Thunderbolt Graphics For Mac Mini

  1. Thunderbolt Graphics For Mac Mini Windows 10
  2. Thunderbolt 3 Graphic Card
  3. Thunderbolt Graphics Card Mac Mini

The Apple Mac mini 'Core i5' 2.5 (Mid-2011/Aluminum Unibody) features a 32-nm 'Sandy Bridge' 2.5 GHz Intel 'Core i5' (2520M) processor with two independent processor 'cores' on a single chip, a 3 MB shared level 3 cache, 16 GB of 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-10600) memory, 512GB Solid State Drive, and AMD Radeon HD 6630M graphics with 256 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory.

Thunderbolt™ 3 External Graphics (eGFX) Box PowerColor Mini Pro eGFX box is powerful, portable and upgradable solutions to boost graphics performance and empower the demanding MacBook Pro, the new MacBook Air and Mac mini users. LG UltraFine 5K. The LG UltraFine 5K display is a workhorse. It features a beautiful 27-inch screen.

Model 1

Space Gray

4-Core

  • 3.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i3
  • 6MB shared L3 cache

6-Core

  • 3.0GHz 6-core Intel Core i5
  • Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz
  • 9MB shared L3 cache

Configurable to:

6-Core

  • 3.2GHz 6-core Intel Core i7
  • Turbo Boost up to 4.6GHz
  • 12MB shared L3 cache

Configurable to:

6-Core

  • 3.2GHz 6-core Intel Core i7
  • Turbo Boost up to 4.6GHz
  • 12MB shared L3 cache

8GB

  • of 2666MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM memory
For

Configurable to:

  • 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB

256GB

  • PCIe-based SSD

Configurable to:

  • 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB SSD

Intel UHD Graphics 630

Support for the following combination of maximum concurrent display setups:

  • Up to three displays:
  • Two displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz connected via Thunderbolt 3 plus one display with 4096-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz connected via HDMI 2.0
  • or
  • Up to two displays:
  • One display with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz connected via Thunderbolt 3 plus one display with 4096-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz connected via HDMI 2.0

Thunderbolt 3 digital video output supports

Graphics
  • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
  • Thunderbolt 2, DVI, and VGA output supported using adapters (sold separately)

HDMI 2.0 display video output

  • Support for one display with 4096-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz
  • DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)
  • Built-in speaker
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • HDMI 2.0 port supports multichannel audio output
Thunderbolt 3
(USB-C)
USB 3
Thunderbolt graphics for mac mini download
3.5 mm
headphone
jack

Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports with support for:

  • DisplayPort
  • Thunderbolt (up to 40 Gbps)
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)
  • Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI, and VGA supported using adapters (sold separately)
  • Two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps)
  • HDMI 2.0 port
  • Gigabit Ethernet port (configurable to 10Gb Ethernet)
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack

Wi-Fi

802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking
IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology

Ethernet

10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)
Configurable to 10Gb Ethernet (Nbase-T Ethernet with support for 1Gb, 2.5Gb, 5Gb, and 10Gb Ethernet using RJ-45 connector)

Width: 7.7 inches (19.7 cm)Height: 1.4 inches (3.6 cm)Depth: 7.7 inches (19.7 cm)

Thunderbolt Graphics For Mac Mini Windows 10

2.9 pounds (1.3 kg)

Line voltage:
100–240V AC

Frequency:
50Hz to 60Hz, single phase

Maximum continuous power:
150W

MacThunderbolt

Operating temperature:
50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)

Storage temperature:
–40° to 116° F (–40° to 47° C)

Relative humidity:
5% to 90% noncondensing

Operating altitude:
tested up to 16,400 feet (5000 meters)

Typical acoustical performance:
Sound pressure level (operator position): 5 dBA at idle3

Your Mac mini comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.

  • Mac mini
  • Power cord

macOS

macOS is the operating system that powers every Mac. macOS Catalina gives you more of everything you love about Mac. So you can take everything you do above and beyond.

Learn more

Accessibility features help people with disabilities get the most out of their new Mac mini. With built-in support for vision, hearing, mobility, and learning, you can create and do amazing things.

