EXP GDC Beast/Ares-V7/V6 discussion

[madman3000]

Does the led of the Dell PSU switches from yellow to green?

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Yes sir, it does. The GPU is running and all! I mean the fan is on, just Windows doesn't see the device.

[manuelgonzalvez]

Fans On Full speed? Are you feeding all the pci-e power pins?

[madman3000]

Fans On Full speed? Are you feeding all the pci-e power pins?

Yes, Fan is on full speed. Unfortunately I don't have the pci-e power 6-pin because I have made the mistake of not ordering it. I think that it shouldn't change the case that the card should be visible in the device manager? You think that it's lack of power causing this? My notebook's iGPU is disabled (by manufacturer) and I am starting to think that I have to disable dGPU in the setup 1.x in order to run eGPU.

[juniordiscart]

Unfortunately I don't have the pci-e power 6-pin because I have made the mistake of not ordering it

That could very well be the cause. Just like in a regular PC, when the GPU doesn't have all of its power connection connected, the PC will in most cases not even boot. So if you're out of ideas, try that one. Its pretty cheap to order.

[madman3000]

That could very well be the cause. Just like in a regular PC, when the GPU doesn't have all of its power connection connected, the PC will in most cases not even boot. So if you're out of ideas, try that one. Its pretty cheap to order.

Maybe you are right, but it still would be odd for me - why fan is running then?.

I got my hands on Setup 1.x and when I launch it, it says that my eGPU isn't connected. I really hope that it's the PCI-E cable

[Tech Inferno Fan]

Maybe you are right, but it still would be odd for me - why fan is running then?.

I got my hands on Setup 1.x and when I launch it, it says that my eGPU isn't connected. I really hope that it's the PCI-E cable

Just read that you are using a HP Probook 6560b. One way you can tell if the eGPU is connected and detected on Probooks, as with the Elitebooks, is if the system hangs on powerup with the eGPU attached. If no hang is experienced then there is a problem with the eGPU not appearing on the PCIe bus. That could be because of a faulty expresscard slot, the eGPU adapter, the video card, the cable between the eGPU adapter to expresscard slot or the power supply.

Final test to do is (1) ensure the expresscard slot is enabled in the bios then (2) boot into Setup 1.30, poweron the eGPU, hit F5 to poll-rescan the PCIe bus then hotplug the expresscard end into the expresscard slot. If still not detected then one of the aforementioned hardware problems exists.

I'd be testing the EXP GDC on another expresscard-equipped system first as it's more than likely the faulty item. There's been some reports of quality issues.

[madman3000]

Just read that you are using a HP Probook 6560b. One way you can tell if the eGPU is connected and detecfted on Probooks, as with the Elitebooks, is if the system hangs on powerup with the eGPU attached. If no hang is experienced then there is a problem with either the expresscard slot, the eGPU adapter, the video card, the cable between the eGPU adapter and the expresscard slot or the power supply.

Final test to (1) ensure the expresscard slot is enabled in the bios then (2) boot into Setup 1.30, poweron the eGPU, hit F5 to poll-rescan the PCIe bus then hotplug the expresscard end into the expresscard slot. If still not detected then a hardware problem exists.

What do you mean that it hangs up? You mean that it freezes and doesn't boot?

[Tech Inferno Fan]

What do you mean that it hangs up? You mean that it freezes and doesn't boot?

Yes. With a powered eGPU attached and detected by the system, the system will fail to boot. You'd get a black screen with sometimes some keyboard lights flashing. That's because the HP Elitebook/Probook bios doesn't know how to handle the eGPU when it finds it on the PCIe bus. THe corrective measure then is to attach the eGPU after boot or use the PCI Reset Delay to delay the eGPU being seen by the bios. This hang is handy to confirm the eGPU is being seen on the PCIe bus. From your reports so far that does not seem to be the case.

[madman3000]

Yes. With a powered eGPU attached and detected by the system, the system will fail to boot. You'd get a black screen with sometimes some keyboard lights flashing. That's because the HP Elitebook/Probook bios doesn't know how to handle the eGPU when it finds it on the PCIe bus. THe corrective measure then is to attach the eGPU after boot or use the PCI Reset Delay to delay the eGPU being seen by the bios. This hang is handy to confirm the eGPU is being seen on the PCIe bus. From your reports so far that does not seem to be the case.

