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Thunderbolt eGPU with Thunderbolt display?


elizae

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Hello all,

I have had keen interest on the thunderbolt egpu but didn't have enough guts to try it since it costs a lot to set up the thunderbolt egpu environment.

I have a macbook pro retina 2012 and a thunderbolt display. I was wondering if I could hook egpu to my first thunderbolt port and thunderbolt display to my second thunderbolt port on my macbook pro retina and run the game on the external display.

This is my dream setup but it seems nobody has tried it yet. I know that you can hook your thunderbolt display to the desktop motherboard that support tb and use something called virtu to use the gpu. That is, thunderbolt display is connected to the motherboard and not the gpu but motherboard can still reroute the data to go out to the thunderbolt display.

I was wondering if this could be the case for the thunderbolt egpu + thunderbolt display. Has anybody tried it yet?

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Your Thunderbolt display must be connected to the Thunderbolt port according to discussion at https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3189887?start=30&tstart=0 . It could not be attached to the eGPU.

So yes, the solution you propose is the only solution available with the Thunderbolt display. That is, NVidia Optimus or LucidLogix Virtu (AMD) is required to pipe the display data from the eGPU via the Intel iGPU for display to a Thunderbolt-attached display. There is a performance penalty incurred doing that since some of the pci-e bandwidth is now carrying display data.

The higher performance solution is to attach a LCD (eg: Apple Cinema Display sometimes requiring an adapter) to the eGPU hdmi/DP/mDP/VGA output port instead. There is no requirement for an iGPU then. You can see the Apple Cinema Display is more versatile since it can be attached to either the Macbook or the eGPU directly. You may consider offloading the Thunderbolt display for one? It's quite a poor effort on Apple's part to not make the Thunderbolt display compatible with older mDP technology.

Note: the use of NVidia Optimus or LucidLogix Virtu absolutely requires an active Intel iGPU. That requirement menas this solution is available to 11-13" MBA/MBP systems however isn't available to Ivy Bridge or older 15" MBPs with dGPUs. The only 15" MBPs that can do this are the latest Haswell units with Iris graphics *only* (no GT750M).

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  • 7 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...
Does anyone know if an eGPU setup with late 2013 15" (Iris) Macbook Pro + GTX780TI + Sonnet Echo Express III-D would work with Apple's Thunderbolt monitor as the external display?

Hi,

I just set this configuration up with a GTX 770 and the Thunderbolt Apple Display is not recognized.

Basically you can daisy chain everything: MBP -- Thunderbolt Apple Display -- Sonnet Exp III -- GTX -- but at the end you need another external display using the GTX video card. I have an ASUS 26' DVI.

Be aware that I have a 2011 MBP with 1 port Thunderbolt 1, not 2 ports thunderbolt 2... And I'm not using Windows BC, just OSX 10.8.5.

Eventually with my config, I have issues with online videos (Youtube): crash.

I am considering reselling the Sonnet Chassis.

Cheers,

Joec

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  • 6 months later...

Hi, sorry for bringing this topic up again. But I am wondering if using the thunderbolt display with an egpu and mbp is possible now using nvidia optimus in bootcamp and if one of this cards is compatible with nvidia optimus. gtx (760/770/780) if yes what would i have to do apart from downloading and setting up optimus?

thx in advance

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I think this could really work.

1. TB Display works in Windows

2. Optimus works on displays connected to the TB port of the MBPr (tested that today with a 24" Dell connected with a mini DP -> DP cable)

The questions that remains is, if the TB display is special in any way to trouble that?!

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I think this could really work.

1. TB Display works in Windows

2. Optimus works on displays connected to the TB port of the MBPr (tested that today with a 24" Dell connected with a mini DP -> DP cable)

The questions that remains is, if the TB display is special in any way to trouble that?!

I guess we will know soon. I have already ordered all items for my eGPU Akitio Set Up if I will not run into troubles we I will test it with my 27" TB Display asap.

Thanks to Dschijn ;)

Still undecided re the GPU. GTX 770 or 960, depending on the price I will get for used ones on OLX.

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I guess we will know soon. I have already ordered all items for my eGPU Akitio Set Up if I will not run into troubles we I will test it with my 27" TB Display asap.

Thanks to Dschijn ;)

Still undecided re the GPU. GTX 770 or 960, depending on the price I will get for used ones on OLX.

I have not been able to get my Thunderbolt Display to work consistently with my Akitio setup. I ended up selling it and buying a regular 27" Apple Cinema Display instead. I think what Nando says in a few threads is the case... basically, the BIOS gets confused and makes some random decisions at boot. This leads to the sometimes black screen boot and it means the display signal is routed to what seems to be a random port. With my 27" Display, it will work with mini-Displayport or Displayport via adapter. What I found is that the display output routes to either my empty TB port on my MBP Retina or it routes to the Displayport on my eGPU. So, when I boot my machine, either the display turns on or I switch the cable to get it to turn on. This allows me to use my display 100% of the time, but sometimes I have to switch a cable. It's worth it in the end.

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I have not been able to get my Thunderbolt Display to work consistently with my Akitio setup. I ended up selling it and buying a regular 27" Apple Cinema Display instead. I think what Nando says in a few threads is the case... basically, the BIOS gets confused and makes some random decisions at boot. This leads to the sometimes black screen boot and it means the display signal is routed to what seems to be a random port. With my 27" Display, it will work with mini-Displayport or Displayport via adapter. What I found is that the display output routes to either my empty TB port on my MBP Retina or it routes to the Displayport on my eGPU. So, when I boot my machine, either the display turns on or I switch the cable to get it to turn on. This allows me to use my display 100% of the time, but sometimes I have to switch a cable. It's worth it in the end.

