2018 MBP 13” with eGPU vs 15 inch

[JeffN825]

I use a 15 inch MBP 2016 with touch bar today primarily as a desktop replacement with dual 4K monitors. I occasionally travel with it. Use it heavily with Parallels and as a developer.

I’m going to upgrade to a 2018 version. Given that I use dual 4Ks, the 13 inch’s integrated GPU has never been a good option.

Given the release of the BlackMagic eGPU alongside the 2018 MBPs I will either do

- 15 inch, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM, 6 core i7
or
- 13 inch, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM, 4 core i7 PLUS the eGPU

does anyone have any personal mileage in this space? Price is about the same for each of these... The smaller form factor of the 13 inch would be nice for travel, but if it’s a hassle or performance/usability is going to hurt, I’ll just stick with a 15 inch...

 

[Adamantoise]

I would get the 15, but that's just me. I like to keep things simple.

I don't see why you're worried about it being too heavy if you're going to be desk bound most of the time anyways.

I'm still using a 2012 MBP 15 and it's not that much of a hassle to travel with.

 

[tonyz123456]

I was debating between the 13in and 15in MacBook pros and then I realized that for $100 more than the stock upgraded 15in MacBook Pro (512gb ssd version, with the 560x processor, $2599 with education discount or $2631 through corporate perks), I can buy a 13in i5 MacBook pro with 512gb ssd and 16gb of ram ($2064 through corporate perks) and the black magic eGPU ($629 through corporate perks) for only $100 more so this is what I'm going with.

I just got the Blackmagic eGPU today and using it with my MacBook Pro 13in 2016 - overall significant improvement - not 100% sure I'll keep it depending on how good the performance of the 2018 MacBook Pro 13in is with the LG 5K display. Here's my detailed experiences here: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-blackmagic-egpu.2128217/page-3#post-26262017

I would caveat that this black magic unit is only worth getting if you are using a LG 5K display - seems like there are many more affordable options if you don't use that display.

 

[unfrostedpoptar]

I'm wondering the same thing. I have a 2012 15"rMBP and Apple finally has a new laptop worth upgrading to. I'd like it to be small and portable but have power when needed so an eGPU sounds like a solution. I've also looked at the Sonnet and Razer models. I'm not a gamer so I don't need crazy-powerful graphics but do some video editing.

One big advantage I see to the BlackMagic is that it can act as a docking station since it has 4 USB 3.1 ports on it! Sonnet has eGPUs and docking stations but not one box that does both. And, they will all power the MacBook.

So, any units I've missed that have eGPU + USB ports?

 

[mikethebigo]

I would say it depends on what you need to be able to do on the go.

If the eGPU is essential to your work, then you would be limited to mostly working at your desk, and at that point, what's the point?

If you can be productive without it, and it just gives a nice boost when you're wanting to be in a workstation mode, I'd say it makes sense. I'm very curious myself about an eGPU but am going to have to wait a while after the hole this MBP just put in my wallet lol.

 

[rjbenson83]

Thinking about upgrading to the 13" myself from a 2012 rMBP. I have a 2013 nMP if I need to do some heavy lifting so not sure if I should get the eGPU, but it is an intriguing option.

The 15" has the 6 core and 16gb ram in the base model so it ends up being a much better value than a 13 w/ 16gb ram + egpu, but the tradeoff is portability. That two extra lbs (plus weight difference with the power bricks) is a bitch especially for someone like me that travels with two computers.

 

[Gudd]

While I don't have a 2018 MBP, I can probably offer some insights into what sounds like a similar use case.

I am a developer (currently JavaEE). 99% of my time is spent in my home office where I have 3x 1080p displays that I use with a 13" i7 MBP. I have the 13" because I used to use an 11" MBAir i7 and frankly that was the ultimate device as far as I was concerned but since Apple chose to discontinue it, when I upgraded I went to the 13" MBP because it was the next most portable. For 3x 1080p the 11" MB Air was never a problem over USB and it continues to not be with the 13" MBP. A little lag every now and then, maybe when doing a full rebuild of the project but nothing to worry about. Sounds like that's not the case with 2x 4k.

Now, the 3 displays are currently connected via a Display Link dock (Dell 3100 for what it matters, there are many). But with 10.13.4, Apple broke the display link setup. It no longer worked. I guess the blame is with DisplayLink not Apple, who knows? All I know is that it no longer worked and I had to reinstall back to 10.13.3 and am stuck there for the time being.

I think what I'm trying to say is that provided the BlackMagic thing daisy chains your 2 4k displays OK without mirroring them which DP does (I genuinely wouldn't know as I've never used even 1x 4k) then personally I'd go the 13" with eGPU route to maintain your portability on the odd occasion you hit the road.

