I think I’m out all together. (17 year user here)
Click to expand...

At this point, I will wait for the MacPro7,1 update. There's apparently an AMD exclusive contract that expires EOY 2018. Not holding my breath for NVIDIA support, but crossing fingers still...
 
Maven1975 said:
Still garbage!

For that price, you can get a 2080ti + Core X for and additional $200. (1080ti would be cheaper and still run circles around this)

That would absolutely annihilate this product. (Aside from size and noise level)

Apple needs to get off their high horse and start playing nice in this area. If they want to claim their “all in on egpu’s”, then they need to allow their efi to boot with eGPU’s attached. (Especially in Bootcamp) Not just select products they endorse for maximum profit.

I don’t understand Apples complete disregard for Bootcamp support this generation. If they are going to discontinue Bootcamp, I think I’m out all together. (17 year user here)
Click to expand...
Apple has made sure you won’t be running 2080 on your Mac.

Nvidia doesn’t have drivers and by the looks of it they won’t do anything soon.

Seems like they try to close Nvidia out of Apple ecosystem and Nvidia also plays a chicken out game.

Anyway, indeed overpriced eGPU no doubt.
 
Anyone curious, I built this setup just last week for under $570.

The best eGPU right now IMO is the Razer X Core, it's expensive, but I found one used with the 6ft TB3 table for $270, and then on eBay I found a Vega 56 for $300.

I wouldn't even say either of those are crazy cheap deals, but it saved me a ton.

Also, I wouldn't worry about used GPUs, you don't get degradation, but the more they get used they can just cop out one day. But according to Linus, it isn't a gradual slow down, but more of an all at once kind of thing. The best way to avoid this is to get a GPU that wasn't used for mining or constant GPU load 24/7.

Source: https://lifehacker.com/this-video-explains-how-performance-degradation-happens-1783189032
 
eGPU enclosure + Vega56 costs about $600. You pay twice the price for BM so you can use Ultrafine 5K, but lose DP ports and Boot Camp compatibility.
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spshulem said:
Anyone curious, I built this setup just last week for under $570.

The best eGPU right now IMO is the Razer X Core, it's expensive, but I found one used with the 6ft TB3 table for $270, and then on eBay I found a Vega 56 for $300.

I wouldn't even say either of those are crazy cheap deals, but it saved me a ton.

Also, I wouldn't worry about used GPUs, you don't get degradation, but the more they get used they can just cop out one day. But according to Linus, it isn't a gradual slow down, but more of an all at once kind of thing. The best way to avoid this is to get a GPU that wasn't used for mining or constant GPU load 24/7.

Source: https://lifehacker.com/this-video-explains-how-performance-degradation-happens-1783189032
Click to expand...

Razor Core is noisy af. So is Gigabyte gaming box. The best enclosure I have used is Sonnet. Sadly, I still can't use it with my Dell 8K even with dual DP connection with my Vega56.
 
$1200? Are. You. Kidding. Me. I just built a Mantiz Venus with a Vega 64* for around $800 (new enclosure, used card). The Venus has more USB ports, charges a full 85 watts AND supports an SATA hard drive, meaning as an enclosure, it mostly blows the BlackMagic away. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a second TB port for daisy chaining add'l storage, but that's a navigable problem.

I played with a BlackMagic a bit and it was very sleek and very quiet and setup flawlessly, but damn. $1200 for a prosumer card in a non-upgradable enclosure? In-sane.

*Technically speaking, the 64 draws too much power for the Venus' power adapter, but as long as you're not running it too hot, per Mantiz, it's fine. Plus, based on the construction, the adapter should be easily replaceable, if it ever gets to that point.
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nate13 said:
The day is coming that we'll have cards with TB3 ports on them, and these custom solutions won't be necessary. I wonder why, given the price, they didn't just go for the Vega 64.
Click to expand...


My guess would be mainly price in that the 56 provides lower overhead and may be more readily available. (The 64 has been harder to find, which has kept its prices inflated.) Since this is a joint effort, Apple is probably also revenue sharing with BlackMagic, meaning both companies will try to keep their margins as wide as possible.

Apple should just have done this on their own. No idea why they didn't. Of course, their product would still be super duper expensive, as Apple gear do, but they could probably shave a few bucks off this price and control the ecosystem better. Plus, Apple could potentially have worked on a custom GPU which would have better targeted pro users and their own software. At the end of the day, the Vega is a gaming card and the BM has been optimized for BM software. So lots of users, myself included, will achieve better, but certainly not perfect results to our workflows. And $1200. Sheesh.
 
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A couple of months ago I purchased a Vega 56 and Sonnet eGFX 550 Box for $750. I could have spent $100 less with the Sonnet eGFX 350 box, but I wanted the 85W of power delivery the 550 offers when using with my MBP. Can't understand that kind of price. For not much more I could buy an AMD WX 9100.
 
What is worse than the price is that it’s non upgradeable. You are throwing away $1200 on an almost outdated gpu that you will have to chuck with its enclosure should you want to upgrade.

The second nvidia support comes back to Mac I’m ripping my Vega 56 out for a 2080ti.
 
Quiet

(the big differentiator... thought I should point that out, since it seems to be being missed by all the 'but I can build one with those parts for $700, etc.)
 
This eGPU is probably well-built, is specifically supported by macOS’s drivers for excellent compatibility, and yes probably very quiet. However, some RX Vega 56 graphics cards like my Sapphire Pulse are also dead silent unless under demanding load. The fans don’t spin at all at idle. This eGPU would be an excellent no-fuss addition to any TB3 Mac, but I agree lack of upgradebility is a drawback.

Also, be aware that macOS has become increasingly optimized for AMD GPUs so for those thinking about going with an Nvidia GPU, that may not be a good idea. Nvidia GPUs don’t support several critical Metal features:

-MSAA (multisample anti-aliasing) depth resolve
-sRGB writes (writes to sRGB textures)
-Indirect command buffers
-Stencil feedback
-Stencil resolve

https://developer.apple.com/metal/Metal-Feature-Set-Tables.pdf

AMD GCN 1+: family 2 v1
Nvidia Kepler+: family 1 v4
 
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