The basic eGPU hardware guide (for Macs)

[Dschijn]

Yeah, was in the USM in Penang for 6 month in 2014.

[iddinmx]

21 hours ago, Dschijn said:

Yeah, was in the USM in Penang for 6 month in 2014.

 

Oh cool! Great university!!

 

One last thing, just in case I changed my mind to buy the Galax GEFORCE GTX 750 TI OC SLIM 2GB, product requirement:

 

• 1、PCI Express-compliant motherboard with one dual-width x 16 graphics slot
  
• 3、Minimum 400W or greater system power supply (with a minimum 12V current rating of 42A)

 

So I guess I just need to make a barrel mod. About barrel mod, I was thinking of getting the Dell 220W DA-2 [Since it is small/portable and works anywhere around the world (100V - 240V input)]. Please check the setup barrel mod below (Untitled.png).

 

Is it possible the setup? Without having to solder anything? (Considering the switch is soldered and also for the yellow and black wires I'll just disconnect it from the molex connector and connect it direct to the barrel)

 

Thanks a lot!

[Dschijn]

@iddinmx

Yes that looks good. But you might just get a 8-Pin extension and cut of the end that you want to use for the barrel plug. The advantage you get is that you will have directly a pin and cable for the remote pin and can put a switch in between that cable.

Just keep two things in mind:

1. You might only be able to get 2 wires into the screw terminal, 3 might get tricky.

2. Check the pin out from the Dell DA-2 thread and make sure they match the 6/8 pin you attach. E.g. yellow wires might not carry 12V if they don't match the 12V pin on the Dell DA-2.

[iddinmx]

13 minutes ago, Dschijn said:

@iddinmx

Yes that looks good. But you might just get a 8-Pin extension and cut of the end that you want to use for the barrel plug. The advantage you get is that you will have directly a pin and cable for the remote pin and can put a switch in between that cable.

Just keep two things in mind:

1. You might only be able to get 2 wires into the screw terminal, 3 might get tricky.

2. Check the pin out from the Dell DA-2 thread and make sure they match the 6/8 pin you attach. E.g. yellow wires might not carry 12V if they don't match the 12V pin on the Dell DA-2.

 

Yep I understand everything from this picture:

 

 

So I guess I'll just proceed with the 6-pin - 2 molex setup. But as what you said about "You might only be able to get 2 wires into the screw terminal, 3 might get tricky." so I guess I'll connect the end of the switch to the extra GND cable from the molex.

Updated figure :

 

The reason I want to proceed with 6 pin > 2 molex because I already ordered the items from ebay lol. So yeah aha.

So there will be one extra unused 12V on the other molex connector.

 

This setup able me to connect those cables without having to cut or solder. I just need a screwdriver to tighten the existing wires and disconnect the wires from molex by using the following method :

 

Please correct me if my procedures are wrong. Thanks a lot for your help and respond!

[Dschijn]

So you want to connect the 6-Pin to 2x12V, 2xground and sense and remote? Should work.
I see you want to use a Screw terminal for the remote cable to insert the switch? That should be fine, but don't use them for the 12V.

[iddinmx]

1 hour ago, Dschijn said:

So you want to connect the 6-Pin to 2x12V, 2xground and sense and remote? Should work.
I see you want to use a Screw terminal for the remote cable to insert the switch? That should be fine, but don't use them for the 12V.

 

I connect the 6-Pin to 3x12V and 3xGround

As for the Sense i left it out unused, and for the Remote, I connect with the switch and the other end connect it to the unused Ground on the molex(2) ,(Unused ground connector on molex(2) just like in the image below)

 

So there will be also 12V connector i left out unused on the other molex(1).

 

Thanks!

 

Edit : Will it cause any damage of excessive power to the GPU since I only use the 220W only for the barrel 12V? Most of the post I read use the 220W Dell on GTX970 which has 2x 6pin etc. Sorry, not really good in electronic stuff aha

Edited January 21, 2016 by iddinmx

[Dschijn]

Well I hope you get the "connection" for the remote pin right and solid.

 

With using a GTX750Ti it should be fine. But a soldered version would still be much safer.

[QuestionGuy]

Hi Dschijn,

 

I appreciate you helping everyone with all their questions, it has helped me a lot! I still have a few questions to make sure I understand everything. I feel I understand the hardware side well but I have questions about the software side as well.  Here is my setup:

 

15" MBP (Early 2011)

     -El Capitan 10.11.3

     -Bootcamp w/ Windows 10

External  Dell E228WFP (1680x1050)

I use both monitors, one above the other. Type on built in mac keyboard

Usage will be mainly casual gaming so I am trying to use as tight of a budget as possible (mid range card) and keep it nice and tidy (And portable!).  I love Phantron's design: 

So the design I have come to is:

     -AkiTio - if I can get one into Canada

     -EVGA GTX 960 SC 4GB (The one linked in the original post because it will fit in the case) **Any better recommendations? Saw the Sapphire R9 380 Itx  

       but it is 115mm tall. Too big to close the AkiTio?

