It is someone managed to get a regular graphics card through a Thunderbolt connection to a Macbook Air to connect to. The used Nvidia GeForce GTX570 could then be used to, for example, games to run.
A detailed description of the preparation was put online by a user of Tech Inferno forum. The whole arrangement costs, regardless of the video card, about $ 250. To the external gpu working is quite a lot of additional hardware is required. First of all, a Sonnet Echo ExpressCard Pro needed; a converter from Thunderbolt to ExpressCard. With a BPlus PE4L adapter this ExpressCard interface then be converted to a pci-express connection. This can be the desktop gpu then be connected. To the card power supply is a regular atx power supply is required.
The mod will only work if Windows 7 via bootcamp on the Macbook Air runs. Also need a special piece of software called DIY eGPU Setup purchased and installed. Also, users must have a lot of settings to adjust and tweak the video card is not only recognized, but also working to get. If all that’s done is, it is possible to use the external gpu to use the lcd panel in the Macbook Air to float. It is also possible to use an external monitor on the gpu and connect the Macbook to use them only for input.
The external gpu makes for a hefty performance gains in graphics-intensive tasks, such as running games. If using an external monitor worked, the frame rates are the highest, because in that display of the image signal via a number of converters over the Thunderbolt interface back to the laptop sent need to be. Depending on the tested game is running everything on an external monitor 1.2 x to 1.7 x as fast.
Although in the past by various companies including MSI and Silverstone, already have external video cards on the basis of a Thunderbolt interface are shown, such products in the stores has not yet been achieved. According to the author of the mod would Thunderbolt-developer Intel at this time, such solutions require no official approval, to grant.