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rip-off alert: Bizon Box 2 is an overpriced modified AKiTiO Thunder2 enclosure


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Bizon has taken US$200 off his Box until Sep 7th. Now selling for US$389. He may have better luck at that pricepoint shifting units.

External Graphics Card for Mac Egpu Thunderbolt No GPU Akitio THUNDER2 Mod | eBay

He's added another youtube marketting video. I'm getting the impression sales numbers are lower than he was expecting.

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  • 1 month later...
Ugh,

I found this thread too late, my Bizon Box 2 is already on its way.

The only question I have is whether or not I'm going to get the performance promised out of the GTX980 with my macbook pro.

You can do a credit card chargeback or do a Paypal transaction dispute explaining it's not clearly disclosed that it's a modified AKiTiO product. It's quite shady marketting by Bizon.

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  • 4 weeks later...

ok, I don't expect a cake to cost the same as if I buy the ingredients myselves and bake it, need the time to go buy the stuff, prepare it and clean the kitchen afterwards.

(and usualy if I bake it it will even taste better). So I would not really call it a scam.

Anybody offering that cheaper and with warranty to work under OS X?

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ok, I don't expect a cake to cost the same as if I buy the ingredients myselves and bake it, need the time to go buy the stuff, prepare it and clean the kitchen afterwards.

(and usualy if I bake it it will even taste better). So I would not really call it a scam.

Anybody offering that cheaper and with warranty to work under OS X?

Yes, pls read http://forum.techinferno.com/apple-egpu-discussion/10061-basic-egpu-hardware-guide-macs.html . Bizon is using goalque's script to gain OSX compatibility: http://forum.techinferno.com/apple-egpu-discussion/10289-script-automating-installation-egpu-os-x-inc-display-output.html. When deducing how much profit Bizon is making from open source information and a very slightly modified AKiTiO Thunder2, I consider his offering a rip off.

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Hi everyone, newbie here!

 

I was about to order Bizon Box 2, when I encountered this thread, so naturally I am in doubt now.

 

Is it really worth paying for Bizon? Or will I be able to do everything on my own if I have an Akitio Thunder2 and some familiarity with technology? What's the chance of failure?

 

There's a tone of the guides on this forum on how to implement an eGPU yourself, I'm not at all sure where to start. My configuration is:

 

MacBook Pro 13'' Late 2013

OS X El Capitan

 

And I'd like to have Nvidia GTX 960 card running - to play games on Windows via BootCamp and to do some CUDA development. I'd like the simplest setup possible, since I have virtually no experience with hardware and I don't want to mess up. But I'm willing to learn :)

 

Can anyone recommend me a guide to follow? What additional components (apart from Akitio Thunder2) might I need? It matters to me, since I'm from Ukraine and it's harder to get the required hardware here, as someone have pointed out earlier in this thread. Or maybe it's better to over-pay for Bizon after all?

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@visor2580 Since Bizon is ONLY a hardware product, you would encounter the same (software/OS) problems with it or a DIY one (if you will have any in the first place).

Building it yourself isn't that hard, the only thing you would have to do is ordering the right parts (the right card!) and making an adapter to power the setup.

With a GTX960 you can choose between a desktop PC PSU or an external Dell DA-2 220W power brick.

Edited by Dschijn
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@Dschijn, what do you mean by the "right card"? Also, I wonder, if I decide to get GTX980 card, will Thunderbolt 2 limit its performance significantly? In principle, I won't be using other monitor then my built-in 13" one, so there's not much information to exchange between the card and the computer. I'd like to get the best card possible, however, because I may need it for CUDA development.

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@visor2580 The "right card" was regarding a short card that fits into the AKiTiO and still allows the case to be closed. The list of cards is very short and the majority of cards do not allow that. Also using a Dell DA-2 is limiting the choice of GPUs chips to any chip in range of 750Ti to a GTX 970.

Using a GTX 980 will shift everything, because:

- you can't close the case anymore

- you will need a bigger PSU (Dell DA-2 isn't a safe option anymore)

So, you can run the setup "ghetto style" or put everything into a PC case, which results in more costs for case and PCIe riser cable/adapter.