I've just invested in an OWC eGPU and RX580 because it will happily support my 3 screens and I guess if I want to lug it about I can take it into the house at weekends for a bit of gaming on my UltraWide? No real need seeing as I have a gaming PC but why not?

As an aside, as I briefly touched on, why on earth can't Apple enable daisy chaining DP 1.2 screens instead of me having to have 3 cables going back to the dock or GPU? As far as I know it's a software thing in MacOS, not a hardware thing.
[doublepost=1532040889][/doublepost]PS: I have a hang up on portability. I used to use a 17" HP laptop and used to travel around Europe with it. My hand baggage was overweight just with the laptop and I even had to put the power supply in the hold. Never again!! Ultra-portable all the way now.

 

[pubmsu]

I was debating between the 13in and 15in MacBook pros and then I realized that for $100 more than the stock upgraded 15in MacBook Pro (512gb ssd version, with the 560x processor, $2599 with education discount or $2631 through corporate perks), I can buy a 13in i5 MacBook pro with 512gb ssd and 16gb of ram ($2064 through corporate perks) and the black magic eGPU ($629 through corporate perks) for only $100 more so this is what I'm going with.

I just got the Blackmagic eGPU today and using it with my MacBook Pro 13in 2016 - overall significant improvement - not 100% sure I'll keep it depending on how good the performance of the 2018 MacBook Pro 13in is with the LG 5K display. Here's my detailed experiences here: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-blackmagic-egpu.2128217/page-3#post-26262017

I would caveat that this black magic unit is only worth getting if you are using a LG 5K display - seems like there are many more affordable options if you don't use that display.

I am also debating between these two options. I need to use a 5K LG UltraFine plus 4K (LG 27UK850). However, I can add the 5K later on, not now - and buy the BlackMagic only then.

Please do post an update after you test your setup.

 

[tonyz123456]

I am also debating between these two options. I need to use a 5K LG UltraFine plus 4K (LG 27UK850). However, I can add the 5K later on, not now - and buy the BlackMagic only then.

Please do post an update after you test your setup.

Will do. Overall, I actually think it's a great product - my main question is do I really need an external GPU once I get the 2018 MacBook Pro since it's not for work and really for my hobbies and personal use. If you want to use the LG 5k display, do real work on it, and need a GPU, it's the way to go. Some additional thoughts so far:

1. Noise: it's silent and if you are doing real work on it, there's real value. Yes the laptop fan still goes but it's a lot less annoying than if you had a wind tunnel in front of you.

2. Price. I think it's actually quite reasonable if you look at it as a Thunderbolt 3 dock + eGPU enclosure + RX580 graphics card. Yes, you can't upgrade it but the video card and current generation of enclosures will become obsolete in 3 years anyways (Thunderbolt 4/other future interfaces or even having two thunderbolt 3 ports on the enclosure will de-value the current set of offerings). I've concluded a dock is a must have at this point for the LG 5K monitor.

3. LG 5K usb ports: Side tangent but one thing to note is that the ports on the LG 5K monitor do not have enough bandwidth to handle anything besides basic peripherals. I had a 5TB backup drive hooked up to it and anytime I had to do a Time Machine backup, it would significantly slow down the computer. I have not had that issue now that I've plugged it in directly into the black magic eGPU.

4. LG 5K monitor: This is worth getting despite all the complaints i've seen. Only thing I would say is Apple should've warned how badly it would perform on the 2016 MacBook Pro 13in. Seems like the 2017 models don't perform much better based on some of the more recent reviews I've read.

In my poor college student days, I would probably have gotten an eGPU enclosure and saved some money that way. Now with some disposable income, if I do want an eGPU, this is the far better solution.

 

[pubmsu]

Will do. Overall, I actually think it's a great product - my main question is do I really need an external GPU once I get the 2018 MacBook Pro since it's not for work and really for my hobbies and personal use. If you want to use the LG 5k display, do real work on it, and need a GPU, it's the way to go. Some additional thoughts so far:

1. Noise: it's silent and if you are doing real work on it, there's real value. Yes the laptop fan still goes but it's a lot less annoying than if you had a wind tunnel in front of you.

2. Price. I think it's actually quite reasonable if you look at it as a Thunderbolt 3 dock + eGPU enclosure + RX580 graphics card. Yes, you can't upgrade it but the video card and current generation of enclosures will become obsolete in 3 years anyways (Thunderbolt 4/other future interfaces or even having two thunderbolt 3 ports on the enclosure will de-value the current set of offerings). I've concluded a dock is a must have at this point for the LG 5K monitor.

3. LG 5K usb ports: Side tangent but one thing to note is that the ports on the LG 5K monitor do not have enough bandwidth to handle anything besides basic peripherals. I had a 5TB backup drive hooked up to it and anytime I had to do a Time Machine backup, it would significantly slow down the computer. I have not had that issue now that I've plugged it in directly into the black magic eGPU.

