Replacing the discontinued eGFX Breakaway Puck Radeon RX 560 and Radeon RX 570 eGPUs, the new models retain the same form factor but deliver up to 300% more performance. Two USB ports for connecting peripheral devices are included, as well as a second Thunderbolt port for supporting a Thunderbolt/USB-C display, including the 6K Apple Pro Display XDR.

eGPU systems boost a computer’s graphics performance by connecting a more powerful graphics processor via a Thunderbolt 3 connection and bypassing the computer’s onboard GPU. Sonnet’s eGPU Breakaway Puck Radeon RX 5500 XT and Radeon RX 5700 systems are designed to run graphics-intensive applications on Intel-based MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, or iMac with Thunderbolt 3 ports. eGPU Breakaway Pucks accelerate a computer’s graphics performance on its built-in display, if present, and on up to four externally connected displays.

Most popular professional video applications rely on powerful GPUs to do the heavy lifting in tasks such as exporting, rendering, and more. A problem for many pro users is that their preferred computers are often only equipped with a basic graphics controller or a low-power discrete GPU that is less suitable for many of those tasks. The use of an eGPU overcomes those limitations.

Both eGPU Breakaway Puck models support up to three 4K 60 Hz displays, or one 6K plus two 4K displays at the same time. Through a second Thunderbolt 3 port, the Pucks provide both graphics and data to support all popular Thunderbolt/USB-C displays, including the LG UltraFine 4K and 5K displays sold in the Apple store. Both models include two USB Type A ports to enable connection of peripherals, such as a keyboard, mouse, or a software license authorization key dongle, to the computer without taking up its onboard ports.