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Michael J. Hoffman
Community Expert
Michael J. HoffmanCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 31, 2018
Question

External GPUs on MacBook Pros for Adobe applications

  • August 31, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 3183 views

I was reading today on Ars Technica, about the Blackmagic external GPU available in the Apple Store. It seems like a good way for me to be able to boost the performance of my MacBook Pro 13” (late 2017, no touchbar, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, i5 2.3GHz, 16Gb RAM). I got the smaller form factor for work/travel, but with the built-in Intel Iris graphics it’s hardly robust for things like Photoshop 3D or Premiere Pro.

It seems like the external GPU would be a great way to give my work MacBook the juice to be able to run those heftier applications when I’m back in my office, without having to jump onto another machine. I wonder if anyone has had experience with this, and whether in particular this would be an acceptable setup for Photoshop and Premiere Pro. It sounds like this is exactly its purpose, but I didn’t see any Adobe apps mentioned int he article nor on Apple’s store site.

Blackmagic external GPU review: A very Apple graphics solution | Ars Technica

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/08/blackmagic-external-gpu-review-a-very-apple-graphics-solution/

Comments? Thanks in advance!

Mike

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    2 replies

    Ussnorway7605025
    Ussnorway7605025
    Legend
    September 1, 2018

    imo daisy chained graphics are not worth the extra effort but if that is the only way you can get a Mac to run a 3d rendor then thats what you have to do... best of luck with it

    Michael J. Hoffman
    Community Expert
    Michael J. HoffmanCommunity ExpertAuthor
    Community Expert
    September 4, 2018

    I’m curious what you mean by extra effort (other than the effort of opening my wallet). It seems like a reasonable approach to having a robust computer for the desktop, while still providing great portability. As a road warrior, I grudge every ounce I have to carry, and I look with some amusement at my engineer colleagues who carry around portable workstations that weigh 10 lbs.

    I'd rather go thin and light on the road, but be able to do serious work when needed without having an extra computer.

    As as far as effort goes, I’m going to plug a dongle into the USB3 port on my MacBook in the office. Whether there’s an eGPU in the chain to the monitor or not, I don’t see any difference in operational effort?

    Thanks for your comments, all good thoughts as I ponder the technology.

    Mike

      davescm
      Community Expert
      davescmCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      August 31, 2018

      There was a recent discussion here, so it looks like it can be made to work with Photoshop

      PS Not Detecting Radeon Pro 580 (Blackmagic eGPU)

      Dave

      Michael J. Hoffman
      Community Expert
      Michael J. HoffmanCommunity ExpertAuthor
      Community Expert
      August 31, 2018

      Thanks, Dave, that’s goodness.

      Perhaps I’ll go spelunking in the PrPro forums to see if anyone has mentioned it there; but I’d bet if it works for PS, it’ll work for PrPro too (and AE).

      Mike

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