External Graphics Card (Macbook Pro)?

[davegoody]

Hmmmm not really....

I currently have an Early 2011 MacBook Pro 13 inch. I have Windows 7 on bootcamp and I am looking for a way to raise my FPS on games like Borderlands 2


Graphics Intel HD Graphics 3000 384 MB
Memory 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3
Processor 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7
Hard Drive 500GB Serial ATA; 5400 rpm


Is there such a thing out that can raise my graphics? Or do I need to upgrade something else?

Thanks in advanced

There are "hacked" versions of external cards that have been tested (and covered previously on MR) - that used, AFAIK via a TB to PC-Card Adapter, and then a PC Card to PCI and then a PCI video card. HUGELY messy, expensive and not worth the hassle. Good proof of concept however. MBP do have great resale value however so you could, in theory, sell your existing MBP and then purchase a new one with fast enough discrete graphics.

 

[Yshf]

First post,
You guys seem quite knowledgable and I would love some input/tips/what have you.

I have a relatively recent MBP (2011 or 2012 I believe) with an awful NVIDIA GeForce 320M. I am crazy happy with my machine in all other aspects though. So here's the scoop:

All I want to know is if there are any other options to boost frames (even mildly) and general graphic performance while working with what I've got. I know the difficulties with running GPU's externally, so I am going to try and avoid that route due to my budget and limited knowledge of the gear required. Also, I wouldn't really need a much stronger card anyway. This is because while i am a gamer, I play almost no FPS's, or anything that would really put a better card to use. I have a console for more recent and/or graphically demanding titles. Usually I stick to indie games (ie Minecraft, Bleed, The Swapper, etc.).

Thanks in advance! Any little tip will go appreciated, thats all that I'm looking for.

 

[EpicBlob]

There are "hacked" versions of external cards that have been tested (and covered previously on MR) - that used, AFAIK via a TB to PC-Card Adapter, and then a PC Card to PCI and then a PCI video card. HUGELY messy, expensive and not worth the hassle. Good proof of concept however. MBP do have great resale value however so you could, in theory, sell your existing MBP and then purchase a new one with fast enough discrete graphics.

If you read my posts on the previous page, you will see that they aren't "hugely messy". My external gpu has three parts to it: the GPU enclosure which fits right under my mac mini in a sleek aluminum case, a small silver box about 3-4inches long and 2 inches tall, and a power brick. And it is still cheaper than buying a full desktop, as you already have the laptop.

 

[john925]

External graphics works fine. I have the same macbook pro that you have and I have a nvidia 660 connected to it using the thunderbolt port. FPS boost is HUGE, I'm talking over 500%-1000% improvement in many games. Works in Windows and OS X.

I have a late 2011 MBP 15" and i've been looking into external graphics since apparently i cant just swap out my AMD card. Im running Windows 7 and i really dont have issues with most games except generally Rockstar games. I have a feeling that with all the next-gen games coming out, i may run into issues (hopefully not) but better to be safe than sorry. I ran BF3 and Crysis 3 without a hitch, but BF4 kept saying my driver was at 13.6 even when i updated to 13.9 and the 13.11 beta. I have an AMD Radeon HD 6770M and Intel HD 3000 in mine. How exactly does your Nvidia work? Is is just plug-n-play, or do you have to download drivers or what? And would i need to find an AMD one since thats whats installed in my computer or would i be able to choose which card i want to use?