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dimme

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Feb 14, 2007
3,259
32,031
SF, CA
I am currently using a 2019 5K iMac. I need a PC for another project (I only have room for one display) but still want to use a mac for my lightroom and photoshop work. I am thinking about the i7 mini w/32gb of ram and a BenQ SW271 27 Inch 4K. I know the mini does not have a GPU but will that matter with photoshop and LR or will I need a egpu. As a hobby I shoot with a D750. I am real happy with the iMac screen so I looking for a suitable replacement. Is there any thing else I should be looking at in the BenQ price range.
 

Boyd01

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 21, 2012
7,948
4,880
New Jersey Pine Barrens
I have a 2018 i7 Mini and am doing fine without an eGPU, but I'm driving a 32" BenQ QHD screen, not 4k. Here's a long thread about 4k screens on the new Mini


But have you considered just running Windows in a virtual machine on your iMac instead of switching to a Mini? I'm doing this with Parallels on my Mini and it works better than I ever imagined.
 

CC88

macrumors 6502
Sep 29, 2010
488
117
I think if you give the mini 32gb it will not that bad at using 4k monitor.

Although I use an eGPU and with LR and PS zoom, pan and the interface seems much faster to me than without.
 
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weaztek

macrumors 6502
Aug 28, 2009
433
257
Madison
I went nearly 2 years on a 4k monitor without an eGPU (40GB RAM, 2018 i5).

I had a huge Photoshop project (30 megapixel, 16-bit photos) with a ton of retouching. I was able to do the work, but a lot of the Photoshop work was not in real-time because the PS tools had a lag. Specifically: healing brush, liquify, clone stamp tool, etc.

If you get a Mini test and see if your workflow needs an eGPU before buying one. Really, the only thing I use one for is the heavy-duty retouching of huge image files. Otherwise, the built-in Intel chip does fine for watching movies, web-browsing and such.
 
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jayducharme

macrumors 601
Jun 22, 2006
4,640
6,368
The thick of it
I do lots of 4k video editing and wouldn't be able to do it nearly as well without my eGPU. I also do a lot of 3D modeling. So in those specific cases, an eGPU is a must (as it is for gaming). If you don't need to do any of that, the internal GPU should be fine. I've found that the mini works best off the internal GPU if you use a TB3-DP cable, using your monitor's Display Port connection rather than HDMI.
 
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Erehy Dobon

Suspended
Feb 16, 2018
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Like weaztek, I only fire up my eGPU when I am working with multimedia applications. Intel integrated graphics is fine for mundane everyday tasks.

By all means if the monitor has an available USB-C or DisplayPort connector use that. DisplayPort 1.4 is a more capable specification than HDMI 2.0.
 

CC88

macrumors 6502
Sep 29, 2010
488
117
I do lots of 4k video editing and wouldn't be able to do it nearly as well without my eGPU. I also do a lot of 3D modeling. So in those specific cases, an eGPU is a must (as it is for gaming). If you don't need to do any of that, the internal GPU should be fine. I've found that the mini works best off the internal GPU if you use a TB3-DP cable, using your monitor's Display Port connection rather than HDMI.

May I ask which 3d software you use that benefit from an egpu?

Thanks a lot.
 

jayducharme

macrumors 601
Jun 22, 2006
4,640
6,368
The thick of it
Blender, and I don't even have to force it to use the eGPU; it just does. I also dabble in Godot, and that as well taps the eGPU for the bulk of its processing.
 
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CC88

macrumors 6502
Sep 29, 2010
488
117
Blender, and I don't even have to force it to use the eGPU; it just does. I also dabble in Godot, and that as well taps the eGPU for the bulk of its processing.

Thank you very much. I think it's arrived the time to learn Blender... I'm using Modo at the time of writing and it doesn't use the eGPU at all.
 

CC88

macrumors 6502
Sep 29, 2010
488
117
@jayducharme I can't get Blender (2.9) see my eGPU. Both in CUDA (ok I know) and OpenCL it say that no GPU found to use. I have an RX580. Maybe it's not supported? What eGPU do you own?

@dimme I'm sorry for the OT.
 

Erehy Dobon

Suspended
Feb 16, 2018
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Normally the eGPU is off.

When I need it, I turn on the eGPU power switch, select the HDMI 2 input on my monitor (that's what the eGPU is driving) to verify it's functioning, then unplug the HDMI cable from the back of the Mac mini (which drives the HDMI 1 input).

When I want to switch back to Intel integrated graphics, I just shutdown the whole system, turn off the eGPU, plug the HDMI cable back into my Mac mini and power up the system.
 

IngerMan

macrumors 68020
Feb 21, 2011
2,016
905
Michigan
Need, maybe. Want, for sure, who wouldn’t.

The thing is you read older posts on how the setup should work then and how people are doing it now. Things keep changing a little bit just from software updates. Obviously we just want it to work being plugged in and not have to do anything special. That is what Apple Mac is known for. That is how it works with a iMac.
I was running eGPU DP to Monitor DP and then HDMI from MM to Monitor HDMI 1. I had my Monitor on HDMI 1 and it would use the eGPU playing Tombraider even though I was selecting HDMI 1 on the monitor. This setup allowed me to power down or reset with FV on with no issues. Does that work today on the software revision I am on, IDK, Till my next game download...
 

MevetS

Cancelled
Dec 27, 2018
374
303
My setup has two monitors connected to my eGPU and one connected to the HDMI port on my Mini.

I turn on the Mac and it boots fine, boot screens and all. Obviously I use the eGPU all the time.

Other folks have reported the latest Catalina update fixes the issue requiring port swapping.
 

Boyd01

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 21, 2012
7,948
4,880
New Jersey Pine Barrens
Need, maybe. Want, for sure, who wouldn’t.

After reading so many posts about the problems.... I wouldn't! ?

I'm doing fine driving one QHD screen without one. In the past, I've done a lot of work with video but have not done that recently. Eventually, I'll circle back around, hook up my Sony production monitor as a second screen and start editing again. At that point, I'll decide whether I need an eGPU.
 

Meatsuit

macrumors member
Nov 29, 2018
83
36
North America
My purchase of the Mini was perdicated on using it with an eGPU and Bootcamp. Catalina made me buy a Windows gaming PC. Bootcamp and Catalina never worked reliably for me.
Pretty sure after 7 versions of Catalina 10.15.7 HDMI login screen thing might be put to bed. It's been booting from DP connection off the eGPU. No more HDMI connection to the Mini. Fingers crossed.
All said I'm happy with the Mini and the eGPU setup.
Let's hope Big Sir is not the same half baked release as Catalina ?
 
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