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I just want to confirm before purchasing questions


fernangus

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@hato1:

You can see some benchmarks of my eGPU compared to my desktop system here: http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides-apple/8571-2014-15-macbook-pro-iris-gtx970%4016gbps-tb2-akitio-thunder2-win8-1-%5Bdschijn%5D.html

You will need the AKiTiO Thunder2, a GPU, a power supply and some cables. Please read my basic guide: http://forum.techinferno.com/apple-egpu-discussion/10061-basic-egpu-hardware-guide-macs.html

With you MacBook you will only be able to use the eGPU power on an external monitor! That will work in OSX (Yosemite and El Capitan are working great), Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.

With an external monitor an eGPUs efficiency is between 75-95% which depends on the game and the bandwidth it needs. Some games run worse than on a desktop, some as good as on the desktop PC.

Most cost efficient is any eGPU with a Dell DA-2, AKiTiO Thunder2 and GPU GTX 950, 960 or 970. Bigger cards will need bigger PSUs and might need PC cases to store them in.

@THOMASRAJA:

Please read the basic guide I linked to hato1. Which MSI card do you want to use? The red one with two fans might be too big!

You basically need a AKiTiO Thunder2, power supply (120W should be fine with 12V or a Dell DA-2) and the GPU. You will also need to make a barrel plug if you use a power supply that doesn't have the plug to connect to the Thunder2.

I wanna use the 1 fan model MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti OCV1 2GB (N750TI-2GD5/OC) : achat / vente Carte graphique sur ldlc.com do u know where I can found a tutorial to make a Barrel ?

I have another question with this can I use my internal Retina screen or I have to plug the e-gpu to an external monitor ? I'm on El Capitan / Windows 8.1 / Windows 10

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You'll at least need a power supply as well, either a desktop PSU or Dell DA-2. You will need to be prepared to make modifications to the plugs and case so be sure that's within your skill set. If it's not there are some pre-made kits for sale if you search the right places.
@hato1: What is a Thunderbox? Best to use the AKiTiO Thunder2. And there are no kits :(

sth better that you will get a better Mac later as well :D

By Thunderbox I was referring to the AKiTiO Thunder 2 PClE Box.

I was referring to the kit Stlpaul was talking about as I'm not confident making modifications to plugs on my own.

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Okay... So I got this fancy new computer back in May at the microsoft store. I just assumed it would be up to spec with the latest and greatest software... because, to be perfectly honest, I am barely a novice when it comes to understanding computer hardware.

Anyway, turns out this computer is a fancy new tablet/laptop hybrid, blah blah blah, and while it's sleek and nice it has just the intel HD 5500 graphics card with 128 dedicated vRAM.... This sucks.

I like to game here and there, and it works well at a low to medium level for starcraft II and a few other games I like to kill time with.

I was hoping their would be an easy way to improve my graphics... but the BiOS doesn't offer a way to change the dedicated vRAM, apparently because laptops can't or rarely can do that in their BiOS.

That lead me down the rabbit hole of exploring other options and I was happy to stubble across the eGPU that seems to be something even I could put together and build with my limited computer knowledge and skill.

However, this laptop doesn't have a express card port. It's designed to be sleek and light and so it only has an hdmi port and 3 usb ports: 1 usbSSLightBolt, 1 usb SS, and 1 just usb.

I started to look for ways to adapt the eGPU set ups to my laptop via the usb connection but nothing I found sounded promising, either it wasn't possible, or the usb driver wouldn't be campatible, or the usb (even 3.0) simply wouldn't be fast enough to make a eGPU worth installing/creating.

After reading an article on PC World's Website by Ian Paul I came across this site and thought I would ask the community for some more direct answers about my problem.

Here are the basic specs:

  • Dell Inspiron 7348

  • Intel Core i7-5500U CPU @ 2.40GHz 2.40 GHz (Quad Core)

  • 8.00 GB RAM

  • 64-bite operating system, x64-based processor

  • and a pen and touch and all these bells and whistles I don't use....

Can I install a eGPU on this laptop, and even if I can is it worth it?

I have an untouched Nvidia Geforce 8400 GS EVGA Graphics card... Would it even be worth installing if I could?

Again, I'm a novice with this stuff so please... take it easy on this noob.

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Hi everyone! I'm trying to build my first egpu setup and I have some doubts. Can i ask some questions about the PSU? I'd like to get some help, in order to avoid a massive explosion ahahah.

I'm going to use a Cooler Master 550W atx12v (with my Gigabyte gtx970 and Akitio thunder 2 PCIe box)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16516[/ATTACH]

I saw in this guide that i have to plug two 6pin in the gtx970 and one 6pin in the Akitio using an adapted cable that will allow me to use the standard Akitio power input.

My questions are:

1) considering the fact that my PSU has three 6pin plugs, it's the same if i plug the P4 and P5 in the video card and then i use the P6 for the Akitio, or are they different and so i must know where which one of them must go in?

