eGPU on MacBook Pro 4,1 and up with PCIe ExpressCard slot

[kautame]

mini PCIe socket in iMacs like mid 2011 seems to work in a different way from previous models.
[…]

The slot is not powered when the computer starting​

[…]

iMac Mid 2011, sometimes remove the power from the miniPCI-E slot.​

I've finished my upgrade. I now have an iMac mid 2011 (i7, 2.8 GHz), and I've installed the EXP GDC mini PCIe cable in the wi-fi socket. And… no problems at all. Everything works well as it did before (actually better):
- When I turn on the iMac, the GDC turns on too, and after a few seconds the login window shows up on my external 4k monitor.
- There's no hardware acceleration on the internal display, but I don't care since my iMac is actually BEHIND my other two screens. My main screen is now the 4K one.
- The glitches that I noticed before (some stuttering using Exposé, some delay, slowness…) are now gone: the Core 2 Duo was too slow for my setup because a fast GPU needs some help from the CPU. This is clear also from the Valley Benchmark (see attached images): with the same settings, the performance is almost two times better.

 

[kautame]

UPDATE: I can now confirm that it works with and without SIP.

 

[Amethyst1]

Looking for some help with my setup.

I've been trying to get an EXP GDC Beast v8.5c with an HP OEM Quadro K600 to work via the ExpressCard slot of a MacBookPro2,1 (17in Late 2006 C2D with X1600) running Yosemite 10.10.5 14F27 using PikerAlpha's boot.efi and a modified PlatformSupport.plist. Power is provided by a 600W ATX PSU so I'd rule out insufficient power (and I checked the voltages, they're OK).

Using either Yosemite's built-in drivers or the Nvidia web drivers346.02.03f01 for 14F27 (nvda_drv=1 has been added to boot-args), the card is recognised as "NVIDIA Chip Model 256 MB" (i.e. just a quarter of the actual VRAM) and the screen connected to it - a Dell P2415Q: 3840x2160@60Hz - via DisplayPort 1.2 SST - never receives a signal.

Unfortunately I don't have a newer MBP to test with. One thing I noticed is that while the HP K600's PCI ID is 10de:0ffa as expected, the PCB's layout is slightly different compared to PNY's version. Could this cause the issues I experienced?

In case the K600 isn't compatible (or faulty), I have my eyes set on a 2 GB GTX 650 Ti Boost. Is this one likely to work using either the stock or web drivers?

EDIT: I apologize for posting this in the Mojave section but I couldn't find another thread dealing with eGPU via ExpressCard.

 

[Amethyst1]

Sometimes the supply cables that run between GDC and card are inferior/lousy quality - I received a bunch of that crap from ebay (chinese selle). The single strands were not crimped in a way to have good conductance / low resistance. I could pull the wires out of the crimp connectors by hand with low force. Then re-crimped and soldered the contacts and re-inserted into the plastic connector housing. Voila - works fine now...

Are you referring to the ExpressCard-to-HDMI cable that connects the GDC to the MBP?

 

[kautame]

Are you referring to the ExpressCard-to-HDMI cable that connects the GDC to the MBP?

No, as he wrote, he's talking about the "cables that run between GDC and card", the ones you use when you need to connect the GDC to a card that needs a lot of power, like this one.
The ExpressCard-to-HDMI cables are made by the same people that make the GDC Beast itself, so I don't think you can find different makers of those.

 

[Amethyst1]

No, as he wrote, he's talking about the "cables that run between GDC and card", the ones you use when you need to connect the GDC to a card that needs a lot of power, like this one.
The ExpressCard-to-HDMI cables are made by the same people that make the GDC Beast itself, so I don't think you can find different makers of those.

Thanks for clearing that up. My understanding is that these cables are only required when using the DC barrel or DA-2-style power connector, right? Since I'm using an ATX PSU, I can just plug its 6-pin and 8-pin cables directly into the card - or am I missing something here?

 

[kautame]

Thanks for clearing that up. My understanding is that these cables are only required when using the DC barrel or DA-2-style power connector, right? Since I'm using an ATX PSU, I can just plug its 6-pin and 8-pin cables directly into the card - or am I missing something here?

