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Vote for Late 2013 15” rMBP. Why?

http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/7910-diy-egpu-macbook-experiences-52.html#post127342

http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/7910-diy-egpu-macbook-experiences-58.html#post128390

I haven’t seen a successful 2015 Mac eGPU implementation on Windows or OS X yet. I wish I could walk into a local Apple store with the AKiTiO box in my backpack and test. I am afraid of clicking “About This Mac”, revealing completely different Boot ROM / SMC versions. Anyone out there, who is using eGPU with the 2015 13” MBP?

If you dream about gaming BF4 64 player team DM on internal retina screen, i7 quad core is a must.

Need someone with a 2015 Macbook to use a powered riser, isolate first 6 pins on it to prevent any slot power coming form the enclosure.

Power on the TB enclosure, boot Windows with apple_set_os variable described here to ensure all there are no missed enabled devices. Apple ensures all hardware is on when booting it's hardware so we want the same for Windows.

Once in windows, attach the molex to the powered riser to get power to the video card and see if it's detected. This process is then like hotplugging the video card into the enclosure.

If the video card isn't detected, then points towards PCI ID based whitelisting (AMD/NVIDIA - 1002/10DE) on the Thunderbolt chip itself. That becomes big brother scary.

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More progress from BPlus on a Dell DA-2 adapter. If there are any suggestions other than those two I have below then pls forward them.

From: Roger @ BPlus

Date: Thu, May 14, 2015 at 12:33 PM

Subject: RE: Dell DA-2 to molex+PCIe adapter with on/off switch

To: Nando

Hi Nando,

Good day.

Please check as below picture for currently design :

<A HREF="http://i.imgur.com/NzIczZQ.jpg"><img width=800 src=http://i.imgur.com/NzIczZQ.jpg"></A>

I think it can meet your requirement.

If you have any question ,please feel free contact me.

From: Nando

Date: Thu, May 14, 2015 at 1:32 PM

Subject: Re: Dell DA-2 to molex+PCIe adapter with on/off switch

To: Roger @ BPlus

Hi Roger,

Looks great. Only two points I can make about the design:

1. move the switch SW1 to the left, aligned to the ATX connector left edge

That's because when the Dell DA-2 is plugged in, it's top-located clip interferes with easy access to the switch, especially when in far right OFF position. The slight left location giving an easier switch access and move motion.

2. Extend the design so the inner screwholes can be used to hold the SWEX together

Please redesign the board keeping in mind users who may want to shorten it by 9mm on the left and 2mm on the right as I did:

SWEX Dell DA-2 (in) to 6P+8P+molex/barrel adapter - Album on Imgur

11mm shorter SWEX - Album on Imgur

The simplest redesign there would be to use the inner (panel mount) holes to hold the SWEX together and make the outer ones used for panel mount holes. You may want to move them up a bit to be centred as well to give a better hold of the whole circuit.

If not, then I'll explain the issue with my SWEX when shortening it by 11m. I needed to use the inner panel mount holes which don't have screwholes. So this was not as simple as drilling new holes as the backing plate had inner recesses for the circuit so there was insufficient material to drill new bevelled holes.

Since I ran cables on the back I didn't need the recesses and could offset the whole backing plate to the right by 9mm and drill new holes at the new locations that had a full backing plate material to hold onto. Then I cut the backing plate down by the 11mm on the right side.

Way too much thinking for what should have been an easy relocation. Hope you get it right from the get go so the user just needs to cut the board down if want to shorten it.

Your thoughts most welcome

---

Only other point is whether you wish to integrate this DA2-SWEX board with a revised PE4C in any way.

There could be scope to eliminate the ATX, Dell DA-2 and the 8P PCIe connectors off the PE4C and only have the single 12V DC jack for the slot. Then the user powers their eGPU with a ATX-SWEX or DA2-SWEX cable kit. The PE4C board would be considerably smaller that way with only the DC jack.

Only issue I see is then there would be more cabling: would require cable to run to the DC-barrel socket, plus a dupont cable ran from the PE4C to the SWEX to provide power ON initiated by the PE4C.

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INFO: w4vz' Dell DA-2 PCIe splitter mod

Moved this post to be the 2nd one in this thread at http://forum.techinferno.com/enclosures-adapters/9426-220w-dell-da-2-ac-adapter-discussion.html#post122731 for better visibility of this groundbreaking mod.

So here is my take on the DA-2. Still untested but I see no reason why it should not work. All parts from Ebay (

2x PCIe splitters). Only mod I did is the custom 4pin Molex to replace one of the 6pin end.

I put the 4 pin where it is to spread the current more over the cables. Comments welcome, please let me know what you think.

post-31956-14495000026503_thumb.jpg

Actually, I could not wait and plugged my akitio (no graphic card yet).

Seems fine but the DA2 is lighting up orange so it is not starting. I had to short the remote with the ground with a pin. Akitio up and running with green LED. I'll try the Graphic card this weekend I hope.

@w4vz: Nice! Did you had to drill into the 8-Pin to make it fit the DA-2?

No, it fits perfectly

<A HREF=http://i.imgur.com/sDHXda9.jpg"><img width=400 src=http://i.imgur.com/sDHXda9.jpg></A>

Actually, I could not wait and plugged my akitio (no graphic card yet).

