Enable eGPU Device Support in Boot Camp

Originator:me
Number:rdar://32830264 Date Originated:June 17 2017
Status:Open Resolved:
Product:macOS + Boot Camp Product Version:macOS 10.12
Classification:Feature Request Reproducible:Yes
 
Area:
Something not on this list

Summary:
macOS High Sierra announced support for external GPU (henceforth called eGPU) devices that enable significantly more powerful graphics processors to be attached to a Mac via the Thunderbolt 3 port. This is a really exciting concept and will allow for vastly increased productivity in apps that can take advantage of GPU-based computations.

At the same time, it would be excellent if eGPU support could be enabled in Windows via Boot Camp on Mac hardware as well. At the moment, it seems that the Mac firmware is limiting the ability to enable eGPU devices when running Windows on a Mac. While the functionality can be enabled at present, it is both time-consuming, and relatively risky for the Mac.

Steps to Reproduce:
1) Install Windows 10 via Boot Camp on a Mac.
2) Attach an eGPU via Thunderbolt 3. (I used a Razer Core with an nVidia GTX 1080 Ti)
3) Install the drivers for the eGPU and the video card in it.
4) Reboot the Mac back into Boot Camp

Expected Results:
The Mac will successfully boot into Boot Camp and the eGPU will be a mounted device ready for us.

Observed Results:
If the eGPU is plugged into the Mac when Boot Camp is booting up, the Mac will hang and will need to be force-restarted.

If the eGPU is plugged into the Mac once Windows has finished loading, it will appear in the Windows Device Manager list, but will be reporting 'Error Code 12' in that the necessary system resources were unable to be allocated to it.

Version:
macOS Sierra 10.12.4
Boot Camp
Windows 10 (Latest version at time of writing)

Notes:


Configuration:
This occurs when running Windows 10 via Boot Camp on a Mac, and an eGPU device is attached via Thunderbolt 3.

Comments

I'm apple user. I very like Apple system but only this eGPU on Bootcamp trouble me.

By wilson20011004 at April 10, 2022, 5:59 p.m. (reply...)

can't believe egpu's are not supported.

Long-term apple customer here. I have the 2020 13" macbook pro, and the blackmagic egpu pro. I want to play a game (Divinity Original Sins 2), which is flickering on mac. I can't disable the shader cache (possible source of the problem) as apple has integrated drivers without the options of the windows driver.

So, I bought Windows and installed it with bootcamp. Just to see that my expensive hardware is not even supported. Like, really? As I seem to need an non-macbook pro anyway for gameing, I am actually thinking of dumping apple after all this time. Which is sad, because I like os x for my work.

By robin at Oct. 16, 2020, 10:56 a.m. (reply...)

This is still an issue that needs resolution. I expect my late-2019 16" to be able to do the job whether it's MacOS or Windows. Booting up with an eGPU attached likewise crashes my machine.

By oliver at Oct. 1, 2020, 1:40 a.m. (reply...)

Yes please

Trying to set this up is a wrenching experience. This should be plug-and-play. Would love to see this resolved.

By tachyonimpulse at Sept. 15, 2020, 5:20 p.m. (reply...)

Please add support for EGPU in boot camp

This is a problem that just seems to get worse with every windows release. Unfortunately this forces my next computer purchase to be a windows laptop not another macbook just so I can continue to run windows.

By greg.pringle at April 29, 2020, 3:02 p.m. (reply...)

Having one machine to handle everything would be fantastic. eGPU support in Boot Camp is important to working in a lot of CAD/engineering software in Windows due to needing to use a certified graphics card. Ideally some of this software would have macOS versions, but that seems unlikely. Having eGPU support would at least allow us to use one computer to run all macOS software as well as all Windows software.

By ty at March 9, 2020, 1:31 p.m. (reply...)

This is the only reason why I still have a PC at home. Once Apple starts supporting eGPU on boot camp I can get rid of my PC.

By scodino at Feb. 8, 2020, 12:57 p.m. (reply...)

Enable eGPU Device Support in Boot Camp for AMD Graphics Card

I'm just bought a newest macbook Pro 13" with a Razer Core X and am AMD 5700xt.. Unfortenly I did everything to make it work in Boot Camp but nothing works.

I'm so disapointed spending so money with so high tech to do not work.

I'm using the Catalina

Please Apple, help us.

By sacmkh at Jan. 15, 2020, 5:01 p.m. (reply...)

