Morv

2. Using my Laptop as a Desktop PC while having an Asus VG248QE connected via HDMI. The refresh rate is 60Hz max due to the HDMI only supporting >60Hz in 1920x1080. As soon as the egpu is installed i want to switch to DisplayPort or D-DVI. Have you guys experienced higher refresh rates because of an egpu?

There's no effect of an eGPU on the refresh rate of your display. It was limited due to the HDMI just like you wrote. So changing the input from HDMI to DVI or DisplayPort will give you 144 Hz. It doesn't matter though if it's an iGPU, eGPU or a usual graphics card in a desktop. It was limited by the cable in your case.

Right so I've had a look at both things and I cant find any specific examples of device managers looking like mine. So here's some screenshots I took.

So I have no idea what my TOLUD is or if there's anything I can do about it. Also, when I hover over the bus interface it says 'currently running at : PCI-Express x1 v2.0'. To be honest the frame rate on max settings is actually staying above 100 at the moment, not sure it would for long. But the picture can be stuttery or jumpy at times which is a big problem and this is down to the pci-e port isn't it? I guessing both these things I have shown are bad, but is there a way to deal with the jumpy issue and improve performance?

Your TOLUD is more than ok. It's the last PCI Express Root Complex entry on your first screenshot.

"Currently running at PCI-Express x1 2.0" is also what you want although your GPU-Z screenshot shows x1 1.1 but I guess you hadn't put load on your GPU at that moment. If you press on the "?" button to the right of the bus interface section you get a little popup window which shows graphical stuff. At bus interface there should then stand x1 2.0 instead of x1 1.1, you might test this.

Apart from this I'd also say the problem is due to the PCIe connection either because the x1 2.0 is not stable or your adapter is faulty. You'd need Setup 1.x to force a x1 1.1 connection instead of 2.0. I had a Haswell Asus notebook and I simply couldn't get it to work with x1 2.0 connection and the x1 1.1 that I got to work was way too sloppy.

After I re enabled the dGPU to switchable in BIOS the memory address goes down to C0000000. So in this case is the TOLUD value is gone down?

You do not have C0000000. You don't round down but up in your case(and in most cases) so you've got D0000000 which is 3,25 GB. This value should be fine though, it's the maximum that is allowed if I'm not wrong.

It's a bit strange though that the TOLUD is lower if the dGPU is activated. I'd expect it to be the other way.

Your TOLUD is rounded at 3,5 GB which is too high.

I've been playing some CS:GO, and with decent settings it doesn't run above 100 constantly (which it should do no problem) and full settings are jumpy (other setting can be jumpy too). I haven't played any other games really but the bench marks were seriously low fps, not one was above 60 and the physics was max 12 fps (I know this comes down to my CPU a lot).

The problem I have with it all is that if you look at the other implementations of my GPU the lowest 3dmarks are in the 7000s and someone running a very similar laptop to me got it over 9000. I think my processor might actually be a little better than his too.

I understand the bandwidth issue and I'm trying to find out if I'm 1.1 or 1.2 but I can't see it in gpu-z. My question is, how can I improve the whole situation? There is setup 1.3 and there's Verde mod drivers that I can see, but what's best for me?

Look at "Bus interface" like in this picture:

Is your TOLUD ok? Forget about any Verde or whatever drivers. You only need the usual Nvidia desktop drivers.

I think if the backup file is missing then the easiest fix is to back up all the data you want to keep then factory reset.

I don't use the EFI boot on my internal drive, so I can't cross check what the optimus mod actually does to the EFI folder.

- If the optimus mod actually overwrites files in the EFI folder then restoration isn't possible without the back up file.

- If the optimus mod just adds files to the EFI folder then you could check whiles files are added and just delete them.

Also I don't think the commands given in the first post on how to restore the EFI from the back up file totally works. It seems using the ditto command again will just merge the back up EFI file and the Optimus modded EFI, so the additional Optimus files aren't actually removed.

The restoring doesn't actually delete the Optimus files, yes. I was removing it one or two times already on the internal storage.

