External graphics card for MB PRO 2012.

[Danny G]

Hi there.
I have a macbook pro 2012 with 16 gb of ram, i work full time in audio visuals and really need to be able to add more screens to my laptop's and the mac minis. I have looked at PCIE expansion cards over thunder bolt but just wondered if someone could give me some specs for one that will support up to 4 external displays from the macbook its self. I tend to use a lot of the sonnet stuff but their cases start at £800 for a rack mounted one, Just wondered if anyone had done it and the specs they are using ect.
Thanks

 

[wlossw]

Hi there.
I have a macbook pro 2012 with 16 gb of ram, i work full time in audio visuals and really need to be able to add more screens to my laptop's and the mac minis. I have looked at PCIE expansion cards over thunder bolt but just wondered if someone could give me some specs for one that will support up to 4 external displays from the macbook its self. I tend to use a lot of the sonnet stuff but their cases start at £800 for a rack mounted one, Just wondered if anyone had done it and the specs they are using ect.
Thanks

Out of curiosity what resolution do you want to run on your externals? I have 2 Thunderbolt displays on my 2012 MacBook Pro and the internal panel and it runs ok... I plugged in a 1080p over HDMI and I was still doing ok... So do you want 4 total, or 5 total displays?

 

[Danny G]

Out of curiosity what resolution do you want to run on your externals? I have 2 Thunderbolt displays on my 2012 MacBook Pro and the internal panel and it runs ok... I plugged in a 1080p over HDMI and I was still doing ok... So do you want 4 total, or 5 total displays?

total of 5 displays running at higher than 1920 by 1080 i would like to be able to run 1 @ 1600x1200 3 @ 3440x1440 and then the laptop display at 1920x1080

 

[Danny G]

I basicly want to be able to run 5 monitors of the MBP at any resolution hahaha

 

[snaky69]

I basicly want to be able to run 5 monitors of the MBP at any resolution hahaha

You really should be looking at a desktop. You're tethered to a desk anyway. It'll allow you to run that setup without costly TB enclosures and will run circles around any laptop on the market performance wise.

 

[Danny G]

You really should be looking at a desktop. You're tethered to a desk anyway. It'll allow you to run that setup without costly TB enclosures and will run circles around any laptop on the market performance wise.

Yeah I'm looking at the Mac Pro but I would still like to be Able to hook in my laptop.

 

[Freyqq]

There's two pieces, the enclosure and the graphics card. You'd want a powerful GPU with enough video out ports to fit your needs. I'd wait for the official external GPU releases, if you can wait. Now that Intel is officially supporting this, I expect them to come out sooner than later.

 

[wlossw]

For what you are trying to accomplish (3 4k displays) plus internal plus another display I suspect you will be disappointed even if you can get it to work... as per above post you would be better served by a desktop solution (mac pro?), and that may be a better option in terms of cost and power anyway...

 

[wlossw]

This is what my desk looks like, and TBH it's almost overkill... how many monitors do you have currently?

 

[Fishrrman]

OP -

Get a MacPro to do what you need.

That's not really the job of a MacBook Pro...