Features include:

  • Voice Control
  • VoiceOver
  • Zoom
  • Increase Contrast
  • Reduce Motion
  • Siri and Dictation
  • Switch Control
  • Closed Captions
  • Text to Speech

Configure your Mac mini with these options, only at apple.com:

  • 3.2GHz 6-core Intel Core i7 processor
  • 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory
  • 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB SSD
  • 10Gb Ethernet

Mac mini is designed with the following features to reduce its environmental impact:

  • BFR-free
  • PVC-free5
  • Beryllium-free
  • 100% recycled aluminum enclosure6
  • Eco-friendly packaging
  • Meets ENERGY STAR requirements
  • Rated EPEAT Gold7

Apple and the Environment

Read our Product Environmental Reports for detailed information on the environmental performance of every Apple product.

Apple Trade In

Letting go of your old Mac is easy. If it’s in good shape, you can trade it in for Apple Store credit. If it’s not eligible for credit, we’ll recycle it responsibly at no cost to you. Good for you. Good for the planet.

Mac Software

Displays and Adapters

Other Accessories

An eGPU can give your Mac additional graphics performance for professional apps, 3D gaming, VR content creation, and more.

eGPUs are supported by any Thunderbolt 3-equipped Mac1 running macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 or later. Learn how to update the software on your Mac.

An eGPU lets you do all this on your Mac:

  • Accelerate apps that use Metal, OpenGL, and OpenCL
  • Connect additional external monitors and displays
  • Use virtual reality headsets plugged into the eGPU
  • Charge your MacBook Pro while using the eGPU
  • Use an eGPU with your MacBook Pro while its built-in display is closed
  • Connect an eGPU while a user is logged in
  • Connect more than one eGPU using the multiple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports on your Mac2
  • Use the menu bar item to safely disconnect the eGPU
  • View the activity levels of built-in and external GPUs (Open Activity Monitor, then choose Window > GPU History.)

eGPU support in apps

eGPU support in macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 and later is designed to accelerate Metal, OpenGL, and OpenCL apps that benefit from a powerful eGPU. Not all apps support eGPU acceleration; check with the app's developer to learn more.3

In general, an eGPU can accelerate performance in these types of apps:

  • Pro apps designed to utilize multiple GPUs
  • 3D games, when an external monitor is attached directly to the eGPU
  • VR apps, when the VR headset is attached directly to the eGPU
  • Pro apps and 3D games that accelerate the built-in display of iMac, iMac Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro (This capability must be enabled by the app's developer.)

You can configure applications to use an eGPU with one of the following methods.

Use the Prefer External GPU option

Starting with macOS Mojave 10.14, you can turn on Prefer External GPU in a specific app's Get Info panel in the Finder. This option lets the eGPU accelerate apps on any display connected to the Mac—including displays built in to iMac, iMac Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro:

  1. Quit the app if it's open.
  2. Select the app in the Finder. Most apps are in your Applications folder. If you open the app from an alias or launcher, Control-click the app's icon and choose Show Original from the pop-up menu. Then select the original app.
  3. Press Command-I to show the app's info window.
  4. Select the checkbox next to Prefer External GPU.
  5. Open the app to use it with the eGPU.

You won't see this option if an eGPU isn't connected, if your Mac isn't running macOS Mojave or later, or if the app self-manages its GPU selection. Some apps, such as Final Cut Pro, directly choose which graphics processors are used and will ignore the Prefer External GPU checkbox.

Set an external eGPU-connected display as the primary display

If you have an external display connected to your eGPU, you can choose it as the primary display for all apps. Since apps default to the GPU associated with the primary display, this option works with a variety of apps:

  1. Quit any open apps that you want the eGPU to accelerate on the primary display.
  2. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences. Select Displays, then select the Arrangement tab.
  3. Drag the white menu bar to the box that represents the display that's attached to the eGPU.
  4. Open the apps that you want to use with the eGPU.

If you disconnect the eGPU, your Mac defaults back to the internal graphics processors that drives the built-in display. When the eGPU is re-attached, it automatically sets the external display as the primary display.

About macOS GPU drivers

Mac hardware and GPU software drivers have always been deeply integrated into the system. This design fuels the visually rich and graphical macOS experience as well as many deeper platform compute and graphics features. These include accelerating the user interface, providing support for advanced display features, rendering 3D graphics for pro software and games, processing photos and videos, driving powerful GPU compute features, and accelerating machine learning tasks. This deep integration also enables optimal battery life while providing for greater system performance and stability.

Apple develops, integrates, and supports macOS GPU drivers to ensure there are consistent GPU capabilities across all Mac products, including rich APIs like Metal, Core Animation, Core Image, and Core ML. In order to deliver the best possible customer experience, GPU drivers need to be engineered, integrated, tested, and delivered with each version of macOS. Aftermarket GPU drivers delivered by third parties are not compatible with macOS.

