MacBook Pro Retina mid-2012 OS X 10.11 / Win 10

[None696]

First off I want to say thank you to the community here. I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without the hard work and dedication of everyone who blazed the trail before me and shared their experience. 

 

I wanted to post my success story in case others  were trying to do something similar. 

 

Hardware

• 15" MacBook Pro Retina, Mid 2012
• 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7 (Turbo boot to 3.6 Ghz)
• 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
• Sonnet Echo Express SE II
• Asus NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 4 GB
• LG Ultrawide 34" 34UC97 curved 4K display [3440 x 1440 @ 60 Hz]
• Apple Cinema Display 20" (2006 or 2008, I forget) [1920 x 1200]

 

OS X (worked on both 10.10 Yosemite and 10.11 El Capitan

I've been successfully using my eGPU under OS X for over a year. Thanks to Goalque's Automate eGPU script. Really is super easy. Major props.

 

Some thoughts, in no particular order

•  Original setup was using the MBPr in clamshell mode in a Hinge Dock --> Did not work well, issues booting, internal screen stayed on
• Updates can randomly break everything --> easy fix with the automate eGPU script
• Very stable --> quite pleased with the success 

 

Windows 10

Just got this working last weekend. I originally used bootcamp, which on my device sets up windows to use MBR. Could not get it to work even with the help of Setup 1.30 / 1.2. Out of boredom I nuked the windows partition and re-configured everything to boot EFI. I eventually got everything working using the DSDT override. 

 

Some additional thoughts, in no order

• The integrated  Intel GPU causes all sorts of trouble. Windows updates drives a lot without telling you. Causes blue screens. Needed to keep disabling the device in safe mode
  • This slowed down and frustrated the process, often times I didn't realize the integrated GPU was causing issues
• I believe the DSDT override was done correctly, and after that everything began working correctly (the large memory device is in device manager, but there is nothing below it)
• My game of choice is Heroes of the Storm. Conveniently I can test it in both windows and OS X. 
  • It runs much better in OS X
  • Seems to be CPU limited.
    • In OS X Turbo boost is constantly overclocking to 3.4 GHz. CPU temp in the mid 90s. Fans at Max. (GPU does not seem pushed, fans slow). 50-70 FPS @ max res, mix of Ultra on more GPU intensive settings and Low on CPU settings
    • In Win 10, Turbo boost was all over the place 2.8-3.2 GHz. Game was much choppier. 25-60 FPS. CPU temps were ~102. Same settings. 

 

I have screenshots of everything. Unigine Valley benchmarks in both OS X and Win. I'll add tomorrow. 

 

Realize this may not be a great guide for others trying to replicate, but wanted to share my success story as a guide post for others with similar hardware. And to say thanks again to the community. I've been an avid reader of the guides and other builds as I worked through mine.  

 

Feel free to ask any questions. I'll help where I can. 

 

 

[Dschijn]

Do you have the Idle CPU load bug? When you boot Windows, is there already a constant 10-20% load that does not fade?!

If yes, try and hiberante your MacBook with the eGPU for 1min and wake it up again.

[cyphersk8]

Are you running 64bit Windows 10? I can't seem to get the eGPU past the Code 12 error. Windows see's the 980Ti, but it can't get enough resources. I've tried everything I can think of even bought setup 1.3, but can't get it to work properly with EFI.

 

Thanks.

[Charly]

Hi none, it looks strange you get high performance playing games in OS X than WIN

 

I have also MBPr Mid 2012 and works better when playing games in WIN, not huge but you can see the difference.

 

Those temperatures are really high, I strongly recommend you change thermal paste and use Mac Fan Control Software, I can´t remember the exact temperature before i changed the paste.

 

 

Could you compare your temperatures with mine please?

 

This is my MBPr 2012 just with Safari, some mail, just regular use. 

Edited June 15, 2016 by Charly