MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012) * MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013) * MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013) * MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) * MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) IMac Pro (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2017) * The table below details all Mac computers with Thunderbolt connectivity. 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.

External graphics card for imac