I don't think there will be eGPU support at all in the future ARM Macs. At least not in the foreseable future.
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The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming
- Thread starter GabrieleR
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My 2018 has too many USBA things hanging off it so I needed a powered hub. 2 external 10 TB drives, keyboard (Bluetooth isn’t reliable), trackpad 2 (Bluetooth isn’t reliable), webcam, AirPod storage/charging, and SD card to usb a adapter to transfer from video cams. I use none of the usb c ports as I didn’t find a usb c to usb a powered hub. Which is what worries me with the M1 mini.I have a couple audio interfaces for when I need to get sound into my Mini, I'm sure they are of much higher quality than the built-in interfaces on the old Macs. Last I checked, there were very inexpensive USB interfaces if you aren't picky about the quality. Two USB-A and four USB-C ports on the 2018 Mini always seemed very generous to me. I have three 2tb Samsung T7 SSD's and my display connected to the USB-C ports on mine, a mouse is on one USB-A port and the other is used as needed for phone, iPad, etc.
Have a pair of JBL studio monitors connected to the audio out and a Sony production monitor connected to HDMI for video editing. Optical drive... I have an external that I might connect once a year, originally got it to rip my DVD collection back in 2014.
Anyway, this is a very good fit for my needs. What's disappointing is the lack of ports on the M1 Mini (and evidently the USB 3 speed is also limited). Presumably the new Mini will address all of this, but of course the question is... at what cost?
My Dell AIO is the Inspiron 5348, a 23 inch.
The current 24 inch Inspiron models have HDMI input and output. The 27 inch models have HDMI input and output as well.
It isn't ruled out, but seems unlikely. Apple Silicon uses shared memory between the CPU and GPU for efficiency, that does not work if the GPU is separate.
Also, the Apple Silicon GPU functions very differently to anything used on Intel, so it would likely need to be a separate GPU designed for Apple Silicon, of which there have been no rumours.
Hopefully when the higher spec Mini arrives, it will be powerful enough to make the need for an external GPU redundant.
There are two ways to read "a usb c to usb a powered hub".
If you mean powered from an outlet using "powered usb c hub" at Amazon produced a bucket load including
* Universal 8-Port Powered USB 3.0/USB C Hub
* Powered USB hub RSHTECH 4 Port Powered USB C to USB 3.0 Port Hub Expander
* USB-C 4K Triple Display Docking Station, Baseus 17 in 1 USB C Dock Universal Docking Station with 3 HDMI 4K, Audio, Ethernet, 5 USB Ports, 100W USB-C PD, SD/TF Card Reader
If you mean 'powered by the usb c' wouldn't things like the 'USB C to USB Adapter [2 Pack], JSAUX USB Type C Male to USB 3.0 Female OTG' (produced via "USB C to USB A" at amazon) work?
From the picture all of these clearly convert USB C to USB A so I am puzzled regarding your problem in finding "a usb c to usb a powered hub" as both types exist and are reasonably priced. Heck you can even go the "usb c to usb a data cable" route to use your existing USB A devices (including that hub) with your USB C ports.
In fact, I am using a "Samsung - T5 1TB External USB Type C Portable Solid State Drive" (from Best Buy) via a USB C to USB A cable (it comes with one as well as a USB C to USB C cable) as I type this on my old 2013 iMac. It is my boot drive.
USB A is effectively dead and with all the USB C to USB A options there is no reason outside of the mini to keep it alive.
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I've read this kind of answer for a few times now.
I still don't get what the shared ram of cpu and igpu has to do with ability to use egpu?
Intel's igpu uses shared ram in my mini. It doesn't stop the egpu working.
Dgpu or egpu has it's own ram.
M chips still have pci bus and thunderbolt, AFAIK.
So maybe this is just a software issue?
A unified memory architecture removes the need to send and synchronise data to the GPU. This allows a weak memory ordering model that gives flexibility and performance benefits that are not available on Intel, because Intel is designed to cater for separate memory. This is a deep seated difference in architecture that Apple mentioned repeatedly at WWDC, so it seems unlikely there is the possibility for an external GPU, at least in the form we are used to.
I thought the TB standard required DMA regardless of Intel or not? It is possible that the M1 isn't meeting the full spec but more likely Apple simply did not want to spend the resources to get it working.
Thunderbolt 4 requires DMA protection, which macOS has. I don't believe it means DMA had to be used.
Good point. TB does require PCIe support but may not say it needs to be able to access internal RAM.
Ah ha ha ha. I actually purchased that exact powered usb c hub for the parent’s new iMac that has no usb a. I stand corrected and admit my horrible, horrible memory. They have a printer, wired keyboard, wired cheap mouse, and usb adapter for their old camera sd card. USB A won’t be dead for a few years yet. Not all of us buy new stuff because usb c is the standard.
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I just want a mini with more PORTS! Decided the cost of a dock for M1 mini was better spent on an M1x and ditch the dock…provided the newer mini has more ports. fingers crossed. If not, I’ll
probably buy the M1 and a dock/hub at a good price refurbed.
probably buy the M1 and a dock/hub at a good price refurbed.
A bargain compared to the Mac Pro.
If a mini Pro was available for $999, maybe the current mini could sell for less.
I really don't see a Mac mini (Pro) as low as $999...
I can see the current ASi Mac mini with that low price, but for the increase in CPU/GPU cores & RAM with M1X SoC chips, I see my above pricing ($2k/$3k) as fair...?
For $2k/$3k, I'd purchase an Intel NUC.
Then again, I'd never spend that kind of money on a 'puter.
At $499, I'd get 3 minis. One for me, one for Ma and one for the TV.
Not many computers at that price are worth having and Apple knows that.
Then again, Apple isn't paying Intel for the CPU.
Of course I remember the mini at $499.
The current mini is still a good deal as a similar priced NUC does not necessarily include Windows.
Okay, a $599 mini would roll my socks.
It amazes me how some machines sell with 4GB RAM.
That should be a crime, which Apple also gets.
Then again, I'd never spend that kind of money on a 'puter.
At $499, I'd get 3 minis. One for me, one for Ma and one for the TV.
Not many computers at that price are worth having and Apple knows that.
Then again, Apple isn't paying Intel for the CPU.
Of course I remember the mini at $499.
The current mini is still a good deal as a similar priced NUC does not necessarily include Windows.
Okay, a $599 mini would roll my socks.
It amazes me how some machines sell with 4GB RAM.
That should be a crime, which Apple also gets.
there are a LOT of reasons for having an external GPU, just like reasons for external storage for video editors and career photographers. For external gpu’s I’d like not just for gaming possibilities in parallels’ running win10 but also for crypto mining power on M1 (currently internally on the M1 this is doable and quite surprisingly easily, outside of certain regions btw).
so there isn’t a nail in the coffin for external gpu’s on Apple Silicon macs u tip a) Apple fully announces all aspects supported going forward and most critically b) sticks to that promise and doesn’t just abandone such promise (ahem overpriced Black Magic external eGPU specific sales for a product that was quickly ignored after launched 1.5yrs ago.
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yeah usb-a has made things ugly in terms of tiny accessories.
have you considered a TB3/4 LCD that can performing power and Daisy-chaining support for the external drive array? Then from the LCD possible usb-a ports for Logitech type adapters for mx K /Mouse etc?
would be great for Apple to release a 24/32-34” Cinema Display with TB4 but with internal XCSD ports