LukeHero

On 27/09/2016 at 4:45 PM, CodeSix said:

I don't quite understand how can you install osx and windows in mbr mode, is it wiping the whole hdd, reformat the hdd as mbr (no gpt) then restore everything from backup? does it affect osx when running without gpt?

The reason I had to wipe my whole drive first is because I had an EFI installation of Windows on my system and you cannot install bootcamp unless OSX is the only partition on the drive. If you only have OSX on your drive you don't need to wipe anything.

On 21/10/2016 at 5:46 AM, NeNo said:

@LukeHero I have similar MBP as you have, only mine is non-retina. When you updated to Win 10 did you use latest NVIDIA drivers or some other? What about bootcamp drivers did you use 5.1.5621 or older ones?

 

Thanks

When I installed Windows 10 via bootcamp I just went with the latest bootcamp drivers this time.

On 18/11/2016 at 5:35 AM, mrchrister said:

Hey guys, quick question:

 

Does anyone of you experience the problem that from time to time when you start Windows on your Macbook the selection menu for "egpu setup 1.20" of windows's boot manager comes up on the external screen connected to the egpu?

whenever this happens, I have to restart until the boot manager appears on the internal screen, quite annoying... @Tech Inferno Fan do you know why this might be happening?

I get this sometimes also, performing a reset also fixes it for me, no big deal really.

2 minutes ago, CodeSix said:

 

Hi Nando, i am using a 2 Molex to barrel plug for the power of Akitio TB2 and using a un-powered pcie riser, should I replace with a  powered pcie riser?

 

Windows running bios mode? Congrats, how did you do that?

You can check out my guide right here:

https://www.techinferno.com/index.php?/forums/topic/8088-2012-15-mbpr-gt650m-gtx97010gbps-tb1-akitio-thunder2-win10-lukehero/

Just scroll down to the 'Update #3' section once you have your hardware set up. Note that you may need a different version of eGPU Setup to me if you're on a different model Macbook.

10 hours ago, CodeSix said:

 

I am not sure what I should do, since I am getting Code 43 error with my GTX 1070 whatever version of windows I installed.  are you using akitio TB2?

Did the installation today successfully. I am using an Akitio box and my Macbook is TB1.

3 minutes ago, CodeSix said:

 

I am using bootcamp to install windows 10, the windows 10 is running as UEFI in which the eGPU Setup is not able to install 

If you're using Bootcamp to install Windows 10 isn't that BIOS install rather than UEFI? If you install in EFI mode then you don't need eGPU setup. I was unable to get Windows 10 functioning correctly with EFI though which is why I just purchased eGPU setup as I want to go from 8.1 to 10.

2 minutes ago, CodeSix said:

 

Hi Luke, have you managed to install 1.30 to the rmbp?

Hey, I'm gonna go through it all tomorrow (it's 1am here right now). I currently have EFI Win8.1 on my Mac so to do this I need to wipe my entire hard drive then restore my OSX from a Time Machine backup which is gonna take hours to do so I'll let it do that overnight then tomorrow I can make Windows 10 on a Bootcamp install instead of the EFI I currently have.

I'm not sure if I should be using 1.2 or 1.3 or not, if no one responds by tomorrow maybe I'll just try 1.3 first and if it fails use 1.2.

I'll update here and on my implementation guide when I do it.

How do I know if I need 1.2 or 1.3? Others with my Macbook used 1.2 because 1.3 wasn't out since the last implementation guide was posted.

Mid 2012 15" Macbook Pro Retina HD4000 + GT650M

I get 'not supported' when trying to load OSX or Windows, is this normal in the demo version or am I doing something wrong? My eGPU is detected. I'm on a 2012 MBP.

Are you guys installing Windows 10 via the bootcamp method or EFI method?

Hey sorry for such a late reply. Did you get everything working in Windows okay?

When the Windows boot screen freezes, this is good, this means that the eGPU has loaded in to Windows. You should see Windows appear on the monitor connected to your eGPU after about 10 seconds. If you don't have an external monitor connected then you need to use a dummy like me and figure out the keyboard strokes required to deactivate your 650M like I have to.

In regards to your hairpin, just find something that fits well, I got a hairpin jammed right inside and it's pretty stable. Just find something that fits well.

I will have my eGPU powered on before I turn on my system. Sorry it's such a late reply but did you get it to work? Did you try with Windows 8?

I understand you said you got it to work with EFI installed Windows? I recently have reinstalled to Windows 10 Pro. Do you know anything about getting this to work on Windows 10? If you don't do a EFI Install what problems does that create, I know you said it makes it plug and play, but can it be done without reinstalling windows?

I literally just upgraded my hard drive and spent 2 days configuring my new Windows partition... sounds like I'd have to do it all over again. I have read on a couple of forum posts that it is easier on Windows 10 to get it to work with Bootcamp partition than it was with Windows 8.1? Have you upgraded to Windows 10 at this point yet?

