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Vanessa K Harper
Participant
May 29, 2020
Question

External GPU for 2017 13" MacBook Pro to use Premier Pro and Photoshop

  • May 29, 2020
  • 1 reply
  • 815 views

Based on advice from a colleague, I recently bought an AMD Radeon RX 560 to use as an external graphic card for my 2017 13 inch Macbook Pro that I just updated to run OS Catalina (big mistake I think). I needed it because I am taking an online introduction to digital editing class. The menu bar on my computer shows the GPU as connected, but when I go into the preferences of Photoshop, it only shows my internal graphics processor as an option. I have searched online for a while and can't seem to find a direct answer. Based on my research, the Radeon RX 560 is compatible with my 2017 Macbook Pro (right?), but is it compatible with Adobe Photoshop 2020? Does Photoshop just automatcially use it or is there a bypass for me to make it my default in that application? Or is having upgraded to Catalina the problem? I fear I just wasted $350. Thanks for any advice!

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1 reply

Conrad_C
Community Expert
Conrad_CCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 29, 2020

It sounds like it should work. I use both Photoshop and Premiere Pro on a 13-inch 2018 MacBook Pro through a Radeon RX 580 8GB in a Thunderbolt 3 eGPU. The card shows up in both applications and, and the GPU History in macOS Activity Monitor shows the card being used for GPU-accelerated features. The eGPU is definitely a benefit in Premiere Pro.

 

The fact that your menu bar says the eGPU is connected is a good sign. Do you also see the eGPU and card show up in System Information under Hardware > Graphics/Displays; and in Activity Monitor, if you choose Window > GPU History, does it show both your internal and external graphics? This is how my GPU History looks when working in Premiere Pro:

 

 

The eGPU will not show up in Photoshop or Premiere Pro if those applications are already running when I plug in the eGPU. If those applications are running at the time, they need to be quit and restarted for them to see the eGPU.

 

I have not upgraded to Catalina yet, my Mac’s still on 10.14.6. But I think this setup worked fine on a test volume I set up with 10.15, and I might finally be willing to upgrade after yesterday’s macOS 10.15.5 update. I am not sure if there are new eGPU problems in Catalina.

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