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Mac mini 2018 egu Questions.

J

Joestanxx

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 9, 2018
78
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I have a 2018 Mac mini i7 16GB and am running 10.15.7. I am very pleased with the overall performance but like a lot of people the graphics performance is a problem for me. I am currently researching adding a egpu . I am currently things of getting a sonnet 550 breakaway box and some flavor of the AMD rx-580. I am not into gaming but would like to improve the overall performance of the UI as well as web scrolling. But I do have a few questions and would very much like to hear from anyone that is currently using a gpu.

1 - What is the best method of connection. (should I connect my HDMI cable to the Mac of the graphics card or to the Mac mini?
2 - I have seen reports that their are problems booting with the monitor attached to the graphics card has the been resolved?
3 - Not really a question but is the rx-580 a good choice ?

Thank You

Thanks to everyone for all the helpful info. I went with the sonnet puck 560 and could not be happier. I works perfectly except for the apple logo and progress bar on boot.
 
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Joestanxx said:
1 - What is the best method of connection. (should I connect my HDMI cable to the Mac of the graphics card or to the Mac mini?
Click to expand...

Hi. I'm in the same process. Waiting my Razer Core X and Sapphire Nitro+ RX580 8Gb to arrive.
I think the best option is macmini that via tb3 go to razer core and from rx580 display port to monitor display port.

2 - I have seen reports that their are problems booting with the monitor attached to the graphics card has the been resolved?
Click to expand...

I think (hope) that's only if you would like to boot in Windows via bootcamp.

3 - Not really a question but is the rx-580 a good choice ?
Click to expand...

Sure it's better than the integrated one and you can find used for around 100 euro. I will do some test as soon as my setup arrives and in case I let you know how the mini perform with and without. My primary use would be affinity photo, lightroom, photoshop, fcpx, davinci and some 3D with blender and modo (but I think modo don't benefit from it).
 
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CC88 said:
I think the best option is macmini that via tb3 go to razer core and from rx580 display port to monitor display port.
Click to expand...

Correct. If the monitor is connected directly to the Mac mini, not just will data have to be sent from the mini to the eGPU; The rendered image will have to be sent back into the frame buffer of the internal GPU to then be sent to the monitor. Connecting the display directly to the eGPU will be much faster for rendering and displaying frames, though pure compute performance should be about the same.

CC88 said:
I think (hope) that's only if you would like to boot in Windows via bootcamp.
Click to expand...

Without knowing too much of this issue I would imagine it's similar to Mac Pro 5.1 and earlier with non-Mac EFI GPUs. You just don't get the boot screen with the Apple logo and the ability to adjust things in the pre-boot environment like picking another OS to boot from, but if you're just booting macOS as soon as the system is loaded I would assume all would be fine.

Joestanxx said:
3 - Not really a question but is the rx-580 a good choice ?
Click to expand...

The RX 580 should be a good GPU for non-intensive workloads as well as medium intensity
 
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CC88 said:
Hi. I'm in the same process. Waiting my Razer Core X and Sapphire Nitro+ RX580 8Gb to arrive.
I think the best option is macmini that via tb3 go to razer core and from rx580 display port to monitor display port.



I think (hope) that's only if you would like to boot in Windows via bootcamp.



Sure it's better than the integrated one and you can find used for around 100 euro. I will do some test as soon as my setup arrives and in case I let you know how the mini perform with and without. My primary use would be affinity photo, lightroom, photoshop, fcpx, davinci and some 3D with blender and modo (but I think modo don't benefit from it).
Click to expand...
thank you!
 
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CC88 said:
Hi. I'm in the same process. Waiting my Razer Core X and Sapphire Nitro+ RX580 8Gb to arrive.
I think the best option is macmini that via tb3 go to razer core and from rx580 display port to monitor display port.



I think (hope) that's only if you would like to boot in Windows via bootcamp.



Sure it's better than the integrated one and you can find used for around 100 euro. I will do some test as soon as my setup arrives and in case I let you know how the mini perform with and without. My primary use would be affinity photo, lightroom, photoshop, fcpx, davinci and some 3D with blender and modo (but I think modo don't benefit from it).
Click to expand...
Thanks let me know how it works out for you.
 
