2013 15" MBP GT750M + GTX970@16Gpbs-TB2 (Sonnet EE SE II) + OSX10.10 [gianni]

[MVC]

Ok, time to put down the shotgun and be methodical.

At the very least you should be able to see the GPU in System Profiler.

Later today I am going to put up a link for modded kexts. They will be for 10.10.1 and latest Web Driver ONLY. I think it is likely that if someone can miss the note about powering the PSU then they might have buggered the kext mods. If newbies all used same modded kexts we could rule out that as an error point.

I have 2 folders on my desktop. One is called "virgin" and one is called "eGPU modded"

I start with a fully updated system with web drivers running then I drag the 3 kexts from S/L/E to both folders. This makes copies in both folders. Note that by so doing I have changed their ownership.

Next I do the mods to the ones in modded folder. I drag them to kextdrop and install them. Then I run a "repair permissions." You will see the parts of the kexts get their permissions reset to being owned by system.

Next I verify that my boot args are right. In terminal I run "nvram -p". A bunch of text shows up, boot args are in there. Make sure that the devmode and NVIDIA driver both appear.

If they do, shutdown and connect eGPU. It is absolutely 1000% CRUCIAL that you verify that PSU for eGPU is on. Turning on switch is not enough. They don't "sense" that power is needed. Either PLEX switch or paperclip.

Don't connect external monitor yet. Just boot using standard display connection. If you have done everything right it will appear in System Profiler. If rom revision says "Preset 1.0.0" they you probably aren't using web drivers. If it says "VBIOS 80.xx...." Then you are.

For most TB2 macs you will not get display output from an NVIDIA card. You will be able to run CUDA apps like Octane and Resolve. Also OpenCL.

If you see "NVIDIA chip model" then you have buggered it up somewhere.

Note that if you re-install the web driver at any point it will overwrite the Nvdastartup kext. No problem, just drag the modded one from folder on desktop in kextdrop and install, then repair permissions.

If everything gets messed up, no need for complete reinstall of OS. Just drag the virgin kexts into kextdrop and repair perms and reboot. Will get you back to square one.

Once I get the modded kexts up and people follow instructions EXACTLY we will see greater successes.

Googling stuff and running oddball fixes from the web will just make a mess of things.

[garytyler]

MVC, thanks for all the help and info. I am wondering if you might have suggestions for getting a display output straight from the MBPr to work. I'm running a MBPr 2014 w/ GT 750M, 2x Akitios with 2x GTX TITANs and often have to boot up to 10 times before I can get my display to boot. I don't want accelerated graphics. I'm just rendering with Octane. I keep seeing in your posts and others that the MBPrs have issues getting external output from the eGPUs but I have issues getting external output period, whenever an eGPU is connected. I'm not sure if this is a separate issue or the same, but if it's all the effect of the same cause, it might help to discuss it that way? Just a thought. Looking forward to what gets learned here, as I love my MBPr for video editing and want to be able to rely on it (mores) for animation rendering as well.

Ok, time to put down the shotgun and be methodical.

At the very least you should be able to see the GPU in System Profiler.

Later today I am going to put up a link for modded kexts. They will be for 10.10.1 and latest Web Driver ONLY. I think it is likely that if someone can miss the note about powering the PSU then they might have buggered the kext mods. If newbies all used same modded kexts we could rule out that as an error point.

I have 2 folders on my desktop. One is called "virgin" and one is called "eGPU modded"

I start with a fully updated system with web drivers running then I drag the 3 kexts from S/L/E to both folders. This makes copies in both folders. Note that by so doing I have changed their ownership.

Next I do the mods to the ones in modded folder. I drag them to kextdrop and install them. Then I run a "repair permissions." You will see the parts of the kexts get their permissions reset to being owned by system.

Next I verify that my boot args are right. In terminal I run "nvram -p". A bunch of text shows up, boot args are in there. Make sure that the devmode and NVIDIA driver both appear.

