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Blackmagic eGPU

R

radus

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 12, 2009
726
457
I just wanted to buy a new Thunderbolt 3 dock ... but ended up with the new Blackmagic eGPU.
Here my primary tests using a Macbook Pro late 2016 and a Lenovo X1Y3 2018:

Macbook Pro late 2016 OSX 10.13.6
Intel Core i7-6920HQ 4Core
geekbench single-core: 4802
geekbench multi-core: 15636
OpenCL Score (blackmagic radeon pro 580): 108305
ssd 2TB apple read: 2622 write: 1520 MB/s
did charge

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Yoga 3.Gen. Windows 10 Pro
Intel Core i7-8550U 4Core
geekbench single-core: 4734
geekbench multi-core: 13383
OpenCL Score (blackmagic radeon pro 580): 107495
ssd 1TB wd-black read: 3436 write: 2806 MB/s
disadvantage - did not charge ..

Lets hope I did/bought the right thing.
 
nylon said:
I think an eGPU that is not upgradeable kind of defies one of the large benefits of having an eGPU. I'd rather purchase a Razer Core X for $299 and be able to upgrade the GPU as needed.
Click to expand...

On the other hand, the Razer Core X is HUGE, and far noisier than the Blackmagic (which has early reports of being insanely quiet). Plus, the Blackmagic has a bunch of output ports, none on the Razer.

I am actually debating between the two myself...
 
Flabasha said:
On the other hand, the Razer Core X is HUGE, and far noisier than the Blackmagic (which has early reports of being insanely quiet). Plus, the Blackmagic has a bunch of output ports, none on the Razer.

I am actually debating between the two myself...
Click to expand...

The Blackmagic eGPU was designed in conjunction with Apple and so it prioritizes noise and size. My point is that historically the primary criticism of Apple products was weak GPU's and lack of upgradeability. That was largely addressed by the eGPU solution. To me it seems contradictory to then go buy an eGPU and lock yourself into the same constraints. But I am not intending to criticize anyone's choices as I think freedom of choice is a great thing and good for competition. I'm simply questioning the design philosophy of such a product.
 
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Flabasha said:
On the other hand, the Razer Core X is HUGE, and far noisier than the Blackmagic (which has early reports of being insanely quiet). Plus, the Blackmagic has a bunch of output ports, none on the Razer.

I am actually debating between the two myself...
Click to expand...
There are no than just two though. There are others in market that are upgradable and also offer a wide selection of output ports.

What I really like about the Core X though is that it is modular. GPU? Can be changed. Power Supply? Can be changed? Size? Should fit any card.
 
If BlackMagic offered a Vega option, may have considered it. But a 580 is just not good enough to bother with an eGPU for me.
 
Core X noise level should depend on the card you put in it. By itself it should be silent - no?
 
Dovahkiing said:
Core X noise level should depend on the card you put in it. By itself it should be silent - no?
Click to expand...

It is very silent and the Macbook Pro is silent to.
It is plug and play - also using the Lenovo x1 yoga 3.Gen (in Clamshell mode the UI is lagging ? but when using both displays).
The Macbook Pro is charging the X1Y3 not - I do not know why.
I could use a 4k Panasononic TV using Displayport over usb-c/thunderbolt 3 without any problem (Windows 10 and OSX)
 
Ma2k5 said:
If BlackMagic offered a Vega option, may have considered it. But a 580 is just not good enough to bother with an eGPU for me.
Click to expand...

Well, Sonnet has an RX580 box and a Vega 64 box...

the RX580 is $500, the Vega is $1,300.
 
Thee reason I am siding with Blackmagic is the dual USB-C ports, it also has HDMI and 4 USB-A ports. So it replaces the need for a dongle and tidies up my desk as I only need one cable from my MacBook Pro to the eGPU.

All other solutions (that I have seen) suggest I still need to have one lead to the monitor and another to the eGPU with a dongle slapped on the side of the laptop so I can plug in my external SSD and mouse Bluetooth thing.
 
nylon said:
I think an eGPU that is not upgradeable kind of defies one of the large benefits of having an eGPU. I'd rather purchase a Razer Core X for $299 and be able to upgrade the GPU as needed.
Click to expand...
I watch an iJustine unboxing video of the new MBP and blagmagic eGPU and she stated its not upgradeable.
 
Although, this dude said that gaming with the Blackmagic wasn't great, and he experienced crashes:
 
As with every product there are pros and cons.
A thunderbolt dock alone is around 300 and the blackmagic = combined dock and egpu is 699 - ithink 399 for an egpu is not to much.
 
iGobbleoff said:
I have the Mantiz box with a Vega 56, for the time being it’s hooked up to my 17” MBP until I get work to get me a new MBP
Click to expand...

Intersting!

Could you please elaborate how you connect your Mantiz Box Vega 56 to your 17' MBP ?
I would love to hear more about this.
 
AlexMaximus said:
Intersting!

Could you please elaborate how you connect your Mantiz Box Vega 56 to your 17' MBP ?
I would love to hear more about this.
Click to expand...

I have the Apple TB2 to TB3 adapter and using a script from egpu.io it works and is recognized
 
I don't understand the blackmagic epgu. The Asus Aorus rx580 model is TINY in comparison with the same performance and has a USB A hub built in and also upgradable as I put a vega 56 nano in mine.
 
Flabasha said:
On the other hand, the Razer Core X is HUGE, and far noisier than the Blackmagic (which has early reports of being insanely quiet). Plus, the Blackmagic has a bunch of output ports, none on the Razer.

I am actually debating between the two myself...
Click to expand...


You can replace the case fan and PSU. Loudest part of any eGPU is the tiny PSU fan. 80Plus Platinum PSU without or with fan will be near slient. Razer Core X has standard ATX format PSU. Very easy to replace it.

I have Akitio Node replaced with Noctua fan and Corsair PSU. It is near silent with 1080 in it. I got Akitio Node as it was only eGPU available when I got it. If I needed a new one, Razor Core X will be my choice.
 
ilikewhey said:
minor tweaks can be done to razer core and other egpu that will rival the black magic while being upgradable.
Click to expand...

The Razer Core is great for what it is, that is being a very flexible product.

In terms of size and noise however, the BlackMagic is greatly better at this than the Razer due to its propriety nature. Not sure about performance, maybe someone can shed light on that aspect.
 
Ma2k5 said:
The Razer Core is great for what it is, that is being a very flexible product.

In terms of size and noise however, the BlackMagic is greatly better at this than the Razer due to its propriety nature. Not sure about performance, maybe someone can shed light on that aspect.
Click to expand...

Performance is mainly depends on GPU. If you look at eGPUs without added USB functions, they are all similar. All use same TI83 chip. The BlackMagic only has AMD GPU with better Apple support. Other eGPUs at least give you option to use NVIDIA or AMD. Pick AMD or NVIDIA based on programs you plan to run.
 
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