DIY eGPU experiences

[grankmisguided]

Hey guys, I need a hand...

I've got a PE4H EC2C with a GTX 560 in it, trying to hook up to a ThinkPad W520.

The laptop has an Intel HD iGPU and a Quadro 1000M dGPU.

I've tried the stock desktop drivers Windows Update installs when you plug in the card,
I've tried 301.42 Verde drivers I manually edited the nvam.inf for,
I've tried 295.73 Verde drivers with kizwan's inf from here.
I've tried hot-plugging it,
I've tried sleep-plugging it,
I've tried having it hooked up already on boot.
I've tried with the bios setting to Integrated graphics (disables the Quadro 1000M),
and with it on Optimus (leaves both the Intel HD and the Quadro 1000M enabled).
No matter what I do, I end up with the same problem:

The Intel HD runs the internal LCD and I get no output to the external monitor hooked up to the GTX 560, and I can't access NVIDIA Control Panel. When I try to launch it with the 560 hooked up, I get an error dialog box with the heading and detail

NVIDIA Display settings are not available.
You are not currently using a display attached to an NVIDIA GPU.

I'm not having much trouble getting the card to appear in Device Manager without an exclamation mark or BSODs or anything, which it sounds like are most people's troubles when they find they need Setup 1.x... At a few points in my evening's struggles here I've even actually had all three adapters, that is to say the Intel HD, the Quadro 1000M, and the GTX 560, all appearing as "working properly" in Device Manager at the same time! Even then, with TWO nvidia graphics cards detected and supposedly working, NVIDIA Control Panel still claims I'm not currently using a display attached to an NVIDIA GPU. So it's not the presence or absence of the Quadro 1000M, but just that it refuses to launch if the GTX 560's present either way.

So bottom line is that I can't use the card at all, because I can't get it to output anything. I don't know how one could even have any control over that if one can't get the control panel to launch.

I haven't tried Setup 1.x yet, I'm not sure if it will help in this situation or not but I can't figure out how to get it. It says a license for it is included with PE4H hardware, but I bought mine off eBay rather than directly from HIT, and it didn't come with any disc or anything, so I thought fine, I'll donate the $25 anyway... but it still didn't give me any download link or anything! I seriously cannot figure out how/where to download Setup 1.x and it's driving me completely insane.

Can someone help me? At the very least someone should be able to explain to me how one *gets* Setup 1.x...

[kizwan]

There are two successful W520 + eGPU impementations:-
DIY eGPU experiences
DIY eGPU experiences

You might want to contact them. BTW, you can't use PM yet because you have less than 5 posts.

Basically, this should allow eGPU to work without any problem:-

1. disabled Quadro 1000m in BIOS (set to Integrated graphics)
   
   This is required since Nvidia control panel will failed to detect which one is primary Nvidia GPU for Optimus.
2. Removed existing Nvidia drivers & only installed Nvidia Verde drivers with modded nvam.inf (for recognizing desktop GPU).

What happen if you turn ON notebook with eGPU already connected? I mean, does eGPU is detected in Device Manager? With/without exclamation mark?

[ebbitten]

So I've gotten to the point where I can plug in all the hardware, the screen does seem to flicker to black and come back at some point but as far as I can tell the computer doesn't otherwise detect the egpu. Can't find it in device manager and there aren't any popups, I've also tried running the driver installation and that says no applicable hardware was found. Everything is freshly bought. The fan whirls at two different speeds depending on how I've plugged it in. I think the power supply is correctly supplying the power but im not 100% sure.

I've tried plugging it in the following manners.
Turning to sleep hotplugging resuming
Restarting with it in and on
Having both devices off but plugged in, turning on laptop and at windows screen (4 dots) turning on egpu

any help or direction would be awesome.
Thanks

[kizwan]

The fan whirls at two different speeds depending on how I've plugged it in.

This might means that the EC2C card doesn't connect properly in the ExpressCard slot. If there is proper connection, fan on the GPU should slow down when connected the EC2C to ExpressCard slot (notebook is power ON). Try push & hold the EC2C card with your hand & boot/reboot your notebook.

