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Blackmagic Design Blackmagic eGPU vs OWC Mercury Helios 3: Comparison

Blackmagic Design Blackmagic eGPU and OWC Mercury Helios 3 separate most on psu wattage: Blackmagic Design Blackmagic eGPU at 580, OWC Mercury Helios 3 at 400, 31% in favour of Blackmagic Design Blackmagic eGPU.

Blackmagic eGPU (Pre-Installed Radeon Pro 580 8GB / Thunderbolt 3 / Apple-Designed Aluminum Chassis / Mac-Focused, Discontinued)
BlackmagicBlackmagic Design Blackmagic eGPU
OWC Mercury Helios 3 (Thunderbolt 3 eGPU Enclosure / 400W PSU / Bus-Powered Charging / Predecessor to Helios FX)
OWCOWC Mercury Helios 3

Specs

Specification
Blackmagic eGPU (Pre-Installed Radeon Pro 580 8GB / Thunderbolt 3 / Apple-Designed Aluminum Chassis / Mac-Focused, Discontinued)
Blackmagic Design Blackmagic eGPU
OWC Mercury Helios 3 (Thunderbolt 3 eGPU Enclosure / 400W PSU / Bus-Powered Charging / Predecessor to Helios FX)
OWC Mercury Helios 3
Connection StandardThunderbolt 3 (dual ports for daisy-chaining)Thunderbolt 3
BrandBlackmagic DesignOWC
Extra PortsHDMI, DisplayPort, 2x USB-A 3.1, additional Thunderbolt 3None onboard beyond the GPU's own outputs
PSU Wattage580400-31%
Host Power Delivery8585
Cooling TypeActive fan, designed by Apple for quiet operationActive Fan
ModelBlackmagic eGPUMercury Helios 3
PriceLaunched at $699 (2018), discontinuedLaunched around $299 (2018)

Price comparison

RetailerBlackmagic Design Blackmagic eGPUOWC Mercury Helios 3
AmazonView on Amazon

Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.

Verdict

Blackmagic Design Blackmagic eGPU

6.5 / 10 Expert Rating

A clean, quiet, Mac-tailored eGPU that was easy to buy and use, but has been discontinued for years and can't be upgraded.

OWC Mercury Helios 3

6 / 10 Expert Rating

Solid basic Mac eGPU box, superseded by the Helios FX which OWC still actively sells.

More comparisons in External GPU Enclosures