External GPU for mid 2012 macbook pro

[CropDuster]

Hi friends,

 

I am tossing around the idea of an external gpu for my laptop mostly as a cheaper transition to a pc build later on down the road. And I just think it's a cool project I'd like to tackle. I've done some research on my own and the easiest solutions seem to be very expensive PCIe to thunderbolt enclosers. I would like to spend the majority of my money on my card and not the enclosure. I have a mid 2012 macbook pro with a  i7 3720QM 

 

I'd love to toss around any ideas, thanks!

[Fgtfv567]

Hi friends,

 

I am tossing around the idea of an external gpu for my laptop mostly as a cheaper transition to a pc build later on down the road. And I just think it's a cool project I'd like to tackle. I've done some research on my own and the easiest solutions seem to be very expensive PCIe to thunderbolt enclosers. I would like to spend the majority of my money on my card and not the enclosure. I have a mid 2012 macbook pro with a  i7 3720QM 

 

I'd love to toss around any ideas, thanks!

Follow your topics!

The best case scenario is to just save up and build a new PC.

If you really need to have an eGPU, you should just get the PCB that connects the GPU to the Macbook. Then the PSU and GPU. Just leave it all out in the open and don't spend money on the metal that surrounds everything.

Welp can't find anything on amazon for you but poke about, maybe you'll find something

[Belgarathian]

Follow your topics!

The best case scenario is to just save up and build a new PC.

If you really need to have an eGPU, you should just get the PCB that connects the GPU to the Macbook. Then the PSU and GPU. Just leave it all out in the open and don't spend money on the metal that surrounds everything.

Welp can't find anything on amazon for you but poke about, maybe you'll find something

 

Please tell me this was a joke? 

 

The reason you require a thunderbolt enclosure is that Thunderbolt 2 supports 2x20gbps channels which is enough to support the data transfer between the enclosure and the laptop. 

 

By the looks of things, Thunderbolt 3 is 1x40gbps channel. 

[Fgtfv567]

Please tell me this was a joke? 

 

The reason you require a thunderbolt enclosure is that Thunderbolt 2 supports 2x20gbps channels which is enough to support the data transfer between the enclosure and the laptop. 

 

By the looks of things, Thunderbolt 3 is 1x40gbps channel. 

What? Maybe I wasn't clear, when I meant PCB, I meant the circuit board that the GPU plugs into. And then from the circuit board is the Thunderbolt 2 cable

[Dschijn]

What are "very expensive PCIe to thunderbolt enclosers"? You can use a AKiTiO Thunder2 which you can buy with a discount for 189$ + shipping!

Small GPUs up to a GTX970 can fit into that case, only bigger GPUs will need a bigger case.

 

Most of your questions should be answered here in my basic guide: https://www.techinferno.com/index.php?/forums/topic/7947-the-basic-egpu-hardware-guide-for-macs/

 

Check out my eGPU videos:

[CropDuster]

What are "very expensive PCIe to thunderbolt enclosers"? You can use a AKiTiO Thunder2 which you can buy with a discount for 189$ + shipping!

Small GPUs up to a GTX970 can fit into that case, only bigger GPUs will need a bigger case.

 

Most of your questions should be answered here in my basic guide: https://www.techinferno.com/index.php?/forums/topic/7947-the-basic-egpu-hardware-guide-for-macs/

 

Check out my eGPU videos:

 

Thanks! The stuff I was finding was in the $800 to $1000 dollar range for something that would hold a full length card. I honestly am not set on a card yet so ill do some more research, but thanks for the help!