I haven't upgraded to Windows 10. I'm gonna stick with 8.1 for now, it does the job just fine. I have EFI Windows and I am able to wipe and reinstall that Windows without issues each time. Never tried to use Bootcamp Windows with my eGPU so no experience on that.

Also in terms of future proof, this setup totally is. I could go and upgrade my graphics card, install the drivers for it and that's it. I've upgraded my OSX and it still works, as soon as I upgraded the OSX the Nvidia web driver thing that you need to make your eGPU work just gives you the update for that and it continues to work.

The eGPU setup works fine

So you can play the game on the internal monitor windowed is what you mean? I didn't realize the 650M could be used to display and then the eGPU power the game, didn't know that was possible. Even if you can play it windowed thats good.

Yep that's right. Also today I managed to run the Dolphin emulator in full-screen on my internal display while the eGPU was powering it. Worked flawlessly.

I appreciate it, looking forward to doing this. Since you got it working with the internal display, how much of a performance hit is there? It'd be cool if there was a way to get the discrete Nvidia 650m to do solely the internal display while the eGPU did the heavy lifting, but I know thats not possible.

From what I can tell, that's how I've got it running right now. No noticeable performance hit. My 650M is just displaying the game that's being powered by the eGPU.

Thanks, but the bottomline is: No games in fullscreen on the internal monitor, right?

Right now I haven't got a game in full screen. I've only had time to play around with it once for an hour to see if my dummy even worked and what software I needed. I'll have another poke around with it tomorrow and see if I can get anything in full screen. Will report back on any progress.

Awesome, looking forward for the update!

It has been added to the guide now

Hi LukeHero,

Any progress towards using the internal monitor? I'm eagerly following this thread.

Keep up the good work!

Yep! Got my internal screen working now. Updating the guide now to show how I did it.

Definitely going to follow this thread. Let us know if anything changes. I plan on doing this Spring 2016 (don't have the extra $$$ right now) and will use your guide as I have the exact same computer, 2012 15" Retina, 650m etc.

Internal screen working, updating the guide now.

If you have questions when you do the build, just give me a shout

Under Windows, you can drag a windowed app started on the eGPU attached LCD to your internal LCD. Then it's rendered by the eGPU but displayed on the internal LCD.

There is the "Chung-gun or Ultramon" method to manage this configuration by creating a DVI dummy attached to the LCD to create a pseudo LCD to start the app and then use the software to move it to to the internal LCD for display.

Oh wow so there is a way for me to use my eGPU without an external monitor?! This excites me a lot.

Is there a guide on doing this?

EDIT: I had a look, seems like I just need to get some resistors and the software. However, I need to have audio supplied via HDMI as the audio doesn't work on this Macbook with EFI Windows. So I think if I do this, I'll get no audio as DVI does not carry audio, right?

EDIT 2: Ahh but perhaps I could use this as my dummy instead:

If there is a guide on the 'Chung_gun' way I'd really appreciate it. I couldn't really figure out what to do from his post I found online.

Thank-you

My AKiTiO Thunder 2 arrived this morning. I have a DA-2, just waiting on cables and trying to decided on a graphics card now. I'll be sure to do a write up when I've got a setup sorted.

Best of luck! Look forward to seeing your guide

Yeah it's so strange, it even happens when my laptop is switched off!

So tonight me and my girlfriend are both playing games on our laptops when the weirdest thing happened.

When I unplug my eGPU from my laptop, her laptop makes the hardware disconnect sound.

She's on Windows 10 playing a game, I was on OS X messing around with my eGPU, I power down my laptop, unplug my thunderbolt and her laptop makes the sound. I plug it back in, no sound, I unplug it again, her laptop makes the sound. Every time.

The only way our laptops are connected is via a power strip (4 plugs = her laptop, my macbook, my eGPU, external display)

When she disconnects her laptop from the power, my thunderbolt stops making her laptop make the sound. But Windows on her laptop doesn't make the disconnect sound when she unplugs her power cable (I don't think any Windows laptop make the disconnect sound for power, only peripherals).

So somehow, there is a connection via the power cables between our laptops that is making her laptop think something is being disconnected (but doesn't make a sound when it is connected).

It's such a bizarre thing.

Did you install the latest CUDA driver?

Did you set the external to be main display? Did you connect the display directly to the I/O of the eGPU?

Yes to all three questions. Still can't get my Mac to use the eGPU over the inbuilt discrete card

EDIT: Nevermind, even though my Mac was telling me under 'Displays' that my GT650M was powering the display, it was not. I ran an emulator which displays my GPU at startup and it did in fact display 'GTX 970'

Thanks for the write up

As you've quoted the prices in GBP, are you UK based? If so, where did you get the Thunder2 from and how much did it cost?

