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2018 15" MacBook Pro (RP560X) [8th,6C,H] + GTX 1070 @ 32Gbps-TB3 (Razer Core X) + Win10 [Obbut]

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Obbut

(@obbut)

New Member

Joined: 3 years ago

Builds: 1

Posts: 1

August 1, 2018 10:18 pm

Specs

2018 15" MacBook Pro (2,6 Ghz i7, Radeon 560X)
Windows 10 build 1803
Razer Core X with MSI GTX 1070

Installation

Install Windows 10 using the normal Boot Camp procedure
Go to device manager and disable the PCIe x4 controller (there should be only one). This is the controller for the right side Thunderbolt ports. When not disabling it, you will probably get error 12 on both the internal dGPU and on the eGPU.
Reboot
Hotplug the eGPU after Windows has finished booting. If you plug it in before or while booting, it will cause both eGPU connected displays and your internal display to stay black.
Install Nvidia drivers

External display

External displays of course work as expected.

Internal LCD

It is possible to accelerate the internal display using the eGPU. Just don't connect any display to the eGPU and install it using the procedure above. Then:

Right click on desktop -> Display settings
Scroll down, click "Graphics Settings"
Add the apps you want to use the eGPU for, and set them to "High Performance". It should show your eGPU as the high performance graphics card, and the internal Radeon as the power saving one.

CPU Throttling

In order to make most games not stutter all the time (especially with the hot weather we currently experience here in the Netherlands), I use Intel Extreme Tuning Utillity to set a power limit on the CPU. These are the settings that have worked best for me:

Benchmarks (external display)

For comparison, I also did some benchmarks with the same GPU in a PC. See: https://imgur.com/a/2mX2o65

I did not yet perform benchmarks on the internal display.

HTC Vive

While general results look promising, I did not yet get a playable experience on the HTC Vive yet. This is a requirement for me to keep the eGPU instead of going back to a separate PC.

I tried these combinations:

eGPU in left thunderbolt port, Vive USB in the right ports
eGPU left, Vive USB left
eGPU right, Vive USB left
eGPU right, VIve USB right

All combinations of above with the Vive connected both over HDMI and over Displayport

While it does technically work, it is not what I would consider a great experience. There are stutters and an obviously enormous amount of reprojection going on. When reprojection is disabled, the result is totally unbearable. SteamVR also shows a lot of missed frame warnings.

Any suggestions to improve the VR experience are very welcome.

macOS

I did try to get it working on macOS, but with very limited success. I did get the eGPU working on an external display, but with kernel panics and horrible (<1FPS) UI performance

USB devices

When connecting my keyboard / mouse to the left USB C ports, I experience stutters on the eGPU, no matter if I connect the eGPU to the right or left ports. That's why I connect my other devices on the right side and the eGPU on the left side.

eGPU on right side Thunderbolt 3 ports

The right Thunderbolt 3 ports work fine for accelerating an external display, and the eGPU can be connected while booting Windows. Also, you don't have to disable any device in the device manager when connecting this way. However, this setup has two major downsides:

hotplugging any USB C device in the right Thunderbolt 3 ports will cause a BSOD
the internal display does not work

Activating the Intel GPU on Windows

I did try to get the Intel GPU and eGPU to work using rEFInd with macOS spoofing, with no success. Even without a connected eGPU, booting Windows on the Intel GPU (using integrated.bat) just shows a corrupted display after boot before the display goes completely black.

It would be nice to get the iGPU working as that would allow us to disable the Radeon, which probably generates more heat than the iGPU.

A sidenote on Bitlocker

Because I generally don't like having my data unencrypted, especially on a laptop, I got Bitlocker working in Windows 10. It was really not that hard, you just have to enable it the same way as with other devices that don't have a TPM. See: https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-bitlocker-encryption-windows-10

2018 15" MacBook Pro (RP560X) [8th,6C,H] + GTX 1070 @ 32Gbps-TB3 (Razer Core X) + Win10 [build link]

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Blake Seufert

(@blake_seufert)

New Member

Joined: 3 years ago

Posts: 2

August 4, 2018 9:52 pm

So what's your process for booting up / using the egpu in Windows? Just hot plug when you want it? This seems contrary to everyone needing to plug it in at boot when the apple logo appears (with exact timing). I wonder when apple will address the throttling with the boot camp drivers :/

Thanks for the build!

To do: Create my signature with system and expected eGPU configuration information to give context to my posts. I have no builds.

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Maven

(@maven)

Trusted Member

Joined: 4 years ago

Posts: 61

August 5, 2018 6:17 am

Finally! A working solution!!!

THANK YOU!

Now we need a script to run in Windows to direct all apps to use eGPU and then a switch to set all to use dGPU when done.

iGPU would be preferred as you indicated because the laptops fans are going fast and Kiefer than needed

Things I have noticed...

I have to plug in the eGPU after windows is booted. This blocks the ability to not fiddle or leave the cable in. (Shame)

When I right click on the desktop and try and enter the Nvidia settings, I get a no Nvidia card attached to system error.

Can you double check your system and verify if you can enter the Nvidia control panel. (Without an external display attached)

Can you boot with the eGPU connected without issues? (Black internal screen at boot)

Thanks in advance!

To do: Create my signature with system and expected eGPU configuration information to give context to my posts. I have no builds.

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CasperCui

(@caspercui)

New Member

Joined: 2 years ago

Posts: 1

March 1, 2019 1:38 pm

Hi,
i am using the same MBP with you, razer core x and RTX2060, i did the same settings with you, there is no error and im going tu use it on internal display. i have also did the settings in windows graphic settings but when i use this app, it use always the 560X, what should i do?

To do: Create my signature with system and expected eGPU configuration information to give context to my posts. I have no builds.

ReplyQuote