In this article, we prepared a list of the best eGPU for MacBook Pro you can buy to increase the graphical capabilities of your computer. Also, here you will find some tips and tricks that will help you to buy the best eGPU.
While the dual D700 AMD GPUs in my Mac Pro are great for apps such as Final Cut Pro X (which I use), the majority of the work I do revolves around 3D animation and so when it comes to getting that work out of the program you need to render it and rendering takes time. With Apple equipping all its recent Macs with Thunderbolt 3 ports, using an external GPU – or eGPU – is a very convenient way to boost graphics performance. Apple already sells two of them.
What is eGPU?
eGPU stands for external GPU or external Graphics Processing Unit. eGPU consists of two primary parts. The first one is an enclosure and the second is a GPU itself. Also, you need a power supply to properly power a GPU.
In a nutshell, eGPU is what you need in case you feel like a built-in iGPU or dGPU is not powerful enough. Since you can’t upgrade discreet or integrated graphics inside a MacBook, you can make good use of Thunderbolt port and connect an external graphics card. Thunderbolt 3 port has enough throughput to properly deliver all the power from eGPU to your MacBook.
Important: if you want to buy the best eGPU for your MacBook, make sure it has Thunderbolt 3 ports. There are some Thunderbolt 2-compatible eGPU enclosures, but you will lose a lot of power due to the limitation of the previous interface generation. Buying Thunderbolt 2-compatible eGPU is not a viable purchase and we do not recommend wasting money on such a device.
Which MacBooks are compatible with eGPU?
In a nutshell, any Thunderbolt 3-compatible MacBook can work with eGPU. Here’s the list of these computers:
- MacBook Pro: 2016 and newer.
- MacBook Air: 2018 and newer.
- MacBook 12: 2015 and newer.
- iMac: 2017 and newer.
- Mac mini: 2018 and newer.
- MacPro: 2019 and newer.
It is important to mention that although you can buy eGPU for MacBook Air, we do not recommend such a combo. The reason for that is CPUs used in MacBook Air 2018 and newer. Those are low-powered processors with basically passive cooling (radiator has no direct connection with a fan). Using eGPU with MacBook Air will end up with bottlenecking a CPU and a GPU won’t work fully.
Long story short, buy eGPU for MacBook Pro, iMac, or Mac Mini. These devices have powerful enough CPUs that will work very well with any GPU you connect.
Which graphics card can I use in eGPU for MacBook?
The sad reality is that you can use only AMD’s Radeon cards in an eGPU with your Mac. macOS does not support Nvidia cards thus the most powerful GPUs are out of the game. You can use Polaris-based cards, like RX 590 or RX 580, Vega-based cards like VII or Vega 56, and the latest RDNA-based GPUs like Radeon RX5700 or 5700XT.
What do you need to know when purchasing eGPU for MacBook?
A GPU’s dimensions. All GPUs connect to the eGPU enclosure via a regular PCIe slot. What you need to be aware of is the physical dimensions of a GPU. Consider how thick and how long a card is. Some enclosures support up to two PCIe slots GPUs so a GPU with a beefy cooling won’t fit in there. The same applies to the length of a GPU.
A PSU’s power. Make sure the built-in PSU has enough power to juice up your GPU. This applies mostly to the most powerful GPUs that consume lots of power (300 W and more). Shop for an eGPU enclosure that offers a bit more power since PSUs have different power efficiency ratings. For example, if a GPU has a power draw of 300 W, your PSU should be capable of supplying at least 350 W.
GPUs are not included. You pay for the eGPU enclosure only. There are some bundles, but manufacturers mostly sell eGPU cases only since every user has its own needs and budgets.
Performance difference. There’s no need to waste your money on the 10% difference. Buy an eGPU for your MacBook only if you can afford a much more powerful GPU compared to the one installed on your computer.
Cooling is important. GPUs are hot. And sticking a hot thing inside an enclosure without proper ventilation is a bad idea. For the best performance, make sure an eGPU is properly cooled. Some eGPUs come with built-in fans and vents, others require users to buy a third-party fan for air intake or exhaust.
PCIe lanes. Check how much PCIe lanes your eGPU supports. Most GPUs require PCIe x16 to operate at a full speed. You can use less (StarTech.com Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Expansion Chassis has the only x4) without any performance differences but in some specific scenarios, you may encounter hiccups if a GPU uses fewer lanes that it should. And yes, don’t confuse PCIe Size and PCIe lanes.
macOS version. eGPUs work in MacBooks with macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 and later. Older versions won’t work with an eGPU.
