BLACKMAG I C DES IGN EGPU | USER REVI EW
BLACKMAGIC DESIGN eGPU PRICE £599/$699 This external graphics processor packs a lot of punch for the money
WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH
RIGHT The unit provides enough oomph for your laptop to be suitable for on-location and desktop editing.
f you love editing on your Apple MacBook Pro but wish it was quicker, the
mavericks at Blackmagic Design have come to the rescue with a Thunderbolt 3 external graphics processor that boosts its performance to rival that of desktops. The Blackmagic eGPU is a high- performance graphics processor for pro creative software such as DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premier Pro, as well as 3D games and VR. But it also works on processor-hungry applications like Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and more, speeding them up noticeably. It’s useful for filmmakers, photographers, gamers and anyone who just wants a faster MacBook Pro. RADEON PRO CARD Instead of using your MacBook’s internal GPU, the eGPU uses the quick Radeon Pro 580 graphics card. It has 8GB of GDDR5 RAM, 256-bit memory bandwidth and 36 discrete compute units for up to 5.5 teraflops
of processing power; this is a lot, and significantly improved from even the latest, top-of-the range MacBook Pro laptop which comes with Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655. All this makes it quick enough to be an alternative to having a fast desktop for editing and a laptop for use on location. You can buy one fast Macbook Pro and just get more use out of it. However, this isn’t the only way to get a fast GPU: you can buy a standalone GPU unit and put it into housing that will plug into your MacBook Pro via Thunderbolt 3 and give the same results. This actually costs as much as the integrated Blackmagic eGPU, although obviously you can’t upgrade the eGPU like a separate GPU-and- housing set-up. CONNECTIONS As well as the speed improvement, the eGPU has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, 85W of charging power and four USB 3.1 connections, so it can act like a hub. Plug the eGPU into the mains and instead of having to power your laptop through its own charging cable, you run a Thunderbolt 3 lead
RIGHT The eGPU boasts four USB Type A ports, providing charging current up to 1.5A each.
from the eGPU to it. You’ll need to use a real Thunderbolt 3 cable, bundled with the Blackmagic device, as the MacBook Pro’s own power lead fits but uses a different protocol. Another benefit is that it has an HDMI 2.0 connection and another Thunderbolt 3 port, so with the more powerful GPU it makes it possible to run higher-spec, large 4K and HDR monitors or TVs from your laptop. As a GPU accelerator, it brings high-end, desktop-class graphics processing to the MacBook Pro and is the first external processing unit to support Thunderbolt 3 displays. It also works as a docking hub for connecting devices such as keyboards, big screen HDMI televisions and high speed storage. For £599/$699 and available exclusively from Apple, it offers a lot for your money.
SPEC I F I CAT I ONS
GPU: RADEON PRO 580, 8GB VIDEO MEMORY CONNECTIONS: HDMI 2.0 PORT SUPPORTING SCREEN RESOLUTIONS UP TO UHD AND 4K DCI AT 60FPS, 4 X USB TYPE A PORTS SUPPORTING USB 3.1 PROVIDING A CHARGING CURRENT UP TO 1.5A EACH, 2 X THUNDERBOLT 3 USB-C PORTS WITH 85W CHARGING CAPABILITY OPERATING SYSTEM: MAC OS 10.13.6 HIGH SIERRA OR NEWER POWER USAGE: 315W NOISE: 18DB DIMENSIONS (WXHXD): 177X294X177MM/6.96X11.59X6.96IN
DEF I N I T ION | SEPTEMBER 20 1 8 95
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