macOS High Sierra Now Supports These eGPUs

News
By Andrew E. Freedman
published

With an update to macOS High Sierra version 10.13.4, select MacBook Pros and iMac desktops now have the option of connecting to an external GPU (eGPU) for more powerful gaming, VR and multimedia editing performance.

The feature, which is just arriving now, was first promised at Apple's WWDC conference in June 2017.

This support is limited to machines with Thunderbolt 3 ports, which includes MacBook Pros from 2016 and 2017, last year's 4K and 5K iMacs and the iMac Pro.

Graphics Cards Supported

In a FAQ on its website, Apple lists recommended eGPU configurations, and they lean entirely in the direction of AMD (sorry, Nvidia). The list includes:

  • AMD Radeon RX 570
  • AMD Radeon RX 580
  • AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 
  • AMD Radeon Vega RX 56
  • AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  • AMD Radeon Vega Frontier Edition Air
  • AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100

Available eGPU Chassis Options

For each GPU, Apple also recommends chassis options that can power the MacBook Pro, most often from OWC, Sapphire, PowerColor and Sonnet. When pairing, make sure that the chassis can  both power the GPU and fit it inside.

We tested some of these devices, including the PowerColor Devil Box and the Sonnet eGFX Breakaway box, and you can see those results here.

macOS Guide

Andrew E. Freedman