2) for the first question, i supposed that a 6pin plugs is 12v. It's right? And how can i know the A of these 6pin plugs? I saw that original Akitio psu is a 12V 5A. On the PSU there are written six outputs specs and no one has 5V for 12V.

I'm so confused. Is this PSU ok for the eGPU system that i'm trying to build? Of course I'm not going to turn it on without this information and without being sure that it's all plugged in the right way. I'm sorry for my ignorance and for my bad english. Thanks to everyone who's going to help me! n.n

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@Schecter: Could you please post the exact name of the PSU or provide a link to it?

1) 3x6-Pin sounds unusual to me…, but in theory that should work in any way!

2) Woooow easy! Dont mix 5V with 5A that is sth very different! :D For each 6-Pin on a cable string should be at least 75W available. 75W / 12V = 6.25A

But it would be easier if you could post the specs of the PSU!

The PSU should be fine, but let us check again!

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I want to do egpu for my Samsung RV520 S03TR notebook. Is there PCI Express on this computer ? Which parts should i buy for this computer ? Can you help me ? With photos and videos.

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It is not related with CPU manufacture, but the expresscard only works at one lane, so the GTX970 may not perform well.

and I do not know what kind of 2.8 GHz processor the notebook have though, It may bottle-necked by CPU also.

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Hi everyone, I hope I'm posting this in the right forum. I am planning on doing an eGPU setup with my 2015 Macbook Pro 13. I have been looking at the implementation guide using a 970 posted on the forums and I have some questions.

Will I be able to use my notebook's internal display? I want to use my eGPU for Second Life and League of Legends. From what I've gathered, it seems that games do not work in fullscreen on the internal LCD. As a workaround, could I use windowed or borderless fullscreen modes?

How big is the performance hit in games? I plan on using a 950 for cost reasons. I don't expect to play all games on ultra, but I am looking for decent framerates at 1080p and medium settings with most games. I am concerned about how well Second Life will run on an eGPU. If anyone is willing to give it a try (it's a small download and completely free) I would appreciate their input.

Finally, how well do eGPUs work in OS X? I see a lot of people discussing the use of eGPUs bootcamped into Windows, but not a lot on OS X. I am a bit afraid to spend ~$400 on something that may not work.

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@kushcoma: Using the eGPU performance on the internal display can only be achieved with a Intel graphics only MacBook in Windows 8.1. But there is a way to start games on an external monitor (which is connected to the eGPU), and drag them windowed on the internal display in e.g. OSX. (eGPUs work great in OSX)

The thing is: You need to find a way to start the game on the external display! There is a way to make a "dummy/fake" display be using some capacitors on the eGPUs display output. And there are scripts to automatically get the windows from the fake display on the internal one

BUT that is … not a very comfortable way.

Anyway… using the eGPU performance on the internal display will reduce it's overall performance quite a bit.

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Hi, i'm new here. I've got some troubles with my laptob because it doesn't have a dedicated graphics card, and whenever I run a game it works perfectly fine but after 5 minutes of gaming, the processor (intel core i7-3537U) stucks at 0.75GHz and my fps go down to 9-15, and it doesn't go up again unless I put the notebook in suspension mode and start it up again. What i've discovered is that probably there's incompatibility between the graphics card (intel HD4000) and the game (LoL and ms FSX), even though i've updated the drivers.

And so I found this solution, using an external GPU. And that's why I'm asking you guys if my laptop is compatible with plug-and-play or if it is necessary to install some kind of previous software.

My laptop specs are:

Intel core i7-3537U, turbo boost up to 3.1GHz with Intel Graphics HD4000

8GB DDR3

Win10 OS

1TB HDD

15.6" LED screen 1366X768 60Hz

Thunderbolt port

HDMI port

2XUSB2.0 + 1XUSB3.0

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Long time reader first time poster. Please excuse my novice post. I'm reading tons of horror stories on here about the Sonnet enclosure with the 750m models. Enclosure is in the mail but not graphics card purchased yet. I wouldlike to buy an msi 970 but it looks like everyone is having issues with the 970s. Yosemite bootcamp Windows 10. Planning to boot into windows on external screen with it exclusively. Thank you for your wonderful source of information!

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@matthewablack: Should work! The MSI card is just VERY wide and you might get problems closing the case and the case fans might collide with the card. But you can remove the fans and should be able to mount them from the outside.

Also keep in mind that you will have to mod the PSU to be able and connect the PCIe power plugs for the GPU.

The GTX970 is a good card, but has some big problems with 0.5GB of slow VRAM and often coil-whine or coil-buzzing.

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Hello people, i have few questions, please help me clear things up:

I have HP Probook 470G1 / i3 4000m / intel HD 4600+AMD 8750m / HM87 motherboard

1. Can i disable AMD 8750m, and use eGPU Saphire 7950 instead?

2. In EXP GDC v6.0 or v7.0 there a power supply 220w, will it be enough for Saphire 7950?

3. What speed i can achieve with HM87 motherboard? Will it be 4gb 1x 2x?

4. Saphire 7950 has 6+6 power connectors, EXP GDC v6.0 or v7.0 has those cables?

5. And the most important question will it work out the box? In windows 10, without any hard things to do, just plug and play?