If they do, shutdown and connect eGPU. It is absolutely 1000% CRUCIAL that you verify that PSU for eGPU is on. Turning on switch is not enough. They don't "sense" that power is needed. Either PLEX switch or paperclip.

Don't connect external monitor yet. Just boot using standard display connection. If you have done everything right it will appear in System Profiler. If rom revision says "Preset 1.0.0" they you probably aren't using web drivers. If it says "VBIOS 80.xx...." Then you are.

For most TB2 macs you will not get display output from an NVIDIA card. You will be able to run CUDA apps like Octane and Resolve. Also OpenCL.

If you see "NVIDIA chip model" then you have buggered it up somewhere.

Note that if you re-install the web driver at any point it will overwrite the Nvdastartup kext. No problem, just drag the modded one from folder on desktop in kextdrop and install, then repair permissions.

If everything gets messed up, no need for complete reinstall of OS. Just drag the virgin kexts into kextdrop and repair perms and reboot. Will get you back to square one.

Once I get the modded kexts up and people follow instructions EXACTLY we will see greater successes.

Googling stuff and running oddball fixes from the web will just make a mess of things.

[MVC]

MVC, thanks for all the help and info. I am wondering if you might have suggestions for getting a display output straight from the MBPr to work. I'm running a MBPr 2014 w/ GT 750M, 2x Akitios with 2x GTX TITANs and often have to boot up to 10 times before I can get my display to boot. I don't want accelerated graphics. I'm just rendering with Octane. I keep seeing in your posts and others that the MBPrs have issues getting external output from the eGPUs but I have issues getting external output period, whenever an eGPU is connected. I'm not sure if this is a separate issue or the same, but if it's all the effect of the same cause, it might help to discuss it that way? Just a thought. Looking forward to what gets learned here, as I love my MBPr for video editing and want to be able to rely on it (mores) for animation rendering as well.

You need to use science to your advantage.

First and foremost, details. Does MBPr = rMBP? Never seen it that way before. 15"?

Did you do all the kext mods? When it does work, does it work perfectly? How do the Titans show up in System Profiler?

How are you powering them...etc, etc.

When you say "external output, period" what do you mean?

From rMBP or are you connecting an external display? Or do you mean, no output at all from rMBP?

[garytyler]

You need to use science to your advantage.

First and foremost, details. Does MBPr = rMBP? Never seen it that way before. 15"?

Did you do all the kext mods? When it does work, does it work perfectly? How do the Titans show up in System Profiler?

How are you powering them...etc, etc.

When you say "external output, period" what do you mean?

From rMBP or are you connecting an external display? Or do you mean, no output at all from rMBP?

I meant MBPr 15". I am certain I've got all the kext mods correct. I've been using this setup for a month or so. The GPUs show up both as GTX TITAN in System Profiler. They are currently powered via powered risers (also powering the Akitios via the risers) from a Corsair 750. I have tried every arrangement for powering them that I know (Akitio's included power supply & molex>barrel plug) and each combination brings the same results with this setup. By "external output, period" I am referring to display output from the free TB port and the HDMI port on the laptop. By "period" I mean to highlight that the issue with display output is not only with the ports on the eGPU, but also the proprietary ports on the MBPr while having the eGPU connected. I have read the same reports from other TechInferno users but there hasn't been any resolution found.

- - - Updated - - -

Maybe I should add this in the other thread. I'm not sure.

Once everything is booted, it runs great 98% of the time. Sometimes I get a freeze during intense GPU operation that is a different type of freeze than I have seen with my applications. The screen freezes and the cursor stays as a pointer and I must reboot myself.

- - - Updated - - -

One more thing. I am running the most recent Web Drivers but I discovered my TITANs will load the same in the System Profiler without it. They also produce essentially equivalent benchmarks and render performance on the Default OS X Graphics Driver. I expect you already knew this but it's pretty cool.

[MVC]

I meant MBPr 15".

