airbusa321

 @airbusa321 Try plugging the eGPU in/starting it when you're in the boot menu. What do you mean exactly with "splash screen"? Have you had a look at one of the implementation threads for a 13" 2015 MBPr?

 

Hi all,

I have just finished installation of my eGPU with a Thunder2 Box and an EVGA GTX 750 TI inside. The card has plenty of power (120w), and I am having trouble after driver installation. I am running Windows 10 on a 2015 rMBP with Integrated Graphics.

After successful driver installation, I am struggling to restart. I reached the boot screen by pressing ALT and plugged in the box before booting into Windows. I am now stuck on the splash screen. The box is connected to a TV via HDMI as a monitor.

Does anyone have any suggestions/answers? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Josh

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1. Stable. Why should it be unstable? The Akitio doesn't like AMD cards though, they tend to crash randomly, so you should stick with Nvidia cards. If you want to use the eGPU on your internal display you're bound to Nvidia anyway.

2. Usually you boot up, hold the ALT key for the boot menu to come up and then you turn on the eGPU which is plugged in already. Then you boot Windows. Same procedure as of first boot, because you can't install the drivers unless the card is connected.

3. Dell DA-2 or a usual ATX PSU both with a 2.5mm x 5.5mm barrel plug which you have to built yourself. See https://www.techinferno.com/index.php?/forums/topic/7377-220w-dell-da-2-ac-adapter-discussion/, especially post #2. You'd have to modify the enclosure though if you want to close the Akitio case or the wires because the PCIe power plugs usually block at the top and the card get hot when closed and throttles. Otherwise, if leaving it open is fine, you'd just have to find a card with max. length of around 20cm.

I am not sure as I haven't explored the EXP GDC. It looks much more complicated and that in the end, you will not have a very pretty setup. Just off the top of my head, using HDMI doesn't make sense since it is slower than Thunderbolt 2 (about 18 Gbps) and is not a very common option when concerning Thunderbolt accessories.

The component itself looks more like it belongs in a desktop computer in need of an extra PCIe slot (though I am not sure since I have not explored it).

IMO, the Akitio provides a much better solution in terms of looks, speed, practicality, and everyday use. Compared to other eGPU peripherals, it is a great deal.


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Hi there,

I am also a fan of eGPUs and am in the process of building one with the Akitio and either a GTX 750 Ti or a GTX 1050. In your case, there are probably adapters for Thunderbolt to HDMI, but they are unpractical. Thunderbolt has a speed of 20 Gb/s and HDMI is much slower, so the data transfer speed to and from the card will be slow. I would recommend getting an Akitio and a low power card without a pin connection requirement. You can buy a better external PSU (around 120w) and use that to power a card directly via the PCIe slot.

That is what I am planning on doing.

Regards,
Josh


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1. No. You need a PSU that delivers more wattage as you need up to 75W(or even more if the card doesn't acknowledge the PCIe specification) + some wattage for the Akitio board itself. The Akitio comes with a 60W PSU, not a 72W. You may take one of these -> https://www.amazon.com/eFreesia-Adapter-Monitor-Compatible-Devices/dp/B00JFCVOYU/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1473593725&sr=8-5&keywords=120w+2.5mm

The important part is that you need 12V and a 2.5mm x 5.5mm plug. Everything 120W and higher should be fine for a setup like yours.

2. Pretty much, yes.

3. Yes, should work out of the box as far as I've read here(I'm on Windows 8.1 only). If it doesn't there are easy fixes. You don't need to disable the internal display itself, you simply disconnect it in Windows(I do it that way) if you don't want to use it and turn off the backlight before doing so.

 

Just as a hint: You may consider waiting for the GTX 1050 which is supposed to be without the need of a PCIe power plug again, in comparison to the GTX 950.

Thanks so much for answering my questions! I just have a few more...

1) How stable is the eGPU setup?

2) When you say "pretty much, yeah", do you mean that after driver installation it's as simple as booting into Windows 10 Bootcamp and then plugging the eGPU in?

3) What would my options be for using a card with a 6 pin power connector (such as the GTX 1060)?

Thanks again.

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Hi all,

I am very interested in constructing an external GPU for my new 2015 13" rMBP and have been lurking on these forums nonstop for the past few days. Let's just say that my head is spinning from all this information.

I am on the edge of purchasing an Akitio Thunder2 but have many questions. These are as follows:

1) I am considering using a new EVGA GTX 750 TI (no PCIe power). How would the power supply work? Can I use it at full clock with the official Akitio 72w PSU or do I need something more (if so, kindly link to a reliable source)?

2) I am running Windows 10 Bootcamp in UEFI. Does this mean that I can just plug-and-play the GPU?

3) Could I use my internal display? How would I go about disabling the internal display and using an external display instead?

PS: I am planning on using Windows 10 for all of this.

Thank you all so much! Any help is greatly appreciated.

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