Apple Announces eGPU Development Kit

Does it support internal display or I gotta hook up to external?
 
I like how serious Apple's getting about this, considering that most of their sales these days are MacBooks. They just need to get TB 3.0 rolled out across the line now, not just the Pros.

Heck, eGPUs aren't common enough on Windows systems as it is, with the existing implementations being very kludgy hacks, and bandwidth-starved ones at that. Maybe this will get the ball rolling.

Oh, and if anyone's wondering, external TB 3.0 docks already work on Sierra with some caveats, like the external display requirement. Give this a read.
http://barefeats.com/rmbp2016core.html
 
shansoft said:
Does it support internal display or I gotta hook up to external?
Click to expand...

This has worked "unofficially" on OS X for a while now. On Sierra, my Nvidia eGPU will accelerate the internal display. I don't know what Apple's plans are for High Sierra - I imagine support may be disabled for some time in beta while they work on development and re-enabled when it is ready. Clamshell mode and hot plugging on Sierra do not currently work, so there is quite a bit to do.

NamelessPFG said:
I like how serious Apple's getting about this, considering that most of their sales these days are MacBooks. They just need to get TB 3.0 rolled out across the line now, not just the Pros.

Heck, eGPUs aren't common enough on Windows systems as it is, with the existing implementations being very kludgy hacks, and bandwidth-starved ones at that. Maybe this will get the ball rolling.

Oh, and if anyone's wondering, external TB 3.0 docks already work on Sierra with some caveats, like the external display requirement. Give this a read.
http://barefeats.com/rmbp2016core.html
Click to expand...

The Razer Core uses an older controller that for whatever reason is disabled in OS X by default. You can override it, but I suggest newer, TI-83 based setups, because the less hacking is needed the better. I imagine Razer will update their hardware in time.

My big issue with current setups is noise. The Akitio Node is not quiet, though the article linked says the Razer Core is even worse in this respect. I may buy an AIO cooler for my card and may replace the SFX PSU with a fanless one. But I truly hate fan noise, it's one big reason I go with Apple.
 
It generally looks like it's easy enough to replace the fans in the node. There appears to be only two. The one in the PSU would be the only 'tricky' one.
 
AVT said:
This has worked "unofficially" on OS X for a while now. On Sierra, my Nvidia eGPU will accelerate the internal display. I don't know what Apple's plans are for High Sierra - I imagine support may be disabled for some time in beta while they work on development and re-enabled when it is ready. Clamshell mode and hot plugging on Sierra do not currently work, so there is quite a bit to do.



The Razer Core uses an older controller that for whatever reason is disabled in OS X by default. You can override it, but I suggest newer, TI-83 based setups, because the less hacking is needed the better. I imagine Razer will update their hardware in time.

My big issue with current setups is noise. The Akitio Node is not quiet, though the article linked says the Razer Core is even worse in this respect. I may buy an AIO cooler for my card and may replace the SFX PSU with a fanless one. But I truly hate fan noise, it's one big reason I go with Apple.
Click to expand...

Does it work for internal display on Bootcamp? Thinking about getting a new MBP for casual gaming and development...
 
shansoft said:
Does it work for internal display on Bootcamp? Thinking about getting a new MBP for casual gaming and development...
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I have not tried that, so I'm not sure. That should depend on Microsoft rather than Apple.

UnknownSouljer said:
It generally looks like it's easy enough to replace the fans in the node. There appears to be only two. The one in the PSU would be the only 'tricky' one.
Click to expand...

The bigger problem is the GPU's fan, which is the loudest. The 12mm fan is easy to replace.
 
shansoft said:
Does it work for internal display on Bootcamp? Thinking about getting a new MBP for casual gaming and development...
Click to expand...

Optimus and XConnect do work with Bootcamp in Windows, at least that has been the case before this eGPU announcement. You get a performance drop though in addition to the drop from doing eGPU over Thunderbolt.

Be warned that Windows setup can be more complicated than the macOS side, moreso if you have a laptop with a discrete GPU already.

https://egpu.io/forums/mac-setup/2016-macbook-pro-solving-egpu-error-12-in-windows-10/
 
UnknownSouljer said:
It generally looks like it's easy enough to replace the fans in the node. There appears to be only two. The one in the PSU would be the only 'tricky' one.
Click to expand...

Most of these have been using SFX power supplies, though most of those aren't that quiet so choice is limited. Ask the SFF forum on SFX fan replacements as they've been around this track already :)
 
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AVT said:
I have not tried that, so I'm not sure. That should depend on Microsoft rather than Apple.

The bigger problem is the GPU's fan, which is the loudest. The 12mm fan is easy to replace.
Click to expand...


If silence is key, wouldn't it just make the most amount of sense to get a GPU that comes with closed loop water cooling? Then you can pick your fans. Probably two low(-ish) rpm fans on either side of the radiator.
 
