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DIY eGPU Macbook experiences


oripash

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A new OS X 10.9.5 update has just been released. If you are going to update to the latest version, you will loose compatibility with the old OS X NVIDIA web driver. Do the following to re-enable your driver with the new update and new NVDIA web driver.

-----> please can you help me to build my eGPU using rMPR 2012 gt650m i want to use a eGPU with GTX 760 or higher.. can you please send me step by step of the process. thank you in advance. your response will very much appreciated. regards christian

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey everyone,

I'm planing to get an eGPU myself. I've read a lot on this forum but I'm still unsure what's the best solution for me. I'm travelling a lot with my MacBook Pro 13" (Late 2013) and

I love gaming (e.g. Battlefield 3/4)! So I need a

  • highly portable and compact solution (not so many cables :) + case)
  • with no soldering
  • and no cutting
  • with a decent GPU (GTX 750 Ti might be too low)
  • and internal display support (Optimus capable).

I only need the eGPU to work in Windows (Bootcamp) and the price is not that important. I know that this is not really DIY but I hope you can still help me. I already have a few approaches, but since you all know more than me I would love to get some input from you:

1.) ViDock 4 ++

320 Watt is enough for some really good graphic cards. I know the low performance of the ExpressCard-Thunderbold adapter. It is very compact but has a lot of loose stuff (cables, adapter, vidock)

2.) Sonnet Echo Express III-D

300 Watt is good but it's really expensive. I would buy it, but I've read that it doesn't support Optimus/internal display :(... bummer. What about the Magma ExpressBox 3T or the NA211TB? Do they support Optimus/an internal display?

3.) Sonnet Echo Express SE II

80 Watt seems to be too low. It could power a GTX 750 Ti, but can I play games? Has anyone tried that? It's quite expensive but compact with a GTX 750 Ti. For that price the graphics power might be too low.

I've read about the AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Box but the case seems to be too small (You need an extra powered PCIe expander...).

So what do you think? Any recommendations?

Kind regards

blub_blah

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1. The ViDock is a bad choice! You are limited by the expresscard adapter to 4Gbit/s and you will never get the full potential!

2. So expensive! Don't do it!

3. Not as much as 2, but still expensive!

I would recommend the AKiTiO. All you need is a powered riser and a decent PSU. Pop both + a GPU in a Mini-ITX case and you got a solution similar to the Sonnet Echo Express III-D, but way cheaper :)

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Hey everyone,

I'm planing to get an eGPU myself. I've read a lot on this forum but I'm still unsure what's the best solution for me. I'm travelling a lot with my MacBook Pro 13" (Late 2013) and

I love gaming (e.g. Battlefield 3/4)! So I need a

  • highly portable and compact solution (not so many cables :) + case)
  • with no soldering
  • and no cutting
  • with a decent GPU (GTX 750 Ti might be too low)
  • and internal display support (Optimus capable).

I only need the eGPU to work in Windows (Bootcamp) and the price is not that important. I know that this is not really DIY but I hope you can still help me. I already have a few approaches, but since you all know more than me I would love to get some input from you:

1.) ViDock 4 ++

320 Watt is enough for some really good graphic cards. I know the low performance of the ExpressCard-Thunderbold adapter. It is very compact but has a lot of loose stuff (cables, adapter, vidock)

2.) Sonnet Echo Express III-D

300 Watt is good but it's really expensive. I would buy it, but I've read that it doesn't support Optimus/internal display :(... bummer. What about the Magma ExpressBox 3T or the NA211TB? Do they support Optimus/an internal display?

3.) Sonnet Echo Express SE II

80 Watt seems to be too low. It could power a GTX 750 Ti, but can I play games? Has anyone tried that? It's quite expensive but compact with a GTX 750 Ti. For that price the graphics power might be too low.

I've read about the AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Box but the case seems to be too small (You need an extra powered PCIe expander...).

So what do you think? Any recommendations?

