DIY eGPU experiences

Yes, exactly what I meant.

 

I got it working, but unfortunately I'm not satisfied with WEI result: 2.9, It should be higher than that. Oh well, at least I got it working, how do I set x1opt. now?

 

Ok, I have some success, but not there yet unfortunately. I did the change of the jumper on the PM3N card in port 1 and now I can get the computer to boot with all for ports connected and eGPU card on with express port 4 plugged into port 4 on the PE4H which is what you had stated I should do earlier. So that problem is fixed. I still need to reboot since chainloading still doesn't work. When in windows I check AIDA64 and my HD4850 is showing on port 1 at x4. However, I still get only the laptop screen and no card showing in catalyst control center or windows screens option. It does show in Device manager under display adapters with no errors that I see along with my iGPU. Anything I should try now? Do I need to change the other 2 jumpers or just port 1. That is the little black thing that I switched from left to right if I am looking at the top of the card with the port facing me.

 

Hi Kizwan, thanks for the information, i realised i used the wrong drivers in the set up and used nvida 290 driver instead of 285, i reinstall and it works perfectly now. i wanna thank you for your help.
I would also like to thank nando for his help in setting up the Setup x.1 which wouuld be impossible for me to figure out without his help. Thanks

 

Can someone also help me and let me know the PSU i just bought will power a N560GTX-Ti Hawk. Its this one. Antec Model EA-430D Green. It says 430 Watts but not sure if it really has the full wattage.

 

It's Window problem probably, as TF2 works like charm for me. Skyrim too :]

 

Yeah, your notebook doesn't require to boot with eGPU connected, unlike first gen Intel Core Dell Studio notebooks. So setting the CLKRUN delay slider should work for you. Regarding the Catalyst Control Center, what driver are you using? Did you installed different driver for dGPU & eGPU? Did you checked in windows " Control Panel\Appearance and Personalization\Display\Screen Resolution", whether external monitor (connected to eGPU) is detected or not?

Newegg.com - Antec EarthWatts Green EA-430D Green 430W Continuous power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS 12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply stated that this is dual-rail PSU: +12V1@17A, +12V2@16A. However, only the first rail (+12V1) will be use which means this PSU max 12V power is +12V1 * 17A = 204W. GT560Ti power requirement is 170W but when on peak 3D it will consume up to 205W. If OC, can go up to 260W. Even if not OC, clearly this PSU is not able to supply enough power to GTX560Ti graphic card.

 

To get x1.Opt going, you'll need to make sure eGPU is connected/detected before starting windows. If not, you won't get acceleration on internal LCD.

Probably. By doing fresh windows installation, we'll know for sure. However, even I too lazy to format & reinstall windows.

 

Okay, it seems eGPU is working now, but I can't make work on the external screen, any advices?

BSOD sometimes occured when the eGPU stops working.

 

What do you mean? External monitor not detected or when trying to use external monitor, it revert back to internal LCD?

 

Dam I just bought that too, but I read that I can use 2 and hook up the 2 connectors to separate PSU's until I get a larger single one. And why can't I use that second rail. My PSU has a separate connection for a 6 or 8 pin connector that isn't connected to the other regular molex wires. That doesn't run off the second rail?


I uninstalled the amd catalyst driver and then installed the latest DNA 1110 Prev. 2 driver which worked fine in x1. No it didn't show when i check in screen resolution or under catalyst control panel which it did before in x1 as well.

 

Yes, you can use two PSUs to overcome the insufficient power issue. The second 12V rail (+12V2) is for CPU (the 4-pin ATX +12 connector). Everything else, including the 6-pin/8-pin PCIe power connector(s), is from first rail (+12V1).

 

Hypersli doesn't work either.

Anybody with a solution?

Pls help

 

Hi guys and thanks to all of you for this great thread .
First of all i wanna apologise for my english (i am french ) .
This is my specs :

Msi Cx623
I5 460m
Running optimus Intel HD/Geforce 310m

I've got Pe4h and a Gtx 560 with a normal psu (power star 480w) , i did a x1.opt and everything runs great .

this is my startup.bat

call speedup lbacache
call iport dGPU off
call vidwait -d 10de:1201
call vidinit -d 10de:1201
call pci
call grub4dos mbr


But when i play BF3 on Ultra (20fps) my gpu crash after something like 5 minutes , i just hear the sounds so i have to ctr+alt+sup and kill the process .

I am running the last nvidia verde with the moded inf .

So i wonder if anyone can help .