The Best eGPU for MacBook
Razer Core X is arguably the best eGPU for MacBook. It is not cheap but comes in two different versions. Regular Core X is more affordable, and Core X Chroma is more expensive but with more advanced features, like Ethernet jack, additional USB ports, and RGB lighting. Also, Core X Chroma has a more powerful PSU (700W in Chroma and 650 W in a regular).
Razer Core X supports three-slots GPUs with the following dimensions: 12.99×6.29×2.36” (330x160x30 mm) in Core X, and 12.99×6.29×2.24” (330x160x57 mm) in Core X Chroma.
Sonnet eGFX is a more affordable option but you will have to accept some trade-offs. For example, PSU is less powerful (550 W) and the Thunderbolt 3 power delivery is weaker (87 W comparing to 100 W in Razer). Still, this is a very nice enclosure that does the job well. No flashy and arguably unnecessary features. Just a bare-bones eGPU to power your Mac. Max GPU length is 313 mm.
These two are the best options we were able to find. Although this list may seem somewhat limited, these two options will cover all the needs of those who need the best eGPU for MacBook.
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To use an eGPU, a Mac with an Intel processor is required.
An eGPU can give your Mac additional graphics performance for professional apps, 3D gaming, VR content creation, and more.
eGPUs are supported by any Mac with an Intel processor and Thunderbolt 3 ports1 running macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 or later. Learn how to update the software on your Mac.
An eGPU lets you do all this on your Mac:
- Accelerate apps that use Metal, OpenGL, and OpenCL
- Connect additional external monitors and displays
- Use virtual reality headsets plugged into the eGPU
- Charge your MacBook Pro while using the eGPU
- Use an eGPU with your MacBook Pro while its built-in display is closed
- Connect an eGPU while a user is logged in
- Connect more than one eGPU using the multiple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports on your Mac2
- Use the menu bar item to safely disconnect the eGPU
- View the activity levels of built-in and external GPUs (Open Activity Monitor, then choose Window > GPU History.)
Macbook Pro External Video Card
eGPU support in apps
Best External Gpu For Macbook Pro 2020
eGPU support in macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 and later is designed to accelerate Metal, OpenGL, and OpenCL apps that benefit from a powerful eGPU. Not all apps support eGPU acceleration; check with the app's developer to learn more.3
In general, an eGPU can accelerate performance in these types of apps:
- Pro apps designed to utilize multiple GPUs
- 3D games, when an external monitor is attached directly to the eGPU
- VR apps, when the VR headset is attached directly to the eGPU
- Pro apps and 3D games that accelerate the built-in display of iMac, iMac Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro (This capability must be enabled by the app's developer.)
You can configure applications to use an eGPU with one of the following methods.
Use the Prefer External GPU option
Starting with macOS Mojave 10.14, you can turn on Prefer External GPU in a specific app's Get Info panel in the Finder. This option lets the eGPU accelerate apps on any display connected to the Mac—including displays built in to iMac, iMac Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro:
- Quit the app if it's open.
- Select the app in the Finder. Most apps are in your Applications folder. If you open the app from an alias or launcher, Control-click the app's icon and choose Show Original from the pop-up menu. Then select the original app.
- Press Command-I to show the app's info window.
- Select the checkbox next to Prefer External GPU.
- Open the app to use it with the eGPU.
You won't see this option if an eGPU isn't connected, if your Mac isn't running macOS Mojave or later, or if the app self-manages its GPU selection. Some apps, such as Final Cut Pro, directly choose which graphics processors are used and will ignore the Prefer External GPU checkbox.
Set an external eGPU-connected display as the primary display
If you have an external display connected to your eGPU, you can choose it as the primary display for all apps. Since apps default to the GPU associated with the primary display, this option works with a variety of apps:
- Quit any open apps that you want the eGPU to accelerate on the primary display.
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences. Select Displays, then select the Arrangement tab.
- Drag the white menu bar to the box that represents the display that's attached to the eGPU.
- Open the apps that you want to use with the eGPU.
If you disconnect the eGPU, your Mac defaults back to the internal graphics processors that drives the built-in display. When the eGPU is re-attached, it automatically sets the external display as the primary display.
About macOS GPU drivers
Mac hardware and GPU software drivers have always been deeply integrated into the system. This design fuels the visually rich and graphical macOS experience as well as many deeper platform compute and graphics features. These include accelerating the user interface, providing support for advanced display features, rendering 3D graphics for pro software and games, processing photos and videos, driving powerful GPU compute features, and accelerating machine learning tasks. This deep integration also enables optimal battery life while providing for greater system performance and stability.