So, @cloudlee9, If I remember correctly all you've got to do though is mounting the EFI partition like described in the first post(first 2 command lines) and delete the "Grub" folder in Finder.

However, I still think you've just not configured the grub.cfg and you land in the Grub command line if you boot the EFI entry. A bit more information about what happens when you boot the EFI entry and help might be just around the corner.

They haven’t told me anything, not a surprise. The MIT license allows commercial use if my copyright notice is included. Those regular expressions are like a signature

For me they are a piece of cake if Nvidia changes the web site some day. Let BizonBox guys scratch their head when the script suddenly stops working.

Ye, sure they haven't. Rip off stays rip off. Their mentality makes me sick. If you use something that yourself wouldn't be able to do or you simply don't want it to do why insisting on looking like professional business and hide the real authors instead of packing a note with it telling you whom to thank. It is or at least was the same with the Akitio, meanwhile they are mentioning that they use the Akitio as the base...

@dark330 I met the same problem after I install the Optimus on the 2015 13' MBP. When I hold the alt to the boot menu, there are only EFI and OSX, the windows is disappeared. And when I try to restore my EFI backup, some error occurs and the backup file is gone.

@tranj10 I have read your guide, now I can boot into OSX with the egup 100%, but I cannot boot into windows 8.1. I think the EFI modification is not working with the new 2015 13' model and want to restore the EFI. Is there any way that I can do this without the backup file and the factory reset?

After applying the Optimus mod the entry is simply called "EFI" instead of Windows or whatever...have you even tried booting that EFI entry?

If your backup file disappears while restoring then you're definitely doing something badly wrong. None of the commands listed on the first page of this thread result in a deletion of the backup file.

Hi, I made a post about this in the wrong section I believe, sorry for double post.

Setup:

Macbook Air 2015 with Thunderbolt 2 Connection on OS X 10.10.4

Akitio Thunder2

Nvidia 750 Ti sc (One Fan)

Dell DA-2

Cable: Akitio Egpu 8 Pin to 2 x PCI E 6 Pin Super Low Profile No Latch 1 x Barrel | eBay

The Akitio is powered by only the barrel plug

The Monitor is plugged into the GPU.

The set-up is working, and the card is recognized, but my FPS in games is about the same as my HD6000

I used the Script provided by Goalque:

Mac OS X discussion

The card uses about 75 watts, but a few people have reported the stock PSU is powerful enough to get the card started, but not if it gets under load. I'm not sure if plugging in the Dell DA-2 is any different than the PSU included with the Akitio since I'm just plugging in the barrel plug. Do I need a powered riser?

Also, when I look at the Nvidia web driver, it says the 750 Ti isn't supported even though its recognized. Is this just a problem with drivers?

I don't know what to do!

No need for a powered riser, get that out of your mind.

Have you set your external display as the main one? Drag the white bar onto the external display in display settings. If your FPS are about those of the HD6000 it's most probably because you still use the HD6000. Get Unigine Valley and start one of the presets, one time on your internal display which can also be done without eGPU and another time with the eGPU and external screen set as main screen. This way you can properly test if your eGPU is at work or not.

@eGPUfan: The script for OS X is not in any way written by the BizonBox guy(s). It's written by goalque from this forum -> http://forum.techinferno.com/mac-os-x-discussion/10289-script-automating-installation-egpu-os-x-inc-display-output-new-post.html

At least he hasn't removed the legal stuff about the license...

Anyway, if you're interested in the newest version, have a look at the link.

Hello all,

I just recently managed to set up my GTX 670 as an eGPU, so thats good news .

Here's a quick look at whats going on.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]15702[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]15701[/ATTACH]

eGPU set-up:

Dock : EXP GDC Beast (mini PCI-e)

GPU : Asus 2GB GTX 670

Power supply : Dell DA-2 220W

Monitor : 32" Sony TV

System:

15" Acer V3-571G

Processor : i5-3230m 3.2 GHz Dual

RAM : 8GB Vengeance

Integrated GPU: HD4000

Dedicated GPU: GeForce 710m

OS : Windows 8.1

Graphics driver : 353.62

@Tech Inferno Fan

I'm having some real issues with performance. My card is recognised, the monitor is running fine, there are no errors in device manager and the card is clearly doing work because it heats up. However, my 3dmark11 score is in the low 6000s and 3dmark doesn't recognise it as a 670. Performance in game is also terrible. I've been looking through @kizwan 's thread and cant find anything related. The only thing wrong is a black screen on boot, which a reboot solves. Please help. Thanks in advance.

