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DIY eGPU Macbook experiences


oripash

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I think the main point is, that there are a lot of very crappy riser cables out there and that it is a major problem for new users. So I agree on stoping to recommend them, but it shouldn't be the big bad topic we don't wanna talk about… because they still exist and many users made their system work with em.

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Just to be "THAT kind of an asshole"

Pic or it didn't happen :chuncky:

I can and will post the pic.

I do have what I claimed to have.

So if I do....who will be the asshole then?

Recent posts make it quite clear that the "get a powered riser" mantra has been repeated for no reason whatsoever.

Somebody just posted about burning up a 2nd GPU that is getting RMA'd....using a riser...we all pay for those needlessly burned up GPUs.

And the whole eGPU thing gets held back by people burning up eGPUs because nobody wants to put their foot down.

I got a couple risers, powered and not. They ONLY MADE THINGS WORSE.

Have a look at the guides, fewer Macs running eGPUs. Fewer OS X by a long shot. Need to weed out the nonsense and get to the root issues.

Risers only make things worse

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I can and will post the pic.

I do have what I claimed to have.

So if I do....who will be the asshole then?

You're an angry little fella' aren't you ?

I just assumed if one had this big hardware-porn collection, one would automatically share the images with us :)

Now temper down - take a cold shower!

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@MVC: Nice how you're not going to respond. CAPSLOCK isn't making you right, btw. And there is no "whole eGPU thing" that is held back by stupid powered risers. One guy blows stuff up, maybe caused by the riser. You push this in a way like it's proven. People who want the eGPU get their eGPU, with or without risers. Most of them are neither electricians nor programmers and won't contribute to whatever the "whole eGPU thing" is, they just want a neat way to get graphics power.

@ba10s118: Apparently he is.

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All please relax. I can understand that there is still a lot of misunderstanding and misguidance because nobody has THE answer.

@MVC: You don't have to prove anything. :)

But maybe you could start a build log or thread to share your findings. Seems like you have a good idea, but it's the other people posting guides that people read and follow.

No offence, but please share some of your builds.

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Anyone played witcher 3 with eGPU? How does it run, saw it was a patch today which should improve fps a bit

- - - Updated - - -

I have 12 Akitios

At least a dozen Macs

I have probably 100+ GPUs

Maybe I know what I'm typing about.

Riser is a moronic idea that does NOTHING but make problems and lead to black screens, dead cards and bogus RMAs. Someone needs to put a giant red "DON'T BOTHER WITH RISER CABLES UNLESS YOU LIKE BURNING UP PARTS".

Bend the end of the case and be done with it. I have worked on 1,000s of Mac GPUs.

Take my word or the word of someone who has made 1 work.

I have been playing with eGPUs for 6 months or so. Powered riser is MORONIC, STUPID, WORTHLESS, DOESN'T HELP.

If people want actual progress here, it's time to take an active step in preventing this electronic carnage.

And I am going to ask the seasoned "experts" here to stop posting theoreticals, we really need actual "what works" not "what some book on electronics says should work".

I really feel that there is too much inertia of BS here to make progress anymore. Macs are getting trickier. If we don't shed the repetitive nonsense that everyone repeats because everyone else is repeating it, NOTHING WILL EVER GET DONE.

RISERS ARE NO LONGER PART OF RECOMMENDED BUILD UNLESS YOU LIKE FAILURE.

Chill dude. I was just asking, i dont have a lot of knowledge about this stuff, so thats why I am asking. Isn't that what this forum is for?

Also i dont get why your typing "maybe i know what I'm typing about". I have never quoted or asked you, i was asking a general question about risers. So calm down and breath.

- - - Updated - - -

@henrikhoe: Downside of a riser can be signal degeneration, instability,…

If you want to use a long card with the AKiTiO you can still use it inside the inner cage of the AKiTiO, if you bend open the front part (like Tech Inferno Fan did). That is currently the recommended way (to plug the GPU directly into the AKiTiO). Keep in mind that you will need a barrel plug to power the system in that way of usage, because you are not using the powered riser to power you system.

Thank you Dschijn, will skip the riser then.

Just thought risers was bad because of the aesthetics. But thank you for explaining.