Laptop boots with eGPU being powered. I am sure that my expresscard is enabled in BIOS and that it is working because I used different cards and everything was fine. This means that there might be something wrong with the GPU, the EXP GDC, the cable or the PSU. Do you think that the GPU isn't detected by the system, because the PCI-E 6pin cable isn't plugged in (the GPU doesn't have enough power)?

[Tech Inferno Fan]

Laptop boots with eGPU being powered. I am sure that my expresscard is enabled in BIOS and that it is working because I used different cards and everything was fine. This means that there might be something wrong with the GPU, the EXP GDC, the cable or the PSU. Do you think that the GPU isn't detected by the system, because the PCI-E 6pin cable isn't plugged in (the GPU doesn't have enough power)?

Yes. I had the same issue with my GTX770. Didn't have a 8P pci-e connector handy so assumed not connecting it would be OK, since 75W+75W (150W) should be enough to power the card to detection. Nada. The card failed to register itself on the PCIe bus.

Yes, please connect power to the 6P connector and retry. That is likely the reason for the eGPU not being detected.

[madman3000]

Yes. I had the same issue with my GTX770. Didn't have a 8P pci-e connector handy so assumed not connecting it would be OK, since 75W+75W (150W) should be enough to power the card to detection. Nada. The card failed to register itself on the PCIe bus.

Yes, please connect power to the 6P connector and retry. That is likely the reason for the eGPU not being detected.

Great, I feel relieved for the moment thanks for the help so far to all of you, especially Nando who made everything clear to me, very comprehensive explanation.

[jcagara08]

Hi all! PE4C V2 is not available as of the moment and will be relaunched on Q4 2014, I think I have to go with this setup. Just a question, since it comes with a 220 watt power supply, can I use an R9 270X which peaks usage at 280 Watts but on paper it has a TDP of 180W, what will happen to GPU performance if bootlenecked by power source? Will it turn off to compensate or cause blue screens on Windows 8.1? I don't want to risk any hardware since I am in tight budget these days and sorry to sound so dumb on these power consumption, TDPs, and whatnot but I really wanted to run at least this GPUs 280X or 270X and will go to my future desktop rig if the EXP GDC V6.0 could not handle such. I don't want to use an NVIDIA GPU by the way.

[madman3000]

I finally launched my eGPU. Windows and Setup 1.x now can see the card, although I don't know how to disable dGPU, I have read all the manuals and spent over an hour figuring it out but I still can't do it (maybe I am to stupid but there is just too much informations and I can't tell which are important for me). So far I am at the point where Windows have installed my eGPU (drivers etc.), but I have error12, and my dGPU is still the main card. Could someone tell me step by step what do I have to do to make this run properly?

When I hit dGPU in Setup 1.x to disable it, the programe seems to get stuck on this screen: http://i.imgur.com/mi27jLD.jpg

I watched the screen for 2 minutes and then I rebooted the computer. Do I have to wait longer to disable dGPU or will it never happen for me? Maybe I am impatient?

When I selected this second option for the dGPU (something about demoting it), then Setup 1.x showed me that the dGPU is [off], but it didn't change in Windows (I did chainload).

Help me guys, you are my only hope

[jacobsson]

@madman3000

Hi buddy!

This question might be considered stupid but I'll ask anyway, is there any option in BIOS for disabling the dGPU?

For instance, 'switchable graphics' or 'optimus' etc.

[madman3000]

@madman3000

Hi buddy!

This question might be considered stupid but I'll ask anyway, is there any option in BIOS for disabling the dGPU?

For instance, 'switchable graphics' or 'optimus' etc.

Hi jacobsson!

There is no such thing like stupid questions I have the Probook laptop and it has disabled iGPU (I don't know if it was cut out of the processor or what ) and there isn't option for disabling the eGPU in BIOS. I only have 7400series dGPU in my laptop.

[jacobsson]

@madman3000

Ooh I see!

Then I think we'll need @Tech Inferno Fan here to help you =)

[madman3000]

Yeap, I hope he will have some solution

[Tech Inferno Fan]

Yeap, I hope he will have some solution

Probook 6560B with AMD HD6470M dGPU has no iGPU active. So you can't disable the dGPU it in Setup 1.30 expecting the LCD to continue working.

