Your Thunderbolt 3-equipped Mac running macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 can access additional graphics performance by connecting to an external graphics processor (also known as an eGPU).
An eGPU can give your Mac additional graphics performance for professional applications, 3D gaming, VR content creation, and more.
eGPUs are supported on MacBook Pro notebooks released in 2016 and later1, iMac computers introduced in 2017 and later, and iMac Pro. Your Mac must also have macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 installed. Learn how to update the software on your Mac.
With eGPU support in macOS 10.13.4, you can:
- Accelerate applications 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 Mac
- 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.
Supported eGPU configurations
t's important to use an eGPU with a recommended graphics card and Thunderbolt 3 chassis. And if you're using a MacBook Pro, the eGPU's Thunderbolt 3 chassis needs to provide sufficient power to run the graphics card while charging the computer. Check with the maker of the chassis to find out how much power it provides, and make sure that it's enough to charge your connected Mac notebook
Recommended graphics cards, along with chassis that can power them sufficiently, are listed below.
AMD Radeon RX 570, RX 580, and Radeon Pro WX 7100 graphics cards
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 FX
- PowerColor Devil Box
- Sapphire Gear Box
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 350W
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 550W
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650W
AMD Radeon RX Vega 56
These graphics cards are based on the AMD Vega 56 architecture. Recommended graphics cards include the Sapphire Vega 56 and XFX Vega 56.
Recommended Thunderbolt 3 chassis for these graphics cards:
- OWC Mercury Helios FX
- PowerColor Devil Box
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 550W
- Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650W
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, Vega Frontier Edition Air, Radeon Pro WX 9100
These graphics cards are based on the AMD Vega 64 architecture. Recommended graphics cards include the Sapphire Vega 64, XFX 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 650W
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 eGPU:
- Sonnet Radeon RX 570 eGFX Breakaway Puck
eGPU support in applications
eGPU support in macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 is designed to accelerate Metal, OpenGL, and OpenCL applications that benefit from a powerful eGPU. However, not all applications support eGPU acceleration. Check with the application's developer to learn more.
Also note that macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 doesn't support eGPUs in Windows using Boot Camp or when your Mac is in macOS Recovery or installing system updates.
In general, an eGPU can accelerate performance in these types of applications:
- Pro applications designed to utilize multiple GPUs
- 3D games, when an external monitor is attached directly to the eGPU
- VR applications, when the VR headset is attached directly to the eGPU
- Pro applications and 3D games that accelerate the built-in display of an iMac or MacBook Pro. (This capability must be enabled by the application's developer.)
For best results with applications like 3D games, set a display that's attached to the eGPU as the primary system display:
- Go to System Preferences > Displays, and select the Arrangement tab.
- Drag the white menu bar to the box that represents the display that's attached to the eGPU.
Learn more
- If you have questions about Thunderbolt 3 chassis or graphics cards, or about third-party application support and compatibility, contact the hardware or software provider.
- Software developers can learn more about programming their applications to take advantage of macOS eGPU support.
Notes
- If you're using a 13-inch MacBook Pro from 2016 or later, always plug eGPUs and other high-performance devices into the left-hand ports for maximum data throughput.
- For optimal performance, eGPUs should be connected directly to your Mac and not daisy-chained through another Thunderbolt device or hub.
- These chassis provide at least 85 watts of charging power, making them ideal for use with 15-inch MacBook Pro models.
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