As we’ve shown in a previous post, an eGPU can make a significant performance difference, turning an otherwise graphically pedestrian MacBook Pro into a competent gaming machine.Once you create your Windows image you will need boot into it (Restart Mac and select
2016 Bootcamp On Windows 1080P Gaming MachineWatch our full walkthrough, as we showcase this simple and compact eGPU solution on video. The setup also lets you tap into the power of the GPU right from your MacBook Pro’s built-in display, no external display required. Instead, you can utilize a Boot Camp installation, and turn your MacBook Pro into a 1080p gaming machine.Mac Pro 5,1 Bootcamp drivers I have installed Windows on one of my drives without bootcamp and now I’m looking for the drivers I need to install on the Windows side but every driver I download and run say ‘incompatible with this Mac’The now-available $249 Akitio Thunder3 is much smaller than the larger Akitio Node, so it takes up a smaller footprint on your desk. That’s not to say that you should run out and buy a Windows laptop if you want to play the latest games requiring a more powerful GPU. Step 2.It should come as no surprise that the setup process and support with Windows is, in some ways, quite a bit better than using an eGPU with macOS. When Windows 11 is installed, there is a chance that the Bootcamp Installer is bugging so heres how to fix that. Outlook meail for macIn the end, it allows for an eGPU solution that’s significantly smaller and more portable than other graphics enclosures.The Akitio Thunder3 also has the advantage of having a second Thunderbolt 3 port, so you can use it in a daisy chain if you so desire. True, it’s a PCIe enclosure, but its small size and lack of power severely limits the type of cards that can be used inside it without making major physical hardware modifications.Working around this limitation was part of the fun of engaging in this project. Those enclosures are specifically designed with graphics cards in mind.The Akitio Thunder3 really wasn’t designed to house graphics cards. Not only are there no PCIe 6+2 pin adapters included inside of the case, but the Thunder3 doesn’t even supply enough power to the PCIe slot itself.Due to the lack of PCI molex connectors, it’s a given that you’ll need to use a GPU that doesn’t have the extra power requirements, but you might be surprised to learn that the stock power adapter that ships with the unit doesn’t provide the full 75W of power to the PCIe slot.The good news is that Akitio documents that its devices are capable of accepting up to 120W of power, it just doesn’t include an adapter in the box that can provide such power.A quick visit to Amazon can quickly solve this issue. Unfortunately, I don’t have a 15-inch MacBook Pro with the Radeon Pro 460 to compare it with, but if you’re a 15-inch owner, you’d probably be better off going with something capable of producing more power.The power adapter that ships with the Akitio Thunder3 is adequate enough to power a typical PCIe card, but its included 60W power supply, which only feeds a measly 25W to the PCIe slot, isn’t beefy enough to provide the type of power required by a GPU.This presents a few challenges. EVGA’s 5.7-inch GTX 1050 Ti fit the bill, and even features a little bit of room to spare once installed.Obviously this card won’t come close to yielding results that the upper echelon of Nvidia’s Pascal lineup can produce, but, as you will see from the benchmarks, it’s still much better than using the MacBook Pro’s integrated Intel Iris 550 GPU. Instead, I opted for a graphics card that was small enough to fit comfortably inside the Thunder3. In other words, it won’t come close to accommodating full sized GPUs without making physical modifications to the case itself.I love the design of the Thunder3, so I couldn’t bring myself to make any type of major physical modification to the case. Before I could even think about using this as an eGPU solution, I knew that the stock fan had to go.I’d considered just removing the fan altogether, but after testing it out, I decided it wasn’t a good idea. I’m not sure why Akitio opted for the stock fan that it did, but it’s ridiculously loud. Swapping the fanOutside of the power and size limitations, the other major concerning part of using the Thunder3 was fan noise. But even with this modification, it took no more than 15 minutes.Swapping out the fan made a huge difference in fan noise, and it’s something that I would say is an absolute necessity for anyone considering the Thunder3, even if not used exclusively as an eGPU. This was necessary because the Noctua fan doesn’t come with the needed 2-pin connector for a direct attachment. Fortunately Akitio designed the Thunder3 in such a way that the stock fan can be easily swapped out by simply removing the front panel and unscrewing a few screws.I did have to reuse the stock fan’s connector, which involved cutting off the connector and splicing the red and black wires together with the cable on the new fan. You can also watch the video walkthrough below:Step 1: Once booted to Windows 10, power on the Akitio Thunder3 with the upgraded power adapter, and connect the Thunderbolt 3 cable from the Thunder3 to your MacBook Pro’s Thunderbolt 3 port.Step 2: Open Device Manager via Start → Settings → Devices → Device Manager, and you should see a Microsoft Basic Display Adapter with an exclamation point next to it due to the lack of a driver. Install Windows 10 using Boot Camp AssistantWe’ve already posted a full tutorial to show you h ow to install Windows 10 on your Mac, so you can follow that tutorial if you don’t already have Windows 10 installed on your MacBook. Next, replace the case cover, and tighten the thumb screws on the rear. Like most GPUs, the GTX 1050 Ti is a dual-width card that will occupy the full width of the enclosure.Insert the GTX 1050 Ti inside of the PCIe slot, and tighten down the thumb screws to keep the card secure. The Thunder3’s case is super-easy to remove thanks to the two thumb screws on the rear of the unit.You’ll need to remove the thumb screws on the PCI slot covers, and remove the single cover that’s installed. ![]() You can opt to connect an external display via the DisplayPort 1.4 or HDMI 2.0 port found on the GPU, or you can go without it and game from your MacBook Pro’s built-in display. The great thing about this setup is that it’s flexible. Of course, games should be at the top of the list as well. Testing it outYou can now download benchmark tools like Heaven to test out your new eGPU setup. However, if you wish to disconnect, you can simply remove the Thunderbolt 3 cable without needing to shut down first. Since the GTX 1050 Ti features HDMI 2.0, it works particularly well with television sets like my Hisense 50-inch 4K television with HDR. Unfortunately the MacBook Pro won’t drive the UltraFine Display in anything higher than DCI 4K when using Windows, but chances are you won’t be using this card to play in higher than 1080p resolution anyway.If you really want to kick it up a notch, I recommend connecting your eGPU setup to a 4K television for a real console-like experience.
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