Does anyone have experience with external GPUs?

[Firearm2112]

I have a Macbook and like to play games, but sometimes it just cant handle it.

 

The other day, I came across this on youtube. 

 

 

and this

 

 

Does anyone have experience with something like this? Would it work?

 

I might consider doing it If i cant get the money together for a full fledged desktop.

[ShadowCaptain]

Does anyone have experience with something like this? Would it work?

 

Yeah they work

 

There are quite a few thunderbolt e-gpu boxes on the market, some cheaper than others, they work just fine, only limited by your mobile CPU

[lx_srs]

I have a Macbook and like to play games, but sometimes it just cant handle it.

 

The other day, I came across this on youtube. 

 

-snip-

 

and this

 

-snip-

 

Does anyone have experience with something like this? Would it work?

 

I might consider doing it If i cant get the money together for a full fledged desktop.

Why did you buy a Mac if you wanted to play games?

[TheSLSAMG]

Why did you buy a Mac if you wanted to play games?

I am pretty sure OP didn't ask to question his choices.

 

To OP, it works fine. But what system configuration is your MacBook?

[Zelx]

They work, but as far as I know they lose a bit of performance (nothing big). The limit will be the cpu, so it doesn't throttle your GPU.

[Builder]

Why did you buy a Mac if you wanted to play games?

Because he wanted a Mac and you can play games on a Mac?

 

Who are you to ask why he owns a Mac?

[Firearm2112]

I am pretty sure OP didn't ask to question his choices.

 

To OP, it works fine. But what system configuration is your MacBook?

Macbook Pro 13" i5 16GB ram, mid 2012 model 500GB SSD

[TheSLSAMG]

Macbook Pro 13" i5 16GB ram, mid 2012 model 500GB SSD

It should do well enough with something like a GTX 760, but I wouldn't go above that in terms of graphics (would most likely bottleneck in CPU-heavy games with anything higher end.)

[Firearm2112]

It should do well enough with something like a GTX 760, but I wouldn't go above that in terms of graphics (would most likely bottleneck in CPU-heavy games with anything higher end.)

I noticed on the comments of the second video I linked, someone asked about a Macbook Pro 13" 2012, the same model I have and the creator said no. I was wondering why, seeing how I dont really see how one year apart and production can make a difference

[TheSLSAMG]

I noticed on the comments of the second video I linked, someone asked about a Macbook Pro 13" 2012, the same model I have and the creator said no. I was wondering why, seeing how I dont really see how one year apart and production can make a difference

It has a Thunderbolt port, so I don't see why it wouldn't work.

 

Well, thunderbolt can offer at least up to 20 Gbit/s, which is the same as PCIe 2.0 4x, so it should work, but higher end GPUs might bottleneck a bit

Nope, that would be Thunderbolt II. The MacBook Pro OP has is equipped with Thunderbolt, which can only deliver up to 10Gbit/s.

[steffen_anywhere]

Interested in this... If you actually end up doing this, then I'd like to follow your progress if you don't mind.

 

EDIT: I think you'd find some interesting information over at the Extremetech forums about this.

[Firearm2112]

Interested in this... If you actually end up doing this, then I'd like to follow your progress if you don't mind.

 

EDIT: I think you'd find some interesting information over at the Extremetech forums about this.

 

Thank you. I just have to find the cheapest way, considering there is more then a few. One of the PCI docking stations is like a thousand bucks, and then its not worth it. So I am going to try to find more cost effective solutions

[steffen_anywhere]

Thank you. I just have to find the cheapest way, considering there is more then a few. One of the PCI docking stations is like a thousand bucks, and then its not worth it. So I am going to try to find more cost effective solutions

 

Well, there are a few ways. I'll see what I can still remember:

 

Route 1 (not the best but the cheapest):

Use of the PE4L board to adapt PCI E to Expresscard 43 (5Gbps), then use the Sonnet dock thing they show in the video above to adapt it to TB again.

 

I'll try to piece together some more solutions I think I still have some notes...

[Firearm2112]

Well, there are a few ways. I'll see what I can still remember:

 

Route 1 (not the best but the cheapest):

Use of the PE4L board to adapt PCI E to Expresscard 43 (5Gbps), then use the Sonnet dock thing they show in the video above to adapt it to TB again.

 

I'll try to piece together some more solutions I think I still have some notes...

 

Thanks. Its just since that seasonic thing is a thousand bucks you mind as well get a desktop for that price

[steffen_anywhere]

Thanks. Its just since that seasonic thing is a thousand bucks you mind as well get a desktop for that price

 

Yeah that is the BEST solution, but absolutely pointless to be practical.

[Firearm2112]

Yeah that is the BEST solution, but absolutely pointless to be practical.

What do you think about the setup in the first video, with the ViDock thingy

[steffen_anywhere]

What do you think about the setup in the first video, with the ViDock thingy

 

That is basically what I said as the cheapest solution... Except that it is less ghetto as you use that ViDock enclosure (which is more than the GPU...) If you were to get the Pe4l and that Sonnet Expresscard adapter (and a PSU), it would be somewhat ghetto and a huge octopus of wires, but it would cost $200 less...

[Guest]

Just skip this and get a desktop man.

Nothing so disappointing as not going the full 100%.