[Juventino10]

Hey guys,

I'm running the eGPU setup on a Sony Vaio VPCF Series laptop - it's connected through the express card slot.

Has anyone had the issue of being unable to turn on the eGPU via the Setup 1.x boot?

Every time I attempt to turn it on, I get a message saying Bios TXT: Locked

The system's bios is very basic and doesn't provide many options when I access it.

The thing is, everything is detected. The boot manager can see my card, my computer can see the card (only blocked by the code 12 error). I can sometimes load into windows using my eGpu only for it to freeze after about 10 seconds onto my windows desktop.

I'm trying to run it with a HD5850 ATI card, it has an onboard nVidia GT310M

Any advice would be great, thanks guys!

Nath

[BlackHole_NK]

@kizwan
Thanks for your answer.
I tried your procedure multiple times but it had no effect at all. I even suspected the high GRAM as the error source, so I changed my graphics card to a GTX560 1GB (from Gigabyte) now. Nothing, although the HD3850 still works...
What can I do now?

[ebbitten]

This might means that the EC2C card doesn't connect properly in the ExpressCard slot. If there is proper connection, fan on the GPU should slow down when connected the EC2C to ExpressCard slot (notebook is power ON). Try push & hold the EC2C card with your hand & boot/reboot your notebook.

I'll try that, to clarify I meant that depending on if I plugged it in after sleep or from a complete shutdown bootup it would whirl at different speeds. Also the times it does change speed it speeds up rather than slowing down when connected. When should I try connecting it? Also there are different places on the pciE connector to connect the mini-HDMI cord to, I've just been connecting it to the outermost part with the small switch on setting "1", is this correct?

[kizwan]

@kizwan
Thanks for your answer.
I tried your procedure multiple times but it had no effect at all. I even suspected the high GRAM as the error source, so I changed my graphics card to a GTX560 1GB (from Gigabyte) now. Nothing, although the HD3850 still works...
What can I do now?

This is strange. I don't have any idea why 3850 is detected but GT560 is not detected. Please download SIV, run & click "PCI Bus" in the window. See if your GTX560 is listed or not.

If you have linux live cd, you can try boot with it, open terminal & run "lspci -v". See whether GTX560 is listed or not.

I'll try that, to clarify I meant that depending on if I plugged it in after sleep or from a complete shutdown bootup it would whirl at different speeds. Also the times it does change speed it speeds up rather than slowing down when connected. When should I try connecting it? Also there are different places on the pciE connector to connect the mini-HDMI cord to, I've just been connecting it to the outermost part with the small switch on setting "1", is this correct?

The way you're connecting it is already correct, it is the outermost on the PE4H board. Sorry, I really don't have any idea why it doesn't want to detect. You can try wiggle the EC2C slowly (carefully). That all the idea I have right now.

BTW, out of 4 LEDs on the PE4H, does 3 of them light up (green)?

[kizwan]

Hey guys,

I'm running the eGPU setup on a Sony Vaio VPCF Series laptop - it's connected through the express card slot.

The thing is, everything is detected. The boot manager can see my card, my computer can see the card (only blocked by the code 12 error). I can sometimes load into windows using my eGpu only for it to freeze after about 10 seconds onto my windows desktop.

I'm trying to run it with a HD5850 ATI card, it has an onboard nVidia GT310M

Any advice would be great, thanks guys!

Nath

To overcome Error Code 12, you need to use DSDT Override.

[prestonslade]

I was curious to know if anyone knew if my laptop was compatible with the DIY eGPU. I'm looking forward to playing guild wars 2, but as is with intel HD Graphics it won't be possible. I want to know if possible what to buy to build and whats the cheapest Graphics card that will handle the setup. Thank you in advance. Even a little help and I'll continue doing research.

Dell Studio 1569.
I'm running windows 7 home premium 64 bit.
intel core i5 m 450 @2.40GHz.
intel HD Graphics.
8GB RAM(7.80 usable).