Macbook Pro with a GTX 980 Setup Guide & Benchmarks [eGPU setup, Windows 10]

[Firearm2112]

So why didn't you put the gpu in the atiko housing it comes with?

I could have only done that if it had a mini ITX card, and even then the airflow would be crap

 

the 980 is Too big for the housing

^this

[christopherlang1]

Hi All: Has anyone tried using the following for an eGpu enclosure?

 

From OWC

HighPoint Technologies

NA211TB_LD Compact 4 Bay 2.5-inch Enclosure and PCIe Expansion Solution

 

It has a 250 watt power supply and supports

 

PCIe Slot Expansion

• Two PCIe2.0 x8
• One PCIe2.0 x4
• Full length / full height

I wonder if it accepts a doublewidth card such as a GTX980? I think the 250 watt power supply is enough to drive the 980.

 

Thanks,

 

Chris

 

 

[Firearm2112]

 

Hi All: Has anyone tried using the following for an eGpu enclosure?

 

From OWC

HighPoint Technologies

NA211TB_LD Compact 4 Bay 2.5-inch Enclosure and PCIe Expansion Solution

 

It has a 250 watt power supply and supports

 

PCIe Slot Expansion

• Two PCIe2.0 x8
• One PCIe2.0 x4
• Full length / full height

I wonder if it accepts a doublewidth card such as a GTX980? I think the 250 watt power supply is enough to drive the 980.

 

Thanks,

 

Chris

 

 

 

link? Also what laptop will you be using with this. 250w for a 980 is kinda cutting it close, especially because its probably bronze rated

[mwthomas10]

Does your MacBook have TB2 or TB1, would you expect much of a performance difference between the two?

Mine is the Mid-2014 Model, pretty sure it has TB2, but does anyone know for sure?  I read somewhere that it does, but I don't remember where...

[Firearm2112]

Does your MacBook have TB2 or TB1, would you expect much of a performance difference between the two?

Mine is the Mid-2014 Model, pretty sure it has TB2, but does anyone know for sure?  I read somewhere that it does, but I don't remember where...

I have TB1. TB2 is probably a 10% performance boost give or take. It is worth it in non gaming applications such as CUDA rendering and what not

[BrinkGG]

Does your MacBook have TB2 or TB1, would you expect much of a performance difference between the two?

Mine is the Mid-2014 Model, pretty sure it has TB2, but does anyone know for sure?  I read somewhere that it does, but I don't remember where...

Mid 2014 Macbook pro or Air?

*EDIT* 

Just saw your sig... 

If I remember correctly, all of the Reitna pros have TB2. 

[Firearm2112]

Mid 2014 Macbook pro or Air?

*EDIT*

Just saw your sig...

If I remember correctly, all of the Reitna pros have TB2.

All the retinas have TB2. I have the mid 2012 model with TB1. I would highly recommend a TB2 MacBook Pro with a quad core processor

[mwthomas10]

All the retinas have TB2. I have the mid 2012 model with TB1. I would highly recommend a TB2 MacBook Pro with a quad core processor

I have the dual core 2.6ghz i5.  all the 13" models are dual core, even the i7.  would you expect it to bottleneck a 960?  and also, have you ever considered doing a how to setup your egpu video for youtube? because I, along with many others im sure, can only figure out so much by reading.

[Firearm2112]

I have the dual core 2.6ghz i5.  all the 13" models are dual core, even the i7.  would you expect it to bottleneck a 960?  and also, have you ever considered doing a how to setup your egpu video for youtube? because I, along with many others im sure, can only figure out so much by reading.

Since you have TB2, you shouldnt experience much bottleneck, only in games such as BF4 which enjoy quad core CPUs. 

[Chri5]

This is actually quite impressive...

[handymanshandle]

What kind of Dremel did you use? I have a 7300 that I'll need to get a replacement battery for but not 100% sure that it'll be good enough to get down to the essential PCIe x16 PCB and TB2 terminal/connection...

