2016 13" MacBook Pro [6th,2C,U] + GTX 780 Ti @ 32Gbps-TB3 (AKiTiO Thunder3) + macOS 10.12.3 [ikir]  

We demand pictures! 🙂

Posted by: Yukikaze

 

We demand pictures! 🙂

   

.. and bootcamped Windows.  Otherwise it’s only a half Macbook eGPU implementation 🙂

Does it work with Apple’s built-in Nvidia drivers?

1) sudo ./automate-eGPU.sh -uninstall
2) Restart
3) sudo ./automate-eGPU.sh -skip-web-driver
4) Restart

Just in case… what happens if you uninstall the TB3 enabler, and reboot into macOS by holding the Option key down? My Devil Box has the same TPS65982 chip and it reports “Unsupported” under the Thunderbolt bus. However, the TB3 enabler/binary hack is not necessary.

ah ah ah guys i will update thread tomorrow. Pictures when i find a way to organize this mess 😛

@goalque

My first try was with Apple build-in drivers but i got no luck, in profiles it was detect as generic Nvidia card.

Do you mean i can remove TB3-enabler after first installation? Why holding Option?

Okay, so the latest natively supported Kepler card is GTX 780 SC 6 GB (GK110B chip).

Because of the older TI82 PD controller - it does not support hot-plugging on macOS so booting from the cold power state, and holding down the Option key may initialize TB3 handshaking without the binary hack, as with the TI82 equipped Devil Box (DSL 6540). What’s your Thunder3 firmware version? Even though we have the same PD and TB3 controller, the older firmware (17.17) possibly explains why the Devil Box doesn’t need the hack.

Another approach is to skip DetectGPU function:

https://egpu.io/forums/mac-setup/issue-asus-xg-station-2-2016-macbook-pro-15-xfx-rx480-4g-cannot-detect-the-egpu-with-automate-egpu-sh/#post-2716

 @Nando Bootcamp refuses to install on my mac! I will try again.

PS: you can add this to implementation page

Final Cut Pro X is working!

Hello, still reading up on eGPU's and have been noticing some require odd steps to boot. Have you found this the case with your 13inch MBP?

@Eightarmedpet

Need a hub or USB-C peripheral connected to another port. I have a power delivery hub, so when i'm at home i plug eGPU and this device.

@all

GTX 780 Ti consume a lot of power, i'm trying the same setup with GTX 980, because i had some kernel panics under heavy load with my PSU stopping and i think 780 Ti drains too much power.

Cheers for the reply buddy... not ideal, but hardly much of an issue... only problem now is finding an Akitio Thunder 3! Can't find any available in the UK. If you hear of one for sale please let me know (I have been offered a Node for £250 but thinking I want to go small with my eGPU).

@Eightarmedpet

Consider that you need an "hack" to let Thunder3 work under macOS, not a big issue anyway. I work in an Apple Reseller and i have Akitio too, i can check prices for you and availability but usually Italy prices are very very high compares to US and rest of EU too.

If you want i have 2  Dell DA-2 for use with Thunder 2/3, tested and already modded with barrel plug and on/off switch. I also see a 550W PSU with barely plug, 6/8PIN PCIe power. let me know if you need anything.

@all

I will post soon a compressive benchmark with 780 Ti, 980 and 980 Ti inside Thunder 3 and inside an high end hackintosh.

PS:  Nvidia GTX 780 Ti needs a lot of power, 500w and 550w PSU are not enough. Tried with a more powerful PSU and didn't get any crashes.

Mega eGPU benchmark!!!

@ikir Great :), on the External or Internal Display are the benchmarks?

Cheers buddy, yes please let me know how much a Thunder 3 would be, can't find them anywhere in the UK!  Impressive benchmarks too, barely loosing anything over the Hack (although I have just bought a hack anyway...)

Posted by: enjoy

 

@ikir Great :), on the External or Internal Display are the benchmarks?

   

External 😀 4k

This looks amazing! Been reading a lot on here the last couple days and decided to order a Thunder3 as I don't like the Node being so huge. I'm still looking for a GPU atm and wanted to ask what I have to look for (no prior experience in building any rig). Do I need to get a different PSU in any case or is it specifically for the kind of GPU I buy? (Kind of looking into getting a GTX 780 right now) What kind of modding needs to be done in order to make it work under macOS?