EDIT : From what I've read eGPU setup 1.3 MIGHT solve my problem but I have an SSD so I have no partition type. Is this a problem? Is there a way to get it running without eGPU 1.3?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]15703[/ATTACH]

What have you been playing? Some games are very sensitive to small bandwidth of the graphics card. However, your 3DMark11 score should be fine. The review by Futuremark states 9550 points for the GTX 670 which is most probably reached with a quadcore CPU. Also you're losing performance by the small bandwidth. You've only got 1/16th of the bandwidth that a graphics card with x16 PCIe 2.0 has, always keep that in mind. Your mobile "only" dual core is also decreasing the physics score which is then decreasing the whole score.

Check if you've got actual x1.2 connection or only x1.1 with GPU-Z under load. You can use Furmark for this or GPU-Z itself, there's a button on the main window that pops up a small graphics application that puts your card under load.

@Woosypan

from the screenshot you posted, 3Dmark ran the test on the 820m not the 670....although it's a 710m you have?

Optimus should kick in and disable the dedicated gpu, and the egpu should take place.

I don't understand how this works really (i don't have a dGPU) but my guess is that you'll need a dsdt override and/or the setup 1.3.

A 820M would never reach anything near this score. Futuremark states 1210 points for this card.

Pretty clear instructions if you ask me, pay via paypal to the given address and nando will send it to you. Copied text of what stands in the box I mentioned(and I'm pretty sure you can see this...):

DIY eGPU Setup 1.30 (Nov-2014) >>US$25: Paypal to Tech Inferno [email protected]<<

Pls include a return email address in msg and TechInferno username if have one.

Check your INBOX and SPAM folders for a reply message.

Don't have Paypal but have a credit card? Please email me on Tech Inferno [email protected] instead.

Are you serious? Read the box below the icons right at the start... http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/2123-diy-egpu-setup-1-30-a.html

Alright thanks, I think I can manage that. However, I don't understand how I'm supposed to access the boot menu in order to run Setup 1.x. I thought I would need BIOS for that?

I am confused, Device manager tells me I'm running Master Boot Record (MBR) but I thought Macs were using UEFI?

You do know you can hold left ALT key after the boot chime so the boot menu appears?

Older Macs or bootcamp installations are MBR installations instead of GPT and therefore EFI.

So you having a MBR installation is perfect for Setup 1.x. Otherwise you would need to use a USB stick or reinstall with MBR.

Alright thanks, I am glad to hear that

However now I have no idea what the trouble might be. Yeah I think I have everything connected correctly:

I am using a 500 W PSU that seems to power my Akitio box correctly (even tho I had to use power from 4 Pin Peripheral instead of the 6/8 pin PCI-E that was recommended, since my GPU takes up my 2x8 PCI-E slots). I have fan movement on both my PSU, GPU and Akitio box.

However I have to use a PCI-riser, since my GPU doesnt fit inside the case. The riser is also powered via a 4 Pin Molex.

When I plugged in my GPU the first time I had to manually download the drivers in order for my GTX 980 to show up (with a code 12 error). Seconds after that my mouse pad stopped working and the computer started making multiple, short beep-sounds every time I tried to use it. Rebooting computer didn't work.

Any idea what the problem might be? Feel free to ask if you need more info

Cheers

Seems like you need Setup 1.x to do some stuff. Read over there, first post, "Windows Setup" -> http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides-apple/10099-2012-15-macbook-pro-gtx970%4010gbps-tb1-akitio-thunder2-win7-osx10-10-3-%5Bbsohn%5D.html

Also consider bending open the Akitio case on the front or removing the PCB from the case so you can use the card without the riser. They're not recommended anymore.