Yeah, nobody calls it that.

"rMBP" if you want anyone to know what you are talking about.

I have a rMBP 15" 2012 and it has had no issues with multiple Titans.

Will try with my TB2 devices. If you actually got output on HDMI from the eGPU, good for you, and great news as most can't do that.

I never tried past 3 boots so maybe I will try 4-5 and see if that does it.

In all this I don't see how you are powering the Titans. Both PSU and how you trigger it is important.

[garytyler]

Yeah, nobody calls it that.

"rMBP" if you want anyone to know what you are talking about.

I have a rMBP 15" 2012 and it has had no issues with multiple Titans.

Will try with my TB2 devices. If you actually got output on HDMI from the eGPU, good for you, and great news as most can't do that.

I never tried past 3 boots so maybe I will try 4-5 and see if that does it.

In all this I don't see how you are powering the Titans. Both PSU and how you trigger it is important.

HDMI output on the GPU is about as consistent as output on the proprietary TB2 and HDMI ports. Both are basically like rolling dice. I haven't gotten anything from the DVI ports though. I feel comfortable saying they won't work. I don't have a good cable/display setup handy to test the Display Port through the cards.

I don't remember the name of it but I'm running the Corsair 750 with a little plug device I picked up at this computer thrift store in my neighborhood. It accomplishes the same thing as the paperclip trick. Maybe it's the PLEX switch you mention above but I don't remember the name. I've got a Kill-A-Watt meter as well. With both cards rendering, it pulls between 410 and 450 watts.

I just wish I could figure out how to get a consistent response from any one of these ports. I don't care for enhanced graphics, just need large display to do work on.

[gianni]

Hi,

there's someone who kindly wants repeat the steps to follow for installing correctly an eGPU in my mac? Steps, softwares, drivers...etc. OSX YOSEMITE 10.10.1

Thank you all.

[Mark]

As far as I understand by reading this thread, I have a question. What do you mean by the monitor turning black with no sounds at all?

Switch on your eGPU first (i.e. the Sonnet box plugged in and the PSU switched on), then switch on your MacBook. Does the laptop screen light up at all? Or is it still turned off? Try it a few times. Is it still not working? If you hold alt just for a few seconds just after switching off your MacBook does it give you an option to go to either OS X or the Recovery Partition?

I have a problem with a GTX 980, a Sonnet III-D and a 2013 Retina MBP with the GT 750M where it cannot boot up at all (i.e. it doesn't even make it to the boot selection screen where you can choose between OS X, the Recovery Partition and Windows, maybe a POST failure?), and when I swap the III-D into a Sonnet SEL this problem still happens around 10-20% of the time, only that when it does boot up, it works like a dream.

Now, I've narrowed this down to the combination of the setup: Something in the Sonnet III-D, NVIDIA Maxwell GPUs (i.e. 970, 980, 750 Ti) and the GT 750M dGPU in the MacBook Pro.

Now, I've read in another thread that both a Sonnet III-D and possibly a Sonnet SE II doesn't work if you want Optimus running on a MacBook (separate issue). Apparently it's because of some chip that these two have that the SEL (or maybe the Akitio as well?) doesn't. Could this be the chip that's also preventing this setup (as well as mine) for booting up?

Meanwhile, other users had a GTX 970 or 980 and a Sonnet III-D eGPU working but they have the IRIS PRO MacBooks. My III-D worked well with a 780 Ti (as well as many others), and my current working eGPU setup is a 980 with the SEL.

[Tech Inferno Fan]

I have a problem with a GTX 980, a Sonnet III-D and a 2013 Retina MBP with the GT 750M where it cannot boot up at all (i.e. it doesn't even make it to the boot selection screen where you can choose between OS X, the Recovery Partition and Windows, maybe a POST failure?), and when I swap the III-D into a Sonnet SEL this problem still happens around 10-20% of the time, only that when it does boot up, it works like a dream.

