Today’s 5th developer beta release of macOS Mojave has brought about some good news for Mac-owning eGPU enthusiasts. Users can now selectively enable eGPU acceleration on a per-app basis.
According to Apple’s macOS Mojave developer beta 5 release notes, users may now operationally request to use an external GPU when an app’s windows is located on a display connected directly to the Mac. What’s even more exciting is that this includes the built-in display for the iMac and MacBook Pro.
To enable eGPU acceleration in macOS Mojave dev beta 5, select the app via Finder and go to File → Get Info, and then check the Prefer External GPU checkbox. You must have an eGPU connected to your Mac before the option will appear. Any Mac with Thunderbolt 3 is eligible to use an eGPU.
Apple’s release notes:
It should be noted that this is not a new feature, as the prefer eGPU option has been baked into macOS since version 10.13.4. What is new, however, is the user-facing option to enable eGPU support. Previously, such a feature could only be enabled via terminal commands. In our post explaining how to prefer an eGPU on a per-app basis via Terminal, we noted how nice it would be to have a user-facing option, and Apple has delivered.
With Prefer External GPU enabled for Final Cut Pro X
As always, we’ll be testing out this new functionality, and will have much more eGPU coverage in the coming days and weeks. We most recently reviewed the Blackmagic eGPU, the first external GPU sold in Apple stores. For more eGPU coverage, be sure to check out our extensive eGPU guides.
Thanks, Filipe.
