Sonnet's two new eGPU docks support Apple's Pro Display XDR

By Oliver Haslam
published

Sonnet Egpu Puck
Sonnet Egpu Puck (Image credit: Sonnet)

What you need to know

  • Sonnet has announced two new eGPU pucks featuring AMD Radeon graphics.
  • Both the eGPU Breakaway Puck Radeon® RX 5500 XT and eGPU Breakaway Puck Radeon RX 5700 support Apple's Pro Display XDR at full 6K resolution.

Sonnet has announced not just one, but two new eGPUs that include support for Apple's impressive Pro Display XDR. The snappily-named eGPU Breakaway Puck Radeon RX 5500 XT and eGPU Breakaway Puck Radeon RX 5700 will both drive the display at its full 6K resolution, allowing users to work "without compromise."

Both of the new releases are available right now with pricing starting at $599.

Sonnet Technologies today announced the launch of the eGPU Breakaway™ Puck Radeon® RX 5500 XT and eGPU Breakaway Puck Radeon RX 5700, the newest members of the company's popular family of portable all-in-one Thunderbolt™ 3 external graphics processing (eGPU) systems. Replacing the now discontinued eGFX Breakaway Puck Radeon RX 560 and Radeon RX 570 eGPUs, the new models retain the same form factor but in many cases deliver more than 300% performance improvement over the previous-generation models. The new models now include two USB ports for connecting peripheral devices and a second Thunderbolt port for fully supporting a Thunderbolt/USB-C® display, including the 6K Apple® Pro Display XDR.

The use of an eGPU allows Mac users to take a relatively low-specced machine and increase its graphics capabilities. While Mac Pro machines can have their GPUs swapped out, that isn't the case with the rest of the Mac lineup and that's where eGPUs come in so handy. It's worth noting that Sonnet says that the new products only support Intel-based Macs, however.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.