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2012 15" MBP GT650M + GTX970@10Gbps-TB1 (AKiTiO Thunder2) + Win8.1/OSX10.10 [giordy]


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Hello guys,

new user here! I stumbled upon your forum a while ago while trying to find a way to upgrade my retina macbook pro graphics card in order to be able to run my Oculus Rift DK2 at a decent frame rate. After reading your guides I went ahead and bought the following:

1) Akitio Box

2) Corsair RM450 power supply

3) Zotac GTX970 (outer shell removed)

I also put together a Molex -> barrel adapter to power everything up, next mod I'm going to do is to dremel out a hole for the epci connectors so that I can close the box up.

After modifying the kext files, changing the boot parameters and downloading the Nvidia drivers I was able to get the card recognized under Yosemite but I'm the initial benchmarks that i ran with xbench with the rift attached don't show much improvement.

EDIT: I tried a couple of tests with GPUTest and it did go up about 300%...tuscany demo and titans of space now run perfectly at 75fps (they were stuttering badly with the GT650M, so on the Mac side I'm a happy camper!!

I'm not really interested in running it under Yosemite because performance of the Rift under Mac kind of suck so I have been trying to get Win8.1 to recognize the card, but so far no luck.

Right now I have Win8.1 installed on a USB3 SDD that is configured with UEFI, I also installed refind and set it up as this implementation guide suggests (http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides/2367-%5Bguide%5D-2012-15-macbook-pro-retina-gtx560ti%408gbps-tb1-th05-win8-1-a.html) but whenever I boot with the eGPU connected it either never finishes booting (black screen) or restarts.

If I boot into windows without the eGPU attached i see both HD4000 and GT650 recognized but I think the system is always using the GT650...any ideas on how to get this to run properly? Any help is appreciated!

I'm considering reinstalling windows in bios mode and use egpu setup , but i am afraid that if I do that I won't be able to boot the external SDD and will have to create a proper bootcamp partition :neglected:

Here are some pics of the rig and what I see under Windows.

Thanks,

Giordy

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Quick update:

It looks like my macbook pro does not fully support UEFI (the fact that the sound card didn't work was a clue) so I reinstalled windows without UEFI, configured eGPU DIY Setup 1.20 following these instructions (http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides/8006-%5Bguide%5D-2012-15-macbook-pro-gtx750ti%4010gbps-tb1-akitio-thunder2-win8-1-bios.html) and then everything started working properly! Kudos to @Tech Inferno Fan for sending me the software so quickly!

The only issue that I have so far is that sometimes, when I boot windows with the eGPU attached, it would start on the external screen (the rift in my case) and it won't let me initialize the eGPU. If i start unplugged and connect it when windows boot then DYI Setup won't recognize it.

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Hi,

I have same Macbook, but always starts from the external monitor (egpu)... is internal boot selection screen and the external monitor remains black until you reach the user login (windows7) in the windows 8.1 always external monitor black screen and is the Macbook is restarted.

In windows 7I can do the installation complete from the external monitor using the eGPU,but when installing the bootcamp drivers,turns on the 650m and the eGPU begins to fail.

The DIY Setup 1.20 does not recognize the eGPU, I tried different configurations of boot (egpu connected, disconnected, connect it hot) and not the DIY Setup 1.20 see the eGPU. To begin with the connected eGPU begins in the external monitor but it goes directly to the login user, boot is always in black, and the internal monitor is lock.

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I haven't tested it fully, but I believe i got it to work by doing this:

boot with eGPU disconnected.

wait for internal boot selection (with alt pressed)

connecte eGPU and WAIT FOR 2-3 MINUTES (i was only waiting a few seconds)

boot windows and select setup 1.20.

this way I was able to get it to boot by using the internal screen and the external only comes up after windows has booted.

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I haven't tested it fully, but I believe i got it to work by doing this:

boot with eGPU disconnected.

wait for internal boot selection (with alt pressed)

connecte eGPU and WAIT FOR 2-3 MINUTES (i was only waiting a few seconds)

boot windows and select setup 1.20.

this way I was able to get it to boot by using the internal screen and the external only comes up after windows has booted.

Thanks, I'll try your Setup and tell you

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Nevermind, I cannot seem to get Mac to consistently boot windows with the internal screen.

After i start the mac with alt pressed, i get the boot selection on the internal screen but when I choose windows the internal screen freezes and everything gets directed to the external one (which is connected to the eGPU), but when that happens egpu setup hangs during initialization.

Then after some fiddling around it would magically boot with the internal one.

Does anyone here have a clue on how to consistently boot with the internal screen?

thanks,

Giordy

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Can you check the device manager when that happens? For me my iGPU wasn't detected anymore… I could fix that by reinstalling the Intel GPU driver and the Geforce driver.

