E-GPU with 2017 5k iMac & MacOS?

[Penny Edring]

So I'm looking at getting an E-GPU enclosure and a AMD graphics card of some sort to run on my 2017 5k iMac. I'm really wanting to run Ultra graphics with playable frame rates, but I don't know if that's even possible! Is anyone else in the same boat? Can someone make any recommendations as to what E-GPU and AMD-based graphics card that would do Second Life justice? I already know MacOS and Second Life don't really like each other, which is a shame because I only want to use MacOS.

 

Specs are:

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017)

Processor: 3.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5

Ram: 24 GB 2400 MHz DDR4

Internal graphics: Radeon Pro 580 8 GB

[Spiffy Voxel]

I have a similar spec Mac to yours, and I'm getting great framerates with Ultra graphics settings using the latest Firestorm Viewer. The one caveat is that I've turned off High Density display support, as that knocks the framerate down, but honestly I'd have to put my face right up to the screen to notice the difference.

While it's true that the number of third-party viewers for Macs is fewer than for Windows users, the latest performance improvements made by both Linden Lab and third-party devs have made Second Life much more enjoyable. 😍

[Coffee Pancake]

Be aware that the M1 line explicitly does not and will never support eGPU's of any kind.

 

[Anicha Heartsong]

I believe E-GPUs are pretty darned expensive. It seems like a big expenditure on a setup that is already 5 years old, and might not be supported by future OS updates. I can understand why you would want to keep it, as those 5k screens are great and almost impossible to replace except with the Apple Studio display at around $1500 (and possibly $400 more for a stand with an adjustable height!!!)

But bear in mind that if you decide to get a new Mac in the next few years, then as Coffee points out you probably won't be able to use any E-GPU you buy with any of the existing or future Mac line-up.