Thunderbolt 1 External GPU & Bootcamp

[Spendlove]

Hi All,

I have been doing a lot of internet scouring to see if a late 2013 iMac will be able to run an external GPU on Bootcamp using the Thunderbolt 1 port and basically coming up with nothing much.

I am aware of bottleneck issues but it still might be worth the increase in frame rates for gaming.

Not interested at all in using a eGPU on Mac OSX, just on Windows and purely for gaming.

I want to use the main screen, not an external screen.

Has anyone got any experience? I am getting desperate!

 

[CWallace]

I am aware of bottleneck issues but it still might be worth the increase in frame rates for gaming.

You're going to be losing 95-100% of the performance running it over TB1 and looping it back to the iMac's display.

Buy a Windows PC for gaming.

 

[gian8989]

Hi All,

I have been doing a lot of internet scouring to see if a late 2013 iMac will be able to run an external GPU on Bootcamp using the Thunderbolt 1 port and basically coming up with nothing much.

I am aware of bottleneck issues but it still might be worth the increase in frame rates for gaming.

Not interested at all in using a eGPU on Mac OSX, just on Windows and purely for gaming.

I want to use the main screen, not an external screen.

Has anyone got any experience? I am getting desperate!

External gpu started with thunderbolt 2 so just give up.

 

[Spendlove]

You're going to be losing 95-100% of the performance running it over TB1 and looping it back to the iMac's display.

Buy a Windows PC for gaming.

External gpu started with thunderbolt 2 so just give up.

So basically, what we are saying here is I am screwed and it is impossible to run a external GPU on Bootcamp with Thunderbolt 1 and using the normal iMac monitor.

 

[JustSoWicked1]

So basically, what we are saying here is I am screwed and it is impossible to run a external GPU on Bootcamp with Thunderbolt 1 and using the normal iMac monitor.

Yes. I looked into running this and your bottleneck happens to be between the PCI to Thunderbolt conversion is only limited to 4x speeds which doesn't give you any performance boost worth the price and that won't change until Intel builds a PCI to thunderbolt chip so you won't notice any performance for what you are expecting. With the $500 you would spend on an enclosure and GPU. Build a windows PC for gaming or just use your integrated GPU on the iMac.

 

[redheeler]

Even Thunderbolt 2, which is theoretically 100% faster than Thunderbolt 1, would prove to be a bottleneck. Doesn't really matter though, as using the iMac's built-in screen with an external GPU is pretty much out of the question to begin with.

Build a windows PC for gaming or just use your integrated GPU on the iMac.

Agreed.