DIY eGPU experiences

[Leoben]

Still getting code 43 with setup 1.x.

In case I'm doing this wrong, here are my exact steps.
- hook everything up
- reboot
- at windows boot manager select eGPU setup 1.0f
- select menu-based
- select video cards -> initialize -> eGPU
- select PCI compaction (it says 32bit on a previous line) -> !Run compact -> iGPU eGPU
- chainload win7

[kizwan]

@lightnica,

Right now you'll need to test your GTX 550 Ti on desktop computer to confirm it is not hardware defect or whatever. Even though I don't think it's likely power issue but it doesn't hurt to try another PSU. Like nando4 mentioned earlier, PSU with 12V rail & supplying 16A or more is recommended.

I just learned that some graphic cards are naughty, where they use more power than the advertised max TDP when running demanding application. It can be 30W to 40W more. However, this only happen when it running demanding application & GTX 550 Ti is not one of the bad boys.

[ricera10]

I found that booting Win7 after the eGPU is detected and powered on either via Setup 1.x or hotplugging at the Win7 boot menu would always result in my GTX460's internal LCD mode working. Doing the sleep/resume method or hotplugging after Win7 boot wasn't as successful.

Optimus is working. If it wasn't you'd be seen a 3dmark06 score of ~5k. Though your 12.1k is a bit low, lower than I get with my L9400@2.64. I recall another i7-xxxLM user having a similar result. Might want monitor temps then try using Throttlestop to engage Turbo mode to be on 100% of the time on AC to boost your performance.

I used Throttlestop and increased the TDP to 25 watts and set the CPU to C1 mode. When I run the built in benchmark, the multiplier stays at a little bit under 19 the whole test, so I think I'm getting the CPU to run full speed at a little over 2.5 Ghz. I re-ran 3dmark06 and 11 and got 13276 and P4070 respectively. I guess it's not much of an improvement, but I'm okay with the performance right now. Is there a way to overclock the PCI-E bus on my laptop?

Connecting the GPU by hitting F8 during Windows boot and plugging it in then allows me to use the internal display to accelerate games, but it causes Windows to say "no audio hardware detected" when I mouse over the audio icon in the tray and thus I don't have any sound. Do you have any suggestions on how to fix that?

[Leoben]

Right now you'll need to test your GTX 550 Ti on desktop computer to confirm it is not hardware defect or whatever.

I'll try to talk a friend of mine into letting me test it in his desktop tomorrow. If it code 43's it gets RMA'd.

If it works, I'll likely have trouble getting it back out of his system. (It's better than what's in his desktop and he is always complaining about his system not being powerful enough.)

[User Retired 2]

Still getting code 43 with setup 1.x.

setup 1.0f-pre18-26 had critical bugs.

Steps you have listed are OK but the Setup 1.0f-pre26 had a critical bug. These have been fixed in pre27 which I've just uploaded. @ALL, recommend updating to this development version as anti-whitelisting and Video Cards->Initialize was broken in 1.0f-pre18 to pre26.

Connecting the GPU by hitting F8 during Windows boot and plugging it in then allows me to use the internal display to accelerate games, but it causes Windows to say "no audio hardware detected" when I mouse over the audio icon in the tray and thus I don't have any sound. Do you have any suggestions on how to fix that?

Suggestions below. @Kizwan, can you add these to the Troubleshooting page?

Why does my USB/network/sound not work when I enable my eGPU in Win7?

Likely a PCI contention issue. Recommend setting up Setup 1.x, configured with a pci.bat (resulting from PCI compaction on your primary GPU + eGPU) prior to chainloading Win7.

Optimus-related: I can't get internal LCD mode to work

This appears to be the case if you attach your eGPU after Win7 boots. So either hotplug your eGPU at the Win7 bootloader menu (hit F8 to pause bootup). Another option is to install and configure Setup 1.x to detect and configure your PCI configuration space prior to chainloading to Win7.

[kizwan]

Suggestions below. @Kizwan, can you add these to the Troubleshooting page?

Done. 10char.

[Gil3]

This power supplier:
Google Translate
Good For The GTX 460 + PE4H?

Villagetronic's Facebook discussion: Is PE4H aka "DIY ViDock" a cheaper alternative to ViDock 4 Plus ?

eGPU users may be interested in Villagetronic's comments about their hwtool's hardware, a sample below:


I personally like QuadroNVS' youtube video Vi Dock Video Response where he draws the following conclusion about a ViDock 4+: Interestingly, a facebook user suggested Villagetronic reduce their prices by 30%. I agree with this - ViDock 3/4/4+ is overpriced for what it is but it but does claim pci-e 2.0 compliance so may justify the extra expense for Series-6 chipsets if wanting maximum performance. hwtools coming out with a new PE4L/PE4H with pci-e 2.0 compliance at end-of-July as noted so soon that advantage will be no more.

If you do respond on their page I recommend using the new name of eGPU or DIY eGPU. No need to use ViDock as it's clear we are dealing with two different products that provide very similar functionality.

LOL
I cause him to write all of this article ...

I asked him on Facebook a serious question. And he took it seriously

I was suggested him to drop the price by 30%

[kizwan]

@Gil3,

Please post the PSU specification here.

[NewNet]

Please migrate to Win 7 because you have better chance solving error 12 with it than using Win XP.

Okay, thank you.
I saw that Nando has released a new version of "eGPU-Setup". I'll try that with the other PC that has Win7 but took error43 with old release and will post the results.
Bye

[Leoben]

(EDIT'd)

My GTX 550 Ti eGPU is now working with my Toshiba L300.

Detailed specs:
-Core2 Duo T3400 2.16GHz
-4GB RAM
-Win7 x64
-PE4L v1.5a via express card adapter. (Jumpers JP3 and JP4 are set. Switch SW1 is set to 2-3. Switch SW2 is set to 1-2.)
-using mobile drivers (275.33) with modified nvam.inf
-120W power adapter from HIT

Originally my eGPU got nothing but code 43 errors. After trying many things, I pulled one of the two sticks of 2GB ram. It worked. Nando then gave me some steps to save that pci memory arrangement and reload it after I went back to 4GB of ram. It worked, thank you Nando.

Here are his steps, I (to my knowledge) followed them exactly:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/gami...ml#post7742027

Additionally due to some BSODs, I've used MSI afterburner to lower my core voltage from 1.15V to 0.95V. Working great since.

Benchmarks (using internal display):
RE5 - 34.6 FPS
3dmark06 - 7646 (I had to disable system information to get around an error.)

Benchmarks (using external display):
RE5 - 44.7 FPS
3dmark06 - 8438 (I had to disable system information to get around an error.)

Photos:
to come