By "directly into the card" you mean "directly into the GDC Beast"?
You need those cables (the one I linked in the previous post) only if your card needs more than just the power it gets from the PCI slot. It's actually simple to check this thing because IF your card has the connection for the extra power it means that it needs extra power. If your card doesn't have that connection, it doesn't need it.
The connections look like the ones in this photo on the left.
If the card has no connections for a power plug, it means that it takes the power only from the GDC Beast, so you just have to connect the PSU to the GDC Beast.

 

[Amethyst1]

By "directly into the card" you mean "directly into the GDC Beast"?
You need those cables (the one I linked in the previous post) only if your card needs more than just the power it gets from the PCI slot. It's actually simple to check this thing because IF your card has the connection for the extra power it means that it needs extra power. If your card doesn't have that connection, it doesn't need it.
The connections look like the ones in this photo on the left.
If the card has no connections for a power plug, it means that it takes the power only from the GDC Beast, so you just have to connect the PSU to the GDC Beast.

No, I meant connecting it like this:

I.e. the GDC is powered by the ATX PSU's 4-pin "ATX12V" connector using the cable that comes with it (and which I'm using to power it now). The ATX PSU's 6-pin power connector for demanding graphics cards is plugged directly into the graphics card. The GDC's manual also says it must be connected this way when using an ATX PSU.

 

[kautame]

the GDC is powered by the ATX PSU's 4-pin "ATX12V" connector using the cable that comes with it (and which I'm using to power it now). The ATX PSU's 6-pin power connector for demanding graphics cards is plugged directly into the graphics card.

Yes, you're right. If your PSU has the right cables (mine is an SFF that doesn't have the 6+8 connectors), you directly put those into the card.

 

[Amethyst1]

Yes, you're right. If your PSU has the right cables (mine is an SFF that doesn't have the 6+8 connectors), you directly put those into the card.

Thanks again.

 

[Amethyst1]

Looking for a some help with my setup.

I've been trying to get an EXP GDC Beast v8.5c with an HP OEM Quadro K600 to work via the ExpressCard slot of a MacBookPro2,1 (17in Late 2006 C2D with X1600) running Yosemite 10.10.5 14F27 using PikerAlpha's boot.efi and a modified PlatformSupport.plist. Power is provided by a 600W ATX PSU so I'd rule out insufficient power (and I checked the voltages, they're OK).

Using either Yosemite's built-in drivers or the Nvidia web drivers346.02.03f01 for 14F27 (nvda_drv=1 has been added to boot-args), the card is recognised as "NVIDIA Chip Model 256 MB" (i.e. just a quarter of the actual VRAM) and the screen connected to it - a Dell P2415Q: 3840x2160@60Hz - via DisplayPort 1.2 SST - never receives a signal.

Unfortunately I don't have a newer MBP to test with. One thing I noticed is that while the HP K600's PCI ID is 10de:0ffa as expected, the PCB's layout is slightly different compared to PNY's version. Could this cause the issues I experienced?

In case the K600 isn't compatible (or faulty), I have my eyes set on a 2 GB GTX 650 Ti Boost. Is this one likely to work using either the stock or web drivers?

EDIT: I apologize for posting this in the Mojave section but I couldn't find another thread dealing with eGPU via ExpressCard.

Update: I've just won a 2 GB GTX 660, let's see if this one works with the MacBookPro2,1.

 

[Amethyst1]

GTX 660 is here but doesn't work with the MacBookPro2,1 either

This is what 10.10.5 14F27 (without Web Drivers; going to install them now) has to say about the 660 - note that the amount of VRAM isn't reported correctly:

Is it possible that the 2,1 is just not compatible with the Beast or the X1600 is causing issues? The machine has 2 GB RAM.

UPDATE: The Web Drivers 346.02.03f01 didn't change the situation. The machine's boot ROM version is MBP21.00A5.B08 and the SMC version is 1.14f5, which I believe are the latest.

 

[Amethyst1]

Update: I had a look at the logs and saw the following Nvidia-related entries:

NVDAStartup: Web
NVDAGK100Hal loaded and registered
NVDA:: rmStart failed
NVDA, Display-B: not usable
NVDA, Display-C: not usable
NVDA, Display-D: not usable

(the 660 has four outputs: DVI-D, DVI-I, HDMI, DisplayPort; I'm using DP.)