Additionally a big help was this Guide to give me full Optimus support: http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides/8558-%5Bguide%5D-macbook-enabling-optimus-internal-lcd-mode.html#post110757

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Can you check the device manager when that happens? For me my iGPU wasn't detected anymore… I could fix that by reinstalling the Intel GPU driver and the Geforce driver.

Additionally a big help was this Guide to give me full Optimus support: http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides/8558-%5Bguide%5D-macbook-enabling-optimus-internal-lcd-mode.html#post110757

But this guide is only for Macbook with iGPU, no work in (GT650M/GT750M/HD6750M MBP

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in my case, same system:

try:

1- choose windows the internal screen freezes and everything gets directed to the external one

2- external monitor turn on (black screen)

3- Countdown 7 seconds and press down key and enter key (selection windows boot - in black screen - not see)

4- in the external monitor load the DIY 1.2 blue boot

5- Do a 3.87GB/32-bit PCIe compaction on ALL except SATA+.. with closeunusedbridges=off. This will create the required pci.bat file.

6-If yes, chainload using mbr and select windows 8

7- internal/external monitor turn ON and the go to the windows login.

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  • 2 months later...

@giordy: Could you do me a favour and tell me how much space there is between the GPUs PCIe Powerconnector and the colliding AKiTiO case? Or how much shorter do the PCIe Powerconnectors have to be, to fit inside the case?!

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@giordy: Thx, but that wasn't my question. I would like to know: How much space is it from the edge of the PCB of the GPU to the case. Or: How slim would a PCIe plug have to be to fit.

@Tech Inferno Fan: Yes, that is sth I was thinking about. Especially with DIY there are even slimmer ways (first and second spoiler): [Guide] How-to Thread für einen abgewinkelten PCIe Stecker

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It’s very simple to make such a low profile cable by yourself as @jacobsson described:

http://forum.techinferno.com/enclosures-adapters/7205-us%24189-akitio-thunder2-pcie-box-16gbps-tb2-38.html#post106447

I used very thin bent “iron wire” for pushing locking wings. Even if the upper part is only 4mm tall, the sharp edges in the middle of the outer shell may cut the cable as you can see, so be careful!

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FYI, here’s the 8-pin to 4-pin molex cable that I made as well, beside low profile 6-pin cable.

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I thought that a 6-pin with a single 12V yellow from the ATX PSU may not be capable of feeding 75W for the PCIe slot power. Two thick yellows will do the work absolutely.

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  • 1 month later...

I'm new and clueless, have the same MacBook as you so assume will have the same issues with windows. Currently running 64 bit 7, what steps do I need to take to make it egpu compatible? I have no idea what bios or EFI is either I'm afraid.

Hope you can help.

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@giordy: Can you please to me one more favour? How much is the distance between the cooling fins (not the fan) to the case at the side. Or, how tall can fans be, if I would like to replace the Zotac fans?

Since I have my Zotac torn apart, thought I'd answer this question. I'm measuring about 25mm from fins to the edge of the inner chassis. It might be possible to get a normal noctua 92mmx25mm fan in there. Maybe I'll buy the redux model since that's the color I wanted and it should make it flush with the outer case. Note that the Zotac has 5 posts (4 that the fan shroud connects to), so I had to bend those out of the way.

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UPDATE: So, I lied. Its 20mm from fins to outer case, so standard 25mm fans will not work. I must have been drunk or optimistic. Take your pick.

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Thank martinm0!

My Galaxy GTX 970 has similiar posts/pins on the cooler to attach the shroud.

Using 25mm thick fans would increase cooling perfrormance a lot, since they can move much more air as the 15mm thin fans.

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I will pick up some new standard fans and see how they fit. The thinner Noctuas I was able to wedge into the bent out brackets so I don't think I need to use anything to affix them in place. But I'm still waiting on the PWM splitter cable, which will take a while to get to the US from Hong Kong, so I won't have much for updates until late next week or even latter. I also ordered 2x 60mm x 60mm x 10mm fans to see if I can fit something either in place of the Akitio fan, or on the opposite side as giordy did (nice to see we think alike!). Now I just have to convince my friend with the CNC machine that I DON'T need liquid cooling and get him to cut some holes in the outer case for me.

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  • Tech Inferno Fan changed the title to 2012 15" MBP GT650M + GTX970@10Gbps-TB1 (AKiTiO Thunder2) + Win8.1/OSX10.10 [giordy]
  • 8 months later...

I found this cable at an online store called KareonKables.Com. This cable worked with my Thunder2 case. The connector on this cable sticks out of the GPU 11mm and I was able to close the case after routing the cable through the bottom corner of the back site of the case, where the 12v jack leaves and opening.

NjVCOTI3QzVDRkE4MjZBODE5RjY6MGYzYTYzNDY4

divining-pendulum.jpg

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