eGPU Developer Kit incompatible?

[MarkJames68]

From Sonnet’s site...

eGFX Breakaway (Developer Edition) is not currently compatible with:

• iMac® with NVIDIA Graphics
• Mac mini with AMD HD 6630M Graphics
• Mac Pro® Late 2013
• MacBook Pro® with NVIDIA Graphics

Note “not compatible” vs “not supported by Apple”. Why?

 

[usna92]

Because none of those machines are thunderbolt3. At best they are thunderbolt2.

From Sonnet’s site...

eGFX Breakaway (Developer Edition) is not currently compatible with:

• iMac® with NVIDIA Graphics
• Mac mini with AMD HD 6630M Graphics
• Mac Pro® Late 2013
• MacBook Pro® with NVIDIA Graphics

Note “not compatible” vs “not supported by Apple”. Why?

 

[William Payne]

Where does it say that on sonnets site?

 

[goMac]

Yeah its a thunderbolt 3 thing.

It's not. There are Thunderbolt 2 machines not on that list.

The Nvidia ones are there because Apple doesn't support AMD and Nvidia on the same box.

Not sure why the Mac Pro is there. It should be working.

Technically Apple won't support eGPU on any TB2 machine but it does work. Thunderbolt is Thunderbolt. TB2 is just slower.

 

[William Payne]

It's not. There are Thunderbolt 2 machines not on that list.

The Nvidia ones are there because Apple doesn't support AMD and Nvidia on the same box.

Not sure why the Mac Pro is there. It should be working.

Technically Apple won't support eGPU on any TB2 machine but it does work. Thunderbolt is Thunderbolt. TB2 is just slower.

What I meant was that the breakaway boxes that sonnet sells are thunderbolt 3, I should have mentioned you can get thunderbolt 2 ones.

Though for the original poster can you post where it says that on sonnets site? I can't find it.

 

[goMac]

What I meant was that the breakaway boxes that sonnet sells are thunderbolt 3, I should have mentioned you can get thunderbolt 2 ones.

Though for the original poster can you post where it says that on sonnets site? I can't find it.

Even then, doesn't matter. Thunderbolt 3 devices work just fine on Thunderbolt 2 computers with an adapter.

They mention the MacBook Pro with Nvidia graphics, but not the 2015 TB2 MacBook Pro with AMD graphics, which is a pretty big tell.

Also the current Mac Mini is TB2 but has Intel Integrated graphics, not an AMD graphics card. Again, very strange if they're trying to exclude TB2 machines. They could just say all Mac Minis.

 

[William Payne]

Even then, doesn't matter. Thunderbolt 3 devices work just fine on Thunderbolt 2 computers with an adapter.

Which is actually what sonnet says on their website regarding that kit. For some reason what the original poster quoted is only mentioned on the store page not the main page.

Soooo weird.

 

[MarkJames68]

Which is actually what sonnet says on their website regarding that kit. For some reason what the original poster quoted is only mentioned on the store page not the main page.

Soooo weird.

It is weird. I posted it because I saw the same thing on the eGPU.io site. Akitio doesn’t say anything of the sort about its box.

And for the record I’m running a Mac Pro with a TB3 adapter with a RX580 eGPU fine. Just concerned that Apple may play some games and shut things down with a future update.

 

[theitsage]

This is for tech support purpose. Those machines listed with incompatibility are ones with different challenges to get eGPU working well. The nMP for example works with many Thunderbolt 2 and 3 eGPU enclosures but I experienced first-hand 4 out the 6 Thunderbolt ports often times interfere with macOS boot up process.

 

[MarkJames68]

What I meant was that the breakaway boxes that sonnet sells are thunderbolt 3, I should have mentioned you can get thunderbolt 2 ones.

Though for the original poster can you post where it says that on sonnets site? I can't find it.

First, note the main page - see the picture that has the eGPU, monitors and the trashcan Mac. Highly suggestive.

http://www.sonnettech.com/product/egfx-breakaway-box.html

Then, under tech specs note at the right it mentions that the TB2 adapter is supported.

“Mac Compatibility

Mac with Thunderbolt 3 ports

Mac with a Thunderbolt 2 or Thunderbolt port with an Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter

macOS 10.12.6+

GPU card use see Tech Note 2”

http://www.sonnettech.com/product/egfx-breakaway-box.html

So far so good.

Under their store though it shows what I originally posted.

https://www.sonnetstore.com/products/egfx-breakawaybox-radeonrx580

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This is for tech support purpose. Those machines listed with incompatibility are ones with different challenges to get eGPU working well. The nMP for example works with many Thunderbolt 2 and 3 eGPU enclosures but I experienced first-hand 4 out the 6 Thunderbolt ports often times interfere with macOS boot up process.

Thanks - if it’s just a CYA then I’m fine with it, but it’s a confusing message with what they show on their main product page.

