[SOLVED] Upgrading of a Macbook Air?

[Engine1944]

Good morning,

A few years ago, with great help from this forum, I successfully built a PC. Thank you again.

Recently, I bought a 2018 Macbook Air. It is a great machine, but there are two areas that could use improving. Its graphic capabilities are minimal and it is mostly not upgradeable. I understand that external GPUs are available, such as Razer X. Has anyone built a similar eGPU system for a Macbook? Going a step further, would it be possible to add various components to an external system that would operate with and enhance the parent Macbook? Thanks.

 

[LordVile]

Good morning,

A few years ago, with great help from this forum, I successfully built a PC. Thank you again.

Recently, I bought a 2018 Macbook Air. It is a great machine, but there are two areas that could use improving. Its graphic capabilities are minimal and it is mostly not upgradeable. I understand that external GPUs are available, such as Razor X.. Has anyone built a similar eGPU system for a Macbook? Going a step further, would it be possible to add various components to an external system that would operate with and enhance the parent Macbook? Thanks.

Why would you want extra graphical performance? It’s a thin and light if you wanted performance you should have fine with a MacBook Pro.
Also you can use EGPUs but you have to use AMD

 

[Engine1944]

Extra graphical performance means the capability to game if I or a family member chooses.

 

[velocityg4]

Yes, it will work if you choose the right hardware. It isn't easy to setup, is still buggy and compatibility can be an issue. Don't expect it to be a seamless experience. The Rx 580 and Vega 64 are the preferred cards to use with Macs. Other similar models also work. Stay away from nVidia with Macs.

The Macbook Air also has a low power CPU. Don't expect and outstanding gaming experience.

You'll also want something which delivers enough power to the Macbook via the Thunderbolt connector to charge it and run it. The Razor Core X with a Radeon Rx 580 8GB should be a good combo. A Vega 64 would be overkill for the CPU.

The link contains a list of GPU. Most can't handle a heavy duy eGPU and power a laptop. The Razer appears to offer the most bang for the buck.
https://egpu.io/setup-guide-external-graphics-card-mac/#tb3-enclosures