     -Fully Modular PSU (No unneeded wires)  - Possibly Corsair ~550W -  **Any better recommendations?

     -I plan to mount the PSU and AkiTio together similar to Phantron without copying his excellent work

 

I would prefer to eliminate the  barrel plug and solder the 12V wires to the circuit board as Phantron did. Is this a bad idea? If necessary I will contact him regarding the wiring in his build but my understanding is: 

     -6pin from PSU to 6pin on GPU - might need 90 degree connector

     -Create a 2 wire cable from 6pin connector. Connect 12V and Ground to AkiTio circuit board

     -I am uncertain how Phantron hot-wired his PSU to start, he has a 6pin connector labeled CPU jumpered to an 8pin directly on his PSU.  I need to look into this more.

 

If any of the above is incorrect, please let me know! So, now to my questions!

    1) -I would like to run the two following configurations:

               -eGPU running just internal mac display, no external display connected (On both Windows 10 and El Capitan)

               -eGPU running external display while internal graphics card runs internal display (Or eGPU runs both, doesn't matter. On both Windows 10 and

                 El Capitan)

      -Is this possible?

 

    2) The GPU for sure needs to be =< 217 x 111.15mm?  Card length is not an issue, it has been the height.  Been looking at ITX cards but not many fit.

    3) Probably not the best place for this question but: My 2.0GHz Intel i7 won't throttle me too much, will it? If so, there is no point

    4) Otherwise, does the above design sound correct?       

 

I need to research the software side further, so if all goes well I may have further questions later. I appreciate this guide you put together, it has been extremely helpful in combining all the pieces I had been reading before I found it. Thanks for any help you can offer!

 

 

 

 

 

[Dschijn]

@QuestionGuy Why not considering the Dell DA-2? Would make it a bit more portable. But a regular PSU will as well

I would still recommend to use the barrel plug way, because soldering the cables to the AKiTiO directly will eliminate you RMA chances (warrenty) and loweres the possible reselling value.

If you want to close the AKiTiO case, you will need a 90° 6-Pin cable, yes! Also keep in midn that you must improve the cooling of that case.

Jump starting a PSU is always done with the paperclip trick (connect remote and ground) of the 24-Pin plug.

 

1) Since the 2011 15" MBP has an AMD dGPU inside, it might not work to use the eGPU on the internal display. Better get used to the idea that it might only work with an external display. Especially in OSX, there is currently no real way to use the eGPU on the internal display for gaming!

2) I tried to explain in the main post what kind of cards fit. Best way is to take a look at product pictures of the PCB and make sure it is not too wide and has the short length.

3) I am pretty sure any MacBook will start to throttle, especially the older MacBooks with the Thermal Paste overkill on the heatsinks.

4) Should be fine.

 

Edit:

 

Take a look at older build with the same MacBook/year. E.g.:

 

 

Edited February 24, 2016 by Dschijn

[QuestionGuy]

Thanks Dschijn, a post like m1sk's is a great reference since that looks like the same GPU on almost the same system.  I was worried that the TB1 port would limit me too much but maybe thats not the case? Do you know if there is a rough % loss in performance using  TB1 vs TB2? 

 

Not being able to use the eGPU on my internal display isn't a big deal but can I still have both my internal and external display running at the same time? i.e. eGPU on external, dGPU running my internal display? I am always multitasking...

 

Switching to/soldering a barrel plug isn't an issue for me, maybe I will go that route then!

 

I had wanted to go with a regular PSU unless I wanted to scrap the eGPU and put all the components into a regular PC later... Still need to make a decision there, it just also looks a lot cleaner than many of the Dell setups I have seen. I also like the idea of just flipping the switch on the PSU to start both the Akitio and GPU up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dschijn]

You can solder a switch easily into the DA-2 cable

Not really sure about the difference between TB1 and TB2. But TB2 is like x4 2.0 and TB1 like x4 1.1: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GTX_980_PCI-Express_Scaling/7.html

[kblack21]

I've all but given up on my PSU at this point, would anyone know the exact power requirements for a Titan X, or where I could find them? I know it has a 6 & 8 pin connector on it.

its a Corsair RM1000 PSU and i'm not sure if the unit is fault, or the molex barrel plugs i've been using are faulty.

 

I was wondering if the Dell DA-2 would be an alternative, and I found someone who could help me with a 8-pin PCI-e to a 2 x 6+2 pin and a Barrel plug. I'm wondering if this would be able to power this card and the Akitio all at once, and open to thoughts...