Kind regards

blub_blah

Answered at http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/7939-villagetronic-rip-off-alert-thunderbolt-vidock-crippled-tb-ec-4gbps-unit.html#post109256 but might as well re-quote it here since thread title will probably get quite a bit of interest

Intel are roadblocking plug'n'play eGPU enclosures

Intel not certifying Thunderbolt enclosures for eGPU use and may have even been putting roadblocks to prevent it since MSI GUS-II or Silverstone T004 TB enclosures designed for eGPU use were never released. It's no surprise then there are very few enclosures that are plug-n-play in the way that you want.

It would seem to me that are sabotaging the idea since CUDA/OpenCL eGPU-based processing could eat into their their core CPU business.

What are the closest plug'n'play eGPU enclosures available

* 10Gbps-TB1 Sonnet Echo Expresscard Pro (150W) - discontinued. Need to hunt one down on say ebay.

* 16Gbps-TB2 Sonnet Echo Express III-D (up to 300W) - http://forum.techinferno.com/enclosures-adapters/7872-us%24979-sonnet-echo-express-iii-d-enclosure-16gbps-tb2.html#post107170

Neither of the above is ideal for your situation. The first is a downgraded 10Gbps-TB1 device and the second is overpriced and requires tweaking to uprate it from 150W to it's full 300W capacity.

A modified US$200 AKiTiO Thunder2 enclosure is the best value solution

The best device to hit the market that overcomes both these problems is the http://forum.techinferno.com/enclosures-adapters/7205-us%24200-akitio-thunder2-pcie-box-16gbps-tb2.html#post98210 . A 204mm Zotac GTX970 with deshrouded fan fits into it as shown by Sloveden here . However I'm monitoring progress there to see what power mods are needed.

The advantage of the AKiTiO is not only are you paying less than the ViDock solution but you would be seeing 4-times more bandwidth. That's very important if you want to game on the internal retina display via NVidia Optimus. Furthermore, @jacobsson looking to route through a 150-220W AC adapter to provide a compact enclosure + PSU to drive it all.

Vidock-specific questions can be asked at https://www.facebook.com/VillageViDock .

Activating the Optimus accelerated internal LCD mode is discussed at http://forum.techinferno.com/enclosures-adapters/7205-us%24200-akitio-thunder2-pcie-box-16gbps-tb2-59.html#post109786

Zotac GTX970 fits the AKITiO chassis as outlined into the quoted test above. A high perfomance, compact option.

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Well what you need is a "all in one" solution.

So you are stuck to sth like the Sonnet III-D (slimest solution) or sth DIY. I am still working on putting a GTX 970, ATX PSU and the AKiTiO board into a CoolerMaster Elite 130. That case is pretty nice to carry around. There are even nicer cases like a Lian Li PC-TU200A with a handle on top.

Edit: To go even slimmer you might need to build a case by yourself.

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I'm new to the eGPU community and am still learning the terminology so please forgive me for any mistakes. I have an early 2011 15" Macbook Pro and it's gotten to the point that I'm going to either need to update it, or buy a new computer. Since I need a mac, but they cost a lot, I'm thinking that updating looks a lot better. Unfortunately, the internal graphics card isn't removable. This is not too much of an issue for me because the only time I need a more powerful graphics card is when I am in "Desktop Mode". Then, I have everything plugged in and am running in BootCamp so an eGPU seems perfect for someone in my situation. There are a few things that I am looking for in my GPU:

Need:

-Less than $650

-Will work with my computer in Windows 7

-Can play most games at 1080p on at least medium with some high settings

-Can use internal screen

Would Be Nice:

-Less than $500

-Hotpluggable

-Works on OS X Yosemite

-Doesn't require a complicated boot process

Below is the current setup that I have in mind. As I said before, I am a beginner and am new to eGPU's. I am unfamiliar with what some of the parts are and what their purpose is, so I would appreciate it if someone would offer me some dummied down advice on how I could get this working.

