External GPU (eGPU) Resources

[watakoola]

I hardly notice the eGPU fans which I have under my desk.

The OWC Mercury Helios FX 650 with Sapphire RX580 is also ridiculously quiet until the fan goes nuts. I had almost a full day yesterday of blissful quiet until...bang, the fan went off.

I'm hanging out for the next Catalina update in the (vain) hope it will fix this annoying problem.

 

[IngerMan]

The OWC Mercury Helios FX 650 with Sapphire RX580 is also ridiculously quiet until the fan goes nuts. I had almost a full day yesterday of blissful quiet until...bang, the fan went off.

I'm hanging out for the next Catalina update in the (vain) hope it will fix this annoying problem.

I am running Catalina but I waited until 15.3 before doing it. Have not noticed any issues.

 

[Acorn]

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with a 2018 mac mini paired with an Asus XG station with a 5700XT in it. Does it run ok together and does anyone know if I will have any problems running a single 4k screen from it for now with a possible upgrade to a second screen later. Will I have the pink display problem if I have 2 displays. I am trying to figure out if I will have less problems if I use the 16 macbook pro instead of a mac mini because of the constant displays not waking and pink screens I read about.

 

[mayuka]

I'm thinking about buying either a OWC Mercury Helios FX 650 or a Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 550 and put a AMD Radeon 580 (not the 580X) inside.

First of all. Will that work with a Mac mini 2014 (i7 max'ed out)? Of course, using the official Apple TB3->TB2 adapter. I also have a trusty 2012 Mac mini. What about it? There are mixed reviews out there, especially on egpu.io. Anyone tried the above eGPUs with older models?

Which one is more quiet, the OWC or the Sonnet enclosure? Otherwise they both get quite good ratings - but with the 2018 Mac mini.

 

[hagjohn]

Update: I'm having no issues booting up with my 5700 with Beta 3 (19E242d). I did clear NVRAM.

 

[watakoola]

Update: I'm having no issues booting up with my 5700 with Beta 3 (19E242d). I did clear NVRAM.

Thanks hagjohn. Let's hope it stays that way. Fingers crossed!

 

[hagjohn]

Update: beta 5... Ran the update with the eGPU as the GPU without any issues. Seems to be running well. Scrolling is smooth. I have not rebooted yet.

 

[watakoola]

Update: beta 5... Ran the update with the eGPU as the GPU without any issues. Seems to be running well. Scrolling is smooth. I have not rebooted yet.

That's very encouraging. I'm sitting here with a jet plane taking off (my OWC Mercury Helios FX 650's fan), so eagerly awaiting the update.

Um, just hoping I get the same results as you do on your Sonnet as I'm running an RX580 with the Helios on a Mac mini which appears to be a now-revealed 'bad' combination according to OWC.

The 'jet plane taking off' is very random - I had two days of peace and quiet, then I have (yesterday and today) periods of full-bore fan rotation. Sometimes I hear the fan ramping down slightly. It's gotta be drivers/software for it to work 'some' of the time. The crazy part is the eGPU works brilliantly - it's just the bloody fan. AAARRRRGGGHH!

 

[hagjohn]

That's very encouraging. I'm sitting here with a jet plane taking off (my OWC Mercury Helios FX 650's fan), so eagerly awaiting the update.

Um, just hoping I get the same results as you do on your Sonnet as I'm running an RX580 with the Helios on a Mac mini which appears to be a now-revealed 'bad' combination according to OWC.

The 'jet plane taking off' is very random - I had two days of peace and quiet, then I have (yesterday and today) periods of full-bore fan rotation. Sometimes I hear the fan ramping down slightly. It's gotta be drivers/software for it to work 'some' of the time. The crazy part is the eGPU works brilliantly - it's just the bloody fan. AAARRRRGGGHH!

I haven't noticed any fan issues but I have an air treatment system in the room, so I may not notice. I'm hoping that this update seems as good as it does. We all need a good update from Apple.

 

[watakoola]

I haven't noticed any fan issues but I have an air treatment system in the room, so I may not notice. I'm hoping that this update seems as good as it does. We all need a good update from Apple.

You would notice it! I have an AC vent above me and various noises in my house that are ALL drowned out by the fan spinning at maximum revs.

