Hi all, here's my first build after lurking for quite some time.
System specs
- 13" 2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and 4 TB3 ports
- 2,9 GHz i5 dual-core
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- Integrated Iris Plus
- Windows 10, version 2004 slow insider build (RTM) running off a 512GB Samsung T5
eGPU hardware
- Razer Core X Chroma
- NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti
- Stock TB3 cable (Apple TB3 cable in the mail for better looks)
- Fan upgrade for the Core also in the mail
- GPU connected to 2x Dell U2717D 1440p monitors
Hardware pictures
Installation steps
The Windows To Go environment was created with WinToUSB, and then setup without anything connected. When logged in and BootCamp software/drivers/updates and whatnot was installed, I plugged in the eGPU. After some time Windows installed the necessary drivers and applications needed, and it seemed like I was good to go, but nothing was showing up on my external monitors. I checked device manager, and sure enough, error 12 on the GPU. I then disabled the PCIe Root Port #9 as well as the FaceTime HD camera ("build"-in) (with spelling errors and everything. 🙂 ) After that, I shut down the machine, disconnected the eGPU, booted the machine, and as soon as the spinning ball appears under the Windows logo, I plugged in the eGPU. And BAM, everything works great.
Benchmarks
120+ FPS in League of Legends, 1440p, settings maxed out
100+ FPS in CS:GO, 1440p, high settings
100+ FPS in Overwatch, Ultra settings, render scale 100%
240+ FPS in Minecraft
Comments
I'm VERY surprised of the performance I am able to get in the games that I play, when I think of the puny 2,9GHz dual-core. I really didn't expect much. I come from a Mac Pro 5,1 6-core 3,46GHz using the same 980 Ti, and I sometimes even get BETTER performance than that machine. I CPU heavy workloads I can feel a difference though, but the plan is also to upgrade the laptop.
I do, as some others, experience problems with connecting USB hubs to the Razer Core X Chroma. As I need more than 4 USB ports, I'm hoping that someone has found a solution to this. If not, I might just have to give in on the perfect one-cable solution and buy a USB hub that I can connect to the MacBook. (Yes, the plan is also to get rid of the external SSD when I get a Mac with appropriate amounts of storage.)