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Thunderbolt eGPU/docking station?


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Hey all!

First, let me say I'm ridiculously glad that I found this site.. I've been curious about eGPU setups for a little bit, but only started to seriously look the the last two or so weeks. This is such a bloody great resource for it, so thank you to all the smarter-than-me folks that contribute to it :)

Second, I do apologize if this is repeating a topic, but I've been looking around on numerous posts (the past few days especially), and haven't quite found anything like what I'm wondering about.

Here's my situation.. I've currently got a nice desktop system (I think a i5-2500K CPU, Asus 770 GTX, SSDs, etc) that I use for gaming, a 2012 non-retina MacBook Pro 15" for when I'm on the road for work and otherwise, and a Surface Pro that I had originally got as a lighter on-the-road system that just ended up not being quite as powerful as I'd hoped. I'm wanting to move to a single-computer streamlined setup with a nicely powered but portable laptop, and an eGPU, but after looking into the Alienware 13 + Graphics Amp, I'm curious if it's possible to build something similar that also incorporates some USB connections to it to act almost like a docking station. Is it as simple as just finding an enclosure with PCB that has the slot for a GPU and another slot that I could use for a PCIe USB card? I'll likely try to modify an enclosure like the EVGA Hadron that I only just found about today thanks to the post at http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/8675-egpu-cases.html

Basically want to have a setup where I can take the decently powered laptop with me places, but then come home and plug in a thunderbolt cable to get eGPU and keyboard, mouse, external drive or two, all in one go, instead of plugging it all directly to the laptop. I'll be doing a mix of gaming, and video/photo editing on it!

Thanks in advance! :)

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I think there are two possible ways:

1. Use a Sonnet's Echo Express III-D and put in any Mac compatible USB 3 card with the eGPU (the III-D is around 1000$ US)

2. Use a much cheaper and smaller AKiTiO and an additional Thunderbolt dock, like from OWC/Elgato/... You can daisy chain them (we need to discuss if that would work) or just use the two TB ports of you Mac.

You should explain your scenario a bit more... which OS? OSX or Windows or both? For OSX we have MVC and netkas currently working on getting screen outputs on eGPUs in OSX.

Be aware that an eGPU will not be plug and play! You will have to reboot to get the eGPU running.

If you want a full desktop replacement, I would recommend a 15" MBPr.

For simple games and mobility a 13" MBA or MBPr.

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You should explain your scenario a bit more... which OS? OSX or Windows or both? For OSX we have MVC and netkas currently working on getting screen outputs on eGPUs in OSX.

Be aware that an eGPU will not be plug and play! You will have to reboot to get the eGPU running.

Oh dangit, I knew I was forgetting something... sorry for not giving specifics!

Here's my intended situation.. I was hoping to make a build for my MBP (1 x TB1 port) I currently have first to at least test out a build as proof that I can do it, but mainly running on Windows 8.1 (bootcamp). Then the plan was to move to a proper windows-only laptop, likely the Asus G501 (which depending on model has 1 x TB2 port). The problem is, I don't know if it'll be that simple of a switch-over as I'm not sure if there are any crazy specifics I'll have to do to make it first work with the MBP, that might hinder later setups... I've got the 2012 MBP with Nvidia 650m, which from my understanding has some hitches with getting to work seamlessly, as opposed to if it just had an on-board intel GPU.

As for it not being plug & play, that's totally cool and pretty much what I'm expecting :) I know my desktop wouldn't like it if I suddenly unplugged my GPU, so I can't imagine one of these rigs dealing with it any better! The thing that I'm at least hoping for is that it won't be a scenario of having to plug at a specific time at bootup because I know that'll just be a pain in the butt...

I know already that my particular GPU's specs require at least a 300W PSU, which is easy enough to get, but I'm hoping to build it all into one unit and make it somewhat portable (I frequently game at my brother's place, and I'll actually be out of town for a while for work shortly), which might be tricky with the Akitio. I'd looked at the Sonnet III-D, it's just waaaay bloody expensive! ;) I was pondering taking the board from something like the Sonnet Echo Express SE II (still kinda expensive..) and putting it into another case that'll fit a proper PSU and make it all one solid unit.

Now as much as I'd really love to have an all-in-one eGPU+USB hub docking station, I've always got a USB 3 external hub I could add in, and at least then it'd only be a single USB plug extra. That's the crappy thing about either my current MBP or the Asus one I'm looking at only having one TB port..

The other question... how easy/difficult is it to actually have the eGPU run the internal screen, if it's not a MBP? that may determine whether or not I look to get the 4K version of the Asus laptop.

Sorry for all the inquiries! I try to be technically minded, but I'm nowhere near the level of savvy that you and some of the other contributors are :) I may build my own desktops, but I've got what I'd think is a minimum of knowledge about the electronics therein.. something I sadly never got into learning :-\ I truly appreciate you taking the time to respond!

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I have Belkin TB1 Dock and it can't be used with my Akitio on BIOS Win 8.1 Pro (at least with DIY eGPU 1.2)

That's good to know, thank you! That's actually one option I'd just been pondering.. That's too bad it doesn't work :-/

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