DIY eGPU experiences

[nlooije]

@Nlooije
Im running windows xp 64bit, on 4gb of ram and I have tried the other meathods of removing the code 12 like different drivers ect. And this is going to sound really noob of me, but how do I check what type of gpu I have on my laptop so i can tell you?

1. click on start -> run -> type devmgmt.msc
2. in the device manager -> display adapters
what does it say there? my guess from the specs i found online is that you have Intel GMA 4500M as iGPU but no dGPU.

i have no idea how well xp work with eGPU, maybe someone else has any experience with this? Would you be willing to upgrade to w7 x64?

[Chexmix321]

At the moment I'd like to keep my xp, but in the future V7 may be an option, As for whats under display adapters it says Mobile Intel 4 series express chipset family

[sprtnbsblplya]

You can get an older card to save money, but I don't think it's a good idea to go 3 generations back. You can definitely find better value for 50 dollars, for example a 4770HD is only 50 bucks shipped on ebay, and it's 40nm. As a general rule for value look 1 generation back, as the very old cards have much higher power consumption, lower performance, and aren't much cheaper.

External GPU => eGPU is a nice abbreviation When I talk to people about DIY ViDock I always call it external gpu anyways.

Edit: Bought a used GTS 250 off [H] for a good deal.
Just placed an order for the PE4L w/ ATX power switch part for $70 shipped from HIT.

Going to order a Corsair 500w PSU off Amazon one day this week. Should have all the parts in the next week or so.

Now just to find a decent box to put it all in...
I've seen a very professional looking aluminum cased one on here, as well as one put into a tacklebox like enclosure. Anybody else managed to put theirs in a box?

[hbdharvin]

hey guys ... new poster .. long time follower....
just wanted your opinion on this :
Bumbleebee brings NVIDIA Optimus graphics switching to Linux
its about a 3rd party software who hacked optimus features onto linux ... wouldn't it be possible to port this to linux ??

[beatTheRestrictions]

Hey Everyone
.....
So I'm left here with an Acer 5742G laptop:
i3 370M 2.4ghz
Dedicated Radeon 5470 mobility 512ddr3 - HATE DDR3 in gcards! @ x16 2.0 pcie
4GB 1366mhz ram
WIN7 64-bit
South Bridge : Intel HM55

Which can barely render Bad Company 2 @ a solid 30fps @ lowest setting.

After overclocking the 5470 with RivaTuner from 750 core to 860 and 800 memory to 960 and also changing BFBC2 settings.ini property RenderAheadLimit to = 0 It is actually playable but not by much..

.....
Cheers,
BTR

After changing the directX property in BFBC2 settings.ini from AUTO to 9 I can now run the game @ a solid 45-50fps with the 5470 mobility @ the native 1366x768 resolution (1024x768 before)

Awesome. No more being killed due to fps drops..!

BTR

[User Retired 2]

Since there's interest, I've formulated a plan of how we can move towards being a eGPU Experiences thread.

eGPU to replace DIY ViDock? Need volunteers to make it happen.

A couple of posts back the iGPU/dGPU naming that pyr0 really stuck out. It makes sense to add eGPU to describe an external desktop GPU. I found when writing doco for Setup 1.x that it's a lot easier to say power on your eGPU then power on your DIY ViDock.

So perhaps we can just change all references from DIY ViDock to eGPU? We'd have our very own name and I believe the hardware, software, documented experiences, performance tweaks and ultra low price means we no longer have to pay homage to the Villagetronic ViDock - we've surpassed it by a fair margin. Would also be better for HIT and hwtools as I've noticed they refrain from using any ViDock references in their documentation.

How would we move to a eGPU Experiences thread?

Require volunteers to create content as noted below. The first three are just a new posts and interested parties can do a mock up post like this. When we'd be ready to move to the eGPU Experiences thread, those mock ups would be copy+pasted by that owner to be one of the first few posts that new thread. That person would then update and maintain that post.

Components	Owner
1. News, intro, pre-purchase FAQ, Getting Started, Performance: ATI v NVidia + PCIe lane scaling, Performance/Compatibity Matrix, x1e/x2/x2E/x4 system capable list, MacBook compatibility, CUDA/CGPU apps, other applications for the hardware. -> These could be separated into their own posts if someone wants to really investigate and own that section. As it is now, I'd just refresh the content on the first page.	nando4
2. Troubleshooting FAQ based on a summary of all posts so far.	nlooije - done! .
3. A PSU supply/enclosure FAQ	please sign up
A new logo	please sign up
Youtube videos: a "Getting started" one and a demo of it in action with recent games and perhaps CUDA applications (NVidia)	please sign up
Setup 1.x help documentation extended by public participation. Setup 1.0f-pre13 just uploaded. That being one of three components outstanding prior to release: 36-bit ACPI patching to allow 4GB+ setups on systems with TOLUD=3.5GB, help doco updates and a more sophisticated automated installer. I'll roll it to version 1.1 since it's a significant upgrade from 1.08. Coincidentally, it's Setup 1.00's 1st birthday today.	please PM contributions

Conclusion

I'd envisage this thread continuing until we have all bits in order then do a Charlie Sheen@one speed .. go eGPU!

Thoughts?

[beatTheRestrictions]

Thoughts?

Would definitely change the name to eGPU. DIY ViDock is long winded and ties the name of all the work you're doing with the overpriced ViDock.

Who knows maybe one day Laptops will have an eGPU x16 pci-e connector next to their eSATA -- but I can see why mainstream laptops want to avoid this at all costs .. 16x upgradeable graphics + i7 looks like it would future proof for quite a few years.



----------------
Instead of posting twice..

Question for anyone who has time:
In the first post it says Series 5 chipset can't do 1XE can someone explain why?

Thanks
BTR

[sprtnbsblplya]

3. A PSU supply/enclosure FAQ

Just came up with a great idea for a plexiglass based enclosure using plexiglass (obviously), metal corner braces, and strong adhesive such as gorilla glue, and some DIY enthusiast desktop PC screw parts.

Unfortunately I don't have any of my eGPU parts yet to get measurements and make a drawing (that and an anesthetic pharm exam on Wed), hopefully I can get it built in the next 2 or 3 weeks and post a guide.
Looks like FrozenCPU has everything I need to make my idea work out, that and some plexiglass and brackets from Home Depot and I should be set!

[User Retired 2]

Instead of posting twice..

Question for anyone who has time:
In the first post it says Series 5 chipset can't do 1XE can someone explain why?

Thanks
BTR

Only ICH7M, ICH8M and ICH9M show 15-30% improved performance when the x1E tweak is engaged. The Series-5 chipset tested with a HD5xxx saw no improvement. Furthermore, the 3dmark06 SM 3.0 value of HD58xx/HD6xxx implementations on Series-5 chipsets on the first post again suggest it's running crippled x1 performance.

It's probably a handshaking issue running only half-duplex. The x1E tweak link above has a thread logged on both ATI and Intel's forums requesting a fix/investigation of their underperforming x1 link on Intel chipsets. Neither has bothered to respond. Wonder if you could hassle the vendor (HP/Dell/Lenovo) for a refund based on an underperforming expresscard slot? Lost $$ might be an incentive for them to resolve the issue.

[pushead]

Anybody wanna tell me on what could be the problem on my machine not detecting the card? I changed my PSU with a better 12V rail, and my video cards works fine as I tested it on a desktop.

Is there anything I have set on the PE4L? I havent used my expresscard before at all since I got my laptop after 2 years, I hope there is no problems with that.

ummm help please?