 

If it would be easier I would love to make a stained glass shard mosaic box then a clear acrylic window with holes for the fans to either intake or exhaust for ventilation purposes.

 

The sort of aesthetic I'm planning for my little adventure with a RMBP and dGPU is one that embraces flaw through repair even if it might be usable as is. (The title is in my Sig, It's the second one). I'll most likely go with a R9 3xx for the gpu since I'll probably buy a Freesync capable monitor because of the I/O it offers over the non-freesync version. Though trying to Stream the gameplay might be a wee bit difficult. Would have to possibly fall back on my old HP to run the stream or possibly to get my Samsung stable again and create an acrylic box for it. Also I would probably put a Kraken G10 on it so I can keep it somewhat quiet and cool even if I can or can not OC the card since Apple obviously doesn't expect you to do something like this, even though Thunderbolt is flexible and Windows is welcoming to this sort of project. 

 

Though, awesome build-log and I voted for your build (and a couple others) to be the featured. 

 

I wish it was more cost effective to go with the 15" RMBP because of the quad core CPU but unfortunately it exits the range I would like to keep the center-piece of my early/mid 2016 tech shopping endeavour not be more than half of what I was planning on spending the early 2015 RMBP 13" is about a quarter of that (US$1,799.00) total price I will absolutely let myself save up for, as after a certain point the price I am willing to save up could be used for a single but much larger purchase (a car). 

Though as it would appear the R9 390X could cost US$700 or more which might make the Titan X be a bargain except then a Freesync monitor would be of no use for me. Maybe the R9 380X will have pretty nice performance (around the GTX 980) and the R9 390X like the Titan X. Shame Gsync has to use proprietary Nvidia hardware to get Gsync to even work, making it cost more to manufacture, when Freesync is simply an API/Firmware supplement for the GPU to control refresh rates. 

[thefyk]

Hey, I followed this and many other guides. Here's my set up:
 

Akitio enclosure

16x - 16x riser with molex

EVGA GTX 980 Superclocked with ACX

EVGA SuperNova 850w

 

Late 2012 rMBP (Thunderbolt 1)

8GB RAM

2.5 GHz core i5 

 

Everything seems to connect properly pretty easily. I have the Akitio connected to the macbook TB. Without the PSU, with the Akitio power connected, the GTX 980 will still light up, but the fans will not move. When the GTX is plugged into the PSU through VGA cables, the Akitio flashes intermittently along with the GTX 980 and its fans. If I unplug the Akitio, nothing seems to receive any power even with the Molex plugged into the PSU.

 

I have followed the instructions for Yosemite as well as Windows 7.1, but haven't gotten the device itself recognized. I would assume that if the GTX 980 was receiving enough power from the PSU, it would be recognized by OSX right now. The PSU is definitely supplying some power and is brand new from EVGA, so I'd believe its something I'm doing incorrectly over faulty parts.

 

Does anyone know something I can try to make this work? It's driving me insane.

 

Thanks,

[Firearm2112]

What kind of Dremel did you use? I have a 7300 that I'll need to get a replacement battery for but not 100% sure that it'll be good enough to get down to the essential PCIe x16 PCB and TB2 terminal/connection...

 

If it would be easier I would love to make a stained glass shard mosaic box then a clear acrylic window with holes for the fans to either intake or exhaust for ventilation purposes.

 

The sort of aesthetic I'm planning for my little adventure with a RMBP and dGPU is one that embraces flaw through repair even if it might be usable as is. (The title is in my Sig, It's the second one). I'll most likely go with a R9 3xx for the gpu since I'll probably buy a Freesync capable monitor because of the I/O it offers over the non-freesync version. Though trying to Stream the gameplay might be a wee bit difficult. Would have to possibly fall back on my old HP to run the stream or possibly to get my Samsung stable again and create an acrylic box for it. Also I would probably put a Kraken G10 on it so I can keep it somewhat quiet and cool even if I can or can not OC the card since Apple obviously doesn't expect you to do something like this, even though Thunderbolt is flexible and Windows is welcoming to this sort of project. 