-Akitio Thunder2 PCIe Box Amazon.com: Akitio Thunder2 PCIe Box: Computers & Accessories

-EVGA GeForce GTX 750Ti Amazon.com: EVGA GeForce GTX 750Ti Superclock w/G-SYNC Support 2GB GDDR5 128bit, Dual-Link DVI-I, HDMI, DP 1.2 Graphics Card

-12V 10A Power Supply Amazon.com: 12 Volt Power Supply - 10 Amp Standard (12V 10A DC) Adapter: Electronics

-Thunderbolt Cable (Comes with Akitio Thunder2 PCIe Box)

-Powered Riser (Not sure what these are but they seemed to be mentioned a lot so I thought I needed one. Help?)

I think I'm on the right path, but I don't want to spend the money until I am confident that I know what I'm getting. I also am unsure if an eGPU is even feasible with Thunderbolt 1 instead of Thunderbolt 2, since my mac only has a single Thunderbolt 1 port. Any help that is offered would be greatly appreciated.

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I'm new to the eGPU community and am still learning the terminology so please forgive me for any mistakes. I have an early 2011 15" Macbook Pro and it's gotten to the point that I'm going to either need to update it, or buy a new computer. Since I need a mac, but they cost a lot, I'm thinking that updating looks a lot better. Unfortunately, the internal graphics card isn't removable. This is not too much of an issue for me because the only time I need a more powerful graphics card is when I am in "Desktop Mode". Then, I have everything plugged in and am running in BootCamp so an eGPU seems perfect for someone in my situation. There are a few things that I am looking for in my GPU:

Need:

-Less than $650

-Will work with my computer in Windows 7

-Can play most games at 1080p on at least medium with some high settings

-Can use internal screen

Would Be Nice:

-Less than $500

-Hotpluggable

-Works on OS X Yosemite

-Doesn't require a complicated boot process

Below is the current setup that I have in mind. As I said before, I am a beginner and am new to eGPU's. I am unfamiliar with what some of the parts are and what their purpose is, so I would appreciate it if someone would offer me some dummied down advice on how I could get this working.

-Akitio Thunder2 PCIe Box Amazon.com: Akitio Thunder2 PCIe Box: Computers & Accessories

-EVGA GeForce GTX 750Ti Amazon.com: EVGA GeForce GTX 750Ti Superclock w/G-SYNC Support 2GB GDDR5 128bit, Dual-Link DVI-I, HDMI, DP 1.2 Graphics Card

-12V 10A Power Supply Amazon.com: 12 Volt Power Supply - 10 Amp Standard (12V 10A DC) Adapter: Electronics

-Thunderbolt Cable (Comes with Akitio Thunder2 PCIe Box)

-Powered Riser (Not sure what these are but they seemed to be mentioned a lot so I thought I needed one. Help?)

I think I'm on the right path, but I don't want to spend the money until I am confident that I know what I'm getting. I also am unsure if an eGPU is even feasible with Thunderbolt 1 instead of Thunderbolt 2, since my mac only has a single Thunderbolt 1 port. Any help that is offered would be greatly appreciated.

Early 2011 15" Macbook Pro has an example implementation that answers most of your questions: http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides/6888-%5Bguide%5D-2011-15-macbook-pro-gtx480%4010gbps-tb1-sonnet-ee-win8-1-a.html#post94470

All TB eGPU implementations are indexed from http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/6578-implementations-hub-tb-ec-mpcie.html#Thunderbolt .

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Thanks for the links. They were very informative. The Akitio seems like it is the best way to go. From what I saw though, I was a bit confused on 2 things. First, is there any way that I could run the 750 Ti in the Akitio without a PSU and if so, how is this done? Second, if a PSU is necessary, what is the cheapest way to do it and what other parts are necessary?

