DIY eGPU experiences

[User Retired 2]

Thread management

Unfortunately we won’t be getting a section just for external video card related discussion on NBR. Instead we will have the following stickied threads in the next couple of hours:

* DIY eGPU experiences
* DIY eGPU troubleshooting (or as Kizwan decides to name it): maybe not - there's a 5 stickies budget per section only

Adding implementations to owner’s lounges

I’d suggest individual implementations be posted into the owner’s thread if one exists, or start a thread in the your system's NBR area if one doesn’t with a small post placed in the DIY eGPU experiences thread to link/notify users of this new addition.

I’ve moved my 2530P implementation into the owner's lounge as seen below:

*HP EliteBook 2530p Owners Lounge*
DIY eGPU experiences

There are quite a few other detailed implementations by pyr0, Khenglish, ithildin, to name but a few, that may want to do the same. That then focuses discussion specifically to that system. I’ll continue be maintain a summary of all DIY eGPU implementations that include at least 3dmark06 and RE5 benchmark results so we can have our table of relative performance.

Sony Z11-Z13 a special case

The Sony Z11-Z13 implementaion could warrant it’s own thread, since there’s a ViDock4+ one in place: Z1 + ViDock + GTX 570 > FTW (the Z2/PMD killer)

Anybody like to volunteer (pyr0, kturnbull, docusyn, MikjoA yuuma)? You guys have very well documented implementation details so could even combine them all when starting a comprehensive thread.

Continue as usual

So we keep our general discussion in the eGPU experiences thread and allow ‘hot’ topics to split of into their own threads, like Thunderbolt/LP:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/gami...available.html
ViDock 4G for Light Peak (Z21) - POSSIBLE.

[wicked20]

Sir Nando,

You are absolutely brilliant. You did it! We broke 19k w/ 3dmark06!

Optimus is now working w/ dGPU Nvidia for Sandy Bridge (Series 6).

Much thanks.
RE5 = 123.7 fps


Updated w/ DMCV4 DirectX 10=118.86 fps
Not bad that a cheap gtx460 768MB be as fast/faster than gtx470 and a 560 Ti.



Waiting for somone to make a mini Displayport to mini hdmi adapter for the TB active cable or similar. I'm quite satisfy w/ 40-50 fps.

Much thanks to all

Updated w/ DMCV4 DirectX 10=118.86 fps.
Not bad that a cheap gtx460 768MB be as fast/faster than gtx470 and a 560 Ti.

Nando,
Do you have any idea of when somone can make a mini Displayport to mini hdmi adapter for the TB active cable or similar?

Much thanks to Nando and all again.

[noobganster]

You'd want an NVidia card to get the Optimus compression so can view fullHD content without hiccups. A $20AR GT520 can do that: Newegg.com - MSI N520GT-MD1GD3/LP GeForce GT 520 (Fermi) 1GB 64-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Ready Video Card . If youl want more performance then see a $80/$125 GTS450/GTX460 in my previous post.

If looking to drive more than 2 LCDs from a NVidia cards then would require a Zotac GTX460 3DP (up 4 displays) or KFA2 GTX560Ti MDT X5 (up to 5 displays).

Thanks, Nando, it seems to me that the GTX460 3DP is extremely rare in Sydney.

Can you recommend me a card from MSY Auburn or PCCG?

MSY Online

I might be able to get it today and learn how to do the eGPU when my PE4H arrives.

[ilovedeals]

If I order from hw tools PE4L-EC2C is $65 + $25 for shipping and packaging right? From harmanic it is confusing what stuff to order to be prepared for egpu.
Now after I order PE4L-EC2C I need a power supply would 300 W be enough? What power is recommended? also what graphics card is recommended that is cheap but also powerful enough to run sc2 on high/medium? I'm getting a x220 I read the posts where people set it up but I still have no idea what is the power supply that you can buy (min) and what graphics card is suitable for my needs (sc2 medium/high). Also do hwtools or harmonic ship to canada?

[User Retired 2]

Nando,
Do you have any idea of when somone can make a mini Displayport to mini hdmi adapter for the TB active cable or similar?

Thank you for the DMCV4 bench. Now you're in the DX10 section on the first page too.

The TB stuff is a little more complex that originally thought. Thunderbolt multiplexes the Displayport and pci-e signals on the link, so requires a second Thunderbolt controller to mux/demux the signal to the eGPU side. Getting pinout data on Thunderbolt as well as the the controller has proven to be a bit of work as requires NDAs with Intel and Apple [or so I'm told].

Thanks, Nando, it seems to me that the GTX460 3DP is extremely rare in Sydney.

Can you recommend me a card from MSY Auburn or PCCG?

MSY Online

I might be able to get it today and learn how to do the eGPU when my PE4H arrives.

staticice has GTX560TI for $225 and GTX560 for $195. Is the extra $30 for 14% more cores (336 vs 384) worth it to you? GTX460-1GB are coming up the same price as a GTX560 so not worth pursuing. ebay having a dry spell of GTX460/GTX560 units.

[gilipollas]

Hi,
today i got the PE4H.

I also got the HD6670, but i could still return it. Still i am uncertain about how do the power supply setup.

The main condition it has to fullfill is silence. So i would like to avoid atx-psu, because of its loud fan.

Unfortunately the HD6670 needs more than 36W so it is not possible using the 15-20V(the plug of my old laptop-psu doesn't fit anyway). When i ordered the HD6670 i thought using the 15-20V-plug was limited only by the pcie-slot-limit of 75W.

So there are two options:

1) getting a cheap gpu like HD5450/GT210 und a 15-20V-psu with a plug that fits.

2) trying s.th. else. What i have in mind is getting a 80W-12V-psu(and a 5V-psu if needed) and solder it to the floppy-molex, which has 12V and 5V output. Is this possible? Or does it require soft-on like the atx-psu have? Is a 5V-psu even needed?

Anyway, i guess the HD6670 gives the best performance except cuda:-( without an additional pcie-plug, which is fine.

Would it be possible running faster gpus which have a pcie-plug connecting an additional 80W-12V-psu to the pcie-plug? So in total using two 12V-80W and one 5V psu's?

[thendless]

If I order from hw tools PE4L-EC2C is $65 + $25 for shipping and packaging right? From harmanic it is confusing what stuff to order to be prepared for egpu.
Now after I order PE4L-EC2C I need a power supply would 300 W be enough? What power is recommended? also what graphics card is recommended that is cheap but also powerful enough to run sc2 on high/medium? I'm getting a x220 I read the posts where people set it up but I still have no idea what is the power supply that you can buy (min) and what graphics card is suitable for my needs (sc2 medium/high). Also do hwtools or harmonic ship to canada?

Check your PM

[vivithemage]

Maybe I missed it, but is there express slot 2.0 option yet?

[thendless]

Nope. Nando4 has custom cables that may allow 2.0 speeds with pe4h/l hardware but he has no sandybridge lappy to test it on

[vivithemage]

Ahhh, that is a shame ... I might have to wait to dive into this. I'd have to replace my 2x6950 gaming machine with something 1/3 the power.

Is the bottleneck the cables, or the expresscard slot you think?

Is there any lag/stuttering with a 570/580 card?

Also curious, can you do 2 external monitors with a video card that has 2xDVI?