Now, I've narrowed this down to the combination of the setup: Something in the Sonnet III-D, NVIDIA Maxwell GPUs (i.e. 970, 980, 750 Ti) and the GT 750M dGPU in the MacBook Pro.

Now, I've read in another thread that both a Sonnet III-D and possibly a Sonnet SE II doesn't work if you want Optimus running on a MacBook (separate issue). Apparently it's because of some chip that these two have that the SEL (or maybe the Akitio as well?) doesn't. Could this be the chip that's also preventing this setup (as well as mine) for booting up?

Meanwhile, other users had a GTX 970 or 980 and a Sonnet III-D eGPU working but they have the IRIS PRO MacBooks. My III-D worked well with a 780 Ti (as well as many others), and my current working eGPU setup is a 980 with the SEL.

Any single-slot Thunderbolt2 enclosure/adapter such as a AKiTiO Thunder2 or Sonnet SEL provide a x4 2.0 PCIe BUS to service the single slot.

Any Thunderbolt enclosures/adapters such as the Sonnet III-D or Netstor NA211TB with 2 or more slots require an additional PCIe-to-PCIe bridge chip to split the x4 2.0 PCIe BUS (Thunderbolt) to additional buses. That additional bridge adds configuration complexity and it seems the Apple firmware can hang on bootup, presumably in a infinite loop attempting to configure those bridges but failing to do so.

I recall @squinks having the same issue with his Sonnet III-D that was resolved upon using a Sonnet SEL.

[Mark]

Any single-slot Thunderbolt2 enclosure/adapter such as a AKiTiO Thunder2 or Sonnet SEL provide a x4 2.0 PCIe BUS to service the single slot.

Any Thunderbolt enclosures/adapters such as the Sonnet III-D or Netstor NA211TB with 2 or more slots require an additional PCIe-to-PCIe bridge chip to split the x4 2.0 PCIe BUS (Thunderbolt) to additional buses. That additional bridge adds configuration complexity and it seems the Apple firmware can hang on bootup, presumably in a infinite loop attempting to configure those bridges but failing to do so.

I recall @squinks having the same issue with his Sonnet III-D that was resolved upon using a Sonnet SEL.

Well in that case, bingo. Since the SE II also has 2 PCIe slots as well, this is, I assume, is also why gianni's setup isn't working. Thanks for giving me an answer about my problem too, and I've also sorted out this issue by using my SEL as well.

gianni, the only three options right now are to either wait until Apple brings a firmware update which miraculously fixes this issue (very unlikely EDIT: but 10.10.2 might have one) or either use another single slot expansion chassis such as a Sonnet SEL or Akitio Thunder2 or use a non-Maxwell GPU (such as 760).

[squinks]

Any single-slot Thunderbolt2 enclosure/adapter such as a AKiTiO Thunder2 or Sonnet SEL provide a x4 2.0 PCIe BUS to service the single slot.

Any Thunderbolt enclosures/adapters such as the Sonnet III-D or Netstor NA211TB with 2 or more slots require an additional PCIe-to-PCIe bridge chip to split the x4 2.0 PCIe BUS (Thunderbolt) to additional buses. That additional bridge adds configuration complexity and it seems the Apple firmware can hang on bootup, presumably in a infinite loop attempting to configure those bridges but failing to do so.

I recall @squinks having the same issue with his Sonnet III-D that was resolved upon using a Sonnet SEL.

+1

The III-D issues arose during my SLI project but not with a single GPU. Sounds like it is a Maxwell issue. Side note: @Tech Inferno Fan, I noticed the peformance board says III-D for my SLI listing. It was 2 SELs.

