Guide: eGPU in MAC OS X

[pscafe]

Hoping to help some people out here:

Here is what you need to setup eGPU in OS X

- TextWrangler http://www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/
- Kext Wizard http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/253395-kext-wizard-easy-to-use-kext-installer-and-more/

GTX 5xx, 6xx, and 7xx up to 780 or Titan, A Web Driver is not necessary.
Although a GTX 780ti, Titan Black and Z and 750 ti, 9xx require a driver to be seen
- Modded Web Driver, Here is a guide on how to: https://xellers.wordpress.com/articles/how-to-install-osx-drivers-on-unsupported-systems/



After a fresh install:

Open Terminal App
Copy & Paste this inside

Code:

sudo nvram boot-args="kext-dev-mode=1”

Press Enter, then type your password. Press Enter again.

Now we have to edit three .kext files
To do this, you need an editing program that supports it, such as TextWrangler. These three files are:

Code:

/System/Library/Extensions/NVDAStartup.kext/Contents/Info.plist

Code:

/System/Library/Extensions/IONDRVSupport.kext/Info.plist

Code:

/System/Library/Extensions/AppleHDA.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleHDAController.kext/Contents/Info.plist

On the Finder menu bar select “Go”. Then click on “Go to Folder”. It will ask you which folder to go to. Copy and paste one of them.
It should get you straight to the file, and it should be highlighted! Open the Info.plist file with TextWrangler.

Now copy the following

Code:

<key>IOPCITunnelCompatible</key>
<true/>

When inside the Kext look for the part that starts with
<key>CFBundleIdentifier</key>

and paste the code just before
</dict>

After that, save the file. Afterwards, do the same with the other two kexts.
There is one of these in the Info.plist in NVDAStartup.kext,
three in IONDRVSupport.kext and
a long one in AppleHDAController.kext.



Open Kext Wizard. Click on the tick box named “System/Library/Extensions”.
It should tick the two boxes below as well. Make sure the Target disk is the disk the OS is installed on. After that click “Execute”. After some time, it should be complete.

Shut down the computer.

Plug in the eGPU via Thunderbolt. Then switch it on.
Then power on Mac.

After booting, install your modded NVIDIA Driver. Follow the steps then restart your computer.

Now, what happened is that your NVIDIA Driver has reset one of the .kext files! So go back to:

Code:

/System/Library/Extensions/NVDAStartup.kext/Contents/Info.plist

Then, repeat the .kext editing process that you have done earlier.

After doing that, run Kext Wizard in the same way as you have done earlier.
Shut down your computer and switch off your eGPU.

It should finally boot up with the eGPU! If it hasn’t (it might not sometimes), just restart the MacBook.
Optional: Install the CUDA Driver.

[netkas]

Thanks for quick tutorial.

There is no need to modify /System/Library/Extensions/AppleHDA.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleHDAController.kext/Contents/Info.plist if one don't need hdmi audio.

[salexmatei]

Im getting an Unigine Heaven score of 491 with my GTX 780 3GB... Something is wrong right?

At least the card is identified and working (once in a while). But there seems to be no acceleration, or maybe the bottleneck is the Akitio Thunder2?

[netkas]

Use opengl extension viewer to see if acceleration is available.

[devildcn]

Im getting an Unigine Heaven score of 491 with my GTX 780 3GB... Something is wrong right?

At least the card is identified and working (once in a while). But there seems to be no acceleration, or maybe the bottleneck is the Akitio Thunder2?

It's probably result of your iGPU.
Where was the heaven window when you run test?
Drag heaven window on the external monitor and run test again (better in fullscreen).

[YocYoc]

There is a shell script on Github which do this very well.

