Blackmagic offers a new integrated EGPU for Thunderbolt 3 Macbooks
External graphics processing unit can handle the heavy lifting and boost performance.
Blackmagic in July released a new external graphics processing unit (EGPU) targeted at users looking for a simple-to-integrate device over Thunderbolt 3. The new $699 device was introduced to the media during Apple’s showcase of its new Macbook Pro laptops ( go.macworld.com/mpcl).
The Blackmagic EGPU ( go.macworld. com/bmgp) houses an AMD Radeon Pro 580 graphics card with 8GB of GDDR memory. The integrated design means that,
according to a Blackmagic representative, the card inside the device is not upgradeable. The EGPU can provide a 2.8x increase in performance over the stock graphics in the new 15-inch Macbook Pro and its discrete Radeon graphics. With the new 13-inch Macbook Pro, the jump is more dramatic: 8x over the integrated Intel Iris Pro.
The EGPU unit itself measures 7 by 7 by 12 inches, similar to a Mac Pro but taller. The device also acts as a connectivity hub, equipped with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, four USB 3 ports, and an HDMI 2 jack. It also provides 85 watts of power delivery.
If you use an Apple Thunderbolt display, you’re in luck—the Blackmagic EGPU can run it, a feature that’s not supported in other EGPUS.
While the Blackmagic EGPU is being touted as a device for Apple’s Thunderbolt 3 laptops, any Mac with Thunderbolt 3 and macos High Sierra can use it, including the imac Pro and the 2017 imac. Using a Thunderbolt 3–to–thunderbolt 2 adapter to connect to a Thunderbolt 2 Mac is not recommended. The company says that there are compatible issues with Windows that may affect the device.
The Blackmagic EGPU is available at the online Apple Store ( go.macworld.com/ bybm). ■
The device also acts as a connectivity hub, equipped with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, four USB 3 ports, and an HDMI 2 jack.