How exactly to hook up my egpu?

[Khalanad75]

So I am only running a single widescreen monitor. I purchased the Razor X case with a 580 to help out with my daughters work in MAYA. She was getting errors and freezes everytime she tried to add textures.

So do i hook up the monitor directly to the EGPU or to my 2018 mini?

 

[Erehy Dobon]

The monitor should connect directly to the eGPU for best performance via a high quality DisplayPort-to-DisplayPort cable.

 

[Meatsuit]

You will need a ThunderBolt 3 cable. Connect that from the Mini to the eGPU. Connect a Display Port or HDMI cable from the eGPU to the monitor. Turn on the eGPU, then boot the Mini and cross you fingers. If you get a login screen, goto Setting and adjust monitor setting and you're good. If it boots to a black screen then try back.

 

[iAssimilated]

Do what is already suggested by @Erehy Dobon and @Meatsuit then you might also try telling Maya to prefer the eGPU as well. Right click Maya's launcher in Applications, select Get Info, and check the "Prefer External GPU" box. More information is available here:

Use an external graphics processor with your Mac - Apple Support

Learn how to access additional graphics performance by connecting to an external graphics processor.

support.apple.com

 

[Khalanad75]

Thanks guys. I got it hooked up and did have a black screen at first. Had to re-socket the card since I did a crappy job the first time around.

Now the graphics are zinging. Turns out the crashing in MAYA adding textures wasn't just the GFX chip. Her teacher wanted her to use the 2018 version because that is what the school used. Turns out there is an issue with Catalina and older versions of MAYA.

She can texture just fine in 2020 now and her teacher will just have to deal that it was made in 2020, and not 2018.

 

[iAssimilated]

If her teacher has issues opening her files:

Opening newer files on older versions of Maya

This movie shows you how to open files saved in a newer Maya format in older versions of Maya.Level: Quick TipRecorded in: Maya 2011 and 2012

knowledge.autodesk.com

Good information on how to open older files as well as how to save/export files with maximum compatibility.

 

[sleeperjeff]

I have a similar issue. I have a 2018 MM my eGPU is a sonnet eGFX and Sapphire Radeon RX 580. It was plug and play the first time i used the eGPU and for a couple months no problems, automatic. Now I'm getting the black screen. It was intermittent now all the time. Plus my external PCIe SSD (Crucial 1 TB) randomly disconnects and reconnects. NOT THE CABLE, it's good. I don't get it. I'm on Catalina 10.15.4 Initially I was running .2 then the problems started I believe with .3. And continue with .4.

 

[sleeperjeff]

Did a shutdown and restart don't get the boot screen but the eGPU now connects.

 

[watakoola]

I've posted this previously:

Both displays via the eGPU –
I’m 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!

HDMI from mini to main screen, and second screen running off eGPU -
With this configuration I get boot and login screens.

 

[IngerMan]

I recently discovered something, kinda by accident.

I have File Vault on. I have thunderbolt 3 cable from MM to eGPU, I have my eGPU going to DP on my Dell (DP). I also have a HDMI 2.0 cable from the MM to the Dell(HDMI 1). I was always viewing the monitor on DP not HDMI. The HDMI was just to use for a restart but I usually forgot to switch it on the monitor.

Previously if I had my monitor set to DP and restarted, I would fail the blind restart, it always ended up force shutdown, switch to HDMi 1 then restart.

I have all my apps that I want using the eGPU set as preferred in Get Info on the Applications.



I now have my monitor set to HDMI 1, the mac mini HDMI to Dell. I find my game runs fine. I tested Compute several times in GeekBench 5 and its as fast as the scores I was getting, just over 50,000. It looks the same.

When I restart now I see the screen and after password everything fires up normal. I have no need to shut things off like the eGPU or unplug cables or force hard restart.

I have 80% of my apps Prefer External GPU.

It seems to be working like an Apple again

edit: I should note I am mirroring the display DP & HDMi 1