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eGPU natively supported in macOS Sierra

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spaz8

macrumors 6502
Mar 3, 2007
492
91
h9826790 said:
Even though it's true. the eGPU may be only to use to drive the pixels, but didn't to anything on calculation / 3D job. So, it can be never outdated. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Whats the point of putting in a Graphics Processing Unit into a monitor that does no actual processing? So the old GPU in the macbook/imac/MP.. can be bandwidth handicapped by handing off to another device? Why not have the monitor mine for bitcoins so it can get even less FPS out of the media you view on it. The calculation of what colour a pixel should be on a screen can be incredibly involved and gets more and more complex every year. I don't see how you could ever have a GPU that can never be outdated unless you are only displaying spreadsheets on it.
 
mattspace

mattspace

macrumors 68040
Jun 5, 2013
3,346
2,976
Australia
spaz8 said:
Whats the point of putting in a Graphics Processing Unit into a monitor that does no actual processing?
Click to expand...

The GPU in the monitor, even if the actual processing is being done on a superior GPU in the computer, is what allows the screen to attach to the thunderbolt bus as a GPU, so the "signal" doesn't have to go via the Displayport 1.2 channel in the thunderbolt cable, which would require 2 plugs at the monitor's end.

It's all in pursuit of a single connector, which is a result of Intel not including Displayport 1.3 in the TB3 spec.
 
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h9826790

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,656
8,587
Hong Kong
spaz8 said:
Whats the point of putting in a Graphics Processing Unit into a monitor that does no actual processing? So the old GPU in the macbook/imac/MP.. can be bandwidth handicapped by handing off to another device? Why not have the monitor mine for bitcoins so it can get even less FPS out of the media you view on it. The calculation of what colour a pixel should be on a screen can be incredibly involved and gets more and more complex every year. I don't see how you could ever have a GPU that can never be outdated unless you are only displaying spreadsheets on it.
Click to expand...

I know what's the point of having GPU (for normal user), but I was talking about how Apple may handle the eGPU inside the possible new 5k display.

The eGPU may be just a very weak one (of course, they will charge you premium price), and only be used to drive 5k pixels internally. Therefore, the older Mac, or the Mac that only has iGPU can still use the 5k display (smoothly for system UI, Safari, spreadsheets…).

If it's just a "controller" of the 5k display, how can it be outdated?

I know lots of us want to have eGPU for other stuff. However, we should not expect Apple will do whatever we want. They may do anything exactly the other way around.

And guess what? Most of the MacBook users may be very happy about it. They may not even know there is a eGPU inside the display. And they will be surprised how powerful their MacBook that can drive a 5K display via the USB-C port.

Apple abundant the real Pro for some time already. I won't be surprised if they release a 5k display that can connect to the iPad Pro, but not the Mac Pro.
 
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goMac

macrumors 604
Apr 15, 2004
7,663
1,694
h9826790 said:
Even though it's true. the eGPU may be only to use to drive the pixels, but didn't to anything on calculation / 3D job. So, it can be never outdated. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

This. It wouldn't be meant to be a replacement for a powerful GPU in your machine. Just something better than integrated graphics for doing basic work on a 5k display. Think of something like the entry level GPU in the 5k iMac.

If you have a powerful enough GPU it would probably be bypassed.
 
D

deconstruct60

macrumors G5
Mar 10, 2009
12,493
4,053
goMac said:
This. ...
If you have a powerful enough GPU it would probably be bypassed.
Click to expand...

bypassed how?

Bypassed with just using a DP connection(s) streamed straight in from the internal GPUs DP output ports?

or

Bypassed by passing whole frame buffers over PCIe to the other GPU which "only" has to copy the frame buffers to its memory so can use the same DP ports on the external GPU?


Bandwidth wise, the first should be a problem. The second ...... perhaps. But a huge kluge.
 
sensible

sensible

macrumors newbie
Jul 2, 2016
4
5
Maybe this has already been answered. Currently using an eGPU only works if you have an external display to power. With Sierra does the eGPU feed back into the Mac and power the internal display?
 
clnilsen

clnilsen

macrumors newbie
Jan 18, 2011
28
0
ikir said:
You can already, i have a Mac mini 2014 with Nvidia GTX 970!
Click to expand...
Asking honestly... How many hurdles did you have to jump through to get that working? I assume it's a custom efi flash, which required a windows machine as well to do? With the 970 I believe web drivers are required as well, Do you have to watch os upgrades pending issues with the egpu box?

I'm genuinely curious on the quality of life with this setup; as it seems to me there's a termination point coming for flexibility with upgrading the tower Mac Pro's for gaming (and I really do not want to bootcamp/buy a gaming pc). I'm trying to figure out what the next "big step" is for mac gaming with a strong graphics expereince.
 
fuchsdh

fuchsdh

macrumors 68020
Jun 19, 2014
2,030
1,831
clnilsen said:
Asking honestly... How many hurdles did you have to jump through to get that working? I assume it's a custom efi flash, which required a windows machine as well to do? With the 970 I believe web drivers are required as well, Do you have to watch os upgrades pending issues with the egpu box?

I'm genuinely curious on the quality of life with this setup; as it seems to me there's a termination point coming for flexibility with upgrading the tower Mac Pro's for gaming (and I really do not want to bootcamp/buy a gaming pc). I'm trying to figure out what the next "big step" is for mac gaming with a strong graphics expereince.
Click to expand...

Gonna' have to wait for the next generation of hardware before anyone can make firm or informed decisions. The positive news is that at the moment you really aren't sacrificing much performance even using TB2 breakout boxes for games, so moving to TB3 shouldn't be a big issue. The main obstacle has been having to kludge together external power and getting the right flashed card.
 
Synchro3

Synchro3

macrumors 68000
Jan 12, 2014
1,987
850
clnilsen said:
Asking honestly... How many hurdles did you have to jump through to get that working? I assume it's a custom efi flash, which required a windows machine as well to do? With the 970 I believe web drivers are required as well, Do you have to watch os upgrades pending issues with the egpu box?

I'm genuinely curious on the quality of life with this setup; as it seems to me there's a termination point coming for flexibility with upgrading the tower Mac Pro's for gaming (and I really do not want to bootcamp/buy a gaming pc). I'm trying to figure out what the next "big step" is for mac gaming with a strong graphics expereince.
Click to expand...

No, you don't have to flash cards. You can use vanilla PC cards, but have to do some work.

My working project: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/building-external-gpus-on-mac-egpu.1893792/
 
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JayInNJ

macrumors regular
Nov 10, 2009
127
10
Don't buy the over priced Bizon2 box. I just did it on a 13" Retina Macbook Pro with no discrete GPU. The whole process only took a half hour. There is one script that needs to be run. It automatically downloads the correct drivers, installs them, makes a few file changes, and you are done. I used the Akitio and a GTX 950. If you get the half sized card it fits in the enclosure. Need a beefier power supply and barrel connector to power the box from the same power supply that connects to the card. That is about it. If you want to use a large card, you could get a PCIe riser (ribbon cable) and connect the card external to the AKitio.
 
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mmomega

mmomega

macrumors demi-god
Dec 30, 2009
3,888
2,101
DFW, TX
I'd never purchase the Bizon2 box personally. It is the Akitio 2 box, modded for an extra $300.
I was running one of my 980 Ti on my 5k iMac with external monitor for a while until I moved it to another computer a couple months ago.
On an Akitio from amazon.
It is actually a rather simple process if you have your own PSU or even if you have to purchase one.
Everything purchased is quite a bit less pricey than the Bizon.
 
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