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@visor2580 Cards can stick out, sure. It will just look a bit "ghetto". If you want it nice there are two options:

- get a card with chips between GTX 750, 950-970 and put them into the AKiTiO box.

- get bigger cards and put them into a PC case: https://www.techinferno.com/index.php?/forums/topic/6810-egpu-cases/

 

A 700W PSU is a bit of an overkill, but yes. It will work!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Here is the thing from a business point of view. What Bison is doing on the Hardware side is completely acceptable (though yes all of us know that you can make the whole thing for basically the price he is charging for just the case).  People always take ingredients and things learned and put them together in different ways and sell them essentially that is an OEM Part  Supplier to a Manufacturer.. It doesn't matter if it is an Akitio or a button. You don't have to produce the base part to sell it for whatever you think you can get for it if you purchased it modified or not and if you do modify it (as in this caseyou do not need to tell anyone where it came from.. Now the Part that they/he might have an issue  with is that if he is using @Dschjin's script to get the Mac to work or @Tech Inferno Fan's set-up programs for windows without their permission then they/he would be in violation of IP as those items were not created nor bought by him for their use or resale and @Dschjin or @Nando4 would have the right to go after them/him legally if they chose as he would be profiting off of the specific product (the script or setup)  of others without them receiving compensation for their work (i.e. the stealing of software and reselling or using it without paying for it). He could stretch it with @Dschjin and say he is selling ti for free and therefore he has a right to resell it BUT that would be stretching things as intent to give something free generally implies that it is for your own use. @Nando4 charges a small sum so that would totally be stealing if he included that software. Now if they/he are not including the software and just telling you where to get it (which I don't believe is the case) then they would be doing essentially nothing wrong as they/he would be just a hardware reseller/modifier.

 

Granted the unfortunate thing is that it appears they/he is in Russia which would make it very hard to take legal action.

 

Brion Sohn

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  • 3 months later...

Hi all I'm new here, I just want to say imho it is not a ripoff.  Bizon is free to ask any price for his work, I mean machinery, work, website, payments and expertise have a price. Sure maybe it cost a lot but it is easy to compare raw materials to a working products. Saying that I'm here to understand most the Akitio mod situation, maybe building my own mod, but I've contacted Bizon by email and it has been very kind answering questions about his product. Just my 2 cents.

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3 hours ago, ikir said:

Hi all I'm new here, I just want to say imho it is not a ripoff.

I disagree. BizonBOX is not an Intel certified product, and I’m sure that AKiTiO has not given them any permission to advertise their product. It’s simply a modified Thunder2. Their “modding services” sounds a bit better:

 

https://bizon-tech.com/us/akitio-diy-egpu.html

 

But still all their “innovations” are taken from this forum. At present they do give some credit to this forum and my script, a brief mention at the end of the page, and seems that my MIT-license file is included. In the beginning they didn’t ask anything, just wrapped my script into some kind of “installation tool”. After I encrypted my copyright notice, they contacted me by email. The MIT license allows anyone to use and modify my script, even for commercial purposes, so I can’t stop them. One of the reasons why automate-eGPU EFI is a closed source project. I support only Intel certified products.

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PC has it's glory with Razer Core, Alienware Amplifire, ASUS XG2, etc etc. and all of it's DIY eGPU projects was amazing

At this moment, the only eGPU that will work perfectly compatible with MacbookPro Retina 15 inch is the BizonBox. On MBPr 15 inch iGPU only model you can even use eGPU to game with internal display

I've been following this product quite a while, and finally come this reasonable product review that runs on an iMac 5K + GTX 980TI 1440 monitor

BizonBox Official Benchmarks

Mac Pro vs MacBook Pro Retina with BizonBox

Here's for the Config Pricing & Complete Technical Spec:

https://bizon-tech.com/us/bizonbox2-egpu.html/#config

Make sure to read FAQ:

https://bizon-tech.com/us/faq-egpu

I might going to go with BizonBox instead for my MBPr 15", since Akitio Thunder 2 was not build for GPU usage.

