[ad_1]
As with the rest of the external GPUs we examined, it connects via Thunderbolt 3 and is designed to connect to an external display to optimize performance. However, the Blackmagic is the first that speeds up a Thunderbolt 3 display without relying on hacks or other hardware workarounds – more on that in a bit.
High quality design, gray aluminum shell
The eGPU of Blackmagic is dense, compared to the others AppleInsider has tested. The weight is pretty much the same, but the unit is condensed, taking less office than the Mantiz or the matching Sonnet units.
The upper and lower vents appear to be plastic but are also well made. the Pro MacBook Pro quite tightly.
The design reminiscent of the 2013 Mac Pro with an inlet vent at the bottom and a single large fan at the top. Unfortunately, just like it, the eGPU does not have the ability to take an upgrade in the future.
The first eGPU to support Thunderbolt 3 screens
Monitor connectivity is provided by HDMI 2.0 for the most part. While other units have incorporated a Thunderbolt 3 pass-through port, the Blackmagic eGPU is the first to use the port to speed up a downstream monitor, which we can happily confirm. Neither Apple nor Blackmagic mention the support of a native USB-C monitor, it's something we're going to look into.
With Thunderbolt 3 ports, we have 4 USB 3.1 ports running at the speed of Generation 1. As such, they are limited to 5Gbps.
One of the omissions is a DisplayPort output, which means that those who have an old display that does not have an HDMI port may not be lucky. HDMI to DisplayPort Active Adapters can be expensive and problematic, and the $ 90 that it costs to get it is probably not worth the effort
It's here that the differences between USB- C and Thunderbolt 3 come into play. Thunderbolt 3 is USB-C, but not all USB-C devices are Thunderbolt 3 – we do not yet know how USB-C alternative modes that allow easy connectivity to the monitor will work with the device. # 39; eGPU.
We have a USB-C to DisplayPort cable and a custom adapter. If the eGPU will connect to a monitor with an alternative USB-C mode, it will be the saving grace for those who need to connect with anything other than HDMI or Thunderbolt 3.
This thing is quiet !
The biggest complaints we had with the many external graphics boxes we examined were noise. Typically, you have a fan for the power supply, one to three fans on the graphics card, and another fan or two for the case that results in a constant drone that does not go away, and that worsens when the system is under load
After plugging the eGPU on our Macbook Pro 2018 and on our LG 5K screen, we started trying to figure out how to turn it on until we get ourselves realize that it was on, and just super silent. Apple quoted a sound level of only 18dB and they were not joking.
The evolution of Foregoing and the design of the GPU and other components as a coherent whole have allowed Blackmagic to use larger radiators and a single large fan that keeps everything very quiet, even under load.
In terms of connectivity, our LG UltraFine 5K has worked seamlessly with the eGPU Blackmagic Design. Now, a single Thunderbolt 3 cable will allow users to connect to an external display, external graphics, a mix of USB 3.1 and USB-C ports, and charge a laptop with 85 watts of power coming from it. eGPU.
Performance [19659005] Launch of Geekbench 4, our 13-inch MacBook Pro 2018 with Touch Bar with Iris Plus 655 got 32,991 points in the OpenCL calculation. After plugging the eGPU and selecting the Radeon Pro 580 inside the device in the menu, the result was 110,507, the same score as our best 2017 iMac 5K equipped with Radeon RX 580 internal GPU. 19659022] We will do more tests for the full examination.
Having access to a graphics card with so much performance with the new quad-core processors in the 2018 Macbook Pro could mean that some MacBook Pro 15-inch users could now shrink to a smaller model. This would be more convenient when one is traveling, and there would be a performance boost when one is at the office compared to using a 15-inch without eGPU.
This has a cost, however. The eGPU of Blackmagic is $ 699. That's $ 200 more than the current retail price on the Gigabyte eGPU that we watched it's not so long ago, for the same performance. The first is quieter, but the latter is even smaller – but has a power brick, and is much stronger.
AppleInsider has been living with eGPUs for some time and has lived with noise and size. So, we have a lot more tests to do to see how such a configuration works in the real world, and compares to other GPUs, and to the way it aligns completely on a 5K iMac.
Where to Buy
The Blackmagic eGPU, available only from Apple, sells for $ 699 with free shipping or in-store pickup.
[ad_2]
Source link
