TechInferno

Latest

  • Adding an external graphics card to your MacBook Air isn't practical, but it's possible

    by 
    Mike Wehner
    Mike Wehner
    08.01.2013

    The MacBook Air isn't exactly known for its raw graphical might, and its super slim form factor means integrated Intel HD Graphics is as good as you're going to get -- unless you spend some time and cash to build an external graphics processor, that is. Tech Inferno forum user Kloper has put together a rather in-depth guide on building an external GPU setup which connects to the MBA via its high-speed Thunderbolt port. All told, the setup isn't exactly cheap, as you'll need to drop around US$250 in adapters, cables and a power supply, plus the cost of a GPU which can run several hundreds of dollars or more. Oh, and you'll need to have Windows 7 installed on your notebook as well. The Frankenstein'd rig isn't even remotely portable, and it's only good for gaming when at home, but the setup described -- which uses an Nvidia GTX 570 -- manages to crank out some impressive benchmark FPS measurements using rather demanding games, like BioShock Infinite.