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DIY eGPU Macbook experiences


oripash

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Hello everyone,

I've read through a lot of articles and I'm still confused whether there is any decent e-gpu setup that allows me to use the internal lcd of my Macbook Pro Late 2011 without plugging in an external monitor.

Inside of the Macbook Pro late 2011: AMD Radeon HD 6750M, Intel HD Graphics 3000

Is this possible just by installing Optimus?

Is this http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides/7598-2012-mac-mini-gtx770%4010gbps-tb1-akitio-thunder2-osx10-9-4-%5Bentzoe%5D.html

or this http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides/6689-2013-15-macbook-pro-gt750m-gtx780ti%4016gbps-tb2-sonnet-iii-d-win8-1-%5Bsquinks%5D.html

configuration working when I use only my internal lcd?

Thanks a lot for the attention

Julien

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RE: http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides/7685-2013-11-macbook-air-titan%4010gbps-tb1-sonnet-ee-iii-d-osx10-9-4-%5B-kryzaach%5D.html

Hi there, Im new here and new to e-GPU in general, and after seeing this guide and setup I decided to go out and get all the components myself and attempt the same. I have the Sonnet III-D An EVGA Titan and a Macbook (Pro Retina 15" w/dedicated graphics) I am okay with only displaying to an external monitor. I have everything hooked up and the cables modded but I need to know what files were modded/changed to enable this to work? I believe the OP stated there were 3 kext files he changed? What were they and how should I change them? (textwrangler etc.)? Any info is greatly appreciated! Thanks all!

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@Capitalistix: For OSX? Take a look at this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPOB9qmPjaE

Yeah for OSX. I saw that video but since it was for the Titan z and the Akitio I was afraid it wouldn't exactly work for my normal Titan and sonnet. If this is the way to go I guess I'll just follow his instructions, they seem pretty straightforward.

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@Dschijn

Hey so I ended up going with a MSI 970 just because there is a local store that sells them nearby and if I did have any problems with coil whine I could go return it to them directly. Anyway, it all works (thankfully) and I am putting it inside of the Cooler Master Elite 130 enclosure, and just realized I need a PCI-E 90 degree adapter. I've already ordered one but was wondering if there were any other adjustments/ parts needed to fit the GPU inside the case? I've seen some people put plastic bases on the bottom interior of the case for whatever reason and was wondering if you (or anyone else) did the same?

Thanks!

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I just placed some paper under the AKiTiO PCB in the Elite 130… didn't really care to lock it in place.

Right… the 90° riser… I forgot. Delock Products Delock Riser card PCI Express x16 BTX right insertion

Here is my old build log/guide with the MSI GTX 970 and the Elite 130: http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides/7879-2013-13-macbook-pro-gtx970%4016gbps-tb2-akitio-thunder2-win8-1-osx10-10-%5Bdschijn.html

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Thanks @Dschijn, I hadn't looked far enough ahead to realize what I needed to get everything in the enclosure. I'm sure I had read the 90 degree riser but I had no idea why until I realized the powered molex riser would not bend enough to fit. For now I have the GPU sitting on its back inside the case and the PCI-e board is attached outside of the case. But I have been running some benchmarks and I don't know if mine seem a bit low for a 970.... In your old guide did you already overclock when you ran your benchmarks?

For 3DMark Firestrike I only got a 8514.:apthy:

For Unigine Heaven 4.0:

post-32885-14494999674281_thumb.png

And if ASIC scores mean anything (probably not) I have a 68.8%.

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Also, will you get lower clock speeds on the eGPU compared to desktop GPUs? I tried OC'ing a bit and used two internet references to find the maximum I could OC my card but I get artifacts when I'm running 3DMark Firestrike and I haven't reached the same core clock/ memory they did. The hottest the GPU gets is 61 degrees.

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Is it known if this works on 10.10.2 ?

Well… if you can't install the driver because of the OS Version check, you might need to change that! Always get the latest driver, not the one in that video.

This is what I got for Unigine Valley, no OC

That seems fine! :)

Also, will you get lower clock speeds on the eGPU compared to desktop GPUs? I tried OC'ing a bit and used two internet references to find the maximum I could OC my card but I get artifacts when I'm running 3DMark Firestrike and I haven't reached the same core clock/ memory they did. The hottest the GPU gets is 61 degrees.

I can't OC very high as well. Some easy improvements are +50MHz core +100MHz memory clock speed. Also push the power limit to the max!

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FYI, got Titan-X running as eGPU with rMBP. Details and screenshots shortly

Sweet! Read the news at netkas.org, that the Titan X is compatible with OSX.

Titan X with Optimus and retina resolution will just perform any game. Hope you will use it with an external display though.

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Hello everyone ,

I currently have a 2013 iMac with GT755m .

I 'd like to get a mount with :

AKiTiO Thunder 2 PCIe Box.

PCIe x16: Fixed 90° riser & Flexible powered riser

Fan: Molex 4-pin to 3-pin connector

Power supply: Silverstone SFX 450W Bronze

And bootcamp with Windows 8.1

Do you think it is possible to have the performance of the card on the screen of the iMac ?

Thanks

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I can't OC very high as well. Some easy improvements are +50MHz core +100MHz memory clock speed. Also push the power limit to the max!

I also noticed that you undervolt your CPU to get some performance gains as well. When you are running games do you always have a pre-set for -75mV? From what I've read undervolting can't really damage your CPU unless you undervolt it so much that you don't have enough power going to your CPU for it to run, then it will just shut off (?).

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I am very sure that undervolting will not harm your CPU at all. The voltage settings are reset after every reboot. If your CPU isn't stable your system will crash and it will simply reboot.

Too much voltage, on the other hand, can damage your CPU for sure!

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Thanks for the tips! While we're on the subject, I was curious about why you picked the iris model with 2.5 GHz instead of 2.2? I imagine the 90 dollar boost is worth it whereas the 200 dollar boost to 2.8 wasn't?

It seems like undervolting the 2.5 should give a bigger boost than undervolting the 2.8, since the 2.8 is already pushing the cooling a bit far?

Incidentally I'm pretty excitedly reading that recent post about getting the nvidia 750m model to work with iris pro and egpu. Maybe that would provide the necessary coolness?

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I got the 2.5GHz model, because the higher price wasn't that much as a student. But 2.8GHz wasn't worth the price (imho).

I can't tell if the 2.8GHz model is pushing the cooling unit faster to the edge, as the 2.5GHz model. In general the CPUs have a max TDP which is for both 47W, so they should be more or less the same.

I doubt that the cooling of the GT750m MacBook is better as the one of the one with Iris only…

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