Your TOLUD isn't >= 3,25 GB. It's 8FA00000 which is rounded 2,25 GB. It's fine. You need to look for the first PCI Express Root Complex with 8 leading zeros and not Thunderbolt entries.

How are you powering your card? Everything connected correctly?

Apparently Tech Inferno Fan hasn't written a guide(for whichever reason) but there's another implementation of a 15" ZBook G2 by someone else -> http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides-pc/8948-15-hp-zbook-15-g2-gtx970%4016gbps-tb2-akitio-thunder2-win8-1-%5Bhishamkali%5D.html

Just use the barrel and that's it. The card can be sufficiently powered by 75W which is the reason it doesn't need any 6 pin power. PCIe slot delivers 75W. Slot is powered by barrel. That's why you simply use only the barrel.

- What does a riser do? Make sure that the Aikitio can deliver more than 25W?

We didn't know the Akitio delivers 75W on the slot. That's the only reason the risers were in use. They're obsolete, not recommended and not necessary.

- Will I still need a riser if I use the ebay cable?

No.

- Should I use an original Apple Thunderbolt cable?

Doesn't matter. The one that comes with the Akitio is fine.

- Does the DA-2 need the hair pin trick?

Yes. But as far as I can see it's implemented in the cable you bought so you don't need to do it. It's the small black cable from the middle part to the outer part that you can see.

- Is there anything else I will need to get started?

Nope. Buy some games and have fun

Hi,

started reading this (and also the HP support post).

I'm kinda confused.

I just got the HP ZBook 15 G2 (company).

I was thinking about selling my home PC and do this E-gpu project. But, seems like thunderbolt would not have full bandwith?

Can you clarify? I saw some other project here thru thunderbold with a 970.... so...

Thanks!

The statement was about putting the TB2 board of the G2 into the G1 which will probably not work. Nothing about the G2 not having the full bandwidth on the TB2 port.

Tech Inferno Fan is using his G2 with an eGPU, just read his signature.

Perhaps I'm doing something wrong in my testing, but I've found only a 12% difference in eGPU performance between internal screen and external screen.

eGPU vs desktop is an different story though. Comparing my external monitor eGPU result to a desktop use there is a 25% difference.

I am looking at 3D mark firestrike graphic benchmarks. link: Result

Going by other 3D mark graphic scores, it seems my eGPU performance (GTX 970, stock settings from vendor) is on par with the top overclocked GTX 960s

The higher the bandwidth the lesser the loss of performance. It should be obvious that a 20 Gbps connection has not as much loss of performance as a 5 Gbps connection when sending the data back to the internal monitor. 5 Gbps are easily utilized to their maximum where 20 Gbps are not.

Alright so whenever I try to play a game I get this error "The Direct 3D11 Device has been removed" or something like that. I'm thinking everytime I load a game my eGPU crashes or something, I have no idea why.

Edit: I got it! I guess my 8 pin to 6 pin pci-e adapter wasn't plugged in properly. I just plugged it out, plugged it back in, now games work flawlessly. By the way is it normal for the 8 pin adapter to not just slide into the Dell DA -2 plug?

You need to apply some force, yes. It can be pushed all in though, I've got it like this.

Update: After a week with my current build, if you're planning on gaming very demanding games like Witcher, the Dell DA-2 doesn't supply enough power to the 970. Which leads to demanding games crashing midway. Unless you're good with capacitors and stuff like that, get a 500W power supply and build a barrel mod. That's what I plan on doing currently.

Whatever you're doing, you're doing it wrong. I played GTA V and plenty of time in Witcher 3 without ever having a single crash regarding the DA-2. Other recent games like Project Cars for example run perfectly fine.

@tranj10: What happens if you boot while holding ALT so the boot menu appears, wait a few seconds and you power your eGPU then? After this boot Windows through the boot menu.

somebody help me pls ? thanks

Sounds normal for what you've got if you play in Full HD.

Check if you've got a x1.2 or x1.1 connection in Setup 1.x. If you've already got x1.2 you can't do anything anymore.