I wasn't aware of this limitation, is there no way to have the eGPU display on the internal screen?

Have you ran this in OS X?

I'm not UK based right now, but I am from the UK and I was using my UK bank to fund everything (plus I still find it easier to think in GBP) so that's why it's all in GBP. I am in SE Asia right now. I bought my Thunder2 on eBay from the USA as it was my cheapest option.

Word of advice, if you do this I would highly recommend you to not use the eBay Global Shipping Program. I thought it would be convenient to use it as all customs etc are taken care of but it made it take forever to arrive, eBay will use the cheapest method of post possible with like 5 different couriers. (took about 3 weeks to come when I've had stuff from the states in 4 days, and a week at most).

There is no way to use the internal screen. I have only just started to try and use my eGPU in OS X today finally (trying to use it to render with CUDA on Adobe applications). I have no games installed on OS X to test with.

I can get my GTX 970 recognised in OS X but haven't been able to get OS X to actually use it yet. For Windows there is no way to use the internal screen unfortunately. That's a limitation of this model as it does not support Optimus.

Hey all,

Is anybody able to point me in the right direction in getting my eGPU to use CUDA to render in apps such as Adobe Media Encoder CC 2014.

I used the automated installer in this thread and got my GPU recognised in OS X (10.10.4).

I added my GPU to the supported cards list in my adobe apps. (When I go on After Effects > Preferences > Previews and click on GPU information my GTX 970 is recognised)

But whenever I render it always just uses my GT650M. Is there a way to force it to use my GTX 970 instead?

I've tried on internal display, I've tried hooking up an external display to see if that works but nothing seems to want to use my 970.

Hardware details:

Mid 2012 Retina Macbook Pro

Intel HD 4000

Nvidia GT650M

eGPU - MSI Gaming 4G GTX 970

OS X Yosemite 10.10.4

Adobe After Effects CC 2014

Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2014

Adobe Media Encoder CC 2014

Is there a way to force the Adobe apps to use the GTX 970 and is there a way to force OS X in general to use it?

1.98$ is so nice a price especially compared to that 20$ one! I want to build my eGPU system after I go back to college but still not sure about which Graphic card to buy, msi or the asus mini GTX970. Do you have any suggestion? Like noise, temperature or gaming perf?

Both are great. I went with the MSI for a few personal reasons. I previously owned a GTX670 by MSI which was great. I love the looks of the MSI GTX970 and I think the 0db fan feature is a really great feature for an eGPU. For me looks and noise were preference for an eGPU and MSI ticked those boxes for me.

@jackfsqyj

I did get the cables from eBay $1.98 each from China and they are perfect quality, they tuck away nicely. Here's the exact ones I bought:

PCI E 6pin Male to Dual 6 Pin Female Power Y Cable PCIe 6pin 2X6PIN Splitter | eBay

Thanks for the info on Windows 10, I was gonna install it today but maybe I'll hold back for a little while then. I do really love the UI of it compared to Windows 8.

@Sitham

Thanks Sitham! This guide will work with other graphics cards so long as the 220W power supply is enough, I believe the GTX770 draws 230W so it won't work with this setup, you'd need to use a regular PSU like what you put in a PC. Don't forget the Thunder2 needs about 15W from the 220W so you'll be looking for a card that draws no more than 200W ideally.

If EFI works on my 2012 Macbook then it should certainly work on yours, there's only one way to find out and that's just give it a try Just make sure everything is backed up first!

The GPU is not fragile at all, she's solid as a rock It's good ventilation open air. Of course there is no dust guard from a case so just means it will eventually pick up dust sooner than if it were in a case but it only takes a minute to use an air blower to clear it off and that's that. I don't keep it right next to my laptop so it's not near any source of water. When I'm not using the card I just keep it tucked away in a drawer so dust cannot get to it.

The Dell DA-2 is plenty power for the GPU, even overclocked (as you can see, mine is). The GTX970 requires 145W and then the Akitio Thunder2 requires 15W I think. So 220W from the Dell is plenty as only 160W is required by the setup. It's split that way so you can power both the Thunder2 and the GPU from one power source as you will get problems supplying them power from seperate source. You must power the Thunder2 and eGPU from the same source.

I haven't had a whole lot of time lately for gaming but so far I've had no problems with the eGPU at all. I am also looking at removing Windows 8.1 and installing Windows 10 so it will be interesting to see if that all runs fine and if I get any performance difference. Right now I can get 60fps+ on GTAV (my screen won't allow me higher than 60fps) and lowest of about 30fps in those areas with grass and foliage. All main settings are on full, resolution is 1080p and a couple of the advanced graphics settings are on full. On Witcher 3 I get 35-50fps with all settings on full at 1080p apart from Nvidia HairWorks turned off.

I haven't had a game crash yet! Super pleased with the setup. Just need to buy a monitor so I don't have to use my lounge TV