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

[Firearm2112]

4 core i7

 

Sorry if I am annoying I am just trying to make sure everything works fine before I buy!

yeah you should be good. keep in mind the boot process is different for everyone. and dont forget the PSU mobo jumper! without it youll have a paper weight!

[Frosk]

Regarding the noise and macbook temperature, how is it compared to playing demanding games without the external gpu?

[Firearm2112]

Regarding the noise and macbook temperature, how is it compared to playing demanding games without the external gpu?

Without the eGPU gaming would be barely possible

[mwthomas10]

Regarding the noise and macbook temperature, how is it compared to playing demanding games without the external gpu?

 

Without the eGPU gaming would be barely possible

yeah... I do some gaming on my 2560x1600 built in screen with iris 5100, world of tanks low settings 50 fps, war thunder low settings 60-70 fps, simcity very playable, minecraft fancy graphics render distance 8 surface fps 100-120 ill update this with tf2 frames in a little while.

 

its very annoying.

[Giddyguy]

this is really cool, wish i could do this with my surface pro

[Dschijn]

Regarding the noise and macbook temperature, how is it compared to playing demanding games without the external gpu?

 

With an eGPU and a current game you will push the CPU to almost full load. By that and the bad cooling of the MacBooks the CPU is at 90-100°C and the fans are pushed to the max as well.

[Firearm2112]

With an eGPU and a current game you will push the CPU to almost full load. By that and the bad cooling of the MacBooks the CPU is at 90-100°C and the fans are pushed to the max as well.

False. I changed my fan curve, and my CPU temps never go above 72 degrees on full load while gaming

 

90-100 degrees is an exaggeration 

[mwthomas10]

False. I changed my fan curve, and my CPU temps never go above 72 degrees on full load while gaming

 

90-100 degrees is an exaggeration 

How do you change your fan curve on a macbook?

[Firearm2112]

How do you change your fan curve on a macbook?

Speed fan

[mwthomas10]

Speed fan

that an internet download?

[Firearm2112]

that an internet download?

Indeed

[Dschijn]

Ok… seems like the 13" CPU is better to cool. My 15" is always hitting 90° even with full speed fans.

[mwthomas10]

Ok… seems like the 13" CPU is better to cool. My 15" is always hitting 90° even with full speed fans.

It has two cores, 15" has 4 cores.  That'll be why.

[Dschijn]

It has two cores, 15" has 4 cores.  That'll be why.

Hehe, I know, but the 15" is cooling the 45W CPU with two fans and the 13" just a 28W CPU with one fan.

[mwthomas10]

Hehe, I know, but the 15" is cooling the 45W CPU with two fans and the 13" just a 28W CPU with one fan.

Yah, but fans don't really matter unless there is decent heat transfer medium (heat pipes) of which apple has practically none.

[ba10s118]

Yah, but fans don't really matter unless there is decent heat transfer medium (heat pipes) of which apple has practically none.

I've just ordered the akitio, and have the same mac as you. Do you feel like the cpu is a bottle neck?

 

Edit: Nvm "soon" egpu. 

To OP - does the akitio come with a tb cable ?

[Firearm2112]

I've just ordered the akitio, and have the same mac as you. Do you feel like the cpu is a bottle neck?

 

Edit: Nvm "soon" egpu. 

To OP - does the akitio come with a tb cable ?

yes it does come with one

[ba10s118]

yes it does come with one

Good - the price is like 90us$ for a 3ft cable in dk.

[mwthomas10]

I've just ordered the akitio, and have the same mac as you. Do you feel like the cpu is a bottle neck?

 

Edit: Nvm "soon" egpu. 

To OP - does the akitio come with a tb cable ?

Yah, I'm at the "still needs to ask parents for cool gadgets" age so its taking me a while to get this together

[ProjectRED]

So I have a few questions about this idea. So I have a 15" i7 macbook pro with the 650m from nividia. This is my school computer but I want to build a new one for gaming. So I should by a titan x for now and buy the rest later on. But my question is will this burn my mac? Like I know the gpu will do it but how does the cpu hold up? Would a cooling pad help? Thanks.

[ProjectRED]

Also is there a pcie enclosure that had two thunderbolt ports so I can combine the speed and have 20gbs. My mac has tb1

[Dschijn]

Good - the price is like 90us$ for a 3ft cable in dk.

 

Just keep in mind that the AKiTiO cable is only 50cm long and not super flexible.

 

--

 

@ProjectRED: You will not be able to combine two TB ports to get more speed!

The i7 in the 15" gets super hot, because of the small heatsink Apple builds into the MacBook. You will not be able to improve cooling a lot, but you can change it that the CPU isn't throtteling too much.

Rules are:

- use a stand or lift to give the bottom part of the MB fresh air

- reduce CPU voltage in Windows

- change the fan curve in Windows or let them run at full speed the whole time

 

Intels specification say the CPU is good up to 105°C and the manufactures (like Apple) can set their own max temperature.

- Apple chose 100°C

- to avoid damage and not getting above 100°C the CPU will throttle

- the fan curve of the MacBook will make the fan ramp up only between sth like 70-100°C

[Firearm2112]

So I have a few questions about this idea. So I have a 15" i7 macbook pro with the 650m from nividia. This is my school computer but I want to build a new one for gaming. So I should by a titan x for now and buy the rest later on. But my question is will this burn my mac? Like I know the gpu will do it but how does the cpu hold up? Would a cooling pad help? Thanks.

I would just increase the fan curve for your macbook a bit. It won't burn your mac

[mwthomas10]

So I have a few questions about this idea. So I have a 15" i7 macbook pro with the 650m from nividia. This is my school computer but I want to build a new one for gaming. So I should by a titan x for now and buy the rest later on. But my question is will this burn my mac? Like I know the gpu will do it but how does the cpu hold up? Would a cooling pad help? Thanks.

 

 

The CPU will absolutely toast and probably bottleneck the Titan X, any way to help with cooling would make this much safer for the macbook.

 

Also is there a pcie enclosure that had two thunderbolt ports so I can combine the speed and have 20gbs. My mac has tb1

As far as I know, there is no way to do what you are suggesting.  I think there are pcie enclosures with 2 TB ports, but I do not believe it is possible to split the GPU bandwith between the two different connections.

 

I am not an expert on the topic, so take what I said with a grain of salt, but until OP responds, I would say this is the best answer you're going to get.

[Firearm2112]

Also is there a pcie enclosure that had two thunderbolt ports so I can combine the speed and have 20gbs. My mac has tb1

You cannot combine speeds. You are stuck with 10gbps.