I think it does but you need to use an AMD GPU not Nvidia. If you are going to use Nvidia then you need to download drivers from eGPU.io
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2018 MBP 13" i5 Gaming with eGPU
- Thread starter ofarlig
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I think it does but you need to use an AMD GPU not Nvidia. If you are going to use Nvidia then you need to download drivers from eGPU.io
Thanks, I started doing it because I wanted to see if this can replace my beefy desktop even though the FPS is lower. But I figured that since I bought it anyway I can test as many games as possible to help others decide what to do.
The Core X does not have any ports, from what I have read online that is actually preferred since sending the USB and/or ethernet over the TB3 connection will make less throughput available for the GPU. There has also been reports of the peripherals losing contact under high GPU load. I am using a OWC USB-C dock with another cable for all my peripherals.
I got the Razer Core X because it was cheap and simple while offering 2x 8 pin connectors from the GPU, in case I want something beefier in the future.
It should be able to, I managed to get the eGPU working in OS X. Just had to begin by removing safe boot, SIP and allowing booting from external media.
It was easy except for my screen acting up and needing to be cut off power for a while and plugged into a new display port after that to "resync" or something.
I used this script to download the Nvidia drivers then rebooted and made sure I had the Nvidia icon at the top bar and that the Nvidia drivers were selected as default: https://github.com/Benjamin-Dobell/nvidia-update
And then I used this script to enable the Nvidia eGPU and rebooted: https://github.com/mayankk2308/purge-wrangler
Upon reboot I plugged the eGPU in and it just worked.
I also did this for Windows 10 to make the boot easier:
USB stick creation procedure
1. Format an USB stick in Disk Utility (Choose Erase, Format: MS-DOS (FAT), Scheme: Master Boot Record)
2. Create a USB stick folder structure in Finder as follows: /EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi where bootx64.efi is the renamed apple_set_os.efi file downloaded below.
https://github.com/0xbb/apple_set_os.efi/releases
Source: https://egpu.io/forums/pc-setup/how...ctivated-when-booting-into-windows-boot-camp/
I keep the USB stick in my dock and I can just hold option whenever I boot Windows and select that drive instead.
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I figured I might as well buy Rise of the Tomb Raider to test it out for everyone, after I did my wife tells me she already has it on her steam account, FML. Either way, it is added.
Will add WoW and GTA V soon (GTA V takes time to download even at 65 MB/s and it somehow borked when I added both Tomb Raider and GTA V to the queue so I have to redownload....), and then I will see what else there is.
Seems Apple has a winner here in terms of strategy: the eGPU option will increase the value / demand for the macbook lineup.
People will no longer have to opt between desktop performance vs notebook portability. eGPU being upgradeable with new cards and extra storage are a plus for the longevity of any system.
If only they can return with the feature that would allow the iMac to be a 2nd monitor for my MacBook........
People will no longer have to opt between desktop performance vs notebook portability. eGPU being upgradeable with new cards and extra storage are a plus for the longevity of any system.
If only they can return with the feature that would allow the iMac to be a 2nd monitor for my MacBook........
This thread most likely won't be updated anymore with benchmarks, I can answer any questions though. I decided to return the eGPU due to lower frames than my desktop and some small glitches with using an eGPU. The glitches were these
1) In both OS X and Windows I get some small stuttering/freezes when I open programs and such. In Windows it is to the point of the mouse cursor not moving when I try to open Chrome or something like that. In OS X it is a small delay in closing tabs in safari and such. This is not present when no eGPU is connected.
2) Sometimes the eGPU does not want to be recognized in Windows, this requires a power cycle of the computer and eGPU to fix.
3) Sometimes G-Sync does not get recognized and the setting dissapears from Nvidia Control Panel, this requires me to pull the power plug from my monitor to fix.
If I didn't have a desktop already I would be able to live with these glitches and use eGPU instead of buying a desktop as they are not THAT annoying.
1) In both OS X and Windows I get some small stuttering/freezes when I open programs and such. In Windows it is to the point of the mouse cursor not moving when I try to open Chrome or something like that. In OS X it is a small delay in closing tabs in safari and such. This is not present when no eGPU is connected.
2) Sometimes the eGPU does not want to be recognized in Windows, this requires a power cycle of the computer and eGPU to fix.
3) Sometimes G-Sync does not get recognized and the setting dissapears from Nvidia Control Panel, this requires me to pull the power plug from my monitor to fix.
If I didn't have a desktop already I would be able to live with these glitches and use eGPU instead of buying a desktop as they are not THAT annoying.
All I know is that the top 13" model sucks for gaming. Simple as that. Many games my son wants to play need more than the crap Intel graphics. Many games are choppy and laggy. I don't need benchmarks to tell me that. This thread is complicated and exists because the 2018 13" mbp is a profit-grabbing, under-spec'ed piece of marketing garbage. Don't they figure college kids would tend to go for the 13" model? And yet Apple still under-spec'ed the graphics.
Stupid move by AAPL to frustrate that age group. Going to alienware for him. Apple has gone total stupid in too many areas.
Stupid move by AAPL to frustrate that age group. Going to alienware for him. Apple has gone total stupid in too many areas.
I'm really sorry to hear these news, I have a few more questions if you have the time to answer:
- How often do these stuttering/freezes happen? Do they happen also while gaming or only when browsing?
- Can you hot-plug the eGPU in Windows or do you need to restart?
- How often do the other problems (points 2-3) arise?
- Did you notice more input lag when playing competitive games like Counterstrike with eGPU instead of desktop PC?
Sorry for the questions but I'm ordering a 15 inch for use with a eGPU (1080 ti) and would like to know as much as possible before I spend 3500€. I would really like only one computer that can handle gaming decently.
- It is basically only stuttering when using UI elements in Windows / OS X or when launching a program. Might be better on the 15", maybe theres extra cores to use for that.
- Hot plugging gives a blue screen.
- Depends, once every few restarts to Windows
- Nope, not really more input lag.
Nothing major and it doesn't impact the gaming experience just adds a tad more annoyance to the setup.
Of course you cannot game properly on integrated graphics, that has been the case forever so everyone knows about it. You cannot even game on most dGPUs in laptops (you need the really thick heavy ones for that). That is why the eGPU route exists so you can have a small compact computer and game.
Thank you for taking the time to test the eGPU and the various games...have you kept the 13” MBP?
Yeah the computer is great so that is staying, the eGPU would have stayed if it wasn't for me having a beefy desktop already so it didn't feel worth it.
Thank you, your work was helpful to say the least! Ordering the 15 inch 2.6 tomorrow, fingers crossed
Nice! It will probably work out great for ya
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