Will order this instead

Delock Adapter DC 2,5 x 5,5 mm Stecker Terminalblock # 65487 | eBay

DeLock Y Kabel Stromversorgung 2x Molex 4 Pin 82100 | eBay

And make a barrel plug and plug into the PSU, hope thats safer

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Anyone played witcher 3 with eGPU? How does it run, saw it was a patch today which should improve fps a bit

TW3 on high settings in 1920x1200 is woring great: http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides-apple/9821-2014-15-macbook-pro-iris-gtx970%4016gbps-tb2-akitio-thunder2-win8-1-%5Bdschijn-2%5D.html#post131966

And if you are german, get this (if you can solder / or let me solder it for you): http://www.reichelt.de/DC-AKS-7525/3/index.html?&ACTION=3&LA=446&ARTICLE=150126&artnr=DC+AKS+7525&SEARCH=niedervoltstecker+2.5mm

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Not german unfortunately. Just got those links a while back when Morv was helping me pickup parts to make a barrel plug (back when i didn't know if i should get a riser or barrel plug).

I see that site sends to Norway, but I'm not really good with soldiering.

Whats the benefit of using that compared to using a molex male -> 2 female splitter, and just use two black and two yellow wires from the female into delock dc adapter. Since thats how the x2 molex to 6pin pci-e cables are used.

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@henrikhoe: ok…

1. that molex cable isn't right! You would need it the other way around and that doesn't exist! But you could use a 2xMolex -> 1x6-Pin PCIe cable

Like this: http://www.ebay.de/itm/PCI-Express-Netzteiladapter-2x-4Pin-Molex-zu-6Pin-PCI-Express-Y-Kabel-TA-/201350487746?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2ee16c9ec2

2. the delock adapter is fine and has been proven to work. Imho soldering (joining the materials) it is better, than pushing up to 75W trough a screwed conenction (metal connections pressed on each other).

Edit: regarding to 1. If I am correct the cable was intended to later be like 2xMolex -> barrel , right? If I that is the case my first advice in this post is correct. If it's about using two wires from the male (1xMolex (with 2x wires each colour) -> barrel) please reconsider that. One molex plug might not be enough on permanent high loads to provide 75W.

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@Tech Inferno Fan

The 970 is starting to creep out of my price range.

From the guide the

Sapphire Radeon R9 285 ITX COMPACT OC 2GB

seems like the best option and the performance looks similar to the 960.

The fact that this Radeon.shouldn't be an issue, correct?

With this card I wont need to modify the case, correct?

I'm having some trouble understanding the whole PSU thing.

First of where does it sit? will it be out side the case? I dont seem to be able to find it any picture.

And I'm having some trouble understanding how to connect it.

You seem to mention molexs and barrels and I have no clue what that means.

Could someone explain this in a simple way?

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Move what forward? There is nothing to be moved forward or that is held back by risers. What is wrong with you?

Yeah. Okey doke, Einstein.

Try this on your MBP.

Continue on with the "Flat Earth" rhetoric, "nothing to be moved forward."

post-31171-14495000106298_thumb.png

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@m1sk:

This is a molex plug:

Molex_female_connector.jpg

This is a barrel plug (has to be 5.5 and 2.5 mm):

CAR-CIGARETTE-LIGHTER-POWER-SUPPLY-ADAPTER-5-5mm-x-2-1mm-BARREL-PLUG-12VOLT-DC-OUTPUT.jpg

Here you see how to make a Molex -> barrel plug (connecting them): http://forum.techinferno.com/enclosures-adapters/8317-%5Bguide%5D-making-molex-barrel-adapter.html

The barrel plug is to replace the AKiTiO PSU (power supply) and power the AKiTiO with the same PSU you power the GPU. E.g. the GTX 960 has 1x6-Pin PCIe plug on it:

asus-gtx960-strix-top.jpg

So, you need a PSU to power the whole eGPU thing and keep in mind to only use one PSU. Put the AKiTiO PSU far far away!!!!!!!!111111eleven

A computer PSU looks like this:

cx500m.jpg

You can get it at e.g. amazon!

You connect the 6 or 8-Pin PCIe plugs from the PSU to the GPU. Additionally you make a molex to barrel plug and connect that to the AKiTiO.

To make the PSU start (it is in standby even if you flip the switch) you need to apply the paper clip trip: Turn on PSU without motherboard - the 'paperclip trick' | Lounge | APH Networks

Because the PSU is big and bulky you need to store it beside the eGPU setup.

OR you find yourself a nice box or even a PC case, where you can put all the eGPU stuff (GPU, PSU, AKiTiO, wires....) in and it looks a bit less messier: http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides-apple/7879-2013-13-macbook-pro-gtx970%4016gbps-tb2-akitio-thunder2-win8-1-osx10-10-%5Bdschijn.html

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Yeah. Okey doke, Einstein.