Seems fine but the DA2 is lighting up orange so it is not starting. I had to short the remote with the ground with a pin. Akitio up and running with green LED. I'll try the Graphic card this weekend I hope.

post-31956-14495000025938_thumb.jpg

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@w4vz: Nice! Did you had to drill into the 8-Pin to make it fit the DA-2?

No, it fits perfectly

Actually, I could not wait and plugged my akitio (no graphic card yet).

Seems fine but the DA2 is lighting up orange so it is not starting. I had to short the remote with the ground with a pin. Akitio up and running with green LED. I'll try the Graphic card this weekend I hope.

post-31956-14495000027138_thumb.jpg

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Actually, I could not wait and plugged my akitio (no graphic card yet).

Seems fine but the DA2 is lighting up orange so it is not starting. I had to short the remote with the ground with a pin. Akitio up and running with green LED. I'll try the Graphic card this weekend I hope.

I am about to do a similar thing but using a 24 pin ATX extender with pins to attach by yourself. I would have probably cut the parts of the 24 pin to the left and right I don't need.

Using the free pins I could decide on my own where to put which cable of another plug(pcie, barrel plug). An 8 pin pcie extender with free pins to attach is available too, though. Maybe I'll get both and see what fits :)

Your last picture shows that you're only using 6 pins and cut the other 2 which would block sense and remote? At least it looks like that. Why didn't you use a 6 pin pcie extender then?

Still, good job :)

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I am about to do a similar thing but using a 24 pin ATX extender with pins to attach by yourself. I would have probably cut the parts of the 24 pin to the left and right I don't need.

Using the free pins I could decide on my own where to put which cable of another plug(pcie, barrel plug). An 8 pin pcie extender with free pins to attach is available too, though. Maybe I'll get both and see what fits :)

Your last picture shows that you're only using 6 pins and cut the other 2 which would block sense and remote? At least it looks like that. Why didn't you use a 6 pin pcie extender then?

Still, good job :)

What i used is two 6 pin pcie splits. One is modified with a 4pin molex. The sense and remote are still perfectly accessible and i did not cut anything. Not sure what you mean. You see the pin going into the da2 remote to the 6pin ground.

I think your idea with 8 pin is good too because making custom pins is actually really easy i found but my solution is even easier i think.

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What i used is two 6 pin pcie splits. One is modified with a 4pin molex. The sense and remote are still perfectly accessible and i did not cut anything. Not sure what you mean. You see the pin going into the da2 remote to the 6pin ground.

I think your idea with 8 pin is good too because making custom pins is actually really easy i found but my solution is even easier i think.

Either you or I didn't understand Dschijn's comment correctly, I guess. He asked "Did you had to drill into the 8 pin to make it fit the DA-2?" which translates to me as "Did you have to modify the 8 pin female pcie extender so it would take the 8 pin DA-2 plug?". You answered with "No, it fits perfectly".But then I only saw a 6 pin extender and thus the confusion... ;)

Sure thing though, taking a 6 pin which takes the DA-2 plug's 12v and GND pins and extends to what is needed is near perfection.

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@w4vz showed up how to use a DA-2 by using 2xPCIe splitters and a split pin to jumper the DA-2 to start it : http://forum.techinferno.com/enclosures-adapters/9426-220w-dell-da-2-ac-adapter-discussion-4.html#post132979

Another noob question...

How would I rewire this if I'm currently using a molex to barrel adapter? Is it simple to remove the wires from my molex adapter and plug them into one of the PCIe splitters?

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Hi everyone, I am new to this forum, and to this whole concept of building computer parts.

I am interested in building an egpu for my early 2013 rmbp / 8gb ram / 2.4 quad-core i7 / Thunderbolt 1 / 650m.

Can someone explain me the easiest/cheapest/best way to build an egpu for my laptops? What exacts steps do I need to follow? What are all the hardware that I need to buy, or the softwares that I need to install?

I did some research on the subject, but there are many terms I do not understand, which makes the process look very complex, and I dont understand it.

If I would like to get the same performance of a gtx970 on a real desktop, what kind of gpu should I get?

I am very new to these kind of things, so it would also be very appreciated if someone would explain the difficult jargon, like "molex", "jumper", "UEFI"

Thank you very much for your help, it is very, very appreciated :)

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I have an existing molex to barrel assembly I purchased off ebay. What would be the easiest way for me to use this with a DA-2 and (2) 1x 6-pin to 2x 6pin pcie splitters? Could I modify one of the splitters to include a female molex connector on one end? Then just plug my existing molex to barrel into that?

post-35001-14495000035625_thumb.jpg

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Get yourself one of these -> 1 Female Molex Connector Housing w 4 Pins | eBay

Then cut off the third 6 pcie pin you don't need, twist the each 3 12v(yellow) and 3 ground(black) cables together(so you make 1 end out of 3) and put those twisted cables into one of the pins of the linked molex set each(1 pin yellow, 1 pin black, matching your molex-barrel plug).

Another way would be to buy this -> Screw Terminal Coaxial Power Connectors 2 5mm x 5 5mm 28J212 Lot of 3 | eBay and just put in the cut off and twisted 12v and ground cables. If you don't mind the little cost, maybe it's easier. I've already got such a thing here though and don't need to buy it. They're really cheap here in Germany, too. :)

So I could avoid making a molex connector altogether if I just modified one of the legs of the pcie splitter to include this screw terminal? I just want to make sure I'm understanding correctly. Thank you for the help! :-)

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