Apple recently announced that they would transfer their Mac line from Intel processors for your ARM-based Apple Silicon. This process is expected to begin with the hardware to be announced later this year, and in the past two years according to Apple's stated expectations, and while the new Intel-based Macs will be released and sold until then, it means that the writing is on the wall for Intel-based Apple hardware. Existing Macs with Intel chips will still be useful long after the transition is complete, and software porting means that they may even support more of your existing favorite applications for the foreseeable future, which is why adding an external GPU (eGPU ) probably makes more sense now than ever.
Apple added eGPU support a few years ago, made possible by the addition of Thunderbolt 3 ports on Mac. These have very high throughput, making it possible for a GPU in an internal enclosure to offer almost a large graphics processing capacity compared to a internally connected. But while Apple directly sold some eGPUs and natively supports AMD graphics cards without any special driver gymnastics required, is still mostly a niche category. But for anyone who is looking to extend the life of their existing Mac for a few more years to wait and see how Apple's silicon transition is unleashed, updates from Apple and major software partners make an eGPU a great choice.
Here are a couple of Thunderbolt 3 eGPU enclosure options available for those considering this upgrade path and the relative strengths of each. Keep in mind that for each of these, the price is only for the fence: you will need to add your eGPU to make it work, but the good news is that you can continually update and replace these graphics cards to give your Mac even more with the improvement. of graphics technology.
Razer Core X Chroma ($ 399)
The Razer Core X Chroma is Razer GPU enclosure top of the range and supports standard size PCIe graphics cards with a maximum width of three slots, up to a maximum of 500 watts. The integrated power supply provides 700w of power, which allows you to produce 100w of power to charge any connected laptop, and on the back of the eGPU you will find four high-speed USB ports and a Gigabit Ethernet port for networking. The Chroma version is also equipped with tunable LED lighting for further user customization options. Razer provided me with a Core X Chrome, an AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti for the purpose of testing on Mac and PC systems.
This isn't the smallest enclosure out there, but that's partly because it supports 3-slot cards, which is above the competition. It's also relatively short and long, which makes it a great option to tuck under a desk, or potentially even held in a desk stand (with enough space for the fan exhaust to work properly). It is silent during operation and only emits audible noises when the GPU inside actually works for compatible software.
Most of my tests have focused on using Razer Core X Chroma with a Mac and for that use you will have to stick to AMD's GPUs, as Apple does not natively support Nvidia graphics cards in macOS. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is still a beast and offers a lot of power to improve activities such as photo and video editing, as well as offering you additional viewing output options and simply providing additional resources for the system to be exploited.
Thanks to Adobe's work on adding eGPU support to its Lightroom, Photoshop and Premiere products, you can achieve many improvements in rendering and overall output in all those applications, particularly if you are on a Mac that only has an integrated GPU. Likewise with Apple's applications, including Final Cut Pro X.
In my experience, using the eGPU has greatly improved the export function of Adobe and Apple professional video editing software, reducing export times by at least half. And working in Lightroom was generally much faster and more responsive, with significantly reduced rendering times for previews and previews, which normally take a little time on my Mac mini 2018.
Apple also uses eGPU to accelerate the performance of all apps that use Metal, OpenGL and OpenCL, which is why you may notice a subtle overall improvement in system performance when you connect one. It's difficult to quantify this effect, but overall system performance has felt less slow and more responsive, especially when running a large number of apps at the same time.
Razer Core X Chrome's extra expansion slots, silent operation and maximum power output make it the best choice if you are looking for a container that can handle everything you need and can provide great shocks to both Macs and PCs Windows - and both interchangeable, if you happen to use both platforms.
Akitio Node Titan ($ 329)
If you are looking to spend a little less money and get a fence that is a bit more barebones but still offers excellent performance, check out the Akitio Node Titan. Akitio enclosure manufacturer was acquired by OWC, a well-known manufacturer and vendor of Mac peripherals that has been supplying RAM, docks, drives and more for decades to decades. The Node Titan is their high-end eGPU container.
The case for the Node Titan is a little smaller than that of the Razer Core X, and is finished in a spatial gray color that best matches Apple's Mac notebooks. The tradeoff for the smaller size is that it only supports 2-slot graphics cards, but also features an integrated pop-out handle which makes it much more convenient, combined with its lighter and more compact design, to take with you to place.
Akitio's Node Titan plugs into a 650w power supply, which is good for high-consumption graphics cards, but it also means that another compromise for this case compared to the Core X Chrome is that the Titan only provides 85w of output to all connected laptops. That's less than the 96 W required for high-speed charging on the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro, although that's still enough to keep the notebook on and provide high-speed charging to the rest of Apple's Mac notebook range.
Node Titan also provides a single port on the enclosure itself: a Thunderbolt output for connection to the computer. The graphics cards used with it will offer their own display connections, however, for connecting external displays.
In terms of performance, Akitio Node Titan offers the same potential gains with AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT for your Mac (and both AMD and Nvidia cards for PC) when plugged in, as GPU specs are what matters most when working with an enclosure. It works a little louder, especially in terms of constant hum, but still detectable even when the GPU is not taxed.
The Node Titan is still an excellent choice, and potentially a better one for those looking for more portability and a little more convenience at the expense of the notebook's maximum power and a series of useful port expansions.
Bottom line
When multiple Macs had the option of user-expandable RAM, this was a great way to squeeze a little more life out of external computers and feel a much faster slowdown. Now, only a few Macs in the Apple range make it easy or even possible to upgrade your memory. Adding an eGPU can have a similar effect, especially if you spend a lot of time in creative editing apps, including the Adobe suite, Apple's Pro apps or various other third-party apps including DaVinci Resolve.
The total price of an eGPU configuration, including the card, may approach or even match the price of a new Mac, but the less expensive cards also offer a significant advantage and you can always change it later according to your needs. It is important to note that the future of eGPU support on Apple Silicon Mac is uncertain, although Apple has said it will support Thunderbolt. However, an eGPU can avoid the need for an update for years, making it easier to wait and see the real meaning of the process transition for Mac users.
