reddit external graphics card for macbook pro 2013

Reddit external graphics card for macbook pro 2013 how to#
Reddit external graphics card for macbook pro 2013 drivers#
Reddit external graphics card for macbook pro 2013 Bluetooth#
Reddit external graphics card for macbook pro 2013 series#

Because of the high performance of the graphics card, the performance loss is low despite having only a fraction of the bandwidth. In case of a connection via an x1 interface, data for the graphics card will be compressed and the graphics card itself decompresses them again.

The release of the Optimus driver, known for switching between internal graphics cards ( here), also brought a positive side effect for external graphics cards. If you do not have a type 1-4 laptop and it does not have a Thunderbolt interface, you should select NVIDIA. The forum mentioned above discusses such problems. This approach is very experimental and requires special 'know-how' and willingness to take risks. Certain Linux distributions and setups allow deactivating a graphics card. One thing has to be mentioned before we turn to the manufacturers: If you connect another graphics card, it could happen that the notebook does not provide memory for the allocation of it and displays 'Error12' in the device manager. Only one question remains: Which graphics card? So far, we know which interfaces are compatible and which hardware the notebooks needs. Seen relatively, you can also expect a big performance gain here. In addition, all older notebooks, which either feature weak internal graphics cards or cannot keep up with current standard office notebooks belong to the other types. You can always expect a performance gain on these, but installation sometimes requires an enormous effort. Notebooks with a Thunderbolt interface are a category of their own. Examples of implementations and experience are available in this English Forum.įinally, we want to discuss briefly the other notebook types in this chapter. Type 3 (possibly) and Type 4 need some preparatory work and have to be discussed separately. It is especially easy to connect another graphics card to the first two types, since no preparatory work is needed and a high performance gain can be expected. However, it is not listed by the operating system.

Reddit external graphics card for macbook pro 2013 series#

* Most CPUs of Intel's Core i series feature an integrated graphics card. However, the performance gain might be limited and the installation could be quite time-consuming.įurther graphics card (internal/dedicated)

If your type of notebook is not listed, this does not mean that it is not possible to connect a graphics card. They meet certain requirements that allow the connected graphics card to use its complete bandwidth. In order to achieve a significant performance gain, we will consider special types of notebooks. Meanwhile a lot has changed - but several things did not. In early tests, a connected graphics card would often not pass. Then the question arises whether the bottleneck effect is so big that external graphics cards cannot outperform the internal graphics of a laptop. First of all, this means that the bandwidth is much lower. Because of the complexity of the interface and as only few adapters are offered, the price of a graphics adapter is extremely high in comparison.Ĭontrary to native PCIe slots with 16 lanes, the interface mentioned above only feature an x1 or x4 connection. Thunderbolt is currently the fastest interface for connecting an external graphics card. It delivers, since the end of 2013, a bandwidth of 20 Gbits with an x4 PCIe connection. Thunderbolt was developed by Intel in cooperation with Apple. The mPCIe slot features a PCIe x1 connection and a USB 2.0 connection, but the latter is sufficient for 'usual' usage. Unfortunately, this slot is on the underside of notebooks and the manufacturers often do not solder the important PCIe connection.

Reddit external graphics card for macbook pro 2013 Bluetooth#

It is usually used for the WLAN or Bluetooth module. The mPCIe slot is seldom used to connect graphics cards. Because of its size and the available peripherals, less and less new laptops feature this slot. Compared to USB 3.0, this standard has a PCIe x1 connection and so, allows connecting graphics cards. It supports a bandwidth of up to 5 Gbits - older device from before 2009 achieve 2.5 Gbits.

Reddit external graphics card for macbook pro 2013 how to#

So, how to create a PCIe connection? The following interfaces can be used:Ī connection via ExpressCard slot is most common. Therefore, it is also not possible to connect it via this widespread interface.

Reddit external graphics card for macbook pro 2013 drivers#

Separate graphics drivers would be required for each notebook in order to use an external graphics card. USB 3.0 could achieve a high transfer rate, but does not have its own PCIe architecture. For example, the bandwidths of USB 2.0, Firewire, SD card slots, etc., are too low. Similar to replaceable graphics cards connected via MXM, not all notebooks allow connecting an external graphics card since most interfaces do not have PCIe architecture and do not achieve the required bandwidth.