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Some eGPU configurations experiencing difficulties under macOS Catalina

As promising as macOS Catalina is, its apparently failing to work with some external GPU (eGPU) configurations.

While Apple has steadily improved its eGPS support, a number of specific Mac and eGPU combinations seem to not be working.

According to user reports, it seems that Radeon 570 and 580-based eGPUs are having issues with assorted Macs, most specifically the current Mac mini.

Typical problems reported by many users include an inability to boot up the Mac with a display connected to the eGPU. If the Mac will start with the monitor attached, it immediately restarts. Others report their Macs freezing.

An initial test confirmed the issue with a Sonnet eGPU and the Sapphire 570 card, despite this being within Apple’s own developer kit only two years ago.

Various tests have indicated that the Vega 56, Vega 64, and Vega VII cards in any eGPU enclosure of suitable power aren’t affected by the issue. Additionally, an eGPU installed and connected to a Mac, with the display connected directly to the Mac and not through the GPU will still accelerate workflows like video processing with no issue.

Apple has been clear that not all eGPU cards and enclosures will work with all Macs —the most notable omission being anything made by Nvidia. However, Apple has also published a list of compatible systems and that includes some of the devices currently experiencing problems.

One significant factor as to the compatibility might be the power requirements of the eGPUS. Even so, power does not seem to be an issue with the Polaris-based Radeon 570 and Radeon 580, which both experienced difficulties in the Sonnet 350w and 650w case variants.

The issue could be tied to drivers, albeit Apple has yet to comment on this.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via AppleInsider and Apple