 

Though, awesome build-log and I voted for your build (and a couple others) to be the featured. 

You dont need to dremel any of the Akitio. I'm not sure what kind I have. I just rented it from the hardware store for this project. I did opt to get the one with the diamond blade, which cut nicely. I was able to OC my card, so you should be fine, although I dont have any experiance doing this with AMD cards. Anyways, I wish you the best of luck with your project. 

[Norman_the_Owl]

I wonder if G-sync works.

 

I don't see a reason it wouldn't, but it'd be interesting

[Firearm2112]

Hey, I followed this and many other guides. Here's my set up:

 

Akitio power supply

16x - 16x riser with molex

EVGA GTX 980 Superclocked with ACX

EVGA SuperNova 850w

 

Late 2012 rMBP (Thunderbolt 1)

8GB RAM

2.5 GHz core i5 

 

Everything seems to connect properly pretty easily. I have the Akitio connected to the macbook TB. Without the PSU, with the Akitio power connected, the GTX 980 will still light up, but the fans will not move. When the GTX is plugged into the PSU through VGA cables, the Akitio flashes intermittently along with the GTX 980 and its fans. If I unplug the Akitio, nothing seems to receive any power even with the Molex plugged into the PSU.

 

I have followed the instructions for Yosemite as well as Windows 7.1, but haven't gotten the device itself recognized. I would assume that if the GTX 980 was receiving enough power from the PSU, it would be recognized by OSX right now. The PSU is definitely supplying some power and is brand new from EVGA, so I'd believe its something I'm doing incorrectly over faulty parts.

 

Does anyone know something I can try to make this work? It's driving me insane.

 

Thanks,

You must use Windows 8.1. Windows 7 will not recognize the eGPU for some reason. Also, make sure that BOTH the akitio power supply and the external power supply are connected. I recommend plugging these into a power strip to turn them on at both the same time. Make sure the PSU is switched on, and you are jumping the PSU mobo connector. A few things you can try:

 

Prerequisite: make sure your default boot is set to Windows

-Power on the powerstrip containing the Akitio and PSU, and the Macbook Pro at EXACTLY the same time. 

-Power on the powerstrip as soon as the Windows logo apears

 

Try these and MAKE SURE you are jumping your PSU mobo cable. Most people forget to do this, but it is crucial. Let me know if you need any more help

[Firearm2112]

I wonder if G-sync works.

 

I don't see a reason it wouldn't, but it'd be interesting

I dont see why not. But for some reason, ShadowPlay didnt work for me until I changed some registry settings. I believe this is because the Nvidia drivers think the entire PC is a laptop. (because of the mobile CPU) This is also why DSLR dosen't work for me. 

[handymanshandle]

You dont need to dremel any of the Akitio. I'm not sure what kind I have. I just rented it from the hardware store for this project. I did opt to get the one with the diamond blade, which cut nicely. I was able to OC my card, so you should be fine, although I dont have any experiance doing this with AMD cards. Anyways, I wish you the best of luck with your project. 

My intent is to extract the bits that are used to connect the card to the laptop, unless I can just unscrew those parts with a regular phillips head or flathead. Though I can't determine if it's worth it to divulge in quad core goodness for the sake of spending an extra $500. Essentially where it could be put towards the R9 390X if it does cost more than the GTX 980 was at launch.

[sesto6elemento]

HI, may i know if this setup works with Late 2012 27" iMac? It has an intergrated GTX 675 MX.

[BrinkGG]

HI, may i know if this setup works with Late 2012 27" iMac? It has an intergrated GTX 675 MX.

If it has thunderbolt 1/2 it will work, and I assume it does. 

[jordantse]

I'm planning on getting a Mac Mini 2012 Quad Core and possibly a GTX 980. The only thing is, I MUST use OS X due to some graphic design software that I am required to use. 

 

I found this post somewhere and found it quite interesting. It uses a ThunderBolt to ExpressCard then an ExpressCard to PCI-E, my concerns are that ExpressCard is limited to 2.5 Gigabit/s, which might possibly bottleneck the GPU. My main consideration for using the ViDock is that it has its own built in PSU up to 320W, which means that I save money without a PSU.