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Hi,

I finally decided to buy a Macbook Pro 15 Retina 2014 in order to replace my desktop and extend it with an eGPU as I am still wanting to game. My goal was simple: One machine for everything, plug out, have a mobile device, plug in, have your gaming machine. Requirements for me: Intel Quadcore and Thunderbolt 2 -> The only way right now is the Macbook Pro 15 Retina.

So I've ordered the Akitio Thunder2 Pcie Box too, but it takes until the middle of November to be delivered, so I couldn't test that yet. I'm living in Europe and by waiting I can save 50€.

Yesterday I laid heavy load on the Macbook in Windows the first time and within seconds it reached 90-100°C core temperature with thermal throttling(still always above base frequency though) although I already installed a fan control program to get those fans up at maximum when there is load. My Asus N550JV was stable at 80°C with 100% fan speed with the same clocks(MBPr: 2,2 - 3,4 GHz, N550: 2,4 - 3,4 GHz, both loud then but that's not a problem).

So, what I'd like to know now is if those people who already have a eGPU setup with the Macbook can tell me if I should worry about that or if it's simply okay and if they experience the same. It would be nice if there were people among those who actually really game and not only run a benchmark to show that it's working, that would be useful to me. I already know that it is normal that they get this hot but I don't know if they can take those temperatures without damage for a longer time.

Thing is, I'm still in the 14 days return window and I'm heavily thinking about sending it back as I really don't want to burn a 1800€ machine from within or cripple it to the base frequency where temperatures stay at 70-80°C. It's such a nice device and I like OS X but I'm done with compromises. Either I get the device which fulfills my needs or it's not my device.

Thank you very much. @Tech Inferno Fan: If this isn't worth a thread, please take my apologies and place it whereever it fits :peaceful:

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Hi,

I finally decided to buy a Macbook Pro 15 Retina 2014 in order to replace my desktop and extend it with an eGPU as I am still wanting to game. My goal was simple: One machine for everything, plug out, have a mobile device, plug in, have your gaming machine. Requirements for me: Intel Quadcore and Thunderbolt 2 -> The only way right now is the Macbook Pro 15 Retina.

So I've ordered the Akitio Thunder2 Pcie Box too, but it takes until the middle of November to be delivered, so I couldn't test that yet. I'm living in Europe and by waiting I can save 50€.

Yesterday I laid heavy load on the Macbook in Windows the first time and within seconds it reached 90-100°C core temperature with thermal throttling(still always above base frequency though) although I already installed a fan control program to get those fans up at maximum when there is load. My Asus N550JV was stable at 80°C with 100% fan speed with the same clocks(MBPr: 2,2 - 3,4 GHz, N550: 2,4 - 3,4 GHz, both loud then but that's not a problem).

So, what I'd like to know now is if those people who already have a eGPU setup with the Macbook can tell me if I should worry about that or if it's simply okay and if they experience the same. It would be nice if there were people among those who actually really game and not only run a benchmark to show that it's working, that would be useful to me.

Thing is, I'm still in the 14 days return window and I'm heavily thinking about sending it back as I really don't want to burn a 1800€ machine from within or cripple it to the base frequency where temperatures stay at 70-80°C. It's such a nice device and I like OS X but I'm done with compromises. Either I get the device which fulfills my needs or it's not my device.

Thank you very much. @Tech Inferno Fan: If this isn't worth a thread, please take my apologies and place it whereever it fits :peaceful:

Best thing to do would be to use Throttlestop software to undervolt the Haswell i7-quad. Doing so can encapsulate higher multipliers within it's 45W TDP as described at http://forum.techinferno.com/throttlestop-realtemp-discussion/6958-haswell-step-backwards-ivy-bridge-i-have-some-shocking-tdp-results.html . You can also then use Throttlestop to limit the highest multiplier to say 200Mhz less than max to drop TDP down by say 5W with associated temp drops.