I wonder if it’s because Apple offers this “officially” so they have to say it’s incompatible, yet they mention the TB3->TB2 adapter. Why not just say “use bottom two TB ports?” Very strange.

 

[William Payne]

Email Sonnet and see what that say.

 

[MarkJames68]

Email Sonnet and see what that say.

I have the Node so it’s not a big deal for me, but it would be a huge deal if suddenly the Mac Pro didn’t work with eGPUs anymore.

 

[BeatCrazy]

I emailed Sonnet about this and will let you know what they say tomorrow.

 

[MarkJames68]

I emailed Sonnet about this and will let you know what they say tomorrow.

Thanks, am curious what they come back with. I wonder if they are just doing a CYA so they don’t risk angry complaints and returns if Apple breaks something. Given that the nMP gets a short term lease on life with an eGPU it would be foolish for Apple to not support it or at least not actively cripple it. Not everyone will buy the iMac Pro.

 

[theitsage]

It's expectation management so that when Apple breaks things with software updates, Sonnet doesn't have to be on the receiving end. I've tried many Thunderbolt 2 and Thunderbolt 3 eGPU enclosures with the nMP and they have worked well hardware-wise. The nMP firmware is known to block eGPU from working in Boot Camp. Here are examples of the nMP working with RX Vega 56 + Mantiz Venus TB3 and Radeon Vega FE + AKiTiO Thunder2 TB2.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Thanks, am curious what they come back with. I wonder if they are just doing a CYA so they don’t risk angry complaints and returns if Apple breaks something. Given that the nMP gets a short term lease on life with an eGPU it would be foolish for Apple to not support it or at least not actively cripple it. Not everyone will buy the iMac Pro.

They just responded: "We have tested it [Mac Pro 6,1], and it doesn't work".
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It's expectation management so that when Apple breaks things with software updates, Sonnet doesn't have to be on the receiving end. I've tried many Thunderbolt 2 and Thunderbolt 3 eGPU enclosures with the nMP and they have worked well hardware-wise. The nMP firmware is known to block eGPU from working in Boot Camp. Here are examples of the nMP working with RX Vega 56 + Mantiz Venus TB3 and Radeon Vega FE + AKiTiO Thunder2 TB2.

View attachment 742144
View attachment 742145

Nice! So the Sonnet box + RX580 should work OK out of the box with my 6,1? I don't use Bootcamp.

 

[theitsage]

Nice! So the Sonnet box + RX580 should work OK out of the box with my 6,1? I don't use Bootcamp.

It does. There was a report of dual RX 580 with a D700s nMP.

 

[BeatCrazy]

It does. There was a report of dual RX 580 with a D700s nMP.

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That's awesome. So last question... my current machines are the Late 2014 Mac mini, Late 2013 Mac Pro, and 2016 MacBook. Obviously the MacBook won't work with eGPU, so I'd like to switch the Sonnet/RX580 box between the Mini/Mac Pro w/TB2->TB3 adapter, depending on use case. Do we know for sure that the RX580 will do fine with HEVC 8 and 10-bit encoding/decoding, as long as I'm on 10.13.2 or later? My priority is editing 4K video, and I'm trying to get as much life out of these two machines as possible, and not upgrade to a 7th gen KabyLake chip with Intel Quick Sync if I don't have to.

 

[theitsage]

Sorry I don't have an answer for HEVC 8 and 10-bit encoding/decoding with eGPU.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Sorry I don't have an answer for HEVC 8 and 10-bit encoding/decoding with eGPU.

Any easy way to test? Think anyone on your forum might know?

 

[h9826790]

That's awesome. So last question... my current machines are the Late 2014 Mac mini, Late 2013 Mac Pro, and 2016 MacBook. Obviously the MacBook won't work with eGPU, so I'd like to switch the Sonnet/RX580 box between the Mini/Mac Pro w/TB2->TB3 adapter, depending on use case. Do we know for sure that the RX580 will do fine with HEVC 8 and 10-bit encoding/decoding, as long as I'm on 10.13.2 or later? My priority is editing 4K video, and I'm trying to get as much life out of these two machines as possible, and not upgrade to a 7th gen KabyLake chip with Intel Quick Sync if I don't have to.

AFAIK, Apple didn’t activate any dGPU’s HEVC hardware decode / encode function.

 

[BeatCrazy]

AFAIK, Apple didn’t activate any dGPU’s HEVC hardware decode / encode function.

Well that is a bummer. Maybe support for such will come this Spring?

 

[Synchro3]

Afaik HEVC acceleration is CPU only on macOS.

 

[MisterAndrew]

According to the iMac Pro performance graphs it shows the Vega GPU handling HEVC.

 

[MisterAndrew]

HEVC encode and decode support for Vega GPUs is shown in the AMDRadeonX5000.kext driver.