Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt Adapter allows backward and forward compatibility. The introduction of the Late 2016 MacBook Pro brought Thunderbolt 3 (TB3) and a new type of connector in the physical shape of USB-C. A Thunderbolt 2 enclosure such as the AKiTiO Thunder2 works directly with all first- and second-generation Thunderbolt Macs since the physical connector is the same and Thunderbolt 2 (TB2) is backward compatible with Thunderbolt (TB1).
Most Thunderbolt enclosures with a PCIe slot are able to communicate with Mac OS (10.9 to 10.12).
Mac models with an asterisk (*) denote they have discrete graphics as a standard feature. In my experience, a Mac with only integrated graphics is easier to set up with an external GPU. A 2011 MacBook Pro with the first generation Thunderbolt and the latest 2016 MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt 3 can both harvest the power of an eGPU. Ghost headless display adapter (optional)Įxternal graphics cards work with all Thunderbolt-equipped Macs.Power supply based on your enclosure & GPU.Nvidia GeForce or AMD Radeon graphics card.Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 2 PCIe enclosure.To get started, you’ll need the following hardware: My goal with this post is to provide a comprehensive beginner’s setup guide so that Mac users can build an external GPU for their computers. As new Macs and Thunderbolt eGPU enclosures become available, I will update this guide with the latest information. Together we built eGPU.io, the first and only dedicated forum for external graphics card. Through this endeavor, I became acquainted with two renowned eGPU pioneers and experts, Nando and Goalque.
I spent hundreds of hours learning everything I could find about external GPU and how to set one up with my MacBook Pro. You’ve seen an external graphics card (eGPU) working with a Mac and looked into getting one but quickly realized it’s a confusing process.