Also, am I correct in assuming that adding the "IOPCITunnelCompatible" entry to the relevant kexts is only necessary for a Thunderbolt eGPU, not for one connected via ExpressCard?

 

[Amethyst1]

A couple of updates...


1. I played with the Beast's "PTD" switch but the situation is the same in OS X no matter which of the three settings ("off", "7s", "15s if I'm reading correctly) I choose. However, in order for Windows to boot, the setting must not be "off". I cannot flip the other "ATX PW" switch but the manual says I'm not supposed to.

2. I tried both of my PSU's 6-pin power connectors - no change. The GPU's fan shortly runs at full speed when I power on the MBP and then slows down. If I insert the ExpressCard after the OS has booted up, the fan constantly runs at full speed.

3. If I plug a USB flash drive into the Beast's USB port, it's not recognised either. Can someone else test if their Beast's USB port works?

Would that suggest either the MBP itself or the Beast is the culprit?

 

[Amethyst1]

Just a quick update that I've switched to a MacBook4,1 and it works great via mPCIe now

 

[kautame]

Just a quick update that I've switched to a MacBook4,1 and it works great via mPCIe now

View attachment 829010

Good to know, Amethyst1.
Sorry if I (we) couldn't help with your problems, but your Mac is almost a Hackintosh, while here we were talking about the GDC Beast under High Sierra, a MacOS that's really friendly with eGPUs (you only have to install Nvidia Web Drivers and it - usually - works).

 

[Amethyst1]

Good to know, Amethyst1.
Sorry if I (we) couldn't help with your problems, but your Mac is almost a Hackintosh, while here we were talking about the GDC Beast under High Sierra, a MacOS that's really friendly with eGPUs (you only have to install Nvidia Web Drivers and it - usually - works).

No problem at all. I have learned - the hard way - that the MacBookPro2,1 didn't want to cooperate. As for it almost being a Hackintosh, I only had to use another boot.efi and modify PlatformSupport.plist to get Mountain Lion, Mavericks or Yosemite to boot.

On the MacBook4,1, everything worked out of the box. I didn't even have to install Nvidia's Web Drivers.

As for High Sierra being more eGPU-friendly, that doesn't mean older versions don't like them at all; there are many reports of Thunderbolt eGPUs working fine on older versions of OS X after patching some kexts to make the drivers "hot-pluggable" in OS X's point of view so it loads them upon seeing a Thunderbolt GPU.

 

[aurisp]

Hi! So I'm a total noobie looking for help. I have a late 2008 Macbook with all the basic ssd and ram upgrades on which I have installed Mojave. This machine works perfectly fine for my day to day stuff, but I'd really like to play a bit of Rocket League with my friends and I thought perhaps this could be an option. Would the egpu give me enough to have a decent gaming experience?

Correct me if I'm wrong. For this I would need:
A cabinet
GPU
Expresscard/34
Mini Pcie

I feel like I'm in over my head with this stuff...


EDIT: Nevermind I realised my macbook doesn't have an express card slot.

 

[kautame]

I have a late 2008 Macbook with all the basic ssd and ram upgrades on which I have installed Mojave. […] Would the egpu give me enough to have a decent gaming experience?

With Mojave you could (maybe, I'm actually not sure) have success with an AMD GPU that supports Metal, but not Nvidia because there is still no driver for Nvidia cards.

Correct me if I'm wrong. For this I would need:
A cabinet
GPU
Expresscard/34
Mini Pcie

You need an ExpressCard slot OR a mini PCIe slot, but your MacBook doesn't have any of those, if this is your model.

 

[i.am.not.a.hipster]

Hi all,

I have a MacBookPro6,1 from mid-2010, and I am having real trouble trying to get this Mac to work with EXP GDC (Express Card version) + AMD RX560 external graphics card -- because I am unable to disable the internal discrete Nvidia graphics in favor of the RX560.

Internally, this Mac comes with the Intel HD as its integrated graphics, and the Nvidia Geforce 330M as its discrete graphics.

The problem is the same under High Sierra and Mojave (with dosdude patch) -- the Mac would recognize (under System Report) the RX560 -- but it would say that no kext has been loaded.

I understand that this problem arises because Macs are not supposed to have more than 1 discrete graphics.