 

[hagjohn]

Updated to Beta 6 with eGPU as primary GPU. It showed all the screens. I have not rebooted yet, so do not know if it boots up properly.

 

[watakoola]

Reboot man! Reboot! Report back 😅

 

[hagjohn]

Reboot man! Reboot! Report back 😅

1 reboot. It rebooted okay. Nothing but the login screen. SMB still dies.

 

[watakoola]

Woo-hoo! At least it's a start.

But, to confirm, you do NOT get an Apple logo and/0r a progress bar? It only lights up at the login window?

 

[hagjohn]

Woo-hoo! At least it's a start.

But, to confirm, you do NOT get an Apple logo and/0r a progress bar? It only lights up at the login window?

1st Cold boot to desktop 👍, this morning. Yesterday was a reboot. No apple logo or progress bar. Dark until login window shows up.

 

[watakoola]

1st Cold boot to desktop ?, this morning. Yesterday was a reboot. No apple logo or progress bar. Dark until login window shows up.

Thanks hagjohn. I can live with that as your boot sequence is the same as I get using a display emulator shoved into the HDMI port and my 2 x monitors powered via my eGPU.

Al I want (for Christmas?) is a Catalina/firmware update to fix the eGPU fan problem.

 

[DookSucks]

I’m a neophyte when it comes to eGPU’s, but I have a 2018 mini (i5 / 16gb / 512gb). I’m switching to a firm that uses a firm management program that is PC based. I don’t want to utilize RDP (in-house workstation will be a pc) when I’m working remote because I don’t want to be at the mercy of two internet connections (ie worrying about the firm’s internet choking me when I’m remote), and I don’t want to upgrade ram on my mini (worried to death about voiding AppleCare+ or screwing up). So, I want to find a low end eGPU option that pushes four screens (I run three on the integrated gpu and another on display link) and takes enough pressure off of the mini’s ram that I can dedicate 8gb to parallels for the firm’s program and have 8gb left over to run the other programs I need to run.

So, given the issues with eGPU’s and mini’s, what do you good folks suggest I buy and use? I have no issue with buying used / refurbished.

 

[watakoola]

So, given the issues with eGPU’s and mini’s, what do you good folks suggest I buy and use? I have no issue with buying used / refurbished.

See my posts - my mini works well with 1 x screen running off the internal Intel UHD Graphics 630, and the other running off my eGPU.

In my case, I purchased the OWC Mercury Helios FX 650 _and_ put my existing 8Gb RX580 card into it. That combo appears to be ‘problematic’ to OWC.

But… it’s working fine.

I would prefer to have both displays running off the eGPU so the mini runs cooler, but then I’d have the problem with the FX 650 fan going feral at whim. As I keep saying, I’m hanging out for the Catalina/firmware update.

 

[Stephen.R]

I’m a neophyte when it comes to eGPU’s, but I have a 2018 mini (i5 / 16gb / 512gb). I’m switching to a firm that uses a firm management program that is PC based. I don’t want to utilize RDP (in-house workstation will be a pc) when I’m working remote because I don’t want to be at the mercy of two internet connections (ie worrying about the firm’s internet choking me when I’m remote), and I don’t want to upgrade ram on my mini (worried to death about voiding AppleCare+ or screwing up). So, I want to find a low end eGPU option that pushes four screens (I run three on the integrated gpu and another on display link) and takes enough pressure off of the mini’s ram that I can dedicate 8gb to parallels for the firm’s program and have 8gb left over to run the other programs I need to run.

So, given the issues with eGPU’s and mini’s, what do you good folks suggest I buy and use? I have no issue with buying used / refurbished.

I'm guessing those screens are not 4K? Given the issues some people have had, upgrading the memory in the Mini may be a more 'reliable' solution.
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But… it’s working fine.

... working fine as in, usable because you have 1 display attached to the computer still, or working fine as in, works completely normally like a display attached to the computer would?

My understanding is that displays hanging off an eGPU will either not get signal until after login, or possibly just as the login screen appears? Is yours the same?

 

[watakoola]

I'm guessing those screens are not 4K? Given the issues some people have had, upgrading the memory in the Mini may be a more 'reliable' solution.

Nope. 'Normal' 1920 x 1080 Asus monitors. I have 8Gb RAM which I'm about to upgarde to 32Gb.