Code:

- Detects your OS X product version and build version
- Automatic download and driver installation
- Automatic IOPCITunnelCompatible mods + web driver mod
- Detects your Mac board-id and enables eGPU screen output
- Background services
Confirmed: Mid 2014 15” rMBP Iris Pro, Late 2014 Mac mini, Late 2013 Mac Pro

[RastaFabi]

I built an eGPU setup, too. I opted to buy an ITX GTX750Ti inside the AKiTiO case, as it fit's in perfectly and does not need any additional power supply (you only need to upgrade the 5A brick to a 8A one) as it can run from the 75W PCIe port.
The thing that concerns me is the heat generation inside the case (trying to avoid modifing anything). I thought about observing the GPUs temperature from one of those many apps out there (I like HWMonitor.app), but at last with my old NVIDIA 8500 GT test GPU it does not work. Any solution?

[JMan]

I built an eGPU setup, too. I opted to buy an ITX GTX750Ti inside the AKiTiO case, as it fit's in perfectly and does not need any additional power supply (you only need to upgrade the 5A brick to a 8A one) as it can run from the 75W PCIe port.
The thing that concerns me is the heat generation inside the case (trying to avoid modifing anything). I thought about observing the GPUs temperature from one of those many apps out there (I like HWMonitor.app), but at last with my old NVIDIA 8500 GT test GPU it does not work. Any solution?

Hey RastaFabi, could you send me a link to the 8 amp power supply you used with your Akitio case (preferably on Amazon)?

Also, are you at all worried that the 8 Amp power supply might burn out (or otherwise damage) the Akitio case’s circuitry? How long have you been using that 8 amp power supply with the Akitio case?

[RastaFabi]

I built an eGPU setup, too. I opted to buy an ITX GTX750Ti inside the AKiTiO case, as it fit's in perfectly and does not need any additional power supply (you only need to upgrade the 5A brick to a 8A one) as it can run from the 75W PCIe port.
The thing that concerns me is the heat generation inside the case (trying to avoid modifing anything). I thought about observing the GPUs temperature from one of those many apps out there (I like HWMonitor.app), but at last with my old NVIDIA 8500 GT test GPU it does not work. Any solution?

Hey RastaFabi, could you send me a link to the 8 amp power supply you used with your Akitio case (preferably on Amazon)?

Also, are you at all worried that the 8 Amp power supply might burn out (or otherwise damage) the Akitio case’s circuitry? How long have you been using that 8 amp power supply with the Akitio case?

I bought this item:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC12V-2-3-5-6-7-8A-60W-220V-Power-Supply-AC-adaptor-Line-Office-for-appliances-/131610804918
electrically there is no reason why it could damage the Akitio. As it's very cheap I previously measured whether the output matched the specifications to be sure, through. As it offers stable 12.4volt (the Aktitio brick offered 12.3) it's fine. The plug matches perfectly, too.
I'm using it for one month now on a near daily basis.
About the heat (although I still couldn't find a application that works with this setup) I do not have any concerns anymore as it gets a little warm at the maximum with the akitio's incredibly noisy fan disconnected.

[JMan]

I built an eGPU setup, too. I opted to buy an ITX GTX750Ti inside the AKiTiO case, as it fit's in perfectly and does not need any additional power supply (you only need to upgrade the 5A brick to a 8A one) as it can run from the 75W PCIe port.
The thing that concerns me is the heat generation inside the case (trying to avoid modifing anything). I thought about observing the GPUs temperature from one of those many apps out there (I like HWMonitor.app), but at last with my old NVIDIA 8500 GT test GPU it does not work. Any solution?

Hey RastaFabi, could you send me a link to the 8 amp power supply you used with your Akitio case (preferably on Amazon)?

Also, are you at all worried that the 8 Amp power supply might burn out (or otherwise damage) the Akitio case’s circuitry? How long have you been using that 8 amp power supply with the Akitio case?

I bought this item:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC12V-2-3-5-6-7-8A-60W-220V-Power-Supply-AC-adaptor-Line-Office-for-appliances-/131610804918
electrically there is no reason why it could damage the Akitio. As it's very cheap I previously measured whether the output matched the specifications to be sure, through. As it offers stable 12.4volt (the Aktitio brick offered 12.3) it's fine. The plug matches perfectly, too.
I'm using it for one month now on a near daily basis.
About the heat (although I still couldn't find a application that works with this setup) I do not have any concerns anymore as it gets a little warm at the maximum with the akitio's incredibly noisy fan disconnected.