And/or can use quoted app below to run run your fan at a higher RPM to keep the system cooler. Another option is to get a laptop cooler, which are is a third-party fan module that sit below your notebook base enclosure and circulate cool air into it. Having these options should be enough to proceed comfortably in acquiring a 15" MBP for eGPU gaming purposes.

80°C isn't much for a Laptop CPU.

I am using this Tool to set a different (more aggressive) fan profil in Windows Macs Fan Control - control fans of any Mac & Boot Camp! | CRYSTALIDEA Software

With this settings:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12932[/ATTACH]

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Best thing to do would be to use Throttlestop software to undervolt the Haswell i7-quad. Doing so can encapsulate higher multipliers within it's 45W TDP as described at http://forum.techinferno.com/throttlestop-realtemp-discussion/6958-haswell-step-backwards-ivy-bridge-i-have-some-shocking-tdp-results.html . You can also then use Throttlestop to limit the highest multiplier to say 200Mhz less than max to drop TDP down by say 5W with associated temp drops.

And/or can use quoted app below to run run your fan at a higher RPM to keep the system cooler. Another option is to get a laptop cooler, which are is a third-party fan module that sit below your notebook base enclosure and circulate cool air into it. Having these options should be enough to proceed comfortably in acquiring a 15" MBP for eGPU gaming purposes.

I used Intel Extreme Utility to lower maximum frequency to 2,7 GHz for example + I have that exact fan control program already installed and both fans run at maximum speed but I still get up to 90-100°C. It's standing on a Cooler Master fan pad with 3 fans so it has free air flow below it. The fans don't do anything to improve temperatures though, pretty useless.

Only thing I can try now is undervolting a bit. Will look into this a bit later.

Thanks for your quick reply.

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I used Intel Extreme Utility to lower maximum frequency to 2,7 GHz for example + I have that exact fan control program already installed and both fans run at maximum speed but I still get up to 90-100°C. It's standing on a Cooler Master fan pad with 3 fans so it has free air flow below it. The fans don't do anything to improve temperatures though, pretty useless.

Only thing I can try now is undervolting a bit. Will look into this a bit later.

Thanks for your quick reply.

You can use Extreme Utility (XTU) to also undervolt the CPU. It does have some more options than Throttlestop like cache voltage. Though I do like Throttlestop easier performance profile management and switching.

If you've got the GT750M Macbook Pro then consider undervolting the dGPU using MSI Afterburner, or completely disable any LCDs attached to it while using the eGPU. That will lower internal chassis temps too.

One correction to your earlier post. There is another PC alternative providing a i7-quad CPU and a Thunderbolt2 port. That is the HP Zbook 15 or 17.

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A cooling fan under the Laptop is not giving you a big improvement. Just lifting the laptop and giving it some "air" underneath it helps a lot!

The notebook pad has an angle so it has air below it. It's only that the fans of that pad don't do anything as I and you already stated.

You can use Extreme Utility (XTU) to also undervolt the CPU. It does have some more options than Throttlestop like cache voltage. Though I do like Throttlestop easier performance profile management and switching.

If you've got the GT750M Macbook Pro then consider undervolting the dGPU using MSI Afterburner, or completely disable any LCDs attached to it while using the eGPU. That will lower internal chassis temps too.

One correction to your earlier post. There is another PC alternative providing a i7-quad CPU and a Thunderbolt2 port. That is the HP Zbook 15 or 17.

Ok, so there is a "problem" with my testing method. If I want to screw a CPU I usually use Prime95. No matter what I do, this keeps pushing the CPU of the Macbook up to 100°C. Now if I use the XTU CPU Stress Test it pushes it to 90°C max. If I apply -105mV voltage offset it still runs fine at 3.2 GHz but with about 10°C less, with 80-81°C max. temperature. Prime95 still reaches 100°C but a bit slower.

How might that be possible? Both programs push all cores to 100% usage, though Prime95 uses HT and uses extra threads also. Might that be the reason? I don't know what the XTU stress test does about the extra HT threads, so yea, I'm still a bit confused.

