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No expert but the issue I believe is that software will automatically pick up the internal GPU, so for a Mac Mini, that is the UHD630, the software needs to be able to identify there is an eGPU plugged in and use it instead. Not all are capable of that yet.

So would this mean that if I connect my monitor to the eGPU and open an old version like Photoshop 6 nothing will appear on my monitor?
 
I'm confused about eGPU and software support. I thought with an eGPU you plug your monitor into it and it uses it for everything? What does it mean when Illustrator doesn't support it? Isn't it already using it because your monitor is connected to the eGPU?

Some applications will use an external graphics card and some won’t. For example, Apple’s Compressor does not currently do so.

For applications that will use an external card, you have to tell macOS to use it as a preference. This involves ticking a box in the application’s Info panel.

Apple and Adobe both have support pages that tell you what an external card will do for you. Adobe, which you mention specifically, tells you which of its applications an external card supports, and for what functions.
 
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Some applications will use an external graphics card and some won’t. For example, Apple’s Compressor does not currently do so.

For applications that will use an external card, you have to tell macOS to use it as a preference. This involves ticking a box in the application’s Info panel.

Apple and Adobe both have support pages that tell you what an external card will do for you. Adobe, which you mention specifically, tells you which of its applications an external card supports, and for what functions.

Thanks for your answer. My thick head is getting in the way and I'm still confused even after reading the Apple support page.

This is the way those of us with a MM would use it "Set an external eGPU-connected display as the primary display"

If I open an application that does not support an eGPU, what will happen? Isn't MacOS using the eGPU for all the GUI stuff?
 
Thanks for your answer. My thick head is getting in the way and I'm still confused even after reading the Apple support page.

This is the way those of us with a MM would use it "Set an external eGPU-connected display as the primary display"

If I open an application that does not support an eGPU, what will happen? Isn't MacOS using the eGPU for all the GUI stuff?

You have to distinguish between the display using the card and a given application using it.

With an external card connected, you have to highlight the application in Finder, right click and select “Get Info”. When the Info panel opens, you will be presented with the choice of whether to “prefer” the external card over the integral graphics.

However, even if you choose to prefer the external card, the application will only use it if it is an application that can use external graphics. For example, Compressor will not, regardless of what you select. I gather that the same is true of Illustrator.

The display will use the external card throughout for the purpose of display, but that is not the same thing as a specific application using it.
[doublepost=1554411294][/doublepost]Also, you can see graphically what an application is doing with the external card by opening Activity Monitor > Window > GPU History.
 
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You have to distinguish between the display using the card and a given application using it.

With an external card connected, you have to highlight the application in Finder, right click and select “Get Info”. When the Info panel opens, you will be presented with the choice of whether to “prefer” the external card over the integral graphics.

However, even if you choose to prefer the external card, the application will only use it if it is an application that can use external graphics. For example, Compressor will not, regardless of what you select. I gather that the same is true of Illustrator.

The display will use the external card throughout for the purpose of display, but that is not the same thing as a specific application using it.
[doublepost=1554411294][/doublepost]Also, you can see graphically what an application is doing with the external card by opening Activity Monitor > Window > GPU History.

Ok, I see. If I open Illustrator 6 that doesn't support the eGPU, the operating system will still handle all the drawing of the window etc but what's being done "inside" Illustrator isn't using the eGPU. Like if I draw a bezier curve in Illustrator then that's not being accelerated by the eGPU.

This makes me think twice about getting an eGPU now... I use older version of photoshop and illustrator.
 
Ok, I see. If I open Illustrator 6 that doesn't support the eGPU, the operating system will still handle all the drawing of the window etc but what's being done "inside" Illustrator isn't using the eGPU. Like if I draw a bezier curve in Illustrator then that's not being accelerated by the eGPU.

This makes me think twice about getting an eGPU now... I use older version of photoshop and illustrator.

Yes, that is how it works. An application that won’t use an external card uses the integrated graphics.
 
I’ve set up a sapphire pulse Vega 56 and razer core X and it’s working perfectly on Mojave.

However I’ve just installed bootcamp. What’s the procedure to set the egpu up correctly first time in bootcamp? Where do I download the drivers from or are they automatically installed once I connect the egpu?
 
There are a couple recent threads here if you search bootcamp mini.

What worked for me is install bootcamp with your egpu off, update windows complete. Turn off windows and turn back on egpu, I found I had to unplug my mini to monitor cable before turning back on. I had to do one force boot.

I hope that helps
 
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There are a couple recent threads here if you search bootcamp mini.

What worked for me is install bootcamp with your egpu off, update windows complete. Turn off windows and turn back on egpu, I found I had to unplug my mini to monitor cable before turning back on. I had to do one force boot.

I hope that helps
Thanks.
Do you know which link below I need to download from AMD?

https://www.amd.com/en/support/grap...eries/radeon-rx-vega-series/radeon-rx-vega-56
https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/release-notes/apple-boot-camp

If it's the first link, is it Radeon Software or Auto-Detect and Install?
 
Thanks.
Do you know which link below I need to download from AMD?

https://www.amd.com/en/support/grap...eries/radeon-rx-vega-series/radeon-rx-vega-56
https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/release-notes/apple-boot-camp

If it's the first link, is it Radeon Software or Auto-Detect and Install?


When I tried downloading the AMD drivers in windows it created problems. Maybe because Bootcamp?

I am away from the Mini but AMD would get recognized in widows and installed a few apps on its own. But when I tried to update software or drivers i ended up having to start all over again.
 
When I tried downloading the AMD drivers in windows it created problems. Maybe because Bootcamp?

