US$189 AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Box (16Gbps-TB2)

[SmutjeHannes]

Hey entzoe,

thanks for the quick reply! I just tried mirroring displays but still the GPU being used is the Intel HD 523 MB.

What is going on? Do I have to take care of anything while startup?

[entzoe]

Hey entzoe,

thanks for the quick reply! I just tried mirroring displays but still the GPU being used is the Intel HD 523 MB.

What is going on? Do I have to take care of anything while startup?

Can you please post a screenshot of your System Information under Graphic Card. Does it show both the GPU (512 and GTX 780)? And does the GTX shows an output information to your External Monitor?

[SmutjeHannes]

Can you please post a screenshot of your System Information under Graphic Card. Does it show both the GPU (512 and GTX 780)? And does the GTX shows an output information to your External Monitor?

Hey there,

that's what I got and yes I have plugged two monitors to the GTX and they are working.

But I can't use the GTX for example with Unigine Heaven Benchmark... it says that it's using the GPU Chip.

[entzoe]

Hey there,

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12491[/ATTACH]

that's what I got and yes I have plugged two monitors to the GTX and they are working.

Try this, work on your external display, and try if you can find the following icon (box or square with a black up-arrow ) on your menu?

Can you try to click on it and select one of your External Monitor?

After that, check your System settings (About MacBook) if the current GPU points to your eGPU.

[SmutjeHannes]

Try this, work on your external display, and try if you can find the following icon (box or square with a black up-arrow ) on your menu?

Can you try to click on it and select one of your External Monitor?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12492[/ATTACH]

After that, check your System settings (About MacBook) if the current GPU points to your eGPU.

I can't find that icon. Do I have to change settings somewhere to make it appear?

[entzoe]

I can't find that icon. Do I have to change settings somewhere to make it appear?

Can you try these steps?

1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences > Click Displays. Can you Tell me what is it showing (3 displays? 2 monitors and your MBP monitor?) Can you show the screen shot?

2. Is there an Arrangement tab?

3. Can you check the mirror display icon?

[SmutjeHannes]

Can you try this steps?

1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences > Click Displays. Can you Tell me what is it showing (3 displays? 2 monitors and your MBP monitor?)

2. Is there an Arrangement tab?

3. Can you check the mirror display icon?

Aperture 3 User Manual

Jep, it shows 2 monitors and the MBP monitor and there is an Arrangement tab and I checked the mirror display icon so all 3 displays show the same

[entzoe]

Jep, it shows 2 monitors and the MBP monitor and there is an Arrangement tab and I checked the mirror display icon so all 3 displays show the same

Can you change the resolution under the Systems Preferences>Display? Can you play around on that setting?

As you click the drop down of the Display option, can you post a screen shot?

[SmutjeHannes]

Can you change the resolution under the Systems Preferences>Display? Can you play around on that setting?

As you click the drop down of the Display option, can you post a screen shot?

I tried several resolutions and re-checked (closed it and opened it again) the About this mac / graphics tab... still the same

[entzoe]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12495[/ATTACH]

I tried several resolutions and re-checked (closed it and opened it again) the About this mac / graphics tab... still the same

Don't chose the built-in display. Choose one of your monitor and make sure to check the 'mirrored' check-box

[SmutjeHannes]

Don't chose the built-in display. Choose one of your monitor and make sure to check the 'mirrored' check-box

My computer crashed after I tried to open Premiere (which wanted to use GPU with CUDA which is the eGPU). After restart I switched between displays and set the resolution for one of the external displays and now the 780 TI is being used! thank’s a lot man!

I was a little buzzed to have my 3 different displays all show the same. But then in the Arrangement tab I relocated the menu bar to one of the external sceens and now I don’t have to mirror displays and my GTX is till being used. Great!

I will do some testing now. But it looks good so far.

Thank you so much, man

Cheers,

Hannes

[entzoe]

My computer crashed after I tried to open Premiere (which wanted to use GPU with CUDA which is the eGPU). After restart I switched between displays and set the resolution for one of the external displays and now the 780 TI is being used! thank’s a lot man!

I was a little buzzed to have my 3 different displays all show the same. But then in the Arrangement tab I relocated the menu bar to one of the external sceens and now I don’t have to mirror displays and my GTX is till being used. Great!

I will do some testing now. But it looks good so far.

Thank you so much, man

Cheers,

Hannes

Awesome! Enjoy!!!

[rwzdoorn]

RE: http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/7598-%5Bguide%5D-mac-mini-2012-gtx770%4010gbps-tb1-akitio-thunder2-osx-10-9-4-a.html#post104243

You, Entzoe, are my hero!

I've been looking for this for a long time! Just a few questions:

1) Will this work with a MBP 15" (2011) model?

2) As I'm budget related: Does this work with a MSI GTX 770 2GB (MSI Global N770 TF 2GD5/OC) ?

3) Does this work with bootcamp windows?

I'm really thrilled with this experiment.. hope to get my hands on the Akitio TB box.

[entzoe]

RE: http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/7598-%5Bguide%5D-mac-mini-2012-gtx770%4010gbps-tb1-akitio-thunder2-osx-10-9-4-a.html#post104243

You, Entzoe, are my hero!

I've been looking for this for a long time! Just a few questions:

1) Will this work with a MBP 15" (2011) model?

2) As I'm budget related: Does this work with a MSI GTX 770 2GB (MSI Global N770 TF 2GD5/OC) ?

3) Does this work with bootcamp windows?

I'm really thrilled with this experiment.. hope to get my hands on the Akitio TB box.