Relatively speaking the Radeon RX 580 is pretty well supported by macOS. I have a Mac mini 2018 running Mojave and my Sapphire Pulse RX 580 card works fine in my Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650.

I don't game with it since I have a custom built Windows gaming PC that has a much better graphics card.

I only fire up the eGPU when I'm doing hobbyist multimedia stuff (some Davinci Resolve, etc.). For mundane tasks integrated Intel graphics is sufficient for me.

One thing I did was to swap out the Sonnet's mediocre case fan (it didn't even have anti-vibration pads) with a Noctua NF-S12A.
 
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I have the Sonnet Breakaway Puck 5560 on my 2018 Mac Mini, with 3 32" Asus VA32AQ monitors connected to the Display Ports and occasionally a 4th connected to the HDMI port. I have not had any issues at all, everything starts up just fine. The computer works great with this.

The only thing I have seen at boot-up is that it takes a few seconds longer for the displays to start than it did with them connected directly to the Mac Mini via HDMI or TB3.

I have not had any fan noise issues with the eGPU, but my hearing is not as sharp as it could be.
 
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I had the Puck on my list but can not seem to find it for sale anywhere.
 
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I'm running the Sapphire Radeon Pulse RX580 8Gb Video Card in an OWC Mercury Helios FX 650 Thunderbolt 3 eGPU Enclosure.

After MANY initial problems all is running well under the updated 10.15.7 Catalina.

I even booted direct with the eGPU yesterday - didn't get an Apple logo or progress bar but... it came alive at the login screen so I was a happy chappie!
 
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I've had my eGPU off for a while, sounds like it's a good time to try it again with my mini.
 
I have a Razor Core X with a Sapphire Radeon Pulse 580 RX connected to my 2018 Mini i7, 32 GB RAM, 10.15.7. I am very happy with it. I acquired my Mini to replace my 2010 MacPro and I repurposed the 580 X from that machine. I did need to use a HDMI plug in the Mini to get the system to boot with the eGPU on. I now have a TV connected to the HDMI port on the Mini and have boot screens along with two monitors connected to the eGPU.

I don't game but one of my hobbies is photography and I'm very happy I moved to the Mini and am happy with this setup.

Good luck whatever you decide.
 
MarkAtl said:
The puck looks great until you see the huge power supply brick.
Click to expand...
Power supply sits nicely on the floor by my power strips. I only saw it once when I plugged it in. But I digress, the 4GB is a massive improvement over the integrated chip on the Mini but people may as well get 8 GB for just a little more cash.
 
I have been running an eGPU for a couple years. My base machine is a 2019 MBP 13". I dual boot with Win 10 in case that's relevant. I've used an RX580, GTX 1070 and am currently running a Vega 64. Happy to help where I can.
The one thing that has me curious is the fact that you are looking into better UI performance. The UHD 630 in there should be able to push a 5k monitor without much issue for UI tasks. An eGPU shouldn't be necessary. How high a resolution display are you driving and at what scaling? There may be something else that can be done here beyond hardware.
The reason I'm asking is that an while eGPU adds a lot of power but it still doesn't feel completely hammered out as a technology. Though it has come a long way. You won't be reconnecting and removing your eGPU so that will take care of a lot of issues but you will likely still experience the occasional random log out if you let your computer sleep (this is due to the UIServer crashing I think).
Also while the preferred method is to connect the display to the eGPU directly, you may have to reconnect your display directly to the Mini for updates to the OS. It SHOULD come around just fine but doesn't always. Additionally if you reboot sometimes the initial boot login screen will not display.
They are small things mostly but it does add a bit of jankiness and it is best you know this ahead of time.
 
The 580 should rock. I dont play any serious FPS or anything on mine, but my 570 was a BIG step up in quality when I put one in my Mac Pro (replaced the stock 5770). The last 'new' game I really played on here was Battletech but man, it let me turn everything on full blast and ran like liquid at 4K on a 50" screen. Tried to play it on my Mini when I got it a few months ago and had to turn everything down, and it still ran like crap. Cant wait to get my eGPU heh.
 
