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macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 With eGPU Support Released by Apple

Apple officially announced this week that macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 can be downloaded from the Mac App Store or via a software update.

What does the update bring? Aside from bug fixes and security improvements, the update brings the much-anticipated addition of support for external graphics processors (eGPUs) for Thunderbolt 3 Macs (MacBook Pro notebooks released 2016 and later, iMac computers released 2017 and later, and iMac Pro).

Users of professional applications, 3D gamers, VR content creators, and more will benefit from the additional power provided by an eGPU.

Alongside the macOS update, Apple released a support document outlining other benefits of eGPUs. The document states: 

“It’s important to use an eGPU with a recommended graphics card and Thunderbolt 3 chassis. And if you’re using a MacBook Pro, the eGPU’s Thunderbolt 3 chassis needs to provide sufficient power to run the graphics card while charging the computer. Check with the maker of the chassis to find out how much power it provides, and make sure that it’s enough to charge your connected Mac notebook.”

The document also recommends the OWC Mercury Helios FX chassis for the following graphics cards:

  • AMD Radeon RX 570, RX 580
  • Radeon Pro WX 7100
  • AMD Radeon RX Vega 56

Apple notes “eGPU support in macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 is designed to accelerate Metal, OpenGL, and OpenCL applications that benefit from a powerful eGPU. However, not all applications support eGPU acceleration. … Also note that macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 doesn’t support eGPUs in Windows using Boot Camp or when your Mac is in macOS Recovery or installing system updates.”

For more on eGPUs and the OWC Mercury Helios FX, visit: eshop.macsales.com/shop/owc-mercury-helios-fx/thunderbolt-3

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5 Comments

  • It’s a decent start, one I hope will eventually lead to a better selling point for gamers. You guys should have a talk with Apple’s people about making a Mac Mini with a TB3 port. Once that’s done, a very tasty possibility will exist for a future Helios FX housing to have a slide-in bay for such a Mac-Mini with external port access, and a TB3 U-plug to run to the Helios FX guts – hopefully, eventually, with a x16 slot. Then you’d pretty much have a self-contained kick-ass Mac gaming cube! Here’s hoping nVidia support gets better as well. For now I’ve resigned myself to hunting for a used i5-4th gen with a GTX card for games. Sad to say, been an Apple enthusiast from youth, would have loved there to be an affordable way. Hopefully this will get us there eventually.

  • Recently I have tried to update the newest version of high sierra and the update froze at 75% complete and my Mac station wouldnt reboot. I have a new 2017 iMac. Confused and any thoughts

  • So does that mean no Thunderbolt 2 support and hence no support for what remains the current model Mac Pro?

  • This is exciting! I wish authorized resellers could try them out for free for feedback…