Apple develops, integrates, and supports macOS GPU drivers to ensure there are consistent GPU capabilities across all Mac products, including rich APIs like Metal, Core Animation, Core Image, and Core ML. In order to deliver the best possible customer experience, GPU drivers need to be engineered, integrated, tested, and delivered with each version of macOS. Aftermarket GPU drivers delivered by third parties are not compatible with macOS.
The GPU drivers delivered with macOS are also designed to enable a high quality, high performance experience when using an eGPU, as described in the list of recommended eGPU chassis and graphics card configurations below. Because of this deep system integration, only graphics cards that use the same GPU architecture as those built into Mac products are supported in macOS.
Supported eGPU configurations
It's important to use an eGPU with a recommended graphics card and Thunderbolt 3 chassis. If you use an eGPU to also charge your MacBook Pro, the eGPU's chassis needs to provide enough power to run the graphics card and charge the computer. Check with the manufacturer of the chassis to find out if it provides enough power for your MacBook Pro.
Recommended graphics cards, along with chassis that can power them sufficiently, are listed below.
Thunderbolt 3 all-in-one eGPU products
These products contain a powerful built-in GPU and supply sufficient power to charge your MacBook Pro.
Recommended Thunderbolt 3 all-in-one eGPUs:
- Blackmagic eGPU and Blackmagic eGPU Pro4
- Gigabyte RX 580 Gaming Box4
- Sonnet Radeon RX 570 eGFX Breakaway Puck
- Sonnet Radeon RX 560 eGFX Breakaway Puck5
AMD Radeon RX 470, RX 480, RX 570, RX 580, and Radeon Pro WX 7100
These graphics cards are based on the AMD Polaris architecture. Recommended graphics cards include the Sapphire Pulse series and the AMD WX series.
Recommended Thunderbolt 3 chassis for these graphics cards:
- OWC Mercury Helios FX4
- PowerColor Devil Box
- Sapphire Gear Box
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 350W
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 550W4
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650W4
- Razer Core X4
- PowerColor Game Station4
- HP Omen4
- Akitio Node6
AMD Radeon RX Vega 56
These graphics cards are based on the AMD Vega 56 architecture. Recommended graphics cards include the Sapphire Vega 56.
Recommended Thunderbolt 3 chassis for these graphics cards:
- OWC Mercury Helios FX4
- PowerColor Devil Box
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 550W4
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650W4
- Razer Core X4
- PowerColor Game Station4
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, Vega Frontier Edition Air, and Radeon Pro WX 9100
These graphics cards are based on the AMD Vega 64 architecture. Recommended graphics cards include the Sapphire Vega 64, AMD Frontier Edition air-cooled, and AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100.
Recommended Thunderbolt 3 chassis for these graphics cards:
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650W4
- Razer Core X4
AMD Radeon RX 5700, 5700 XT, and 5700 XT 50th Anniversary
If you've installed macOS Catalina 10.15.1 or later, you can use these graphics cards that are based on the AMD Navi RDNA architecture. Recommended graphics cards include the AMD Radeon RX 5700, AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary.
Recommended Thunderbolt 3 chassis for these graphics cards:
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650W4
- Razer Core X4
Learn more
- Learn how to choose your GPU in Final Cut Pro 10.4.7 or later.
- To ensure the best eGPU performance, use the Thunderbolt 3 cable that came with your eGPU or an Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) cable. Also make sure that the cable is connected directly to a Thunderbolt 3 port on your Mac, not daisy-chained through another Thunderbolt device or hub.
- If you have questions about Thunderbolt 3 chassis or graphics cards, or about third-party app support and compatibility, contact the hardware or software provider.
- Software developers can learn more about programming their apps to take advantage of macOS eGPU support.
1. If you have a Mac mini (2018) with FileVault turned on, make sure to connect your primary display directly to Mac mini during startup. After you log in and see the macOS Desktop, you can unplug the display from Mac mini and connect it to your eGPU.
2. If you're using a 13-inch MacBook Pro from 2016 or 2017, always plug eGPUs and other high-performance devices into the left-hand ports for maximum data throughput.
Best Egpus For Mac
3. macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 and later don't support eGPUs in Windows using Boot Camp or when your Mac is in macOS Recovery or installing system updates.
4. These chassis provide at least 85 watts of charging power, making them ideal for use with 15-inch MacBook Pro models.
5. Playback of HDCP-protected content from iTunes and some streaming services is not supported on displays attached to Radeon 560-based eGPUs. You can play this content on the built-in display on MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac.
6. If you use Akitio Node with a Mac notebook, you might need to connect your Mac to its power adapter to ensure proper charging.