Sorry for these simple questions. To my understanding I need to buy/build something like this in order to power/(get power?) from the PSU  http://kareonkables.com/products/akitio-thunder2-dell-da-2-pci-e-external-video-box-power-solution.

So all in all I need the Thunder3 , this cable, PSU, GPU and the right cables to connect to my tbMBP 13" and connect the Thunder3 to an external display?

@RedB

GTX 780 Ti consume a lot of power and can be tricky to find the right PSU. Dell Da-2 can't power GTX 780 Ti, it should power GTX 980 anyway. I have a spare Dell Da-2 with already modded cable, with on/off and 8 pin connection (plus barrel for Thunder 2/3), if you need contact me.

I suggest to use 980 anyway! But yes you get it right.

@all

Tried Starcraft 2, was a while back last time i played it, and i've noticed you can choose rendering API, switched to Metal and it was super fast indeed even at ultra.

@ikir Already ordered everything today. Decided to get the GTX 970 which should work with the Dell Da-2 afaik (Found a similar build with the Thunder2). Thanks for the offer!

@ikir Already ordered everything today. Decided to get the GTX 970 which should work with the Dell Da-2 afaik (Found a similar build with the Thunder2). Thanks for the offer!

Yes 970 works fine with Dell Da-2 it was my first eGPU 🙂

Cuda-Z macOS 10.12.4

Better results with macOS 10.12.4

On 15" MBP 2014 w/ 750M & w/ external RX 480, the OpenCL scores seem to be slightly better in all tests (ex. ~77 FPS on Cinebench and ~14200 on Luxmark) except Geekbench which I did not test. With OpenGL, of course, the 780 Ti does much better (~30 vs 57 FPS).

Posted by: mac_editor

 

On 15" MBP 2014 w/ 750M & w/ external RX 480, the OpenCL scores seem to be slightly better in all tests (ex. ~77 FPS on Cinebench and ~14200 on Luxmark) except Geekbench which I did not test. With OpenGL, of course, the 780 Ti does much better (~30 vs 57 FPS).

   

yes RX480 seems very good in OpenCL.

My Thunder 3 is doing a lifting right now

While waiting for my Mantiz which will sport a new GTX 1070, I will mod my Thunder 3 to became a mini-eGPU

Maybe with a 1070 mini or a cheaper 1050ti

Posted by: goalque

Okay, so the latest natively supported Kepler card is GTX 780 SC 6 GB (GK110B chip).

No, this is not true. I almost didn't buy a GTX 780 Ti because of this statement.
GTX 780 Ti (GK110) is very well natively supported under MacOSX. I am running MacOS Mojave with this very card at this very moment.

Posted by: OliverB

Posted by: goalque

Okay, so the latest natively supported Kepler card is GTX 780 SC 6 GB (GK110B chip).

No, this is not true. I almost didn't buy a GTX 780 Ti because of this statement.
GTX 780 Ti (GK110) is very well natively supported under MacOSX. I am running MacOS Mojave with this very card at this very moment.

It seems that GTX 780Ti wasn’t supported earlier:

https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/639105/780ti-mavericks-support/

GTX 780 Rev.2 and 6GB version have the same chip (GK110B) so maybe @ikir didn’t test properly.

Good to know that now supported natively.

My guess is that there was a confusion about the fact that it's still necessary to enable nVidia cards in eGPU setups. The best thing that with the 780Ti and Kepler Titans there are good alternatives for Mojave, if someone wants/must stick to nVidia.

Hi OliverB,

I am curious to know, how did you get this going?  I got the Razor Core X with an 780Ti inside.  However I can't seem to get the Mojave to recognise the GPU is connected.

Cheers,

Tony

Posted by: ikir

My first try was with Apple build-in drivers but i got no luck, in profiles it was detect as generic Nvidia card.

@ikir
what exactly did you try? The GTX 780 Ti is well supported by Apple build-in drivers. You obviously did something wrong and thus spread and the wrong fact, that the card wasn't supported. Please do the things correct next time, before such thing happens.

Thank you very much, appreciating your efforts, sir.

Hi @oliverb

What do I need to do to enable nVidia cards in eGPU setups? I got the Razor  Core X  with an 780Ti inside.  However I can't seem to get the Mojave to recognise the GPU is connected.

Cheers,

Tony