Hi,

I believe it would work in OS not sure with Windows. See the conversation here for OSX on 2011 17 inches MBP

http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/7205-us%24225-akitio-thunder2-pcie-box-28.html

For Windows you need to do a little experiment. See Goalque implementation, although using MBP Retina.

http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/7580-%5Bguide%5D-2014-15-macbook-pro-iris-gtx780%4016gbps-tb2-akitio-thunder2-win8-1-a.html

You should give thanks to the first who implemented AkiTio as an alternate eGPU.

[Dschijn]

That's an awesome deal SmutjeHannes. I think I will try to get one from that shop as well. I always thought it is a store only for buisness customers.

Please post your results! I am really thrilled to hear how your 780 Ti will work. You are not using an extra powered PCIe riser?

[SmutjeHannes]

I don't use a powered riser but I'm thinking about soldering a 12 V connection from my PSU to the DC connection in order to safe an extra power adaptor.

Here are my results:

Picture 1 actually shows the result with the Sonnet Echo Express III-D.

Picture 2 was created with the Aktio Thunder2.

I did the tests twice and the Akitio always performed a little worse then the Sonnet. But still, almost 700 € difference in price aren't worth the Sonnet.

My testsetup is an MBP 17" late 2011, 2,4 GHz i7 with 16GB 1333 MHz DDR, an 1TB EVO SSD and Mavericks 10.9.4.

I'm thinking about buying the Cooler Master Elite 120 to fit everything inside.

Anyone experiences?

[Dschijn]

Which GTX 780Ti is that? Could you post a picture of that setup?

[rwzdoorn]

Hi SmutjeHannes,

Thanks for replying on this topic, I'm also a MBP 2011 user (2.2 GHZ, yes you've got the better one) and was wondering if this was working. Looks like you already got it working! Just a question, did you tried to use the eGPU with Windows? I'm going to play games with it and waiting for shop respons when they ship. Thanks in advance!

[SmutjeHannes]

Which GTX 780Ti is that? Could you post a picture of that setup?

I got this Asus GeForce ROG MATRIX GTX 780 Ti Platinum for 444 €.

The setup isn't really neat, yet. If I touch the card and move it a little on the chassis plate where it's sitting on I already created some electric sparks. So a case is in desperate need.

[Dschijn]

Ahhhh that 444€ deal, I almost bought one as well ^^

[SmutjeHannes]

Hi SmutjeHannes,

Thanks for replying on this topic, I'm also a MBP 2011 user (2.2 GHZ, yes you've got the better one) and was wondering if this was working. Looks like you already got it working! Just a question, did you tried to use the eGPU with Windows? I'm going to play games with it and waiting for shop respons when they ship. Thanks in advance!

Bought mine in Malaysia and I was lucky they had this one in stock. No, I don't use windows and don't play. I want to use the eGPU for video editing. It's working!

My eGPU setup:

London 550W PSU (don't really know why I bought this one...) with the paperclip trick (the blue cable)

Asus Geforce GTX 780 Ti connected with the 8pin to 2x 6+2 pin cable that came with the PSU

I dismantled the Akitio chassis and connected the card directly to the PCIe slot without any riser.

I followed this guide with additional help for the kext modifiying with this and that guide.

[Dschijn]

Thanks for the details! One last wish: Could you test "Unigine Valley" with 1920x1080 on an external monitor (full screen and extreme settings)?

[euqlaog]

I got this Asus GeForce ROG MATRIX GTX 780 Ti Platinum for 444 €.

The setup isn't really neat, yet. If I touch the card and move it a little on the chassis plate where it's sitting on I already created some electric sparks. So a case is in desperate need.

Thanks for the post! Be careful and place it on something that is not metal, and so that PCIe board and GPU don't touch! Preferably in upright position as I did. Seems like you don't use a powered riser either. 25W might be enough for some higher end GPUs that have 6pin & 8pin power connectors. The possibility to utilise x16 PCIe connector is a big benefit, when making a custom enclosure to support full length GPUs. I recommend to put a 12cm fan towards the PCIe board to cool it as its operating temperature is specified max 35C. My GTX780 has intake ACX fans, meaning that hot air blows from bottom and top grills, not much from the back. Some graphics cards have blower style fan, in which case heat comes from the back.

[SmutjeHannes]

Thanks for the post! Be careful and place it on something that is not metal, and so that PCIe board and GPU don't touch! Preferably in upright position as I did. Seems like you don't use a powered riser either. 25W might be enough for some higher end GPUs that have 6pin & 8pin power connectors. The possibility to utilise x16 PCIe connector is a big benefit, when making a custom enclosure to support full length GPUs. I recommend to put a 12cm fan towards the PCIe board to cool it as its operating temperature is specified max 35C. My GTX780 has intake ACX fans, meaning that hot air blows from bottom and top grills, not much from the back. Some graphics cards have blower style fan, in which case heat comes from the back.

Thank's for your suggestion to put it upright and everything. I probably did it as wrong as one could do it

I'll definitely try a x16 PCI connector when I try to build a custom enclosure, without it you're too limited in arranging that stuff. And I'll try the fan position for the PCIe board, to be sure.

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks for the details! One last wish: Could you test "Unigine Valley" with 1920x1080 on an external monitor (full screen and extreme settings)?

Sorry, I can't do, because I don't have a full HD display (yet).,,

[Dschijn]

His ASUS ROG Matrix 780 Ti uses two 8-Pin connectors. So it get's enough juice from the PSU already, that's very nice.