However, there’s a significant caveat to consider. The current Apple Silicon lacks native support for eGPU. As pointed out by Appleinsider in a comprehensive exposé in 2022, two key elements are missing: Apple Silicon drivers for these cards and the ability to address GPUs with a discrete memory pool in macOS for Apple Silicon.
The former can potentially be resolved by the vendors, while the latter squarely rests in Apple’s domain. Apple’s engineers could address this if it aligns with the company’s broader strategy. The latest Geekbench Metal benchmark, assessing GPU performance on Apple’s platform, demonstrates that the M2 Ultra has made significant strides, closing the gap with the AMD Radeon RX 6900XT, which debuted nearly three years ago.
While the M3 Ultra is likely to surpass this card, which remains the fastest discrete GPU available for Mac, the question remains whether it will satisfy demanding professionals. As Matt Bach from Puget Systems previously mentioned in an interview with TechRadar Pro in June, the current Mac Pro does not support additional GPUs, hindering system upgrades for faster rendering and the utilization of multiple GPUs within the same system.
This limitation is unfortunate, particularly for 3D applications that have invested considerable effort in adapting their renderers to macOS. Nevertheless, Apple’s introduction of support for external GPUs on its most advanced silicon has the potential to be a game-changer, particularly for these professionals seeking to enhance their rendering capabilities.