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hey there

i have a toshiba a300-23j laptop. inside of laptop has ati 3650 gpu. but actually its broken gpu (due to chipset connections failure). i did repair with bga machine 2 times with changing chipset and reballing. its working okay if you keep it cooldown always and dont push it hard. so i cant play games or even 3d draws. so i decide to give a try e-gpu project. but i dont have any idea how it works.

i have express card slot. and im planing to try it with [Expresscard Version] V8.0 EXP GDC Beast Laptop External Independent Video Card Dock. so when i connect it with express card and install like ordinary gpu 3650 can be fully bypassable? i dont have desrie to use laptop monitor. i will use as desktop pc with external monitor. but i want to make sure when im disable the 3650 gpu from windows and start some games or doing some 3d drawing is it okay?

i did search it in some thread but i didnt understand how it works. so im askin directly. please be gently if you have knowable about that. thanks for replies. best regards

edit: btw my PCI Express Version Supported: v1.1. if you can recommend any gpu card for my system i would be happy. i dont have higher expections. i just want do some 3d mechanical drawnings and play some classic games

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@matthewablack: Should work! The MSI card is just VERY wide and you might get problems closing the case and the case fans might collide with the card. But you can remove the fans and should be able to mount them from the outside.

Also keep in mind that you will have to mod the PSU to be able and connect the PCIe power plugs for the GPU.

The GTX970 is a good card, but has some big problems with 0.5GB of slow VRAM and often coil-whine or coil-buzzing.

Thank you for your response! Your setup on youtube along with wtfh mob's setups are the reason I chose to go with the build I am. Still wrapping my head around modding the power.

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First of all, i will copy some text from other threads to hide my bad english :)

Hello everyone! I've been reading through these forums like a maniac and I'm really excited to get my own eGPU setup started.

Laptop:

2013 15" rMBP(11,2) i7 + igpu + no dgpu + 8GB RAM + 256 SSD

eGPU Equipment:

I will solder two yellow and black cables from the Corsair to a barrel connector to power the akitio Thunder2. This will work, right?

My plan is to get things working in a comfortable state first of all and then worry about figuring out an appropriate case for everything afterwards. This is my first build so I imagine I'll have to do some experimentation to get things working fine.

I've read that Bootcamp will install windows on 2013 MBP and later in UEFI mode. I don't think my windows 10 is in UEFI mode. Do I have to install windows in UEFI mode or will it work anyway on internal and external displays.

I've read twice that EVGA graphic cards "power differently" and work better in eGPU builds. Is this true, because there are many builds with out EVGA?

Looking forward to your feedback!

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@darkside22: Seems like a good list to me. Do you want to close the AKiTiO again? You will need angled PCIe plugs to achieve that.

In Windows 10 you will only make an external monitor work. And a normal Bootcamp installation should be fine.

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Hey, I'm trying to add an egpu to my laptop. I do have a working psu that clocks in a 260 and one that clocks in at 450 watts from old rigs. I was wondering if My dell Inspiron 15 7000 series could be adjusted for an egpu. My laptop has this in the slot right now: http://www.amazon.com/HP-RTL8188CE-Wireless-639967-001-640926-001/dp/B008U5B8B2/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1448506105&sr=8-5&keywords=realtek+card

and I have this Laptop:Dell Inspiron 15 (7537) 7000 Series – Wireless WLAN Card Removal and Installation

Would it be possible to rig an egpu to my laptop? I wouldn't mind cutting a small whole in the back of my laptop if needed.

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Hi.

I want to build an eGPU for my Retina Macbook Pro 13" late 2013 (Haswell i5 4258u, 8 GB DDR3, Iris 5100, 256GB SSD, Thunderbolt 2).

I was looking at these components:

AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Box | PCI Express Expansion Box with Thunderbolt 2 Interface | AKiTiO

EVGA - Products - EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti Superclocked - 02G-P4-3753-KR

I would pick the GTX 750 Ti SC because:

- it is small and it will fit in this case;

- it does not require additional power from PSU, but it draws 60W max directly from PCI Express.

My questions are:

1) They say "The PCIe (x16) slot accepts half-length, full-height, double-width cards and provides a maximum of 25W.", so basically it does not provide enough power for the 750 Ti. But see here: [Thunder2 PCIe Box] What's the maximum power output through the PCIe slot? | AKiTiO. So, if use a 120W PSU, can i run the GTX 750 Ti SC?

2) Do i need other components/software to run my eGPU on OSX El Capitan and Windows 10/Bootcamp?

Thank you for your help.

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You will always be able to use the internal display. But if you want to use the eGPU performance on the internal display for games you must use Windows 8.1.

OSX and/or Windows 10 will only allow you gaming on an external display.

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