External Graphic card issues

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Level 1

9 points

External Graphic card issues

I have the Mac Mini 2018 and bought an external graphic card to handle gaming. It works fine, but with a big issue that MacOS can't handle.

I have two monitors and since I want the external GPU by default for everything, I have connected my two displays to the external GPU. That works fine until I reboot. During reboot the external graphics is not working so when it asks for the decrypt password during boot, the screen is not visible. Sp I have to guess when it's ready and asks for the password end then enter it in blind.

Same when botting into windows. Then i need to unhook one of the displays and connect it temporarily to the internal graphics to see anything and then hook it back to the external GPU.

This is ridiculous, It can't be meant that I sometimes several times a day must remove the monitor cable from external to internal?? Please say there is a better way and that apple is not stupid?

Please note, I have waited and waited for a long time to buy a Mac and was hoping to buy an iMac during last fall, but it did not come, so I went for the Mac Mini instead that was updated, but then needed the external graphics... now i regret this and I should have waited a year or whatever for an imac or just continued using good old Windows PC that doesn't have these issues.

Posted on Jan 25, 2019 1:02 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

lllaass

Level 10

210,519 points

Jan 25, 2019 1:41 PM in response to Bejje

That is how it works and Apple in this article

Use Blackmagic eGPU with your Mac - Apple Support

includes the following

"macOS currently doesn't support eGPUs in Windows using Boot Camp or when your Mac is in macOS Recovery, at FileVault login, or installing system updates."

I would ask Apple to allow use of eGPU with FileVault with all monitors connected the the eGPU

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

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Answer 2

padams35

Level 4

3,613 points

Jan 25, 2019 1:47 PM in response to Bejje

Leave whichever monitor is not your primary display connected directly to the Mac Mini where it will display the login screen.

As long as the monitor configured as your primary is connected to the eGPU, the eGPU should be used by default.

How to set your primary display: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202351

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Answer 3

lllaass

Level 10

210,519 points

Jan 25, 2019 2:42 PM in response to Bejje

Allow you to easily switch aan HDMI monitor between the Mini's HDMI port and an HDMI port on the eGPU. A lot easier that plugging/unplugging a cable.

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Answer 4

hcsitas

Level 6

13,970 points

Jan 25, 2019 2:11 PM in response to Bejje

Just buy an HDMI A/B switch, available for < $10 on EBay.

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Answer 5

Bejje Author

Level 1

9 points

Jan 25, 2019 1:50 PM in response to lllaass

I don't know what "filevault" is, but I'm guessing it has to do with the boot procedure.

One option is to connect one of the monitors to internal graphics at all time, but then that montor would be excluded from external GPU power unless you specifically excempt every single game/application that you want to use eGPU on which could be alot.

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