The GPU drivers delivered with macOS are also designed to enable a high quality, high performance experience when using an eGPU, as described in the list of recommended eGPU chassis and graphics card configurations below. Because of this deep system integration, only graphics cards that use the same GPU architecture as those built into Mac products are supported in macOS.

Supported eGPU configurations

It's important to use an eGPU with a recommended graphics card and Thunderbolt 3 chassis. If you use an eGPU to also charge your MacBook Pro, the eGPU's chassis needs to provide enough power to run the graphics card and charge the computer. Check with the manufacturer of the chassis to find out if it provides enough power for your MacBook Pro.

Recommended graphics cards, along with chassis that can power them sufficiently, are listed below.

Thunderbolt 3 all-in-one eGPU products

These products contain a powerful built-in GPU and supply sufficient power to charge your MacBook Pro.

Recommended Thunderbolt 3 all-in-one eGPUs:

  • Blackmagic eGPU and Blackmagic eGPU Pro4
  • Gigabyte RX 580 Gaming Box4
  • Sonnet Radeon RX 570 eGFX Breakaway Puck
  • Sonnet Radeon RX 560 eGFX Breakaway Puck5

AMD Radeon RX 470, RX 480, RX 570, RX 580, and Radeon Pro WX 7100

These graphics cards are based on the AMD Polaris architecture. Recommended graphics cards include the Sapphire Pulse series and the AMD WX series.

Recommended Thunderbolt 3 chassis for these graphics cards:

  • OWC Mercury Helios FX4
  • PowerColor Devil Box
  • Sapphire Gear Box
  • Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 350W
  • Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 550W4
  • Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650W4
  • Razer Core X4
  • PowerColor Game Station4
  • HP Omen4
  • Akitio Node6

AMD Radeon RX Vega 56

These graphics cards are based on the AMD Vega 56 architecture. Recommended graphics cards include the Sapphire Vega 56.

Recommended Thunderbolt 3 chassis for these graphics cards:

  • OWC Mercury Helios FX4
  • PowerColor Devil Box
  • Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 550W4
  • Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650W4
  • Razer Core X4
  • PowerColor Game Station4

AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, Vega Frontier Edition Air, and Radeon Pro WX 9100

These graphics cards are based on the AMD Vega 64 architecture. Recommended graphics cards include the Sapphire Vega 64, AMD Frontier Edition air-cooled, and AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100.

Recommended Thunderbolt 3 chassis for these graphics cards:

Thunderbolt 3 Graphic Card

  • Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650W4
  • Razer Core X4

AMD Radeon RX 5700, 5700 XT, and 5700 XT 50th Anniversary

If you've installed macOS Catalina 10.15.1 or later, you can use these graphics cards that are based on the AMD Navi RDNA architecture. Recommended graphics cards include the AMD Radeon RX 5700, AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary.

Recommended Thunderbolt 3 chassis for these graphics cards:

  • Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650W4
  • Razer Core X4

Learn more

  • Learn how to choose your GPU in Final Cut Pro X 10.4.7 or later.
  • To ensure the best eGPU performance, use the Thunderbolt 3 cable that came with your eGPU or an Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) cable. Also make sure that the cable is connected directly to a Thunderbolt 3 port on your Mac, not daisy-chained through another Thunderbolt device or hub.
  • If you have questions about Thunderbolt 3 chassis or graphics cards, or about third-party app support and compatibility, contact the hardware or software provider.
  • Software developers can learn more about programming their apps to take advantage of macOS eGPU support.

Thunderbolt Graphics Card Mac Mini

1. If you have a Mac mini (2018) with FileVault turned on, make sure to connect your primary display directly to Mac mini during startup. After you log in and see the macOS Desktop, you can unplug the display from Mac mini and connect it to your eGPU.

2. If you're using a 13-inch MacBook Pro from 2016 or 2017, always plug eGPUs and other high-performance devices into the left-hand ports for maximum data throughput.

3. macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 and later don't support eGPUs in Windows using Boot Camp or when your Mac is in macOS Recovery or installing system updates.

4. These chassis provide at least 85 watts of charging power, making them ideal for use with 15-inch MacBook Pro models.

5. Playback of HDCP-protected content from iTunes and some streaming services is not supported on displays attached to Radeon 560-based eGPUs. You can play this content on the built-in display on MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac.

6. If you use Akitio Node with a Mac notebook, you might need to connect your Mac to its power adapter to ensure proper charging.