Gadgets
Gaming Rig Graphics Power on a Macbook is Now Possible
Razer’s new Core X Chroma gives underpowered notebooks the ability to crank out some high-res gaming graphics!
It’s probably a better idea to discuss religion, politics, or die-hard football rivalries than it is to discuss the long-standing split between PC and Mac users for who reigns supreme in the personal computing space. We’re not going to try and decisively award the victory to either side, but Mac users that have been longing to have gaming rig capabilities on their Macbooks now have a potential saviour at hand: the Razer Core X Chroma.
Razer, who are industry leaders in the PC gaming space, recently announced that they’ve got a serious powerhouse of a eGPU (external Graphics Processing Unit) on the cards, and it’s going to provide an insane boost to any compatible Windows or Mac laptop that hooks up to it. It might seem like a carbon copy of the Core X, but the Chroma has a few additions that set it apart.
The notable specs for the Core X Chrome are:
- 700w power supply
- USB + Gigabit Ethernet ports
- Capable of housing up to 3 slot-wide graphics cards
- Dual-chip Thunderbolt 3 design
The consensus seems to be that the Chroma is one of the best eGPU’s money can buy, and while it’s obviously a legitimate option for Windows laptop users, the biggest draw will be for Macbook owners that want to transform their laptops into gaming rigs capable of giving them access to the same kind of graphics performance Windows machines enjoy.
One caveat Mac users need to be aware of, though, is that there aren’t currently suitable Nvidia cards that are compatible with Mac, so you’ll need to use AMD cards if you’re planning on picking up a Chroma in the near future. There are some required specs that you should also check out to make sure there won’t be compatibility issues between your laptop and the Chroma, you can check those out here.
So while this doesn’t settle the PC vs Mac debate by any stretch, it’s pretty cool that Razer has made an eGPU that offers utility to Macbook users that hasn’t been that commonly available or conveniently packaged, so the Chroma’s availability is likely to put smiles on the faces of quite a few Macbook owners.
It will be retailing for between $300-$400 in the US, but local pricing information hasn’t been specified yet, keep any eye out in the months to come for confirmation on local pricing!