If those 80°C would be what I'll get with the eGPU then it will be fine, that's what I can accept(plus it won't be any better in other devices I guess).

I have the base model of the MBPr 15 without the dGPU, as I really only need graphics power at home and if I need some when I'm on the go then the Iris Pro will be enough.

Problem is that if I start something using graphics right now the temperature is also heavily affected by the iGPU, so I can't really test games and take the temperature for analysis.

As I said, unfortunately I don't have the Akitio Thunder2 yet and I'll only get it after the return window already will be closed. That's why I want to be sure that it'll serve my needs.

I know the Zbook but only the ZBook G2 models have Thunderbolt 2 as far as I know and they're even more expensive than the Macbook. Apart from that I know the MSI WS60 but the battery life disappoints.

I might wait for the next Thinkpad generation with W550 for example, but as they're not announced yet and it's not sure they'll have Thunderbolt 2, the set too choose from is still rather small.

Anyway I'll test further how far I can decrease the voltage to lower the temperature as much as possible.

Thanks anyway already.

Edit 29.10:

Did my testing and I can undervolt it Prime95 stable with -125mV(130==freeze) at 3,0 GHz which is pretty cool. While Prime95 runs it stays below 90°C at 86-88°C and with the XTU CPU Stress Test it stays at 70°C-80°C. This seems to be influenced by the book having been hotter already. Yesterday I was testing and I got around 80°C stable, same settings. Now I tested Prime95 first with these settings and afterwards the XTU test and it stayed on 70°C. 80°C is also fine anyway. Plus the case in which the CPU is used 100% won't occur that often.

So, there is no reason to worry regarding the use with an eGPU and the CPU is still nearly twice as fast as my old Phenom II X4 965 regarding single thread performance.

I am now eagerly awaiting my Akitio Thunder2 box so I can finally switch completely to the Macbook :untroubled:

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Any ideas why im not getting a display output?

NVidia drivers are installed and working (loading)

System Info looks good

Monitor on DVI port but i can't get any display...

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12977[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12978[/ATTACH]

Macbook Pro Retina Iris only

Haha, what I did was plugged out TB2 without shutting down the OS X 10.9.5, then the OS X crashed. When the display showed 'Kernel panic', pulled in the plug then press return button. After the OS X restarted, the external display worked.

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Any ideas why im not getting a display output?

NVidia drivers are installed and working (loading)

System Info looks good

Monitor on DVI port but i can't get any display...

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12977[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12978[/ATTACH]

Macbook Pro Retina Iris only

It's the same problem with Mid 2014 15" MBPr Iris Pro, external monitor is not detected. Would you clarify what year model, late 2013 or mid 2014? According to the picture, you actually have Iris Pro.

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Haha, what I did was plugged out TB2 without shutting down the OS X 10.9.5, then the OS X crashed. When the display showed 'Kernel panic', pulled in the plug then press return button. After the OS X restarted, the external display worked.

Doesn't work with Iris Pro only model, I guess you have the 750M.

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Mid 2014, so no chance with Iris only model and OS X?

Yep, I have tried various methods without success. Thanks for confirming. I haven't seen any report of the 15" Iris Pro late 2013 model, but it does work with 13" Iris (late 2013). I really hope that Apple hasn't disabled this feature with their new firmwares.

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Is there a thread anywhere on kext? I keep seeing it mentioned but haven't seen a thread or post dedicated to it. I'll be assembling my setup this week and want to be prepared. I have a 2013 MacBook Air.

http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides/8059-%5Bguide%5D-2013-15-macbook-pro-gt750m-gtx780ti%4016gbps-tb2-sonnet-ee-iii-d-osx10-10-a.html

Has all you need to know about it really. I can't stress enough though about the nvram thing, make sure that is set, and also sudo cache at the end too like explained in the guide.

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