Blackmagic eGPU performance impact on Resolve on IMac

[Eric Sternberger]

here is some info concerning your question:

https://barefeats.com/do-gpus-always-speed-up-pro-apps.html

https://barefeats.com/egpu_titan_xp_imac_pro.html

so I would say: No, your iMac won’t benefit a lot from the Blackmagic eGPU, but it probably would if you choose a cuda-card as an eGPU…

[John Whiteway]

Thanks very much for this information Eric; those two articles are the best things I’ve seen on this subject.

My interest in this question was a result of problems I was experiencing with Resolve 14 – timelines in a project with 70 timelines were doing funny things. If an external GPU was an answer to this (and I must admit I was only assuming that the GPU would play a central part in timeline functioning; as you suggest there are processes that rely more heavily on the CPU and perhaps this is one), then I was hoping the Blackmagic eGPU might be the answer. I had seen some information on the net describing how one could purchase things like the Sonnet box and build an external GPU, but I’ll admit doing that is really going into a strange area for me. The idea of a purpose-built system like Blackmagic’s, built in cooperation with Apple, had a definite appeal to me.

I’ve installed Resolve 15 and am hoping that some of its features may solve my problem, or if the problem was a corrupted Resolve 14 file that the mere fact of installing this new version of the app might do the same. Resolve 15 has two wonderful features that it seems might deal with my specific concern: one can select not to have all timelines open and one can turn off all Colour work in the active timeline. So far none of my old problems have re-occurred in Resolve 15, so my hope is that my problem has been resolved.

Now, if they do begin to occur again I might have to screw up my courage and consider the CUDA system you suggest might help.

Thanks again. Specific and knowledgeable help like your is greatly appreciated.

John