This unfortunately means you can only get a x1 2.0 link going with no Optimus features: no accelerated transparent internal LCD mode or x1 pci-e compression. If you are getting error 12 then the best you can do is leave the dGPU enabled, highlight PCI compaction->Run compact and hit F1. It will list over 20 configuration scenarios to step through in an attempt to resolve error 12 and provide a working eGPU in Windows.

If you wanted those NVidia Optimus features then suggest offload your system for a better eGPU candidate: <A HREF="http://tiny.cc/SBeGPU">eGPU candidate list</A>

[jcagara08]

Oops it seemed that everyone ignored my previous question, anyone can help me on that please? Not trying to troll or anythinh, just needed an advice

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[madman3000]

Probook 6560B with AMD HD6470M dGPU has no iGPU active. So you can't disable the dGPU it in Setup 1.30 expecting the LCD to continue working.

This unfortunately means you can only get a x1 2.0 link going with no Optimus features: no accelerated transparent internal LCD mode or x1 pci-e compression. If you are getting error 12 then the best you can do is leave the dGPU enabled, highlight PCI compaction->Run compact and hit F1. It will list over 20 configuration scenarios to step through in an attempt to resolve error 12 and provide a working eGPU in Windows.

If you wanted those NVidia Optimus features then suggest offload your system for a better eGPU candidate: eGPU candidate list

Thanks for quick response!

I will try to run my AMD card, but from what I see the best option for me is just to buy nVidia card? And stupid me thought that buying AMD card would be a better idea

[Tech Inferno Fan]

Thanks for quick response!

I will try to run my AMD card, but from what I see the best option for me is just to buy nVidia card? And stupid me thought that buying AMD card would be a better idea

If you have a HD6470M-equipped Probook 6560B, then an AMD eGPU will be a better performance option than a NVidia one. That's because you can't get the NVidia Optimus features. To get an idea of the difference in performance see the x1 2.0 (not x1.2Opt) performance of a GTX660 versus HD7870 at http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/2747-%5Bguide%5D-12-dell-e6230-gtx660%40x1-2opt-hd7870%40x1-2-pe4l-ec060a-2-1b.html#post37197 .

I'll mention that myself and other Elitebook users had to resort to both a DSDT override and 36-bit PCI compaction via Setup 1.30 to get an AMD card working. That's because AMD cards have great PCIe config space requirements than NVidia ones. Well, there is an exception in the NVidia camp. NVidia GTX650/GTX750 have the same larger PCIe config space requirements as AMD ones.

[jcagara08]

R9 270X CAN BE USED WITH THIS SETUP OF EXP GDC V6?

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[madman3000]

I'll mention that myself and other Elitebook users had to resort to both a DSDT override and 36-bit PCI compaction via Setup 1.30 to get an AMD card working.

I think that I also have to do DSDT override, because few attempts in different compactions gave no result. From what I understand there is no easy solution in doing DSDT override and I have to come up with my own idea based on the information that is in your link?

[Tech Inferno Fan]

R9 270X CAN BE USED WITH THIS SETUP OF EXP GDC V6?

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R9 270X has a 180W TDP. You can use it with a EXP GDC V6 with 220W Dell DA-2 attached. In fact, you could even get a reference HD7950 or R9 280 (not 280X) with TDP=200W.

I think that I also have to do DSDT override, because few attempts in different compactions gave no result. From what I understand there is no easy solution in doing DSDT override and I have to come up with my own idea based on the information that is in your link?

If you are running Win8.1 then you could do a 36-bit PCI compaction on dGPU+eGPU, forcing the eGPU to 32-bit space. That could work without a DSDT override. What would happen there is the dGPU would error 12 since it's in 'inaccessible' space and the eGPU would work. You might get VGA-like output on the internal LCD.

If you are running Win7 then that is not an option. The driver model there requires the primary bootup video device to be functional and only then can an eGPU work. There, or if you want the dGPU+eGPU active in Win8.x, you'll need to implement the DSDT override and (probably) do 36-bit PCI compaction.

[jcagara08]

R9 270X has a 180W TDP. You can use it with a EXP GDC V6 with 220W Dell DA-2 attached. In fact, you could even get a reference HD7950 or R9 280 (not 280X) with TDP=200W.

Thank you very much for clearing this nano4 more power to you!!!