Attaching a Thunderbolt GPU to a Macbook Air • Hacker News Board

Re: Attaching a Thunderbolt GPU to a Macbook Air

#21

Post by bryanlarsen » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 4:07 PM UTC

oijaf888 wrote: post #17

whitehat2k9 wrote: post #2

...Or you could put together a proper gaming machine for the same price.

You can put together a good gaming machine for $250? That seems a bit low to me but I haven't priced computer parts in a while.

The OP costs $250 + GPU + Windows license, and doesn't have a case. It's also quite likely that the OP is also using an external hard disk rather than putting Windows & a few large games on his SSD. If so, $250 can get you a MB/CPU/RAM/PS.

Re: Attaching a Thunderbolt GPU to a Macbook Air

#22

Post by jfb » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 4:08 PM UTC

Shivetya wrote: post #14

ckluis wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Partially agree. I assume Apple wants to go down the truly portable route and offer an addon graphics card in the size and shape of either an airport extreme or apple tv/mini. This would allow someone with a mini to stack a graphics card under it and have the graphics card inbetween the mini & any other screen.

I am/was hoping thunderbolt would provide me the equivalent of a docking station set up for Apple laptops. Hooking up one cable is an acceptable alternative to a docking station. My last Apple laptop setup required four plug ins, monitor, power, keyboard, and mouse. Yeah I know I could wireless the mouse/keyboard but that isn't the point.

Apple already sells a Thunderbolt docking station, with a very nice 27" display built in.

Re: Attaching a Thunderbolt GPU to a Macbook Air

#23

Post by dmix » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 4:09 PM UTC

Shivetya wrote: post #14

ckluis wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Partially agree. I assume Apple wants to go down the truly portable route and offer an addon graphics card in the size and shape of either an airport extreme or apple tv/mini. This would allow someone with a mini to stack a graphics card under it and have the graphics card inbetween the mini & any other screen.

I am/was hoping thunderbolt would provide me the equivalent of a docking station set up for Apple laptops. Hooking up one cable is an acceptable alternative to a docking station. My last Apple laptop setup required four plug ins, monitor, power, keyboard, and mouse. Yeah I know I could wireless the mouse/keyboard but that isn't the point.

> monitor, power, keyboard, and mouse

+ sound

Although I use USB hub so 1x usb.

Re: Attaching a Thunderbolt GPU to a Macbook Air

#24

Post by nobodysfool » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 4:28 PM UTC

oijaf888 wrote: post #17

whitehat2k9 wrote: post #2

...Or you could put together a proper gaming machine for the same price.

You can put together a good gaming machine for $250? That seems a bit low to me but I haven't priced computer parts in a while.

Must have forgotten to include the Thunderbolt cable for $29...

Re: Attaching a Thunderbolt GPU to a Macbook Air

#25

Post by roc » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 4:35 PM UTC

jfb wrote: post #22

Shivetya wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am/was hoping thunderbolt would provide me the equivalent of a docking station set up for Apple laptops. Hooking up one cable is an acceptable alternative to a docking station. My last Apple laptop setup required four plug ins, monitor, power, keyboard, and mouse. Yeah I know I could wireless the mouse/keyboard but that isn't the point.

Apple already sells a Thunderbolt docking station, with a very nice 27" display built in.

Personally I think baking the GPU power into the displays themselves is the more Apple-y approach. As opposed to some sort of additional-stackable-boxes solution.

(Which I'd love to see; I just don't see Apple doing it.)

Re: Attaching a Thunderbolt GPU to a Macbook Air

#26

Post by kashnikov » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 4:36 PM UTC

So can I do this with my mid 2011 27" imac to get additional graphics performance or drive additional displays with ease?

Re: Attaching a Thunderbolt GPU to a Macbook Air

#27

Post by tsmarsh » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 4:38 PM UTC

jfb wrote: post #22

Shivetya wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am/was hoping thunderbolt would provide me the equivalent of a docking station set up for Apple laptops. Hooking up one cable is an acceptable alternative to a docking station. My last Apple laptop setup required four plug ins, monitor, power, keyboard, and mouse. Yeah I know I could wireless the mouse/keyboard but that isn't the point.

Apple already sells a Thunderbolt docking station, with a very nice 27" display built in.

It would be great if that docking station optionally included an awesome GPU. In the mean time, daisy chaining something like this on to the back looks very interesting.

Re: Attaching a Thunderbolt GPU to a Macbook Air

#28

Post by roc » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 4:41 PM UTC

kayoone wrote: post #12

Good writeup! For a home workstartion setup this would be pretty ideal imo..it would possibly also reduce heat as the load is moved from the internal GPU to an external one. Windows only kills this though, as i can use my old windows rig from 2009 with a somewhat recent GPU (core2quad 2.8Ghz + HD6870) which still plays basically every game without breaking a sweat. For my work setup with OSX something like this would…

Yeah, $250-not-counting-the-GPU is very much in the "why wouldn't I just dust off my old mid-tower?" range.

Re: Attaching a Thunderbolt GPU to a Macbook Air

#29

Post by farinasa » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 4:51 PM UTC

jonny_eh wrote: post #9

whitehat2k9 wrote: post #2

...Or you could put together a proper gaming machine for the same price.

Why do something interesting when you can do something boring?

Common doesn't always mean boring.

Re: Attaching a Thunderbolt GPU to a Macbook Air

#30

Post by glogla » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 4:58 PM UTC

oijaf888 wrote: post #17

whitehat2k9 wrote: post #2

...Or you could put together a proper gaming machine for the same price.

You can put together a good gaming machine for $250? That seems a bit low to me but I haven't priced computer parts in a while.

$250 is too low. But the whole setup with MBA with 512 GB SSD, 8 GB RAM and i7 CPU, the GPU and then the $250 in parts is not only enough money for powerful desktop computer, it is enough money for cheaper MBA variant and then powerful desktop computer.