4. LG 5K monitor: This is worth getting despite all the complaints i've seen. Only thing I would say is Apple should've warned how badly it would perform on the 2016 MacBook Pro 13in. Seems like the 2017 models don't perform much better based on some of the more recent reviews I've read.

In my poor college student days, I would probably have gotten an eGPU enclosure and saved some money that way. Now with some disposable income, if I do want an eGPU, this is the far better solution.

So, did you already test running the 5K just with the MacBook Pro 13-inch or you are waiting for your 13-inch?

Do you plan to add a 4K too in addition with 5K? That's when the BlackMagic becomes essential.

I agree with all your points. Been using the 5K since its launch.

 

[tonyz123456]

So, did you already test running the 5K just with the MacBook Pro 13-inch or you are waiting for your 13-inch?

Do you plan to add a 4K too in addition with 5K? That's when the BlackMagic becomes essential.

I agree with all your points. Been using the 5K since its launch.

I’m currently running it on a MacBook Pro 13in 2016 right now with the lg 5k. Still Waiting for my 2018 one to arrive next week. No plans to drive multiple displays on my end.

 

[pubmsu]

I’m currently running it on a MacBook Pro 13in 2016 right now with the lg 5k. Still Waiting for my 2018 one to arrive next week. No plans to drive multiple displays on my end.

Noted. Curious - what are the issues you face driving the 5K with the 2016 13-inch?

 

[tonyz123456]

Without the egpu, the monitor tends to lag when there’s too many windows open, using certain applications (capture one pro, affinity design or any graphics intensive apps) or playback 4K video either locally or on YouTube through chrome. I think the internal gpu really struggles to drive the 5k display - no issues with the Apple Thunderbolt Display or the internal display. The egpu made all those issues mostly go away except for 4K 60 FPS videos on YouTube.

The other issue I have with the lg 5k display is that the built in USB hub doesn’t have enough bandwidth to handle a backup drive so when it runs a Time machine backup, there is a noticeable slowdown.

The main question I’m trying to figure out is if the quad core CPU + internal gpu is now good enough to drive the 5k display comfortably without the egpu. From a review of the lg 5k with the 2017 MacBook pro without touchbar, that configuration is still inadequate to drive the display without stuttering.

 

[pubmsu]

From a review of the lg 5k with the 2017 MacBook pro without touchbar, that configuration is still inadequate to drive the display without stuttering.

That review was for 13 inch?

My 2016 15-inch has absolutely no issue driving the UltraFine 5K. And the base model 2018 13-inch has better Geekbench scores than the 2016 15-inch. So, that plus the eGPU should do fine. I hear that the integrated GPU of the base model is much better than the discrete GPU of 2016, too.

 

[tonyz123456]

That review was for 13 inch?

My 2016 15-inch has absolutely no issue driving the UltraFine 5K. And the base model 2018 13-inch has better Geekbench scores than the 2016 15-inch. So, that plus the eGPU should do fine. I hear that the integrated GPU of the base model is much better than the discrete GPU of 2016, too.

Yes that review was for the 13in. I wouldn’t confuse geekbench’s cpu score for gpu performance - two different things.

 

[JeffN825]

So I guess all things being equal between the eGPU and the 15 inch, the only thing i would lose with the 13 inch is the 6 core setup. Anyone have mileage on this and notice a difference with the six cores when doing dev or virtualization/containers?

 

[pubmsu]

At least one report of choppy performance of 2018 13-inch with the LG UltraFine 5K:

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...onitors-with-2018-13-inch-base-model.2128731/
[doublepost=1532221566][/doublepost]

Yes that review was for the 13in. I wouldn’t confuse geekbench’s cpu score for gpu performance - two different things.

I did see elsewhere maybe others saying the integrated GPU of 13-inch has better performance than the *integrated* GPU of 2016 15-inch, not the discrete, which is my mistake. From AppleInsider preview:

"Onto graphics performance, the GPU has been upgraded from an Intel Iris Plus 650 to a 655, and looking at the OpenCL test scores, there doesn't seem to be a very big difference between the two integrated chips. Running the same test on our 2017 base 13-inch model, which has the Iris Plus 640 chip, there is some improvement, but honestly not that much, with respective scores of 30,983 and 32,831. Our 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro's score of 48,081, however, was much higher than the new 13-inch model."

Given the almost same OpenCL scores of 2017 vs 2018 13-inch, I am more concerned now about the performance with 5K, now that one member reported his 2018 13-inch does get choppy with 5K under above 50-60% load, which 2016 15-inch still flies with:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...018-13-inch-base-model.2128731/#post-26273127