Anyway, I hope everyone here is making progress. I've been lost in PS4 land. K I'm out : )

[gianni]

Hi,

after more and more tests I've understood that probably the problem is due by an uncompatibility between the Sonnet EE SE II and the GTX 970. I've followed MVC's instructions for modding the Nvidia web driver and the kexts files and I've tried with Yosemite 10.10.1 OS and Windows 8.1. I've plugged the eGPU on PSU, and the TB2 on computer. I've turned on the PSU, the Sonnet and finally the computer, but it begins to work (the fan spins and the temperature increases) while the monitor and the keyboard are completely black and the mac doesn't works. In the Sonnet I've plugged two PCIe cards: GTX 970 and DeckLink SDI 4K. So I've thought to try disconnect first one and after the other, and start the computer. When the only Decklink is plugged in, the computer starts. When GTX 970 is plugged the computer doesn't works. So I believe that the problem is the Sonnet...What do you think I can do? I've to try with Akitio or something like that? What do you suggest? Thank you.

[garytyler]

Any single-slot Thunderbolt2 enclosure/adapter such as a AKiTiO Thunder2 or Sonnet SEL provide a x4 2.0 PCIe BUS to service the single slot.

Any Thunderbolt enclosures/adapters such as the Sonnet III-D or Netstor NA211TB with 2 or more slots require an additional PCIe-to-PCIe bridge chip to split the x4 2.0 PCIe BUS (Thunderbolt) to additional buses. That additional bridge adds configuration complexity and it seems the Apple firmware can hang on bootup, presumably in a infinite loop attempting to configure those bridges but failing to do so.

I recall @squinks having the same issue with his Sonnet III-D that was resolved upon using a Sonnet SEL.

Is this the issue that causes the boot to black screen half the time when I boot with 2 eGPUs daisy chained? Interesting. I wonder if I should be running a PCIe splitter instead. I'm just doing GPU rendering so it should't slow me down.

[gianni]

Hi guys,

here we are!

Finally I have chosen an Atikio Thunder2 and this is what I've done...

Second, I've followed this procedure:

[GUIDE] 2013 15" Macbook Pro GT750M + GTX780Ti@16Gbps-TB2 (Sonnet EE III-D) +OSX10.10

This is my new macbook...

The computer, now, starts properly and the GTX 970 appears (not on the first window)...

I've tried to test the gpu with Heaven (basic option) and this is the score...what do you think?

I want to precise that the fan of the Corsair 550 has never spinned. Is it normal?

[Dschijn]

Nice work!

Yes the Corsair RM 550 has a "zero fan mode". The fan only kicks in after 40% load or a certain temperature inside. But while the PSU is placed with the fan facing upwards (good job!) it stayes cool.

[gianni]

what do you think about the score?

[gianni]

The score with extreme parameters is very low...so I've tried to start the test without the GTX970...and the scores are exactly the same...there's something wrong in the settings of my eGPU?

[Dschijn]

Are the results done on a extrenal display directly connected to the GTX 970?

[gianni]

Are the results done on a extrenal display directly connected to the GTX 970?

These are the results of the mac display. Where I wrong?

[Dschijn]

Yes… currently you can't get eGPU performance on the Mac displays! Only if you start the game/benchmark in window mode on the external display and drag it to the internal.

(That statement is regarding to OSX, in Windows you can get eGPU performance on the internal display via Optimus)

[gianni]

So, I can use the eGPU only on an external display or after installing Windows on my mac?

[Dschijn]

Yes or with picture/video edditing software than can adress a GPU directly.

[w4vz]

@gianni Please let us know your new heaven benchmark result (extreme setting) on the external display.

I got 1213 on TB1 so Im curious of your result.

[lemonustc]

Yes… currently you can't get eGPU performance on the Mac displays! Only if you start the game/benchmark in window mode on the external display and drag it to the internal.

(That statement is regarding to OSX, in Windows you can get eGPU performance on the internal display via Optimus)

Holy, I just built up my gtx970 for mba under osx and I dont have an external monitor at hand... So you mean optimus tech is not available for OSX? Then why it works under windows... Weired

[Dschijn]

Windows has "better" driver. Maybe it will work in OSX some day as well…