I hope this product will be the holy grail for Mac users, before the new MacBook Pro released with desktop GTX 10xx and T3 (finger crossed) (they'll go with ATI)

47e58b2837e32fcfa9cad57f20683231.jpg

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@ssamydla

You’re a victim of marketing. Did you see my previous post? If you browsed through my script thread, you would realize that BizonBox guys can’t do more than what the v0.9.8 of my script did. They grabbed and wrapped my automate-eGPU.sh script. Starting from the v0.9.9, the license doesn’t allow commercial use.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Theres a kickstarter project called Wolfe that tries to make an all in one solution for reasonable prices, and Bizon tech posted commercials of his own Rip Off box on the comment section of the project. Thats quite a low move. Luckily people don't seem to be interested.

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thewolfe/the-wolfe-supercharge-your-laptop/comments

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  • 1 month later...
On 26/8/2016 at 2:55 AM, helloman said:

Theres a kickstarter project called Wolfe that tries to make an all in one solution for reasonable prices, and Bizon tech posted commercials of his own Rip Off box on the comment section of the project. Thats quite a low move. Luckily people don't seem to be interested.

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thewolfe/the-wolfe-supercharge-your-laptop/comments

 

 

Ok guys, i'm new user. it is a long time(years) i follow this project because i would want to change and upgrade my vga. Now when usb and (maybe) thunderbolt 1 were too slow, with thunder2 now seams to be possible have this upgrade, with a under 1000$ spending of money.

 

I saw lots of videos,post and review but now i would to know some:

 

1st: on kikstarter this comment 
""Intel asked Akittio to stop providing them the PCBA. Means, the Wolfe team didn't have any knowhow to create their own design but just bought the current thunderbolt 2 PCB from Intel Licensed Thunderbolt manufacturers. And Due to the PCI-e ( especially Graphic Cards ) will be only " approved " to be executed in TBT3 by Intel. of course their behavior with TBT2 + Graphic will be warned by Intel and in the end, Intel asked Akittio not to sell them anymore. 
Simply saying, Wolfe just use Intel's technology and create some chassis, but in the end, Intel doesn't want to allow those unapproval behaviors here.""

 

---if i have an electronic company , it is impossible to create/build a product/adaptor and sell at customers,working!? ...because some products (thunderbolt or what?) are trademark products/logos?

why this project was banned/closed?

 

2nd:

I didn't understand if Bizon is clearly a copy of Akitio.... and if Akitio is a something like opensource project? Or what is opensource... the code that allow at enclosure to works with mac? thx

 

3rd

I saw that Akitio was built for lots of cards, but not properly for gaming cards like games,3d or video editing programs... don't you?

I'm wondering now, what is the best option for a newbie or even better, for a common user which do not understand anything of electronic, video cards, but he just only wants an upgrade for his mac for work better on photoshop,3d blender and similiar.... Is AKITIO plug & play like --- i know you hate em all - BizonBox2 just say for all high-end graphic cards (some highest card only for windows)

 

 

Hope you guys give me lights on this, i have MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015), and i need to buy an upgrade.

I don't buy a mac pro, even if it comes november 2016, maybe i will buy the new iMac on nov-dec 2016 (if they comes) with new i7 and i want to put e-GPU system.

It seams to be more powerful and cheaper to spend 3-4k $ for the same or lower apple products.

 

+++++IMPORTANT+++++

If some user wants to put a bigger and powerful vga like 980 no problem for external power and a open akitio case.

Can we plug and play even a gtx980?? Because i only see in links only "MINI" GTX970 LOLLLLLL 

 

Thx for all, may this post be helpfull for others looking the same what i am looking for.

 

 

Edited by taradda13
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This thread is like #1 in all Google searches for BizonBox. We're a production company and we bought the device because we needed a better GPU to accelerate DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere for playback and editing of raw 4K footage from DJI Inspire drone. It worked more or less with one of our computers, but didn't accelerate anything on our iMac 5K (biggest disappointment for us). I found the device a little tricky to use, but I understand most of its problems can be attributed to the overall state of eGPU in Mac world.

 

I wrote a blog post with my observations and I hope someone will find it useful.

http://dae.me/blog/2192/a-brief-note-on-bizonbox-2-gtx-980/

 

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