I am away from the Mini but AMD would get recognized in widows and installed a few apps on its own. But when I tried to update software or drivers i ended up having to start all over again.
I've installed Auto-Detect and Install, it detected and installed the latest drivers.
Powered down egpu then restarted Windows to finish driver installation.
Once running again, restarted with egpu connected directly to monitor and I had the log in screen for a few seconds before I lost the input! Frustrating.
[doublepost=1554831470][/doublepost]Under device manager, display adapters, radeon rx vega only shows when I click on show hidden devices.

RX vega device properties under device status it says:
Currently, this hardware device is not connected to the computer. (Code 45)
To fix this problem, reconnect this hardware device to the computer.
 
I've installed Auto-Detect and Install, it detected and installed the latest drivers.
Powered down egpu then restarted Windows to finish driver installation.
Once running again, restarted with egpu connected directly to monitor and I had the log in screen for a few seconds before I lost the input! Frustrating.
[doublepost=1554831470][/doublepost]Under device manager, display adapters, radeon rx vega only shows when I click on show hidden devices.

RX vega device properties under device status it says:
Currently, this hardware device is not connected to the computer. (Code 45)
To fix this problem, reconnect this hardware device to the computer.


Been there, done that. I then started over again and this time I did not manual install any drivers I let Windows recognize it. I may had to force boot once.
 
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Been there, done that. I then started over again and this time I did not manual install any drivers I let Windows recognize it. I may had to force boot once.
I tried that the first time and it didn’t work, Vega 56 remained hidden in device manager.
 
Sorry for your troubles I know it can be frustrating.

I did find I could not have the mini cable to the monitor plugged in when trying reboot back to windows using the eGPU.

in fact when I was using a 580RX I could use either the mini or the egpu for diplsay. But ever since I upgraded to Vega 56 it was more difficult. I can not boot into windows if I have the mini HDMi cable plugged into the monitor. Not a problem in Mac but a problem trying to boot windows.
 
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There are a couple recent threads here if you search bootcamp mini.

What worked for me is install bootcamp with your egpu off, update windows complete. Turn off windows and turn back on egpu, I found I had to unplug my mini to monitor cable before turning back on. I had to do one force boot.

I hope that helps

I’ve done another fresh install. I’ve just completed the windows updates. Now to power off. You say to “turn off windows and turn back on egpu”. For this step before powering back on, which cables did you have connected?
 
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sorry for the delay ran out. You can either shut down windows or restart back into Mac OS from the bootcamp icon. Mac sure you updated the bootcamp setting, that should of been part of the whole update. You might just want to try and shut down windows then restart and make sure it was good that way.

Then either shut down or goto Mac OS. Turn on Egpu and unplug the cable that goes from the mini to the monitor. Sys prefs startup disk back to windows.
 
I’ve done another fresh install. I’ve just completed the windows updates. Now to power off. You say to “turn off windows and turn back on egpu”. For this step before powering back on, which cables did you have connected?

Is it a GO?
 
anybody has any good working undervolting for sapphire nitro plus Vega 64 with radeon x and mac mini i5 2018?
 
Is anyone running an eGPU with a Windows VM, under a more recent version of Parallels or even Fusion? Per this: https://kb.parallels.com/en/124266 it looks pretty simple, just wondering if anyone had any first hand experience[?]

Yes I am, My story is I tried boot camp first. When I had a Sonnet and RX580 card it was pretty painless but when I upgraded to Asus Pro and Vega 56 it caused more pain to get that initial startup work in bootcamp.

I then gave up on Boot camp and went to Parallels 14 and wow was it simple compared to boot camp. I followed a 9 to 5 Mac video, Its fast its easy and it only uses about 20GB. The only problem is I could not game on it and I had 3 free games for windows buying the Card.

I went back and using what I learned with installing boot camp I installed it again. I got it right the first time following my method I explained before. I am playing Resident Evil 2 :)

I have both Parallels 14 and Windows and I only purchased 1 Windows 10 Pro license for $40 on the web. Im undecided if I'll keep both long term but for now I will, I keep changing my mind lol. I partitioned 85GB for Windows and am using close to 50GB Purposely since I had 85GB. I could of setup to use 48GB and have had it where I was only using around 30-35GB bare minimum at one of my go arounds with it.
 
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@IngerMan thanks!

Without getting too far off topic: I previously had used a VM for the bit of work I do that requires Windows, MacOS being my "primary computing" platform. Then a did a stint in Silicon Valley where I needed a good bit more Windows graphic performance, moved to Bootcamp, kind of got into a groove of I'm either heads down in Windows, or in MacOS, used cloud storage to make things a bit more convenient (due to APFS), but very recently have flipped back to a VM being way more effective for my workflow (I semi-recently VM'ed my Bootcamp which is working nicely).

It's actually one of the things motivating me to consider a new Mini, to make up a little performance in the VM (vs. BC), some extra RAM room, etc., but I didn't want to take too much of a hit on the graphics (even though my use, now, isn't graphic intensive). I really bet the difference in my current i7 2.5/16GB machine (mid-2015 MBP) vs. a new Mini with a i7 3.2/32GB will be reasonably noticeable (outside of the GPU consideration).

Side note: my graphic requirements eventually escalated for that work way beyond my Mac and I wound up with an Aorus 17" with an 8GB GTX1080 GPU :D It was quite a beast (sold a year or so ago)
 
Thanks I am gonna look in that but with the Mac mini I think the procedure is gonna be easier cause doesn't have discrete gpu. Tomorrow I am gonna install it so I am gonna make some comparisons with the current Vega nitro 64 that I have. Right now with the nitro I get 6500 on time spy with the default demo settings. The only problem that I have with this card I can't make it to work the FreeSync with my Lg 27ul650 4k FreeSync monitor. Says that both card and monitor enable but in the mill demo I see tearing on or off. Only with vsync on I don't see.
 
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