Last Monday Apple released a new beta of macOS High Sierra. In it, among other novelties, we find that the use of external graphics cards, a feature promised by the company for macOS High Sierra, is limited to devices with ThunderBold 3.
We are in beta 5, or what is the same, in a few weeks we should see the final version of macOS High Sierra, with the possibility of connecting external graphics. We will see if it is a one-off measure or is it prolonged in the following versions. However, for Apple, this function is in beta, and therefore does not guarantee its correct operation.
In this version we observe that new features have been included, which were previously missing. Among them, the possibility of connecting or disconnecting the graphics card without having to log out each time. This function is essential for laptops, the main destination for external graphics. In this way you gain portability in some moments, and graphic power when we have to do the hard work of editing. Furthermore, this process is faster and more robust. But on the downside, it has stopped working for connections other than Thunderbold 3.
Until the fifth beta, any standard was compatible with macOS High Sierra functionality. In contrast, only the most recent models have a Thunderbold 3 connection. We are talking about the Macs released in 2016 and 2017, leaving the rest on the sidelines.
Apple has not commented on the matter, neither directly nor through a collaborator. Therefore, we do not know if it responds to a time restriction, to the detection of errors in older connections, or to Marketing strategies that "encourage" us with the update of our Mac.
It is likely that we know of a third-party solution based on Apple's standard in the medium or long term, caused by graphics companies that are not within Apple's role. Recall that today, only Nvidia cards are compatible with this function of macOS High Sierra.
