Dear Community,
After spending quite some time diving into this pool of knowledge and personalities, I think I have narrowed it down. I'm more inclined to use Catalina, so my options seem limited (@wkw_cai's setup is great help). The main reason for going down the eGPU route is to boost CAD and Gaming performance on Mac as well as Gaming performance on Windows. This morning, I picked up a AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT to go with my Razer Core X. What are some of the best methods to connect my LG Monitor and eGPU? See below for details. Thank you in advance. Stay safe out there.
Edit: As of writing, the RCX is connected into the right side of the MBP and the LG Monitor into the left side (FYI, I close the laptop when using the external monitor). The Radeon RX 5700 XT shows up under system report, however, I'm not sure whether it's really working while using the external monitor or not. Need some clarification.
Non-OEM productivity (priority indicated):
Vectorworks - MAC (!!!)
SketchUp - MAC (!!!)
Lightroom Classic - MAC (!!!)
Illustrator - MAC (!!!)
Ableton Live - MAC (!!!)
Thinkorswim - MAC (!!)
Premiere Pro - MAC (!)
Non-OEM gaming (priority indicated):
Call of Duty MW Warzone - PC (!!!)
Halo: MCC - PC (!)
League of Legends - MAC (!!!)
Current Setup:
MacBook Pro (15", 2017)
2.9GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 - Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz
16 GM 2133 Mhz Memory
512GB SSD Storage
Radeon Pro 560 4gb & Intel HD Graphics 630 1546 MB
Razer Core X
LG UltraFine 5k Display 27" (2019)
Universal Audio Apollo Twin MkII Duo
Lacie Rugged 2 TB External Hard Drive
macOS Catalina
10.15.3
Windows 10 Home
v1909
Pending: Add my system information and expected eGPU configuration to my signature to give context to my posts
Would this option below work? Going out of the LG Monitor's USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 to the 5700 XT's DisplayPort.
https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HLR62ZM/A/moshi-usb-c-to-displayport-cable
Pending: Add my system information and expected eGPU configuration to my signature to give context to my posts
@ki_a, If your UltraFine 5k Display is the second generation, it should work with a USB-C connection. Either the Moshi cable you found or Huawei VR-2 cable should allow 4K resolution from the RX 5700 XT eGPU.
@itsage, thanks for the response. It is indeed 2nd gen. I've noticed that LoL performance has drastically improved with the current connection method, is it possible that this is working? My theory is since you would use the top right side of the MBP for a second display, that it must have some prioritized connection versus the bottom ports. Maybe it can support an eGPU connection and still increase performance on the external monitor without being directly connected (especially with having the MBP closed). Thoughts?
Also, do you think I'll still be okay to follow @wkw_cai's setup for running Windows 10 (specifically for CoD: Warzone) on Bootcamp? I just erased the existing Windows partition to restart the process and use Windows 10 version 1903 - 19H1 (build 18362.30).
Lastly, I cannot figure out the proper way to disconnect the eGPU. Does having the laptop open or closed make a difference for disconnecting?
Appreciate the help!
Pending: Add my system information and expected eGPU configuration to my signature to give context to my posts