For the time being, these three steps must be completed to have a fully functional eGPU: Future versions of Mac OS may break the existing procedure to enable eGPU. eGPU.io Forum is the appropriate place to ask questions about your eGPU setup.Įxternal GPU development in Mac OS has been a process of modifying system files to enable support for external graphics cards. Building and using an eGPU with your Mac is totally unsupported by Apple the Genius Bar will definitely turn you away if you haul your external GPU enclosure into the Apple Store. MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2013)īefore getting too excited about your Mac’s compatibility with eGPU, you should know that Apple never announced external graphics card capabilities as an official feature on its computers. MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012) * MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013) * MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013) * MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) *

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) IMac Pro (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2017) * The table below details all Mac computers with Thunderbolt connectivity. Mac models with an asterisk (*) denote they have discrete graphics as a standard feature. In my experience, a Mac with only integrated graphics is easier to set up with an external GPU. A 2011 MacBook Pro with the first generation Thunderbolt and the latest 2016 MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt 3 can both harvest the power of an eGPU. Ghost headless display adapter (optional)Įxternal graphics cards work with all Thunderbolt-equipped Macs.Power supply based on your enclosure & GPU.

Nvidia GeForce or AMD Radeon graphics card.

Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 2 PCIe enclosure.

To get started, you’ll need the following hardware: My goal with this post is to provide a comprehensive beginner’s setup guide so that Mac users can build an external GPU for their computers. As new Macs and Thunderbolt eGPU enclosures become available, I will update this guide with the latest information. Together we built eGPU.io, the first and only dedicated forum for external graphics card. Through this endeavor, I became acquainted with two renowned eGPU pioneers and experts, Nando and Goalque. I spent hundreds of hours learning everything I could find about external GPU and how to set one up with my MacBook Pro. You’ve seen an external graphics card (eGPU) working with a Mac and looked into getting one but quickly realized it’s a confusing process.

Egpu mac mini 2012