Beitrag
von Frank Glencairn » Fr 13 Jul, 2018 00:18
Why did we design the Blackmagic eGPU?
Our DaVinci Resolve customers often need to add a lot of effects and color correctors to their timeline and this can consume a massive amount of computing power. In many ways, DaVinci Resolve customers can even keep adding color correctors up to the point where they max out the computing power of the host machine! However, many DaVinci Resolve editors and colorists also like to remain portable which allows them to work on-set. By developing the Blackmagic eGPU, we can provide the processing power they need and allow more effects and color corrections, even when working on a laptop.
Is the Blackmagic eGPU an Apple product?
No, the Blackmagic eGPU was developed by Blackmagic Design in collaboration with Apple.
Where can I purchase the Blackmagic eGPU?
The Blackmagic eGPU will be sold exclusively on Apple.com and select Apple Stores at launch and will be available via other channels in the future.
Will Blackmagic Design support the Blackmagic eGPU directly?
Yes, Blackmagic Design will provide technical support for the Blackmagic eGPU and customers can contact our support offices. If you are using the Blackmagic eGPU for creative work, you can even visit the Blackmagic Design Forum for assistance from the DaVinci Resolve community.
How does DaVinci Resolve support the Blackmagic eGPU?
DaVinci Resolve 15 will see and take advantage of the Blackmagic eGPU which means that processing of filters, effects and color corrections will be much faster. Customers can also select various GPU options from the DaVinci Resolve preferences where its also possible to select which and how many GPUs to use for image processing. DaVinci Resolve can also take advantage of multiple Blackmagic eGPU's for image processing even when an external monitor is not connected. The Blackmagic eGPU also supports Metal from Apple, so performance will be faster when using any application that supports Metal.
Can I upgrade the GPU chip in the Blackmagic eGPU?
No, the design has been optimized for quiet operation so it’s better suited for creative customers. This means the design is not a simple chassis with a PCIe card plugged in, but an integrated electronics, mechanical and cooling design that cannot have the GPU chip upgraded or changed.
What is the GPU used in the Blackmagic eGPU?
The Blackmagic eGPU is built around a Radeon Pro 580 GPU which is the GPU found in the high end 2017 model of 27 inch iMac.
What are the connections and power capability of the Blackmagic eGPU?
The Blackmagic eGPU includes HDMI 2.0 for connecting a monitor or television display. The Blackmagic eGPU also includes two Thunderbolt 3 connections and the connection to your MacBook Pro computer will provide 85 watts of down stream power so you can charge your computer while it is connected. The second Thunderbolt 3 connection allows high resolution Thunderbolt 3 computer displays to be connected. There are also four USB 3 connections with USB power supported on each connection, allowing the connection of disks, keyboards and a mouse.
Does the Blackmagic eGPU work with Blackmagic DeckLink and UltraStudio video products?
Yes, and it’s always preferred to do professional television capture and playback via HDMI or SDI connections on Blackmagic Design DeckLink or UltraStudio products because you get more accurate film and television colorspace, accurate AV sync, genlock, deeper bit depths and also perfectly synchronized playback to video output. Blackmagic Design's DeckLink and UltraStudio products are designed to handle broadcast and film video and audio signals to the correct television industry specifications.
Does Blackmagic eGPU work with Windows computers?
There are no limitations for the Blackmagic eGPU to work on the Windows platform. However, at the time of writing we believe there are some compatibility issues with the Windows platform, which means that we don't recommend using the Blackmagic eGPU with the Windows platform yet. We expect these limitations to be fixed in future updates from Windows computer vendors.
Does the Blackmagic eGPU work with all macOS computers?
The Blackmagic eGPU will work with all Thunderbolt 3 based Apple computers that are running macOS 10.13.5 or later. This includes MacBook Pro computers from the 2016 model year and later, 2017 iMac and iMac Pro.
Can I use an Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter with an older Thunderbolt 2 computer?
No, the Blackmagic eGPU won't work with Thunderbolt 2 computers as they don't support the speed required for good eGPU performance.
How do I know the Blackmagic eGPU is working correctly?
There is a LED underneath the Blackmagic eGPU that will indicate when power is applied and the Blackmagic eGPU is operating and the eGPU symbol appears at the top menu bar of the computer desktop when an eGPU is connected. To check whether an application is using the Blackmagic eGPU, simply open the Activity Monitor > GPU History to see which GPU is working. If a computer display is connected to the HDMI or Thunderbolt 3 outputs on the Blackmagic eGPU, then you should also see the extra desktop space in the display’s system preference.
How can I use the Blackmagic eGPU to charge my MacBook Pro?
Just connect your Blackmagic eGPU to the power and then plug your MacBook Pro into one of the Thunderbolt 3 connections on the rear panel. You should now see your MacBook Pro charging. The Blackmagic eGPU will charge your computer in the same way as your MacBook Pro power adapter. This means you don't need your MacBook Pro power adapter when running the Blackmagic eGPU.
Will the Blackmagic eGPU improve the performance of my application?
Blackmagic eGPU support in macOS High Sierra 10.13.5 is designed to accelerate Metal, OpenGL, and OpenCL applications. However, not all applications support eGPU acceleration and it is best to check with the application's developer to learn more.
How many Blackmagic eGPUs can I connect and use at the same time?
It really depends on your software application. Performance can be greatly improved in DaVinci Resolve Studio by connecting multiple Blackmagic eGPUs, however it’s recommended that you don't daisy chain the Blackmagic eGPUs to each other, but connect each Blackmagic eGPU to the computer directly with its own independent Thunderbolt 3 connection. Typically, games will only use just the one Blackmagic eGPU at a time.
Can I daisy chain multiple Blackmagic eGPUs?
This is not recommended as the Thunderbolt 3 connection will become overloaded. It is best to connect each Blackmagic eGPU directly to the computer.
How do I know my Blackmagic eGPU is being used for acceleration?
You can confirm your computer is being accelerated by the Blackmagic eGPU using the following steps. First start the application software that you want to check, then open the activity monitor application in your application’s folder, finally in the menu bar, click window and select GPU history. You should see a histogram of the GPU usage level of the Blackmagic eGPU and you can see if it’s accelerating your application software.
Does Blackmagic eGPU works on Windows using Bootcamp?
No, Apple’s Bootcamp software does not currently support eGPUs.
What is the recommended setup for DaVinci Resolve 15 and the Blackmagic eGPU?
Set-up is simple and mostly automatic. All you need to do is connect the Blackmagic eGPU to your computer and then run DaVinci Resolve. At that point when starting up, DaVinci Resolve will select the optimum GPU configuration. Customers can also select various GPU options from the DaVinci Resolve preferences where its also possible to select which and how many GPUs to use for image processing. DaVinci Resolve can also take advantage of multiple internal GPU's and external eGPU's for image processing even when an external monitor is not connected.
What is the recommended setup for gaming and the Blackmagic eGPU?
The best setup for gaming is to connect an external HDMI or Thunderbolt 3 monitor and then in the display’s system preference, in the arrangement tab, drag over the small white menu bar graphic to the larger external display. A faster alternative is to use clamshell mode to use an external display as a primary display. Both these options will make the external display connected to the Blackmagic eGPU the primary display. When you run your game, it will automatically use that accelerated display.