Thanks for the link! I’m not sure if the fan would be an issue because I won’t have it right next to my MacBook, but rather at least a couple feet away. How far do you have it from your Mac?

Also, is it possible that Akitio intended it to be used for eGPUs, and simply denied that it could be used for an eGPU and gave it a lesser power supply to please Intel?

[JMan]

I built an eGPU setup, too. I opted to buy an ITX GTX750Ti inside the AKiTiO case, as it fit's in perfectly and does not need any additional power supply (you only need to upgrade the 5A brick to a 8A one) as it can run from the 75W PCIe port.
The thing that concerns me is the heat generation inside the case (trying to avoid modifing anything). I thought about observing the GPUs temperature from one of those many apps out there (I like HWMonitor.app), but at last with my old NVIDIA 8500 GT test GPU it does not work. Any solution?

Hey RastaFabi, could you send me a link to the 8 amp power supply you used with your Akitio case (preferably on Amazon)?

Also, are you at all worried that the 8 Amp power supply might burn out (or otherwise damage) the Akitio case’s circuitry? How long have you been using that 8 amp power supply with the Akitio case?

I bought this item:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC12V-2-3-5-6-7-8A-60W-220V-Power-Supply-AC-adaptor-Line-Office-for-appliances-/131610804918
electrically there is no reason why it could damage the Akitio. As it's very cheap I previously measured whether the output matched the specifications to be sure, through. As it offers stable 12.4volt (the Aktitio brick offered 12.3) it's fine. The plug matches perfectly, too.
I'm using it for one month now on a near daily basis.
About the heat (although I still couldn't find a application that works with this setup) I do not have any concerns anymore as it gets a little warm at the maximum with the akitio's incredibly noisy fan disconnected.

I took a look at that eBay page, but it looks a little suspicious. I see the option for an 8 amp power supply, but it’s not pictured. Are you sure that's the exact same power supply you bought?

[JMan]

I built an eGPU setup, too. I opted to buy an ITX GTX750Ti inside the AKiTiO case, as it fit's in perfectly and does not need any additional power supply (you only need to upgrade the 5A brick to a 8A one) as it can run from the 75W PCIe port.
The thing that concerns me is the heat generation inside the case (trying to avoid modifing anything). I thought about observing the GPUs temperature from one of those many apps out there (I like HWMonitor.app), but at last with my old NVIDIA 8500 GT test GPU it does not work. Any solution?

Hey RastaFabi, could you send me a link to the 8 amp power supply you used with your Akitio case (preferably on Amazon)?

Also, are you at all worried that the 8 Amp power supply might burn out (or otherwise damage) the Akitio case’s circuitry? How long have you been using that 8 amp power supply with the Akitio case?

I bought this item:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC12V-2-3-5-6-7-8A-60W-220V-Power-Supply-AC-adaptor-Line-Office-for-appliances-/131610804918
electrically there is no reason why it could damage the Akitio. As it's very cheap I previously measured whether the output matched the specifications to be sure, through. As it offers stable 12.4volt (the Aktitio brick offered 12.3) it's fine. The plug matches perfectly, too.
I'm using it for one month now on a near daily basis.
About the heat (although I still couldn't find a application that works with this setup) I do not have any concerns anymore as it gets a little warm at the maximum with the akitio's incredibly noisy fan disconnected.

I took a look at that eBay page, but it looks a little suspicious. I see the option for an 8 amp power supply, but it’s not pictured. Are you sure that's the exact same power supply you bought?

I also noticed that the Akitio Thunder2 comes with a 60 watt power supply, but it only provides 25 watts to the PICe card. So, just to function it needs 35 watts. A 12 volt 8 amp power supply in an Akitio Thunder2 would be 3 watts short of providing the peak 64 TDP for a GT 740. You’d really need a 120 watt power supply. In fact, that’s probably why Akitio’s site mentions that "With the standard 60W power supply, the maximum power output through the PCIe slot of the AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Box is 25W. The maximum it can handle through the PCIe slot is 75W with a 120W power supply.”

[JMan]

There is a shell script on Github which do this very well.

