External graphics card on a Macbook - does that work?

In this article we explain to you whether you can connect an external graphics card to your Macbook. You could consider this if the internally installed graphics card is not sufficient for playing current games. In practice, however, you would have to overcome some hurdles and often another solution is the better one. We explain what it is and whether you can connect an external graphics card to your Macbook.

External graphics card on a Macbook - the stable solution

First, it has to be clarified how you could connect a graphics card at all. Graphics cards are usually plugged into PCIe slots. Of course, these are not available on the outside of the Macbook. Therefore, you would have to do otherwise. But be prepared for a lot of tinkering and extensive configuration. The following tips should help you.

• A graphics card is usually operated on a PCIe slot because it requires high transfer rates. Current PCIe slots for graphics cards achieve a transfer rate of approximately 15.75 gigabytes per second. A USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 slot cannot achieve this speed. Therefore, you can only operate a graphics card via the Thunderbolt port. But Thunderbolt 1.0 isn't fast enough either. Your Macbook should therefore have at least Thunderbolt 2.0.
• However, you cannot simply connect a graphics card to your Thunderbolt port with an adapter. A current graphics card needs power, which is usually supplied by a power supply. And the missing PCIe slot must also be replaced. The only stable solution currently known is the use of Sonnet's Echo-Express III-D. This device is fast enough to be able to work with the signals from a graphics card and there is practically no loss of performance. The signals are then processed by a PCIe controller and passed on to the Macbook by Thunderbolt. So you can outsource every graphic calculation to the external graphic card.
• The catch is that the Echo Express III-D costs just under 1000 euros. In addition, there are the costs for the graphics card and in many cases an additional power supply. Therefore, in most cases it is not worth pursuing this solution. For the money you get a decent game computer or console. So consider whether it is worth it to you.

External graphics card on Macbook - alternative solution

If you still want to connect an external graphics card to the Macbook for less money, you can try new products. Almost all of them are still at an early stage and usually involve a lot of handicraft work and research. If you do not spare any effort, you can deal with the following products.

• There are still few test reports for the Bizon Box. In principle, it promises the same service as described above for half the price. You can purchase and try out the modified AKiTiO box for around 500 euros. It is questionable whether the full speed of a graphics card can be used.
• If you like to tinker and modify, you can familiarize yourself with the AKiTiO box. This still has to be configured to run problem-free with a Macbook and Bootcamp as well as a dedicated graphics card. Instructions and experiments are available in various Internet forums.