Latest macOS Adds External GPU Support

[DooKey]

External GPU support has been added to the latest release of macOS High Sierra and you guys that love your Mac will be able to add high end gaming GPU's via the Thunderbolt 3 port. This isn't the only thing added to macOS, but for us here at the [H] it's probably the most important addition. Go forth and game my Mac friends. May the FPS be with you.

Another notable addition is Business Chat in Messages for users in the US. Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and others have tweaked their services to enable customer service linkups and now Apple has its version available on the desktop. With it, you can interact with business representatives or even make purchases.

 

[heatlesssun]

Now all macOS needs is game developers. The situation is better since Steam came to macOS but it's still a far distant second place platform. Apple seems to have never really cared about gamers though they do from time to time do things like this. There's even Steam VR support for macOS but I've not heard much about it since the initial launch late last year.

 

[vegeta535]

Now all macOS needs is game developers. The situation is better since Steam came to macOS but it's still a far distant second place platform. Apple seems to have never really cared about gamers though they do from time to time do things like this. There's even Steam VR support for macOS but I've not heard much about it since the initial launch late last year.

Still do you need need mac specific graphics cards like you use too or off the shelf ones work nowadays? Those cards were very expansive and hard to come by then.

 

[EchtoGammut]

So, $300 for a "dock" and "$1000" for a GPU. All the external GPU cases leave a lot to be desired. I'm thinking a GPU dock should look like a wedge that contains the GPU and you can place your laptop on top of, like a laptop stand. Then it would be one small Thunderbolt cable connection. Otherwise $300 for PSU + $25 case and a PCIx to Thunderbolt adapter is way overpriced.

 

[heatlesssun]

Still do you need need mac specific graphics cards like you use too or off the shelf ones work nowadays? Those cards were very expansive and hard to come by then.

If it's Thunderbolt then the enclosures should just work with standard PCIE cards.

 

[steakman1971]

I'm actually curious on some benchmarks. I'd like to see something like a mid-MacBook Pro with the external GPU.

I use a Mac for development work. There are a lot of haters on here (I get it - expensive, locked down, etc) - but the trackpad is awesome. I don't use a mouse when I'm working. I spend a lot of my time in a terminal and Xcode.

I don't do a lot of gaming on my Mac systems. I use either a MacBook Pro or a newer iMac (has some Radeon gpu in it.) The iMac is a 5k screen. The Radeon GPU struggles if you don't lower things a bit.
As others have said, Apple has never really supported game developers. I think they don't care or even understand that market. Makes you wonder why...anyway, am curious to see how this works out for macOS. Until then, I'll be sticking with my Windows system for the majority of my gaming.

 

[heatlesssun]

I use a Mac for development work. There are a lot of haters on here (I get it - expensive, locked down, etc) - but the trackpad is awesome. I don't use a mouse when I'm working. I spend a lot of my time in a terminal and Xcode.

Apple hardware isn't always as overpriced as some say. One huge problem that the PC market got into was chasing volume by cutting margins and making devices as cheaply as possible. It's great to have a market of affordable devices but trying to drive hardware innovation by racing to the bottom simply isn't possible. PC makers in the last few years have fortunately found some new life in making better quality though more expensive devices and I think overall that's worked well for them. It certainly has Apple.

 

[Trimlock]

Steve jobs used to fume when ever someone would ask him about supporting game development on his platforms. I never got his absolute hatred for the platform but man did he not like gaming.

 

[BloodyIron]

Except that OSX has a very short driver list for GPUs.

If it's Thunderbolt then the enclosures should just work with standard PCIE cards.

 

[Mize]

I set up an iMac Pro + Akitio Node Pro + 1080ti + BenQ 32" monitor.

Macos performance is decent enough with nvidia's web drivers, but it's way better booting to Windows 10 where it doesn't correctly ID the 1080ti over TB3 so things like Oculus tell you your system can't hang, but if course it does just fine.

The idea here is a system where I can design (Fusion 360) while computer players take their turns in strategy games, bouncing between work and game at will.

