Sonnet eGFX Radeon RX 560 Breakaway Puck hits Apple retail soon, but you don't have to wai...
A less expensive external GPU option for Thunderbolt 3 Macs, the Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Puck Radeon RX 560, is now available through Apple's online store and may soon hit some physical outlets, but there are options for buying now.
The Puck can handle up to four 4K monitors, thanks in part to 4 gigabytes of GDDR5 VRAM along with three DisplayPort 1.4 ports and one HDMI 2.0 connection. With this package, its bundled Thunderbolt 3 cable can supply up to 60 watts of power to an attached MacBook, versus the 45W that it supplied in the first version of the hardware.
Another selling point may be size. The Puck is no more than 6 inches long, 2 inches high, and 5.12 inches wide, while weighing about 3.3 pounds. That makes it relatively easy to stash away on a desk, or even in some backpacks and messenger bags. There is also an optional VESA mount, to attach it to the back of some monitors.
Apple is selling the hardware for $399.95. Some deliveries and pickups are expected to happen as soon as Monday, possibly a sign that outlets will have units on shelves the same day. Buyers must be running macOS 10.14.1 or later.
macOS only recently gained support for the RX 560. Check out AppleInsider's roundup of some of the other Mac-ready eGPU enclosures on the market.
The Puck can handle up to four 4K monitors, thanks in part to 4 gigabytes of GDDR5 VRAM along with three DisplayPort 1.4 ports and one HDMI 2.0 connection. With this package, its bundled Thunderbolt 3 cable can supply up to 60 watts of power to an attached MacBook, versus the 45W that it supplied in the first version of the hardware.
Another selling point may be size. The Puck is no more than 6 inches long, 2 inches high, and 5.12 inches wide, while weighing about 3.3 pounds. That makes it relatively easy to stash away on a desk, or even in some backpacks and messenger bags. There is also an optional VESA mount, to attach it to the back of some monitors.
Apple is selling the hardware for $399.95. Some deliveries and pickups are expected to happen as soon as Monday, possibly a sign that outlets will have units on shelves the same day. Buyers must be running macOS 10.14.1 or later.
macOS only recently gained support for the RX 560. Check out AppleInsider's roundup of some of the other Mac-ready eGPU enclosures on the market.
Comments
https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/02/21/apples-macos-adds-official-support-for-amd-radeon-rx-560-egpus
"It appears that Mac users looking to boost their workflow with an RX 560 will have to deal with a few limitations. Apple notes playback of HDCP-protected content from iTunes and certain unnamed streaming services is not supported on displays directly connected to an RX 560-based eGPU, including Sonnet's device. Said content can, however, be viewed on the built-in display of a MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and iMac, the document reads."
Get yourself an RX580 or Vega if you're investing in an eGPU solution. The extra money is worth it. Or wait for VII support to come out of beta.
If you’re going to spend this much, unless you must have the form factor, you’re almost certainly better off getting a TB3 enclosure and adding a standard PCIe GPU.