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OWC Mercury Helios 3 vs Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650: Comparison
OWC Mercury Helios 3 and Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650 separate most on psu wattage: OWC Mercury Helios 3 at 400, Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650 at 650, 38% in favour of Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650. Max GPU Length splits them by another 6%, again favouring Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650. They match on connection standard, extra ports and cooling type.
Specs
| Specification |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Connection Standard | Thunderbolt 3 | Thunderbolt 3 |
| Brand | OWC | Sonnet |
| Extra Ports | None onboard beyond the GPU's own outputs | None onboard beyond the GPU's own outputs |
| PSU Wattage | 400-38% | 650 |
| Host Power Delivery | 85-2% | 87 |
| Max GPU Length | 290-6% | 310 |
| Cooling Type | Active Fan | Active Fan |
| Model | Mercury Helios 3 | eGFX Breakaway Box 650 |
| GPU Compatibility | GTX 10-series through RTX 20-series, dual-slot cards | GTX 10-series through RTX 30-series and equivalent AMD cards, double-wide |
| Price | Launched around $299 (2018) | Launched around $449 (2018) |
Price comparison
| Retailer | OWC Mercury Helios 3 | Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | View 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
OWC Mercury Helios 3
6 / 10 Expert Rating
Solid basic Mac eGPU box, superseded by the Helios FX which OWC still actively sells.
Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650
7 / 10 Expert Rating
The right-sized Sonnet box for mid-range Thunderbolt 3 cards, officially Mac-certified.
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