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

[Dschijn]

I am currently in OSX and ready for bed, can take screenshot tomorrow. Guess it is sth like "Dynamic CPU Voltage Offset". You need to slide it to the left to get a negative value. Don't forget to apply the settings.

You will have the settings until the next reboot.

[Firearm2112]

I am currently in OSX and ready for bed, can take screenshot tomorrow. Guess it is sth like "Dynamic CPU Voltage Offset". You need to slide it to the left to get a negative value. Don't forget to apply the settings.

You will have the settings until the next reboot.

thats strange, i dont seem to have that option

 

[ProjectRED]

I don't see an option to use it without the riser! Trust me.

Please read my guide (section - Powering the AKiTiO Thunder2 with an alternative power supply): http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/10061-basic-egpu-hardware-guide-macs.html

I read your Article it is well written. In the article you said that risers are not the best to use. So why can't I take apart the Akitio and undo the PCB? I bet it's held down by screws right? Can't I just drill it to an itx case near the gfx card slot. Do you mind taking pics of the inside? Also what's my performance lost when using thunderbolt one? I got an early 2013 Mac with TB1 and an gtx 650m. Thanks.

[Dschijn]

thats strange, i dont seem to have that option

 

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Ah ok... Seems like the Dual Core doesn't support it.

 

I read your Article it is well written. In the article you said that risers are not the best to use. So why can't I take apart the Akitio and undo the PCB? I bet it's held down by screws right? Can't I just drill it to an itx case near the gfx card slot. Do you mind taking pics of the inside? Also what's my performance lost when using thunderbolt one? I got an early 2013 Mac with TB1 and an gtx 650m. Thanks.

 

I don't know the performance loss... sorry. It must be sth between x4 2.0 and x4 1.1 : http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GTX_980_PCI-Express_Scaling/21.html

You can of course take the PCB out, but the way the slot is positioned, you will not be able to access the ports of the AKiTiO if you want to slot in the GPU and build it into the case. http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides-apple/9802-2013-15-macbook-pro-gt750m-gtx970@16gbps-tb2-akitio-thunder2-win10tp-%5Biregret%5D.html

[Dschijn]

This is how I can tune it:

[ProjectRED]

Ah ok... Seems like the Dual Core doesn't support it.

I don't know the performance loss... sorry. It must be sth between x4 2.0 and x4 1.1 : http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GTX_980_PCI-Express_Scaling/21.html

You can of course take the PCB out, but the way the slot is positioned, you will not be able to access the ports of the AKiTiO if you want to slot in the GPU and build it into the case. http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides-apple/9802-2013-15-macbook-pro-gt750m-gtx970@16gbps-tb2-akitio-thunder2-win10tp-%5Biregret%5D.html

Is this the right plug adaptor:http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FHHV096/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1433770347&sr=8-3π=AC_SY200_QL40&keywords=barrel+plug&dpPl=1&dpID=41c4JqsiVKL&ref=plSrch

[Dschijn]

Is this the right plug adaptor:http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FHHV096/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1433770347&sr=8-3π=AC_SY200_QL40&keywords=barrel+plug&dpPl=1&dpID=41c4JqsiVKL&ref=plSrch

 

Yes!

[ProjectRED]

Yes!

Okay thanks mate. All I need to do now Is a little more research on how to install the pcb inside case with out cutting the box and needing a riser.

[Dschijn]

If you really want to put everything into a PC case so badly, you should get a riser. I really don't see any other way!

Solid PCB riser are all facing into the wrong direction for you, so you must use a flexible riser. Problem with them is, they can't bend really good right at the slot between GPU<->riser and will collide with any case.

 

Maybe I can show it to from my first build. I had to use two typs of riser. I am only aware of one typ of solid 90° riser with an alternative orientation: http://www.delock.de/produkte/G_41788/merkmale.html?setLanguage=en

please take a look into the pics in the spoiler.

 

[tcolecruz]

This is awesome! It wouldn't be my first pick, but an awesome solution to a very specific problem Bravo! 

[Claryn]

Hi.

 

 

I am going to do this exact thing with my MacBook 13" and a 960. The Akitio enclosure you used is not large enough to house a GPU, but are there any enclosures that will work this flawlessly and got space for a GPU?

[Claryn]

Will a card like this: http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Overclocked-GDDR5-Graphics-GV-N960IXOC-2GD/dp/B00SD9KZ96 fit inside the enclosure?

[Firearm2112]

Will a card like this: http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Overclocked-GDDR5-Graphics-GV-N960IXOC-2GD/dp/B00SD9KZ96 fit inside the enclosure?

yes. check the dimensions to be sure

[Claryn]

yes. check the dimensions to be sure

 

What are the internal dimensions of the enclosure?

[TheMastr13]

I'm really considering doing this.

I'm just torn on Windows or OS X. I like OS X better from a UI perspective, but I really would like the game compatibility of Windows. The problem with dual booting is that i have a 256gb SSD, and i dont want to take up a bunch of space with 2 OS's. So That's something I have to decide.

 

I'm not huge into gaming, but i really enjoy nice graphics and think this would be a cool project. I won't be investing in a super high end graphics card, but I think a GTX 750ti (or 900 series equivalent) would be a huge improvement of the iGPU. And I don't really game unless I'm at my setup at my desk ( http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/183-show-off-your-setup/page-501#entry4423518 ).

[Lord Behk]

Hey, taking this topic again, do you know how to deal with OS X?, I would like to test this with a more native environment, It requires that power supply to work? or that was because of the GPU?... I have a Retine 15", but the 750m is not enough.

