Early 2013 GPU dead, eGPU as a temporary fix?

[kff]

Hi everyone, first time posting here.
My 650m discrete GPU died on me, I decided to invest in a new laptop.
After seeing that this generations 15 inch premium model maxes out at 16gb of ram, and im doing a lot of video editing, im thinking to wait for next years models which will (hopefully) have a 32gb option.

Since i would like to hook up my old rMBP to my Dell u2715h, and you can't do that with dead discrete graphics, I'm thinking about investing in an eGPU in stead of using 300+ pounds on repair.
When I buy my new macbook pro I can still use the eGPU.
Does anyone know if this setup is possible? Or will i need the discrete graphics for bootup, thunderbolt connectivity or anything else?
best Karl

 

[holden j caufield]

Power on your laptop, hook it up to hdmi. Close the lid to go sleep, wait a few secs, unplug the hdmi, open the lid and now you've got your macbook working again on intel gpu.

It will continue to work on igpu until your do shutdown but you can go sleep unsleep forever and keep it working.