Edited February 25, 2016 by kblack21

[Dschijn]

1. Please don't mix PSUs

2. The DA-2 alone is way too weak!

3. A 1000W PSU is a total overkill and should easily power the AKiTiO and the Titan X at the same time

 

I am running a GTX980Ti now (which is almost a Titian X) and have no problems, even with a 500W PSU.

[kblack21]

Thanks @Dschijn

Ok, i'm going to get PSU tester, and if anything send it to back to get replaced.

[maarten]

Why is this thread not stickied?

 

The information in here, especially in the first post, is excellent! It would help out any beginners in the topic, so I think it should be at the front always.

[Brian]

17 minutes ago, maarten said:

Why is this thread not stickied?

 

The information in here, especially in the first post, is excellent! It would help out any beginners in the topic, so I think it should be at the front always.

 

Good question and it's now stickied. 

[Alarming0]

@Dschijn Hi, are you still recommending this cable from ebay? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Akitio-eGPU-8-PIN-TO-2-x-PCI-E-6-PIN-super-low-profile-no-latch-1-x-BARREL-/261932428549?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cfc63ad05&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true

 

the listing was removed but I have been in contact with the seller in hopes of getting one as it seems like it might be the easiest solution. My plan is to use a GTX 950 (which requires  6-pin PCIe power) in an Akitio Thunder2 and given it's low power usage (it maxes out at like 100W in my current PC-based eGPU setup) hopefully a Dell PSU.

[Dschijn]

The cable is great. If you can get it from the seller directly, you should go for it.

Just try and get the cable with 2x6-Pin, just like the one in eBay, so you could use the adapter for a possible future upgrade.

You know the cable is only to be used with a Dell DA-2 220W, right?!

[Alarming0]

@Dschijn I did not know, but that is exactly what I need/want so all is well. I believe I already have a dell PSU but if not they are very cheap. I did speak with the ebay seller for that cable, they have 10 left and want me to buy them at $20 each and resell which is quite unfortunate. I am trying to convince them to just sell me one and list the other 9 in an auction as they were selling just fine before the seller removed the listing.

Edited March 15, 2016 by Alarming0

[Alarming0]

@Dschijn Ok, sorry to bother you so much here... The ebay seller doesn't want to sell me the cable (I guess they hate money or something) so I'm going to have to come up with a new solution. Given that this setup will only be running entry-level <150W GPUs I am wondering if a combination of 1x 8pin to 2x 6pin + a 6pin to barrel plug (specifically this one from ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/PCI-E-to-12v-5-5mm-x-2-5mm-DC-barrel-plug-AKiTiO-Thunder-PSU-adapter-/262304360944?hash=item3d128ee9f0:g:rSoAAOSwuAVWzNaK) would work as an alternative? Thanks for your help!

[Dschijn]

@Alarming0 Sure, or you keep it simple and just make it yourself. Get a 6-Pin to 2x6-Pin PCIe adapter and a barrel plug with screw terminals. Cut off one 6-Pin and stick the wires into the barrel plug. Or get a 8-Pin to 2x6-Pin and do the same, but connect the remote cable to the ground of the plug.

[kblack21]

@Alarming0 in my 'mad dash' to get everything possible to make my egpu work I bought one of these cables:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/252004704944?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D252004704944%26_rdc%3D1

 

But I ended up never using it as the Dell DA-2 wasn't strong enough to work for me. I still have it if you think you'd want it. Just throwing it out there. Let me know and I can get you some pics of it too when I get home.

Edited March 15, 2016 by kblack21

[Alarming0]

12 minutes ago, kblack21 said:

@Alarming0 in my 'mad dash' to get everything possible to make my egpu work I bought one of these cables:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/252004704944?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D252004704944%26_rdc%3D1

 

But I ended up never using it as the Dell DA-2 wasn't strong enough to work for me. I still have it if you think you'd want it. Just throwing it out there. Let me know and I can get you some pics of it too when I get home.

Yeah, send some pictures that would be great. Out of curiosity what GPU were you trying to power with it?

[kblack21]

I have a Titan X Hybrid, and when I first started didn't realize the type of energy requirements i'd need. But i've learned since then and went to a 500w EVGA PSU, and my systems been working pretty smooth ever since.

[Alarming0]

24 minutes ago, kblack21 said:

I have a Titan X Hybrid, and when I first started didn't realize the type of energy requirements i'd need. But i've learned since then and went to a 500w EVGA PSU, and my systems been working pretty smooth ever since.

Haha yeah, that just won't do with a Titan X.

Edited March 15, 2016 by Alarming0