 

http://www.journaldulapin.com/2014/12/04/a-nvidia-maxwell-card-with-thunderbolt-on-a-mac-running-yosemite/

 

http://www.sonnettech.com/product/echoexpresscard34thunderbolt.html

http://www.villagetronic.com/g4/expansion-products/nano/overview

 

Do you think I should get the Sonnet ExpressCard and a ViDock or should I get an Akitio Thunder2 PCI-E Box?

 

[mwthomas10]

I'm planning on getting a Mac Mini 2012 Quad Core and possibly a GTX 980. The only thing is, I MUST use OS X due to some graphic design software that I am required to use. 

 

I found this post somewhere and found it quite interesting. It uses a ThunderBolt to ExpressCard then an ExpressCard to PCI-E, my concerns are that ExpressCard is limited to 2.5 Gigabit/s, which might possibly bottleneck the GPU. My main consideration for using the ViDock is that it has its own built in PSU up to 320W, which means that I save money without a PSU.

 

http://www.journaldulapin.com/2014/12/04/a-nvidia-maxwell-card-with-thunderbolt-on-a-mac-running-yosemite/

 

http://www.sonnettech.com/product/echoexpresscard34thunderbolt.html

http://www.villagetronic.com/g4/expansion-products/nano/overview

 

Do you think I should get the Sonnet ExpressCard and a ViDock or should I get an Akitio Thunder2 PCI-E Box?

From what I've read on this process, it would bottleneck the hell out of your 980.  I'm planning on doing this with a 960 and Firearm said it would still bottleneck if I used an ExpressCard.  I would strongly recommend getting the AkiTio and then get the cheapest psu you can find FROM A REPUTABLE BRAND (Corsair, Seasonic, EVGA, XFX, etc.)

[Firearm2112]

I'm planning on getting a Mac Mini 2012 Quad Core and possibly a GTX 980. The only thing is, I MUST use OS X due to some graphic design software that I am required to use. 

 

I found this post somewhere and found it quite interesting. It uses a ThunderBolt to ExpressCard then an ExpressCard to PCI-E, my concerns are that ExpressCard is limited to 2.5 Gigabit/s, which might possibly bottleneck the GPU. My main consideration for using the ViDock is that it has its own built in PSU up to 320W, which means that I save money without a PSU.

 

http://www.journaldulapin.com/2014/12/04/a-nvidia-maxwell-card-with-thunderbolt-on-a-mac-running-yosemite/

 

http://www.sonnettech.com/product/echoexpresscard34thunderbolt.html

http://www.villagetronic.com/g4/expansion-products/nano/overview

 

Do you think I should get the Sonnet ExpressCard and a ViDock or should I get an Akitio Thunder2 PCI-E Box?

I always recommend the Akitio. The ViDock is not legitimate. They have to use the express card converter because they do not have rights from Intel to use thunderbolt technology. The akitio is legitamate and will get you better speeds.

[kandrejevs]

Have you run it under OS X? using final cut on my 13" pro would be awesome, there is blog about running maxwell cards via vidock 3, just need confirmation before spending 1000$ on hardware

[Firearm2112]

Have you run it under OS X? using final cut on my 13" pro would be awesome, there is blog about running maxwell cards via vidock 3, just need confirmation before spending 1000$ on hardware

Do not use ViDock! You will get much slower speeds. I recommend the Akitio Thunder2

[handymanshandle]

@Firearm2112 Would I be correct to think that the 2.8GHz i7 (4980HQ) in the 15" RMBP would hold back a Titan X by quite a bit?

I wonder this because I sort of would rather spend $1k on a GPU rather than a whole build to compliment a cheaper RMBP. Also because I want to run a higher than FHD display.

Though I run into another issue is that I am then spending an extra $1k on a higher resolution monitor (UHD/1440p or QHD/4k) so really it's like I sort of hope that LG launches a 29" 4k display that has Freesync and is possibly 21:9.