Note the dramatic improvement in performance when running the RTX 2080 eGPU setup. Reconnect the eGPU once you arrive back at the Windows desktop. Be sure to turn off or disconnect the eGPU from your Mac when the machine powers off. You’ll be asked to reboot your MacBook Air again.
#EGPU FOR MACBOOK AIR INSTALL#
Step 5: Install latest Nvidia driversĭownload and install the latest RTX 2080 drivers from Nvidia. Once the install is completed, you’ll be asked to reboot your computer. You can check Windows Update and Device Manager to check the status of the installation. Windows should recognize the connection and begin installing drivers for the RTX 2080. Ensure that Windows recognizes the storage before continuing.Īfter the storage is connected, connect the Thunderbolt 3 cable from the eGPU to Thunderbolt 3 port 1 (the port closest to the MacBook Air display). Connect your external storage to Thunderbolt 3 port 2 (the port further from the display) on the MacBook Air. I utilize external storage to house all of the games that I download from Steam and other sources. Step 3: Connect external storage to MacBook Air Install the card inside the external graphics chassis and connect it to the display via DisplayPort. The Razer Core X is the best eGPU for the Mac, and is big enough to accommodate large cards like EVGA’s RTX 2080.
#EGPU FOR MACBOOK AIR HOW TO#
You can use our step-by-step hands-on video tutorial that shows how to install Windows 10 on your Mac. Step 1: Install Windows 10 on MacBook Air via Boot Camp Assistant Thankfully, there’s Thunderbolt 3, which offers awesome expandability.
This reiterates the fact that the MacBook Air just isn’t meant to be a gaming machine on its own.
#EGPU FOR MACBOOK AIR 1080P#
But even when dropping down to 1080p and going for medium settings, things weren’t much better. It’s no big surprise that the Intel UHD Graphics 617 can’t handle such settings at 3440×1440 resolution. Here are the results from Unigine Heaven and Valley benchmarks using the integrated Intel UHD Graphics 617 GPU inside the MacBook Air: Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more videos Gaming on MacBook Air without an eGPU!Īs noted at the outset, attempting to play games on the 2018 MacBook Air by itself is a sad situation, especially when using a high-resolution external display like the LG UltraWide 5K2K. Razer Core X external graphics chassis ( review).
2018 MacBook Air (base model) ( review).
Feel free to swap out any of the parts to meet your specific needs: Here’s everything I used to build this setup.
Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for the step-by-step details. In other words, it was never intended to be a gaming machine.īut if you own a MacBook Air and are looking for ways to get more out of your laptop, then an eGPU setup within a Windows Boot Camp environment can go a long way towards making that a reality. That’s no fault of the MacBook Air, as it’s a thin and light portable laptop built around maximizing battery life. Connected to my LG UltraWide 5K2K Display, the MacBook Air averages around 1-2 frames per second in Rocket League, and similarly abysmal scores in Unigine Heaven and Valley benchmarks. On its own, the 2018 MacBook Air is a downright terrible gaming machine.