Which EGPU for moderate gaming?

[Billiejoe87]

Hey everyone,

I have a 2020 10th Gen, 13 Inch Macbook Pro 2.0GHZ and have bought an LG UltraFine 4K Display for the study work I need to do.

I was thinking about how difficult it would be to turn this into something I could moderately game on? I don't expect to run everything at Max Settings, but being able to play some Windows games like Age Of Empires and even Forza would be good.

I understand the Blackmagic EGPU is probably the easiest to setup, however I also understand it doesn't work with boot camp which means I'd have to use Parallels which I understand would ruin performance. Are there any EGPU's which can be used with Mac OS and Windows using Boot Camp?

 

[Zahni]

eGPU may not work in Bootcamp. Check https://egpu.io/forums/bootcamp/ before bying.

 

[ruka.snow]

The Blackmagic eGPU(and pro) are not really the best option for gaming. These are more for accelerating their software and just happen to also be good at pushing games. They are by far the most expensive options and should only be considered if you value the lower sound levels and ability to drive the 5K and 6K screens.

 

[Billiejoe87]

The Blackmagic eGPU(and pro) are not really the best option for gaming. These are more for accelerating their software and just happen to also be good at pushing games. They are by far the most expensive options and should only be considered if you value the lower sound levels and ability to drive the 5K and 6K screens.

Thanks for that info. So realistically is there a non blackmagic option that would work with a Macbook Pro particularly when it's connected to a 4K LG Ultrafine Display?

I really don't know where to start with this stuff. It just seems since I've spent close to $4,000 AUD on the monitor and top of the line 13 inch Macbook, I'd like to utilise it where possible for light to moderate gaming even if that means buying an EGPU just to avoid spending a fortune on a seperate gaming rig.

 

[ruka.snow]

macOS is quite poor for games especially as they cut of 32 bit and OpenGL is next. And eGPU's are a bit wobbly in bootcamp sometimes. But non the less I would advise a Razor Core and any AMD Radeon GPU you can put in it, such as a 5700 which will give you better performance for less cash than the BlackMagic one. However also consider for less you can have a Playstation, xBox and a Switch that all have far more games available on them. Or consider a gaming PC and a KVM switch, which isn't too much over the cost of eGPU alone.

 

[Billiejoe87]

macOS is quite poor for games especially as they cut of 32 bit and OpenGL is next. And eGPU's are a bit wobbly in bootcamp sometimes. But non the less I would advise a Razor Core and any AMD Radeon GPU you can put in it, such as a 5700 which will give you better performance for less cash than the BlackMagic one. However also consider for less you can have a Playstation, xBox and a Switch that all have far more games available on them. Or consider a gaming PC and a KVM switch, which isn't too much over the cost of eGPU alone.

I've got a Switch and a PS4 Pro. It's more just about games like Age Of Empires and the apple arcade games which are much better with a keyboard and mouse.

Maybe for those types of games the 13 inch will be fine. I'm wondering if the eGPU would work better with Parallels considering setting it up with Boot Camp seems to be very hard.

 

[Billiejoe87]

I was able to get the Blackmagic eGPU with a 10% discount which I know is still expensive, but I digress.

This thing is seriously amazing for what it is. Yes, you can get solutions like the Razer which are similar cost for better performance and upgradeable, however for someone with an Ultrafine Monitor and who likes Apple's designs, this Blackmagic fits in really well and is virtually silent. It's also plug and play which counts for something.

My Macbook Pro no longer heats up at all when plugged in to the 4K Ultrafine and the fans don't come on at all unless I'm installing something in Parallels. That brings me to something else... I can actually game with good settings in Parallels now! Age Of Empires Definitive Edition works with Ultra settings in Parallels and works well with lots happening on screen. My Mac games are all running in Ultra settings with no fan noise as well. Sonic Racing, Counter Strike: Go... All playing in 4K and working really well.

Yes it's expensive. Yes Apple needs to enable eGPU support in Boot Camp, however I'm amazed how much this has actually transformed my Macbook Pro into something I can actually casually game on. The fact that Parallels works so well with the Blackmagic has also saved me bunch of disk space wasted with boot camp and I'm sure my Macbook Pro not heating up will only be a good thing.

 

[ruka.snow]

Fantastic and I am glad you are happy with your choice. A discount is always good.