It works great for this other than my inability to get much work done.

 

[Mize]

Except that OSX has a very short driver list for GPUs.

Fortunately Nvidia releases macos drivers in spite of Apple and bootcamp is just windows, though there are some tricks to getting the latest Apple hardware to boot from an external drive.

 

[TrevorR]

The most disappointing thing about this update is that it doesn't support Boot camp. Egpu in boot camp doesn't work in macs with dedicated gpus. So the egpu only works in bootcamp in 13" macbooks with no dedicated gpu.

For it to work in any mac besides the 13", you have to install hacks in the EFI at bootup and disable the dedicated gpu at every boot up.....

 

[Mize]

The most disappointing thing about this update is that it doesn't support Boot camp. Egpu in boot camp doesn't work in macs with dedicated gpus. So the egpu only works in bootcamp in 13" macbooks with no dedicated gpu.

For it to work in any mac besides the 13", you have to install hacks in the EFI at bootup and disable the dedicated gpu at every boot up.....

Is this a change since 10.13.3? Or does it only work with external displays connected to the egpu? I'm reluctant to update to 10.13.4 for fear it breaks something.

 

[Mize]

I realize HardOCP has few macos members, but figured this warning is still worth posting:

Macos 10.13.4 breaks Nvidia eGPUs.
More than 80% of reported macos eGPU builds on egpu.io are dorked by upgrading from the perfectly functional 10.13.3 to 10.13.4. AMD builds are unaffected.

Boo hiss Apple!

Fortunately I've only a few apps in macos without Windows equivalents so all Mr. Cook is accomplishing is pushing me to use Windows all the time.

 

[TrevorR]

Is this a change since 10.13.3? Or does it only work with external displays connected to the egpu? I'm reluctant to update to 10.13.4 for fear it breaks something.

egpus have never worked natively in bootcamp in MacBooks with dedicated egpu because of the dedicated gpu interfering. The hack to make egpu's work is by forcing the dedicated gpu to disable at bootup and that required modifying the Macs uefi. Then when in windows, you had to disable some of the USB ports in the MacBook and then the ogpu would work.

The hope with this update is that egpus would work natively but they didn't, lame.

For your second post, Nvidia gpus only worked prior to this update when running a script. I'm assuming that it was probably messing with the MacOS, so they probably are trying to prevent that this update.

 

[Krazy925]

From a 2005 Stanford University Commencement Speech:




If I had to take a guess, from his own words above, I would presume to believe Steve Jobs found video games an insult to life and a monumental waste of one's limited time on this planet.

You’d think a guy that lived everyday like his last would have used more than juice cleanses to treat cancer.

What the fuck do I know though.

Maybe he figured chemo would take too long if it was his last day.

 

[Krazy925]

Yeah for someone that had a net worth of 10 billion dollars and was at the forefront of technology, I was baffled that there wasn't some experimental form of science, medicine or technology being utilized to try and save his life. Whenever I read sensational science pop pieces about finding cures for this or that, I just think back to Steve Jobs and realize that it's just a bunch of grant proposals trying to stay funded.

Did you know that if you do <insert cleanse here> will cure cancer.

One of my Facebook friends shared it. Gotta be true the guy said he was smarter than doctors.

 

[Mize]

egpus have never worked natively in bootcamp in MacBooks with dedicated egpu because of the dedicated gpu interfering. The hack to make egpu's work is by forcing the dedicated gpu to disable at bootup and that required modifying the Macs uefi. Then when in windows, you had to disable some of the USB ports in the MacBook and then the ogpu would work.

The hope with this update is that egpus would work natively but they didn't, lame.

For your second post, Nvidia gpus only worked prior to this update when running a script. I'm assuming that it was probably messing with the MacOS, so they probably are trying to prevent that this update.

The problem you cite affected laptops. I had zero issues getting bootcamp running with both AMD and Nvidia drivers simultaneously with apps correctly identifying which GPU they were using.

But the truth is this is Apple so my bad as they're on board with knowing more about my needs than I do.