UnknownSouljer said:
If silence is key, wouldn't it just make the most amount of sense to get a GPU that comes with closed loop water cooling? Then you can pick your fans. Probably two low(-ish) rpm fans on either side of the radiator.
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Exactly what I was thinking. I'll probably acquire one soon. The PSU is also a problem, albeit a minor one - I hope future designs go with a fanless PSU instead. A SFX-L PSU with 120mm fan would also be better. I hate fan noise.
 
AVT said:
Exactly what I was thinking. I'll probably acquire one soon. The PSU is also a problem, albeit a minor one - I hope future designs go with a fanless PSU instead. A SFX-L PSU with 120mm fan would also be better. I hate fan noise.
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Fair enough. I generally like quiet environments as well. Luckily there appears to be plenty of space inside the Node. It looks like you could probably remove the PSU fan, remove the PSU case, cut a 120mm hole on the top of the Node, and have the PSU/part of the video card vent through the top. I don't have the exact measurements of the Node to know for sure, but if you're not opposed to modding and you aren't butter fingers enough to shock yourself while running the PSU caseless, it works.
 
phillyboy said:
Optimus and XConnect do work with Bootcamp in Windows, at least that has been the case before this eGPU announcement. You get a performance drop though in addition to the drop from doing eGPU over Thunderbolt.

Be warned that Windows setup can be more complicated than the macOS side, moreso if you have a laptop with a discrete GPU already.

https://egpu.io/forums/mac-setup/2016-macbook-pro-solving-egpu-error-12-in-windows-10/
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. But as long as it works, I guess that shouldn't be a problem.
 
UnknownSouljer said:
Fair enough. I generally like quiet environments as well. Luckily there appears to be plenty of space inside the Node. It looks like you could probably remove the PSU fan, remove the PSU case, cut a 120mm hole on the top of the Node, and have the PSU/part of the video card vent through the top. I don't have the exact measurements of the Node to know for sure, but if you're not opposed to modding and you aren't butter fingers enough to shock yourself while running the PSU caseless, it works.
Click to expand...

An easier option would be to cut a 120mm hole in the side panel to replace the existing 92mm hole for the PSU fan and replace it with an SFX-L PSU. This should be quiet enough due to the larger fan, provided the GPU's cooler is replaced as well.

I need to find out if an AC Accelero Xtreme will fit or not. It might, but will be very tight. Prefer not to get an AIO system if I can help it due to reliability concerns (especially given that I transport the card quite a bit).
 
AVT said:
An easier option would be to cut a 120mm hole in the side panel to replace the existing 92mm hole for the PSU fan and replace it with an SFX-L PSU. This should be quiet enough due to the larger fan, provided the GPU's cooler is replaced as well.

I need to find out if an AC Accelero Xtreme will fit or not. It might, but will be very tight. Prefer not to get an AIO system if I can help it due to reliability concerns (especially given that I transport the card quite a bit).
Click to expand...

You own one so you'd know better than me. But in the photos it only shows and exit out the back for the PSU and a fan from the front to bring air in, and a screen on one side to allow air to come in from the GPU blower fan.
Would love to see your photos of the project as you go along.
 
Speaking of small form factor PSUs and bitten fruit products, are there any decent choices for a 350W or so SFW or TFX PSU that won't make my ears bleed with fan noise? I'm naturally expecting the usual active PFC and efficiency improvements, too.

This is for a Mirrored Drive Doors Power Mac G4 - a model infamous for its "Wind Tunnel" fan noise largely brought on by the dual 60mm screamers in the stock PSUs (which are sorta FlexATX but not quite), which also have a nasty reputation for failure. That's the main reason I don't want to go buying another MDD PSU and fan-modding it, prices aside.

I found this out after ATX-modding mine, although a typical ATX PSU is just too big to fit inside the case without removing the optical drives and awkwardly routing the power cable through one of the drive doors. Anything much wider than 60mm risks blocking off the expansion card slots.
 
One of the reasons Apple released a developer kit - on the WWDC Daring Fireball podcast Craig Federighi pointed out in the history of macOS, the OS could always be assured that the GPU would be there (unless a hardware failure - which if happens you have bigger issues than the OS kernel panicking). With a GPU connected to a cable, even if you don't mean to you could unintentionally unplug the cable and the GPU would disappear. He pointed out it's taking significant work to work around some of those older assumptions and clean up things like that for external GPU support.

So it's not necessarily as easy as just plugging in an external GPU and keep things stable and consistent.
 
UnknownSouljer said:
You own one so you'd know better than me. But in the photos it only shows and exit out the back for the PSU and a fan from the front to bring air in, and a screen on one side to allow air to come in from the GPU blower fan.
Would love to see your photos of the project as you go along.
Click to expand...

The intake for the PSU is on the right-hand side of the case. It's a 92mm circular intake.
 
Hoping they get this right. This is partially the reason why I just bought the 2017 MBP yesterday.
 
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