Code:

- Detects your OS X product version and build version
- Automatic download and driver installation
- Automatic IOPCITunnelCompatible mods + web driver mod
- Detects your Mac board-id and enables eGPU screen output
- Background services
Confirmed: Mid 2014 15” rMBP Iris Pro, Late 2014 Mac mini, Late 2013 Mac Pro

That’ll make it a lot easier and it’ll remove any possibility of making a mistake. Thanks for spotting that!

Do you think it would be possible to put the lines

Code:

chmod +x automate-eGPU.sh
sudo ./automate-eGPU.sh

into the same Automator action in an Automator script? Or would it work if they were in the same Automator action, but in the same Automator script?

 I ask because it’ll be easier to just activate a program after each OS update instead of going to the Github page for automate-eGPU.sh and copy the commands.

[RastaFabi]

I built an eGPU setup, too. I opted to buy an ITX GTX750Ti inside the AKiTiO case, as it fit's in perfectly and does not need any additional power supply (you only need to upgrade the 5A brick to a 8A one) as it can run from the 75W PCIe port.
The thing that concerns me is the heat generation inside the case (trying to avoid modifing anything). I thought about observing the GPUs temperature from one of those many apps out there (I like HWMonitor.app), but at last with my old NVIDIA 8500 GT test GPU it does not work. Any solution?

Hey RastaFabi, could you send me a link to the 8 amp power supply you used with your Akitio case (preferably on Amazon)?

Also, are you at all worried that the 8 Amp power supply might burn out (or otherwise damage) the Akitio case’s circuitry? How long have you been using that 8 amp power supply with the Akitio case?

I bought this item:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC12V-2-3-5-6-7-8A-60W-220V-Power-Supply-AC-adaptor-Line-Office-for-appliances-/131610804918
electrically there is no reason why it could damage the Akitio. As it's very cheap I previously measured whether the output matched the specifications to be sure, through. As it offers stable 12.4volt (the Aktitio brick offered 12.3) it's fine. The plug matches perfectly, too.
I'm using it for one month now on a near daily basis.
About the heat (although I still couldn't find a application that works with this setup) I do not have any concerns anymore as it gets a little warm at the maximum with the akitio's incredibly noisy fan disconnected.

I took a look at that eBay page, but it looks a little suspicious. I see the option for an 8 amp power supply, but it’s not pictured. Are you sure that's the exact same power supply you bought?

I also noticed that the Akitio Thunder2 comes with a 60 watt power supply, but it only provides 25 watts to the PICe card. So, just to function it needs 35 watts. A 12 volt 8 amp power supply in an Akitio Thunder2 would be 3 watts short of providing the peak 64 TDP for a GT 740. You’d really need a 120 watt power supply. In fact, that’s probably why Akitio’s site mentions that "With the standard 60W power supply, the maximum power output through the PCIe slot of the AKiTiO Thunder2 PCIe Box is 25W. The maximum it can handle through the PCIe slot is 75W with a 120W power supply.”

An 8A power brick is enough:
8A*12V=96W
96W-75W[peak GTX750TI]=21W
21W-10W[peak AKiTiO circuit]=11W
{11-25W[peak thunderbolt daisy chain]=-14W}

I am using an Mini-DP to HDMI adapted to power a total 4 external screens (3 on GTX) and haven't got any issues so far. I bought the exact same item on the vendors german eBay store, and it definitely comes with an 8A specification. About daisy chaining and its power consumption it's all about thunderbolt's specifications. Manufactures are required that devices with external power supply offer at least 25W downstream. This means, that there would only be an issue if your downstream high amp device does not come with it's own power supply.

I hope I could clarify some of your concerns.

[Ajimeg_01]

Hello, I am new over here! I did all the process accurately and it worked correctly but... I have a problem, since the eGPU has been connected, every movement of the mouse and keyboard is "lagged", it is like my system has turned slow. Any idea to solve it?? Greetings.

UPDATE: I think it is because the Hz, I can't select more than 24hz but The same gpu config in windows allows me to put it up to 60hz, HELP PLEASE!!