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Blackmagic eGPU – Thunderbolt 3 external graphics processor

blackmagicdesign.com

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Re: Blackmagic eGPU – Thunderbolt 3 external graphics processor

#161

Post by dharma1 »

1_player wrote: post #140
jonbaer wrote: post #5

Does anyone here currently run a eGPU on their MacBook Pro and can share their experience (including what card you are using)?

Akitio Node + Apple TB2->3 dongle + GTX 1080 + external LG 4K monitor on a rMBP 15" 2015, used only w/ Bootcamp. Works pretty well, and my latest addition is a DisplayPort switch to use the iGPU directly with the monitor (when I'm in macOS) or the external GPU (when I'm in Bootcamp). Performance is great, around ~95% of desktop GPU I'd say. The only issue is that it needs a particular boot sequence to enable it, when…

excellent info, thank you. So the Akitio node works ok with GTX 1080/ti? You mention you only use with bootcamp - but do you know if the MacOS drivers Nvidia provides work ok?

Re: Blackmagic eGPU – Thunderbolt 3 external graphics processor

#162

Post by rsynnott »

dlevine wrote: post #156
neya wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's not the best deal, but it's so much better than other jokers in this space, because, the alternative I've found is Razor Core series ( https://www.razer.com/sg-en/gaming-laptops/razer-core-v2 ) which is a joke - $500+ ($750 where I live) and it doesn't even include a GPU in it! I'm seriously interested if there's some sort of DIY out there wherein you could just buy a bunch of chips from eBay, put togeth…

You can use this: ( https://www.amazon.com/Akitio-Node-Thunderbolt3-Windows-Comp... ) It costs $250 + GPU.

One thing to note about this; it only provides 15W USB-PD. This is grossly inadequate for pretty much any laptop you'd want to connect to it, so one-plug operation isn't practical.

Re: Blackmagic eGPU – Thunderbolt 3 external graphics processor

#163

Post by TheRealDunkirk »

stfwn wrote: post #90

Apple disabled eGPU support for Thunderbolt 1 and 2 with macOS 10.13.4 [0]. Of course someone wrote a nifty script to unblock it and enable support for Nvidia GPU's while at it [1], but it's too bad a great upgrade path from slightly older MBP's (up to 2015) is not officially supported. [0]: https://egpu.io/external-gpu-macos-10-13-4-update/ [1]: https://egpu.io/forums/mac-setup/script-enable-egpu-on-tb1-2...

I tried the "purge wrangler" script to support a VR DevKit on my 2014 MBPr 15". I immediately started getting kernel panics. On, like, the third day I had it installed, I had 3 panics, and finally just removed it. At least they made it easy to remove; my machine hasn't crashed since. As always, YMMV.

Re: Blackmagic eGPU – Thunderbolt 3 external graphics processor

#164

Post by dharma1 »

kogir wrote: post #79
nafizh wrote: post #75

Anyone knows if I can use an nvidia card as an egpu with a macbook pro for machine learning? Any blog post or link will be appreciated.

Yep! Using Windows 10 via Boot Camp on a Late 2016 MacBook Pro, Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box with 550W Power Supply, and Nvidia Titan X Pascal, everything just works. In macOS, only tears and kernel panics though.

Is that because of Titan X drivers?

Re: Blackmagic eGPU – Thunderbolt 3 external graphics processor

#165

Post by dharma1 »

pvg wrote: post #10
whichdan wrote: post #8

From the FAQ: > Can I upgrade the GPU chip in the Blackmagic eGPU? > No, the design has been optimized for quiet operation so it’s better suited for creative customers. This means the design is not a simple chassis with a PCIe card plugged in, but an integrated electronics, mechanical and cooling design that cannot have the GPU chip upgraded or changed. $699 and no ability to upgrade makes it pretty clear that they'r…

They're targeting DaVinci Resolve users. It's not a great deal for gamers and related nerds but there are lots of Apple-compatible enclosures out now. https://egpu.io/ is a good resource.

I'm wondering how much work in Davinci you can do with the AMD ipgu in the new 15" mbpro.. enough to grade 4k raw footage? Or do you need an egpu?

Re: Blackmagic eGPU – Thunderbolt 3 external graphics processor

#166

Post by rsynnott »

djsumdog wrote: post #14
whichdan wrote: post #8

From the FAQ: > Can I upgrade the GPU chip in the Blackmagic eGPU? > No, the design has been optimized for quiet operation so it’s better suited for creative customers. This means the design is not a simple chassis with a PCIe card plugged in, but an integrated electronics, mechanical and cooling design that cannot have the GPU chip upgraded or changed. $699 and no ability to upgrade makes it pretty clear that they'r…

Huh. They're targeting ... people who don't know any better? I want to see rendering benchmarks (both 1080p/2160p) of this vs external Thunderbolt GTX/1060,1070,1080 enclosures (and AMDGPU equivalents). I mean if it works better and you do a lot of video, then yea, go for it. If it's only marginally better, buy something with a real PCIe slot that's upgradable. Even business customers should not buy this if the bench…

If it really is quieter than the others, there's a market for that. Quite a lot of eGPU boxes are _very_ noisy.

Re: Blackmagic eGPU – Thunderbolt 3 external graphics processor

#167

Post by rsynnott »

chx wrote: post #38
samcat116 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are tons of other eGPU enclosures on the market that take normal PCIe GPUs. This one is interesting because you can use it with the UltraFine 5k Display which connects via Thunderbolt.

Or buy a Dell UP2715K or Philips 275P4VYKEB both of which connect via dual DisplayPort... Heck, even the Iiyama XB2779QQS can be a good candidate for most eGPU -- it requires a DisplayPort 1.4 but that is now a feature of many video cards, it's cheap because it's only 6-bit + A-FRC.

The Dell and Phillips parts seem to have been discontinued, and were in any case more expensive than the LG one. The Iiyama might be okay if you were okay with its limitations.

Re: Blackmagic eGPU – Thunderbolt 3 external graphics processor

#168

Post by rsynnott »

xxpor wrote: post #2

I don't know why the title says "Apple's". It works with MBPs but the company seems to have nothing to do with Apple Inc.

It's a bit like the LG Ultrafine monitors; not actually an Apple product, but sold by, and "blessed by", Apple.

By the way, it's worth noting that that blessing doesn't mean as much as you'd think. The LG Ultrafines have significant quirks that you wouldn't really expect from an Apple thing.

Re: Blackmagic eGPU – Thunderbolt 3 external graphics processor

#170

Post by RealityVoid »

aikinai wrote: post #95
z3phyr wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is this comment being down voted?

Because it’s intentionally obtuse to assume the only reason you would ever sacrifice upgradeability is for planned obsolescence.

But is it really far fetched? I am certain some people somewhere have considered this a big plus and weighted in their decision more than perhaps many of the other reasons for making HW impossible to upgrade.
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