I have the Sonnet 560 with a Radeon 5700, and when it works it's great. But I do need to have the mini's HDMI connected to my monitor when I boot or nothing happens. Once I get the login screen, I can disconnect the HDMI cable and I run off of the Sonnet alone. I have DP out from the eGPU into my monitor and I'm getting decent results, though many people with older cards are getting double the performance I am. So I suspect it's an OS support issue. I'm hoping Big Sur will fix things.
 
weaztek said:
Power supply sits nicely on the floor by my power strips. I only saw it once when I plugged it in. But I digress, the 4GB is a massive improvement over the integrated chip on the Mini but people may as well get 8 GB for just a little more cash.
Click to expand...
Agreed - but they seemed to be marketing it initially as enhanced graphics that you could bring with you.

eGFX Breakaway Puck RX 560 (Portable eGPU) - Sonnet

Portable eGPU for Thunderbolt 3 Mac and Windows computers. Features AMD Radeon graphics, cool running fan, and ports that support multiple 4K displays.
www.sonnettech.com www.sonnettech.com

“Portable eGPU Dock for Work and Gaming”. Complete with power brick that’s the same size as the puck itself
 
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At my main office I had the 2018 mini + Sonnet Breakaway Box + Corsair SF600 Power Supply Swap and a VEGA64 watercooled card. I only swapped out because I bought the cheapest eGPU on the market and I am wanting to say it only came with a 350 or 400watt power supply at the time. And this power supply wasn't overpriced back then.
Also my wife uses a 2018 mini + Razer X + Vega64 Strix and Samsung 49" 5K2K monitor.

I have been doing eGPU for quite some time, 5 years or so, I started with a thunderbolt 2 PCI box, it wasn't even meant for an eGPU, a full size computer powersupply sitting outside of it to power the video card and the box and a 980Ti.
I later went to the 1080Ti when it was released and used that until nVidia stopped making their webdrivers.
I went straight for a VEGA and haven't had any major issues since. I've read a bit of back and forth with the RX580's.

I picked up both Vega's off ebay for significantly less than new.
They are quite a bit more powerful than the RX but it is really all what someone is willing to purchase. I'm not ever going to 'tell' someone what they should get, just share my experience and then opinion based on what the person says they want.
 
Hi.

Finally I have completed my configuration. MM 2018 with 32gb of ram and Razer Core X with Sapphire Nitro+ RX580 8Gb.

I'm very pleased about system performance. It's smooth and fast. I did some benchmark using geekbench and Unigine Valley and the results are very very nice for me.

FCPX is working fine, LR and PS are blazing fast than my previous configuration (MP6.1, 64gb of ram, dual D700 GPU).

It boot with the Apple logo using the eGPU connected via my monitor display port.

The only thing I can't understand is that eGPU seems in a wake state despite my MM is in a stop state. Asked in egpu.io forum if someone can help.
 
jayducharme said:
I'm glad it's working for you. What were your Geekbench scores?
Click to expand...

The first time I tried geekbench metal and openCL they were around 33000. Yesterday I have attached also an hdmi cable from eGPU to monitor (so the GPU think you are using two monitors I think). The results increased to around 44000 both.

Side note: the apple logo and correct boot is only at restart. If I shutdown my mini I have to start with eGPU disconnected and the hdmi cable direct to the mini. But I never shutdown my computer unless I have to do some work on my electrical system and the ups is not enough.

From egpu.io told me that the eGPU case doesn't go to sleep (it's a behavior of the Core X, don't know about other case) and stay in an idle state. Bought a power meter to see how much it consumes during this state.
 
That's interesting. I never thought to connect two cables from the eGPU. I'll have to try that and see what my results are. Currently, my Metal score with my Radeon RX 5700 XT is about 36000, which IMO is low.
 
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jayducharme said:
That's interesting. I never thought to connect two cables from the eGPU. I'll have to try that and see what my results are. Currently, my Metal score with my Radeon RX 5700 XT is about 36000, which IMO is low.
Click to expand...

I think so. 36000 with a 5700XT is slow compared to my displayport only RX580 with 33000 and from RX580 with 44000 connected to HDMI and DisplayPort.

Give it a try and let us know.
 
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