Hey thx for the input.

What do you mean with "consistently"? It didnt work at all or it worked sometimes or it worked but not stable? And have you been using Optimus?

I wouldnt want to sell my 27 TB Display but will if I have to ;)

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Hey thx for the input.

What do you mean with "consistently"? It didnt work at all or it worked sometimes or it worked but not stable? And have you been using Optimus?

I wouldnt want to sell my 27 TB Display but will if I have to ;)

It would work about 30% of boots.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, I know what you mean about selling the TB display. The only benefit is the ports though and it's nice to not be limited to needing a TB output.

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It would work about 30% of boots.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, I know what you mean about selling the TB display. The only benefit is the ports though and it's nice to not be limited to needing a TB output.

Ah ok, well thats not too bad. I actually use my MacBook 99% of the time with the TB display so its more or less stationary. The eGPU is basically for gaming in Windows and if I'll have to reboot 3-4 times I will prolly live with the TB display and reboot.

Have you been using the TV Display in Windows or MAC OS And anything special to consider?

Thanks for the help can't wait to finally get my eGPU together.

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Thanks for the help can't wait to finally get my eGPU together.
@arnautovic did you get this all together and working with the TB display? I'm in a similar situation. I have a TB display and I'm looking at getting a new 15" rMBP. Most of the time it'll be stationary and I'll only use the eGPU for gaming in Windows. Otherwise I'm in OS X the rest of the time.
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Thanks for the help can't wait to finally get my eGPU together.[/quote @arnautovic did you get this all together and working with the TB display? I'm in a similar situation. I have a TB display and I'm looking at getting a new 15" rMBP. Most of the time it'll be stationary and I'll only use the eGPU for gaming in Windows. Otherwise I'm in OS X the rest of the time.

still didnt manage to get all pieces together but I ll have some pro assistance ;) once starting so Ill keep you updated. I guess mid next week Ill should be set.

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Awesome. Please do, Im really interested (and hopeful) to see how it all works out. :)

In the meanwhile you could be looking at this.

AnandTech | A First Look at Thunderbolt on Windows with MSI's Z77A-GD80

AnandTech | A First Look at Thunderbolt on Windows with MSI's Z77A-GD80

As I see it what we are trying to do is not that much of a difference. Looks like LucidLogix VIRTU is a must have and TB Display must be connected at boot.

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In the meanwhile you could be looking at this.

AnandTech | A First Look at Thunderbolt on Windows with MSI's Z77A-GD80

AnandTech | A First Look at Thunderbolt on Windows with MSI's Z77A-GD80

As I see it what we are trying to do is not that much of a difference. Looks like LucidLogix VIRTU is a must have and TB Display must be connected at boot.

Interesting solution. I assume you'd plug the TB display into one of the TB ports on the MacBook and the eGPU setup into the other TB port. Under OS X it looks like you'd still be able to use both the internal and external display and then when in Windows VIRTU would automatically switch over to the eGPU when the system was put under load.

In theory it should work, but it'll be interesting to see how it plays out in practice.

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After a bit of searching it seems like Virtu is locked to specific motherboards and you can't buy it as a standalone product. Each OEM has their own licensed versions that are locked to specific motherboards.

Well I dont know about the locked to motherboards thing. But you can download a test version here driverdownloads-mvp2 | Lucidlogix

Re standalone product, there seems to be a link to buy it but it doesnt work. So are you saying it will def not work?

I will get my items today everything but the GPU still undecided between the 960 and 970 depending on the space in my Silverstone Ft-03-mini but that will come only today and then I will decide about the GPU. So tomorrow the latest we will know about TB display yes or no ;)

The 970 is a Zotac and I dont really like the reviews the ASUS and MSI are like 1,1 and 2.5 cm too long will have to see if I can manage to make some extra space in the Ft-03 for the PSU and GPU.

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Well I dont know about the locked to motherboards thing. But you can download a test version here driverdownloads-mvp2 | Lucidlogix

Re standalone product, there seems to be a link to buy it but it doesnt work. So are you saying it will def not work?

I don't have first hand experience but reading a lot of other forums, many people were complaining that the trial version expires after a month and even if they have a chipset and motherboard from a manufacturer that has a Virtu license, the license is locked to specific models of motherboards. People have tried emailing the company asking to buy stand alone versions or asking for support but they never reply.
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Ok guys I can confirm that TB Display with Akitio and ASUS GTX 960 works without VIRTU only Optimus and even there I havent done any changes.

Clamshell mode plug and play.

Im having issues to boot stable into Windows with the eGPU attached but thats not linked to the TB since I am having this with HDMI and DVI directly attached to the GPU too.

If any questions or pictures let me know.

Nothing of this would be possible without Dschijn so big, big thx to him!!!

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Ok guys so after a bit of testing, I have no idea why, but Optimus works like a charm as soon as I am in Win 8.1. NO EXTRA EFI MANIPULATION NEEDED!

All I takes is download the drivers. Both TB Display and eGPU must be connected to the MBP and not clamshel, once you are in Windows you can just close the MBP and everything works.

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Wow, that's awesome news!

Have you tried using the MBP screen as well as the TB monitor at the same time? Your MBP has the GT 750M, correct?

Thanks again for testing and posting the results.

Yes I have once the TB Display is working its basically the same as with the internal GPU, but I am having trouble to boot with the eGPU and TB Display right now, it looks like it works sometimes and sometimes it doesnt no idea why.

Will do the Optimus guide now and see how it works. Actuall I got a 720+ score on Heaven with High settings and the TB Display which is pretty good for the card.

Im on an early 2013 MBPr with Intel 4000 and an ASUS GTX 960.

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