So, I tried the booting into recovery mode (cmd+s) and then executing the sudo nvram method, and also the arch linux /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/gpu-power-prefs- method, BUT the outcomes are the same (maybe I am missing something -- the linux method ends up with printf complaining about an invalid argument) -- the external monitor that is connected to the RX560 on the EXP GDC would successfully display a desktop (can be both mirror or extended), however, there is no acceleration on the display on the external monitor connected to the RX560. It seems as though the RX560 is simply passing on internal graphics from the Mac because the card's fans are not even running.

I also tried dosdude's program to disable the discrete graphics card; it successfully disabled the Nvidia discrete graphics; and the fans would spin, but there is still no acceleration on the RX560 output.

I suspect that this is all because I have not been able to selectively disable the Nvidia discrete graphics AND at the same time enable the RX560.

Does anyone know how to fix this problem?

Thanks in advance!

 

[LegoNickD]

Hi all,

I have a MacBookPro6,1 from mid-2010, and I am having real trouble trying to get this Mac to work with EXP GDC (Express Card version) + AMD RX560 external graphics card -- because I am unable to disable the internal discrete Nvidia graphics in favor of the RX560.

Internally, this Mac comes with the Intel HD as its integrated graphics, and the Nvidia Geforce 330M as its discrete graphics.

The problem is the same under High Sierra and Mojave (with dosdude patch) -- the Mac would recognize (under System Report) the RX560 -- but it would say that no kext has been loaded.

I understand that this problem arises because Macs are not supposed to have more than 1 discrete graphics.

So, I tried the booting into recovery mode (cmd+s) and then executing the sudo nvram method, and also the arch linux /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/gpu-power-prefs- method, BUT the outcomes are the same (maybe I am missing something -- the linux method ends up with printf complaining about an invalid argument) -- the external monitor that is connected to the RX560 on the EXP GDC would successfully display a desktop (can be both mirror or extended), however, there is no acceleration on the display on the external monitor connected to the RX560. It seems as though the RX560 is simply passing on internal graphics from the Mac because the card's fans are not even running.

I also tried dosdude's program to disable the discrete graphics card; it successfully disabled the Nvidia discrete graphics; and the fans would spin, but there is still no acceleration on the RX560 output.

I suspect that this is all because I have not been able to selectively disable the Nvidia discrete graphics AND at the same time enable the RX560.

Does anyone know how to fix this problem?

Thanks in advance!

If I remember correctly newer amd card kexts require sse 4.2 to run which there is no known way around. Your best bet is selling it and going for something an older nvidia 7xx card that works on mojave and has metal. If you don't care about mojave then you can go for something as high as a 10xx card or even an rtx 20xx card since nvidia web drivers do not have this requirement.

 

[ActionableMango]

I understand that this problem arises because Macs are not supposed to have more than 1 discrete graphics.

MacOS supports multiple GPUs. Plenty of us with Mac Pros have two (or more) GPUs. Mixing AMD and NVidia is also possible, but occasionally very problematic. You might have better luck with an Nvidia card, then you don't need to deal with your driver fiasco.

If I remember correctly newer amd card kexts require sse 4.2 to run which there is no known way around.

That is true, but I don't think it is relevant. I believe all of the MBP6,1 CPU choices support SSE4.2. I could be wrong on that though.

 

[LegoNickD]

I got my hands on an express card GDC beast and a spare gt 710, but with it plugged into my MacBook pro 2008 15 inch unibody it does not boot (drive spins but the screen never comes on and the status light stays on) and if I plug it in after post it is not recognized at all. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

 

[Tagan]

Hi, can any one help me? I got MacBook pro 17 inch Late 2011. with dead AMD Radeon HD 6770M which i turned off by this guide (https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...efi-variable-fix.2037591/liked-posts?page=101 ) and now I have exp gdc via Expresscard and EVGA GEFORCE GTX 1060. I'm using os High Sierra 10.13.6 (17G6030) I looking throw this tread and can find the guide. If it exist? step by step guide to make it work? Sorry for my english.

 

[kautame]

Hi, Tagan. I don't think there's a step by step guide. What have you already done? And what is your problem?
Did you already connect everything? Which card do you have exactly? Is your card the short one or the long one? Does your card need external power or it can work with bus power? Did you already download the Nvidia web drivers? Maybe you could first update to the latest version of High Sierra, 10.13.6 (17G7024), download the matching Nvidia driver (here is the list) and activate it.