... working fine as in, usable because you have 1 display attached to the computer still, or working fine as in, works completely normally like a display attached to the computer would?

Fine, as in:

Scenario A:
Running HDMI (Mac mini) direct to main display, plus TB3 -> eGPU -> to my second display:
Because I’m using the inbuilt internal Intel UHD Graphics 630 to my designated boot screen, I get the Apple logo, boot screen progress bar, login window.

Scenario B:
Using a Display Emulator Plug plugged into the mini’s HDMI port.
When I start the mini I get neither boot nor login screens – just both displays with the Catalina image on them.
I ‘blindly’ hit the correct keyboard letter to select the required user account and type my password. In a few seconds the screens flash and I get normal desktops and menu bars. Not optimal, but at least I don’t have to pull cables!

My understanding is that displays hanging off an eGPU will either not get signal until after login, or possibly just as the login screen appears? Is yours the same?

In Scenarios A and B, the eGPU lights up after the login sequence performed on my designated boot display's screen.

 

[Stephen.R]

Running HDMI (Mac mini) direct to main display, plus TB3 -> eGPU -> to my second display:
Because I’m using the inbuilt internal Intel UHD Graphics 630 to my designated boot screen, I get the Apple logo, boot screen progress bar, login window.

In this scenario, do you get the wallpaper appear on the secondary, GPU-attached display before you login?

Using a Display Emulator Plug plugged into the mini’s HDMI port.
When I start the mini I get neither boot nor login screens – just both displays with the Catalina image on them.
I ‘blindly’ hit the correct keyboard letter to select the required user account and type my password. In a few seconds the screens flash and I get normal desktops and menu bars. Not optimal, but at least I don’t have to pull cables!

So it sounds like the GPU attached screens are activating/getting signal before login in this mode, but the Mac is putting the login window on the "wrong" display (because it doesn't know it's an emulator).
Have you tried this setup but without the HDMI display emulator?

 

[watakoola]

In this scenario, do you get the wallpaper appear on the secondary, GPU-attached display before you login?

Don't know. Not looked. Don't care. Why the heck does that matter to you? You get wallpaper when you are logged in.

So it sounds like the GPU attached screens are activating/getting signal before login in this mode, but the Mac is putting the login window on the "wrong" display (because it doesn't know it's an emulator).
Have you tried this setup but without the HDMI display emulator?

No. Not the "wrong" display at all as I have the emulator mirroring my boot monitor. It's doing exactly what I want it to do. The only downside is not getting an Apple logo and boot progress before the login window.

Scenario A is without the emulator.

In scenario B I'm using 2 x DVI to DisplayPort connections (or I could alternatively use 2 x DisplayPort to HDMI connections) connected to the eGPU only. One display is mirrored to the emulator plug, so the only thing the internal Intel UHD Graphics 630 is powering is... the plug!

 

[Stephen.R]

Why the heck does that matter to you? You get wallpaper when you are logged in.

Jesus calm down. I'm trying to ascertain if your eGPU is activating and powering the display(s) attached to it before login, and whether the HDMI emulator is an essential part of that setup or not.

The only downside is not getting an Apple logo and boot progress before the login window.

Didn't you just say that in "Scenario B" where do display is physically connected to the Mac, you don't even see a login window? Sounds like a pretty big downside to me.

In scenario B I'm using 2 x DVI to DisplayPort connections (or I could alternatively use 2 x DisplayPort to HDMI connections) connected to the eGPU only. One display is mirrored to the emulator plug, so the only thing the internal Intel UHD Graphics 630 is powering is... the plug!

But that mirroring doesn't activate until after you login, it seems.

 

[watakoola]

I'm not Jesus. Stop calling me that...

The HDMI emulator is an essential part of being able to login with the eGPU

I've stated multiple times Scenario B isn't ideal, but I can live with it to get logged in and use my mini.

"mirroring doesn't activate until after you login" - why is that important? Serious question as I'm curious to hear.

The entire exercise is to get logged in.

 

[Stephen.R]

"mirroring doesn't activate until after you login" - why is that important? Serious question as I'm curious to hear.

The entire exercise is to get logged in.

If mirroring doesn’t activate before login that means the login screen won’t show up on the display. Most people I think would consider that a problem.