I don't think that's true, as it would mean existing EFI graphics cards wouldn't run unless Apple were maintaining dual EFI and BIOS drivers. I'm pretty sure they're using EFI, there wouldn't really be any reason for them to switch back to legacy BIOS. To use a PC card in a Mac, you still need to flash the card with EFI firmware.
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CES 2012: MSI Shows Off Thunderbolt-Connected External GPU
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I don't think that's true, as it would mean existing EFI graphics cards wouldn't run unless Apple were maintaining dual EFI and BIOS drivers. I'm pretty sure they're using EFI, there wouldn't really be any reason for them to switch back to legacy BIOS. To use a PC card in a Mac, you still need to flash the card with EFI firmware.
So let me get this straight. With something like this i could connect it to my iMac and have a better graphics card essentially installed in my system without the need for an external display separate from what is currently integrated on my iMac? If this is not possible, what would stop me from using the external graphics card and plugging it into my iMac so it would override the current graphics card in my system? Interesting possibilities none the less. Then again i might be completely wrong and way off base on this :/
That's good to know. I wonder if there's any way of changing how many lanes are assigned to each slot. If you had a graphics card and perhaps a SATA card in a Thunderbolt PCIe chassis, you might only need one lane on the SATA card, but three on the GPU. Or perhaps two lanes are assigned per slot if there are two cards, but all four lanes to one slot if there is just one card.
I would expect an external graphics card to help with OpenCL and general purpose processing, but actual graphics acceleration would only apply to monitors connected to the external graphics card. This is how it's always been with computers. A graphics card only accelerates graphics for monitors connected to the outputs of the graphics card.
You can only have one PCIe card in the box as it only has one slot. If it had two (e.g. PCIe x4 and x1), then you could put the GPU in x4 slot and SATA card in x1.
Surely it would be better to have the chassis have it's own power adaptor (ZOMG NOOO ANOTHER CABLE) but therefore able to supply proper 2x PCI-E 8pin power to the GPU?
Also, I wouldn't be so sure on the "Presumably if there's OS X support for the GPU inside the enclosure it would work under OS X as well." Admittedly I'm not a Marketing/PR person, but rather than demoing it and having the sites write that despite running on a MacBook Pro there is currently no OS X support for the solution wouldn't it have made sense to just stick in a card that does have OS X support, like the Mac Pro's ATi 5870? Then although everyone would be "Pfft, should have got a 7970" it would actually work!
Also, I wouldn't be so sure on the "Presumably if there's OS X support for the GPU inside the enclosure it would work under OS X as well." Admittedly I'm not a Marketing/PR person, but rather than demoing it and having the sites write that despite running on a MacBook Pro there is currently no OS X support for the solution wouldn't it have made sense to just stick in a card that does have OS X support, like the Mac Pro's ATi 5870? Then although everyone would be "Pfft, should have got a 7970" it would actually work!
Yeah i understand it would work with an external display but from my understanding i can plug in a laptop and use my iMac display as a screen for the laptop. Again i may be way off base as i've never attempted this, but if it is possible what would stop me from using the external graphics card and then plugging it into my iMac and using its display?
Unfortunately it seems that this is unlikely to work with OSX unless Apple provides special "Thunderbold aware" GFX drivers, see http://www.magma.com/thunderbolt.asp
"There is an interoperability issue with MacOS using graphics (GPU) cards externally through Thunderbolt. Unfortunately, external graphics solutions for MacOS X do not work and we do not expect a resolution from Apple in the short term."
"There is an interoperability issue with MacOS using graphics (GPU) cards externally through Thunderbolt. Unfortunately, external graphics solutions for MacOS X do not work and we do not expect a resolution from Apple in the short term."
THIS is where Thunderbolt can really shine!
We need MORE of THIS kind of stuff! Add on a CPU, a GPU, RAM, all with this one simple port!
DO WANT!
We need MORE of THIS kind of stuff! Add on a CPU, a GPU, RAM, all with this one simple port!
DO WANT!
I like that idea! But I want to be able to disable it so at some point when (for whatever reason) that GPU is lacking that I can still use it as a monitor with my new GPU...
Gary
This is most certainly promising for gamers on MacBooks.
However it remains to be seen how much power can these guys push through using Thunderbolt.
They should definitely use some other form of power source to power higher-end graphics card.
Though any development regarding this is particularly pleasing.
However it remains to be seen how much power can these guys push through using Thunderbolt.
They should definitely use some other form of power source to power higher-end graphics card.
Though any development regarding this is particularly pleasing.
The problem with higher end graphics cards is not supplying power, but keeping latency and bandwidth in check.
High end cards expect a short-distance direct-link connection between the GPU and CPU. With thunderbolt you could easily quadruple the distance, and the link itself is not direct, as there are at least two thunderbolt controller chips inbetween. Then theres again, the bandwidth limit.
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Or have user changable gpu in the screen. Samsung is releasing tvs soon with upgradable parts
garylapointe said:
Or have user changable gpu in the screen. Samsung is releasing tvs soon with upgradable parts
It seems as if the lower bandwidth really won't be a problem - check out the tests made here and here. As I understand it, TB speed would equal about a PCIe 2.0 x4 port, and in the test the performance vs a x16 is negligible, and even a x1 port is 90-95% the speed of a x16 in real-world applications.
Although, the note about external graphics not working under OS X sounds very discouraging Hope it's not the case, I really hope to avoid dual-booting to windows for gaming / working.
Although, the note about external graphics not working under OS X sounds very discouraging
Hope it's not the case, I really hope to avoid dual-booting to windows for gaming / working.You wouldn't want to use it in OSX anyway cause windows has the most games.Unfortunately it seems that this is unlikely to work with OSX unless Apple provides special "Thunderbold aware" GFX drivers, see http://www.magma.com/thunderbolt.asp
"There is an interoperability issue with MacOS using graphics (GPU) cards externally through Thunderbolt. Unfortunately, external graphics solutions for MacOS X do not work and we do not expect a resolution from Apple in the short term."