Try this on your MBP.

Continue on with the "Flat Earth" rhetoric, "nothing to be moved forward."

xD I was expecting this bullshit.

You can do your work without being a prick, you know that? You can work on useful stuff for the public without degrading everybody new or uninformed by ranting and shouting in a forum post.

Risers totally have anything to do with Nvidia cards being able to use on an external display in OS X, totally. 100%. You're so cool.

That's what the latest rants by you were about and that's what others reacted to. Risers. Not your EFI stuff.

Get your shit together, Einstein.

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xD I was expecting this bullshit.

You can do your work without being a prick, you know that? You can work on useful stuff for the public without degrading everybody new or uninformed by ranting and shouting in a forum post.

Risers totally have anything to do with Nvidia cards being able to use on an external display in OS X, totally. 100%. You're so cool.

That's what the latest rants by you were about and that's what others reacted to. Risers. Not your EFI stuff.

Get your shit together, Einstein.

If I was using a riser I'd be stuck getting nothing new accomplished, like you.

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If I was using a riser I'd be stuck getting nothing new accomplished, like you.

You want a cookie? You're totally doing it for free, aren't you? You're not going to charge people for your EFI stuff, eh? You're such a pretentious guy, seriously.

I'm not using this to accomplish anything but having a notebook with graphics power at home, btw. And guess what? That's what I've got for months now. Thanks to this community, for sure.

Now move on and eat your cookie.

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You want a cookie? You're totally doing it for free, aren't you? You're not going to charge people for your EFI stuff, eh? You're such a pretentious guy, seriously.

I'm not using this to accomplish anything but having a notebook with graphics power at home, btw. And guess what? That's what I've got for months now. Thanks to this community, for sure.

Now move on and eat your cookie.

You're right, the earth is flat.

Thanks for your input.

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You're right, the earth is flat.

Thanks for your input.

Is that all you are able to do? Writing nonsense? You haven't got one normal answer to anything I wrote. You only come up with this stuff that no one ever mentioned.

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@Dschijn

This really explains it all!

This is awesome and all of you guys are very helpful!

I'm looking up the card: SAPPHIRE R9 285 2GB GDDR5 ITX COMPACT OC Edition (UEFI)

and it seems to need 500w - so I guess i'll need this http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Builder-Series-Watt-CX500/dp/B0092ML0MY

To sum it all up i'll need:

Akitio = 220$

Radeon R9 285 GPU

= 240$

Molex to barrel stuff:

2pcs CCTV Video Balun 5 5x2 5mm DC Power Plug Terminals Connector Adapter Power | eBay = 2$

5 5in PCI Express 6 Pin Male to Female Vidoe Card Power Extension Cable | eBay = 2$

PSU: http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Builder-Series-Watt-CX500/dp/B0092ML0MY = 60$

This comes up to: 524$

Which comes out right in my budget!

But this is only if only the goverment doesnt catch my stuff and request more money

Buying locally will also be a bit more expensive.

Thanks for all the help!

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@Dschijn

This really explains it all!

This is awesome and all of you guys are very helpful!

I'm looking up the card: SAPPHIRE R9 285 2GB GDDR5 ITX COMPACT OC Edition (UEFI)

and it seems to need 500w - so I guess i'll need this Amazon.com: Corsair Builder Series CX 500 Watt ATX/EPS* 80 PLUS (CX500): Computers & Accessories

To sum it all up i'll need:

Akitio = 220$

Radeon R9 285 GPU

= 240$

Molex to barrel stuff:

2pcs CCTV Video Balun 5 5x2 5mm DC Power Plug Terminals Connector Adapter Power | eBay = 2$

5 5in PCI Express 6 Pin Male to Female Vidoe Card Power Extension Cable | eBay = 2$

PSU: Amazon.com: Corsair Builder Series CX 500 Watt ATX/EPS* 80 PLUS (CX500): Computers & Accessories = 60$

This comes up to: 524$

Which comes out right in my budget!

But this is only if only the goverment doesnt catch my stuff and request more money

Buying locally will also be a bit more expensive.

Thanks for all the help!

The 500W refer to a whole desktop system including CPU, motherboard, RAM, HDD and so on.

The 430W PSU on Amazon would be fine too and saves you some bucks. You could go even lower to 300-350W. The PSU only has to power the graphics card and the Akitio, which doesn't need much.

The card you linked can only draw up to 225W, 75W from the slot and 150W from the 8 pin pcie.

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