Enable eGPU Device Support in Boot Camp

Another voice in support of this

By lytkovets.km at Jan. 14, 2020, 2:30 a.m. (reply...)

I would love to see this as well!

By MaximilianRuta at Jan. 1, 2020, 3:48 p.m. (reply...)

Adding a proper egpu support via bootcamp is important for us users that use the Macbook pro with 3D CAD software, and not only gamers. Even the all new Radeon Pro 5500 with 8Gb is not sufficient or even support (certified) for some CAD programs (Solidworks for example)

By jorge.rui.machado at Nov. 15, 2019, 7:02 p.m. (reply...)

Please develop official bootcamp eGPU support

By whodean at Oct. 8, 2019, 12:53 p.m. (reply...)

Please add support. I’ve wasted hours trying to get this to work and it’s been painful.

By epeters3 at Sept. 16, 2019, 5:38 p.m. (reply...)

Adding my voice to this. Apple, please facilitate eGPUs in Windows through boot camp. I love my Mac but some software is only available on Windows and requires powerful GPUs.

By giokanaan at Sept. 12, 2019, 11:34 p.m. (reply...)

I develop software for supercomputers, linux clusters, MacOS X and Windows. Because of the requirements of such a diverse set of targets and the fact that I write CUDA GPU code for our research, I continue to need support for NVIDIA hardware. Using a eGPU is one way to streamline our workflow to develop and test new algorithms across platforms while using my beautiful 2018 MacBook Pro. Because of the lack of support for NVIDIA and the technical requirements of getting a eGPU set up in Mojave I am strongly considering purchasing non-Apple products in the future (and I have been using Apple products since my Apple IIe in 1981). Doing so would also lead to considering changing from the entire Apple eco-system as well (iPhone, watch etc.) as technology is fine but I can't spend every waking moment tending to it's needs and lack of compatibility.

By madscatt at Aug. 22, 2019, 1:26 p.m. (reply...)

Seconding this... Apple please help your apple fans by enabling eGPU in Boot Camp... Please!

By zeeshan.oranges at July 22, 2019, 6:17 p.m. (reply...)

Enable eGPU Device Support in Boot Camp

I would love to see official bootcamp eGPU support as well! That would support the flexibility of a MacBook Pro and opens new possibilities for developers to test things under Windows.

By app at Nov. 30, 2018, 12:42 p.m. (reply...)

Please add eGPU support in Boot Camp

This would be a game changer!

By MJBennett31 at Nov. 23, 2018, 8:49 p.m. (reply...)

This would be an absolutely killer feature for the MacBook - being able to leverage an eGPU would mean I no longer need to purchase another non-Apple computer.

By acheronfail at Oct. 24, 2018, 9:54 p.m. (reply...)

Need a better bootcamp eGPU support!

Apple, please add some official bootcamp eGPU support !!

By duannru0922 at Oct. 10, 2018, 1:53 a.m. (reply...)

I second this.

I bought Macbook pro 2018 13" so I can work on MacOS and do gaming on Windows.

Now gaming is out of the window which is frustrating considering the high price of the mac.

By swiftyoshioka at Aug. 23, 2018, 10:39 a.m. (reply...)

Assuming that Apple is trying to push GPU intensive developers to migrate to the macOS ecosystem, it would be hard to imagine Apple adding support for this. However, I would love to see official bootcamp eGPU support as well!

By akash4393 at Aug. 18, 2018, 9:49 p.m. (reply...)

Another voice in support of this - it's a massive limiter than the macbooks behave in this way.

By adrian at July 26, 2018, 6:28 a.m. (reply...)

This is quickly becoming an imparitave feature. There has been o much push by Apple for eGPU in macOS, they need to support all aspects of their hardware. Including windows support in boot camp. For sales and functionality this is a must at this point!

By dogbots159 at July 9, 2018, 4:06 p.m. (reply...)

Enable eGPU Device Support in Boot Camp

This is something we Macbook owners need. I have been a Macbook user for over 10 years, but the throttling of the eGPU capabilities in bootcamp will make me thing twice before buying another Apple product.

By caineknight at July 7, 2018, 8:03 p.m. (reply...)

Seconding this. A lot of people are looking at eGPU's as an alternative to building a whole desktop to play games but if eGPU's aren't working with Bootcamp, then half the functionality is gone.

By momen.abdelkarim at July 4, 2018, 4:12 a.m. (reply...)

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