System specs
- Mid-2015 15" MacBook Pro 11,5 - i7-4980HQ 2.8Ghz/HD Graphics 5200 iGPU/AMD R9 M370X dGPU/16GB/512GB SSD
eGPU hardware
- ADT-Link R43SG-TU + Sintech NGFF M.2 nVME SSD Adapter
- Palit GeForce RTX 2060 Super Dual
- Transcend JetDrive 855 480GB SSD Upgrade Kit as 12+16 m2 > TB2 enclosure // original Apple SSD moved into enclosure for boot
- M.2 to USB Adapter, RIITOP M2 SSD to USB 3.0 Adapter + 12+16 Pins SSD to M.2 Key M (NGFF) PCI-e Adapter // moved Transcend SSD for general usage
- PSU Silverstone SST-NJ450-SXL // Fanless - Totally Silent + braided modular cables.
- ADT-Link eGPU stand
Hardware pictures
Installation steps
- Assembled the ADT-Link eGPU stand and attached ADT-Link R43SG-TU
- Removed the internal SSD and installed into the Transcend enclosure and ensured that OSX and Bootcamp still booted
- Applied DSDT override and ran DDU for AMD drivers
- Setup DIY USB-attached Transcend SSD with 512MB FAT partition and applied apple_set_os.efi + startup.nsh
- Shutdown
- Installed Sintech NGFF adapter and ADT-Link
- Connect PSU power to ADT-Link and GPU.
- Powered up GPU (SW1 to position 1) and boot machine via USB SSD
- Install latest Nvidia drivers + nvidia-error43-fixer
- Done!
Benchmarks (Include a CUDA-Z or AIDA64 bandwidth pic. Optional: Valley, 3dmark, noting if it's on internal/external LCD )
Comments (eg: how has the eGPU improved your workflow or gaming)
<will think of something poetic to describe the glory>
@k1llah3rtz, This is an excellent M.2 build with the 2015 15-in MacBook Pro! I really like the PSU you chose. Will keep it in mind when I need a new PSU.
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2021 14" Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio [11th,4C,H] + RTX 2080 Ti @ 32Gbps-TB4 (WD_Black D50) + Win11 [build link]
@itsage, this build was only possible down to all the work that folks such as yourself and @nando4 already did - for which i'm very grateful!
minor edit to include more benchmarks specifically Forza 4 @ autodetected Ultra - CPU running with Turbo-disabled and GPU running @ factory
Hi,
@itsage, @nando4 - just done the pcie bandwidth test in 3dmark and its topping out a 3GB/s flat - is there a known hit from using the R43 or have i missed a patch/fix for this?
Thanks,
@k1llah3rtz, your bandwidth measured is as expected for a 32Gbps-M.2 link as compared to reference at https://egpu.io/builds#perf .
Your MacBook being special with it's socketted M.2 NVME SSD slot making this M.2 eGPU configuration possible. 2016+ MBPs having soldered NVME SSDs.
eGPU Setup 1.35 • eGPU Port Bandwidth Reference Table
2015 15" Dell Precision 7510 (Q M1000M) [6th,4C,H] + GTX 1080 Ti @32Gbps-M.2 (ADT-Link R43SG) + Win10 1803 // compares M.2 vs TB3 performance inc unoptimized H-CPU BIOS [build link]
@nando4, ah that makes sense and making me feel kinda dumb as I knew this already and hadn't put 2+2 together 
lol. thanks
Genuine question, is your laptop at this point no longer portable? In other words if you want to go in the other room you can't just get up an go right?
To do: Create my signature with system and expected eGPU configuration information to give context to my posts. I have no builds.
.