Blackmagic eGPU Pro with Vega 56 video card costs 1359 euros

Blackmagic Design comes with a new version of its external GPU that is intended for Mac systems. The eGPU Pro features AMD’s RX Vega 56 GPU and will be available for purchase from the end of November. Last year, the manufacturer introduced a version with a Radeon RX 580.

The Vega 56 video card in the Blackmagic eGPU Pro is equipped with 8GB hbm2. The housing is the same as that of the Blackmagic eGPU introduced last year, but the new model also has a displayport 1.4 connection. There are also two Thunderbolt 3 ports, four USB 3 connections and an HDMI 2.0 port on the external video card. Those connections were already on the previous model.

Through Thunderbolt 3 and the USB-C connector, the Blacmagic eGPU Pro can be connected to Mac systems such as the MacBook Pro models, the new MacBook Air, the Mac Mini and iMacs. The device can also supply 85W of power to power a connected laptop.

Apple sells the external video card in its own web store for 1359 euros. This makes the Pro version almost twice as expensive as the version with RX 580 video card that came out last year for 695 euros. That model is still available for the same price.

Blackmagic designs its eGPUs in collaboration with Apple. In a FAQ, the manufacturer says that the devices will also work on Windows, but there may be compatibility issues, which is why the company does not yet recommend the product for Windows PCs.