Thunderbolt hub with GPU video processing

[larrysing1963]

What we need in the era of more and better and newer external monitors coming out every week is this:

A Thunderbolt hub which contains a GPU. Plug in a video source (any Mac computer) and the the video is processed and exported to a Thunderbolt out port and can be output to 4096x2160 @ 120Hz or 144Hz or higher. Maybe have 2 or more output ports.

Does that make sense to anyone else?

Seems like it would solve a lot of problems for older Mac users who want good, fast, awesome external video but don't want to buy a new computer to get it.

Thoughts?

 

[Gav2k]

What we need in the era of more and better and newer external monitors coming out every week is this:

A Thunderbolt hub which contains a GPU. Plug in a video source (any Mac computer) and the the video is processed and exported to a Thunderbolt out port and can be output to 4096x2160 @ 120Hz or 144Hz or higher. Maybe have 2 or more output ports.

Does that make sense to anyone else?

Seems like it would solve a lot of problems for older Mac users who want good, fast, awesome external video but don't want to buy a new computer to get it.

Thoughts?

Already exists in a somewhat limited capacity

 

[larrysing1963]

Already exists in a somewhat limited capacity

To my knowledge, all of them are "pass through" models. None of them contain a powerful GPU that would take the video processing off the attached computers and do it inside the hub. That's the "new" part of the idea.

 

[ColdCase]

I think I saw some somewhat custom effort for gamers that put high powered GPU/Display cards in a TB extender enclosure... but thats probably not what you meant.

 

[65535]

That's not what he meant but that's exactly what he asked about.

It works, pretty well even, it'll cost you north of $1000 for a GPU and TB-PCIe box, hoping you don't need to buy an additional power supply to feed a large graphics card.

 

[h9826790]

The test with a flashed GTX780 is successful, works like an internal GPU (with boot screen etc.). And MVC is now working on the 980.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1822806/

 

[apphotography]

It's a mess. One Thunderbolt cable from the Mac to the Thunderbolt box. One video cable from the box to the monitor. Then one wall socket to the Thunderbolt box's power supply. Then from that power supply to the Thunderbolt box to power the slot. Then another wall socket to a power supply for the video card to feed the pins on the graphics card. Five cables minimum, two power supplies and two wall plugs.