 

Regards.

[DomiZ]

Hello,

I was planning on buying a gaming pc for over a year but I came to a sudden change of mind and decided to get a 2015 15" RMBP maxed out.

If you womdering, my PC specs were a corsair air 240+i7 5960x+980 ti+32GB DDR4 ram ( there's more but I dont feel the need to write it out.

Anyways, I'm getting this laptop but I'm planning on gaming a lot and this laptop has poor gaming performance.

I plan on getting a 980 ti as an egpu.

I have this idea:

Get a RMBP, use it with a external 3440x1440 monitor.

Get a expansion device the writer of this thread is using.

Get some sleeved cables.

A corsair 760i psu (if I wanted sli.)

A corsair 250d to house it in.

My question is, is it possible to run this with the mac and house the gpu in a corsair 250d? If so could you please give me a list of things I would need to buy?

Peace

[mwthomas10]

Hello,

I was planning on buying a gaming pc for over a year but I came to a sudden change of mind and decided to get a 2015 15" RMBP maxed out.

If you womdering, my PC specs were a corsair air 240+i7 5960x+980 ti+32GB DDR4 ram ( there's more but I dont feel the need to write it out.

Anyways, I'm getting this laptop but I'm planning on gaming a lot and this laptop has poor gaming performance.

I plan on getting a 980 ti as an egpu.

I have this idea:

Get a RMBP, use it with a external 3440x1440 monitor.

Get a expansion device the writer of this thread is using.

Get some sleeved cables.

A corsair 760i psu (if I wanted sli.)

A corsair 250d to house it in.

My question is, is it possible to run this with the mac and house the gpu in a corsair 250d? If so could you please give me a list of things I would need to buy?

Peace

the maxxed out rMBP has a dedicated GPU on the inside.  That will NOT work well if you do a planning a eGPU, get the version that's all maxxed out but WITHOUT the dGPU.  the two GPUs won't work well together.  it works best with integrated.

[Claryn]

I just received the enclosure today and was thrilled to get started.

I plug my 570 into the PCIe slot, plugged it to an external 550w PSU that I use a paperclip to jumpstart. I have both the enclosure's PSU and the 550w PSU on the same powerstrip.

I plugged in the Thunderbolt cable and connected another monitor via daisychaining. 

First I tried to boot while the Akitio and the GPU was running first. The daisychaining monitor works and the Akitio is detected in OS X. I tried booting first then connecting the Akitio and the GPU to power - same result.

I installed Windows 10 and tried the same here. Same result. 

 

So I have some questions in order to troubleshoot this:

- Does OS X detect the GPU at all? 

- Do you think I might need Windows 8 for this to work? I am running the latest Microsoft Insider preview of Windows 10.

[Norman_the_Owl]

Thunderbolt 3 is gonna make this stuff so much better. I hope the surface pro 4 has Thunderbolt...

[Firearm2112]

I just received the enclosure today and was thrilled to get started.

I plug my 570 into the PCIe slot, plugged it to an external 550w PSU that I use a paperclip to jumpstart. I have both the enclosure's PSU and the 550w PSU on the same powerstrip.

I plugged in the Thunderbolt cable and connected another monitor via daisychaining. 

First I tried to boot while the Akitio and the GPU was running first. The daisychaining monitor works and the Akitio is detected in OS X. I tried booting first then connecting the Akitio and the GPU to power - same result.

I installed Windows 10 and tried the same here. Same result. 

 

So I have some questions in order to troubleshoot this:

- Does OS X detect the GPU at all? 

- Do you think I might need Windows 8 for this to work? I am running the latest Microsoft Insider preview of Windows 10.

Ive only tried this with Windows 8.1, so I cant speak for Win10. 

 

Ive never gotten OSX to detect at all

[Claryn]

Ive only tried this with Windows 8.1, so I cant speak for Win10. 

 

Ive never gotten OSX to detect at all

 

Alright I will try out Windows 8.1 then.

Did you install the driv​ers BEFORE Windows was able to detect the card? Because I tried that and it says the machine is not compatible, of course. Device manager also shows nothing.

[Firearm2112]

Alright I will try out Windows 8.1 then.

Did you install the driv​ers BEFORE Windows was able to detect the card? Because I tried that and it says the machine is not compatible, of course. Device manager also shows nothing.

Nope. First, windows must detect the card in Device Manager, then I installed the drivers

[Claryn]

After reinstalling Windows 8.1 I realized that the connector between the two PCB's was not properly connected. I connected it and Windows detected the card(!!!!!). Now installing Windows 10 to check if it actually works there - that would be awesome!

 

A new 960 ITX card from Gigabyte is also in the mail! It will fit with a 2mm clearance to the small fan in the front of the cabinet. 

Now I just need to find a neat solution for the PSU. 

I might go for a HD Plex 160w or 250w. I just have to figure out how much the card itself draws first. I should be able to fit that HD Plex PSU inside the cabinet alongside the GPU. 

[Firearm2112]

After reinstalling Windows 8.1 I realized that the connector between the two PCB's was not properly connected. I connected it and Windows detected the card(!!!!!). Now installing Windows 10 to check if it actually works there - that would be awesome!

 

A new 960 ITX card from Gigabyte is also in the mail! It will fit with a 2mm clearance to the small fan in the front of the cabinet. 

Now I just need to find a neat solution for the PSU. 

I might go for a HD Plex 160w or 250w. I just have to figure out how much the card itself draws first. I should be able to fit that HD Plex PSU inside the cabinet alongside the GPU. 

let me know if it works on windows 10. it should.