Edit: After doing some test with Msi Kombustor , it seems like the gpu crash when it hit 58/59° , so maybe its a psu problem ?

 

If with MSI Kombustor it also crashed, probably PSU fault, unable to supply enough power. GTX560 power requirement is 150W & can go up to 190W if OC. What is the PSU specification, especially what is the max current on the +12V?

 

This is my psu OEM ALIM-ATX-480 à 26,45 € -- Alim. ATX 480W P3&P4 Power Star RoHS ventilo 8cm 24Pin 2SATA/4 Molex

Its a really cheap one i've got it for 15euro :s

The max current on the +12v is 1/14A .

There is also no 6pins on it so i bought 2 adapters like this one Adaptateur Molex vers PCI-E 6 pins - Câble d'alimentation - Achat / vente pas cher sur materiel.net

 

that is a horrible psu. 12 x 14 =168w max not sure how much a 480gtx uses but im sure its more than that.

 

1/14A??? 12V * 14A = 168W. Like I said before, GTX560 power requirement is 150W & can go up to 190W if OC. I doubt that PSU able to deliver stable peak power (150W) to eGPU. Please get reputable brand such as Corsair or Seasonic. Corsair CX series, e.g. CX500 have two 2+6-pin PCIe power connectors. So, you don't have to use adapter anymore. It have +12V@34A (408W). It also not expensive.

 

Ok guys i'll definitely get a good psu today and i'll let u know the result , but for the momment i got really nice permormances under x1.opt .
Thx for your quick answers )

 

Any ideas, or anyone have this issue?

 

Yes, I want to use external monitor, but I can't do it, even from display setting.

 

Which one?
- External monitor not detected?
OR
- External monitor is detected but revert back to internal LCD when you try to activate display on external monitor?

 

I can confirm that a better PSU certainly solves your stability issues. To be safe, 190-200W on the 12V line (equals to 16-17A) is an absolute requirement to run a 560Ti stable.

 

External monitor is detected but reverts back to internal LCD. Also BSOD returns,. I posted a picture in previous post that shows 1.x setup. Can you tell me what to do in this option?

 

When it revert back to internal LCD, it means the PSU not able to provide enough power OR miniHDMI cable is faulty - per- Common FAQ#8. It accompanied with BSOD, so I think definitely PSU problem. Just to be safe, you can order new miniHDMI cable: Gold Plated 1080P HDMI Mini V1.3 M-M Connection Cable - Black (1.5M-Length) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme

 

To correct my statement the external monitor is not detected.

 

Ok guy i've just got a Cool Master 550w (44A on 12v+) and my egpu seems to be completely stable at 65°+ .
So Thank you guys i'll post some benchmark as soon as i can )

 

Share us, how did you make eGPU work? Tell us your laptops specs and what settings you have made.

 

I have bought a new PSU, Corsair CX-600, and I have bought a functional miniHDMI, but still getting BSOD problem. And no, I'm too lazy to format and reinstall Windows 7.

 

Here's my Laptop specs:

Msi Cx623
I5 460m @2.53Ghz
Optimus Intel HD and Geforce 310m
4Gb Ram
Win 7

So i got a Geforce 560m with a cool master psu 550w , and Pe4H and i made a x1opt.setup , when i plugged everything the card was recognized as Vga display adapter so i unstalled my old drivers , and installed 285.62 with the moded Inf , after that i downloaded DIYeGPU-Setup-10f-pre28.exe and configure my startup.bat like this :

call speedup lbacache
call iport dGPU off
call vidwait -d 10de:1201
call vidinit -d 10de:1201
call pci
call grub4dos mbr

I guess 1201 is my GTX 560

So now i just have to plug everything , restart by launching Startup.bat and everything works pretty well .

This is some screenshot :

My installation (i've got another psu because that one was terrible ):

Imageshack - img1579af.jpg

Here we can see that the card is recognized , after puting dgpu=off

ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting

Batman Arkham City 1360x768 Everything on max , DirectX 11 i've got between 24/30fps and the game is really smooth .

Imageshack - batmanac201112022307007.jpg

Skyrim on ultra 1360x768 AAx4 ,40+ Fps outside 60+ in dungeons .

Imageshack - tesv2011120201365974.jpg

Battlefield 3 on ultra 1360x768 25+Fps

ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting

 

I finally got my card working at x4 on port one but now it is shutting off after I try to do a benchmark or even when I'm just browsing the internet. My PSU is 204Watts true, so it should be enough to power my HD4850. So I figure maybe I need to set the fuse bypass. Does that mean switching it to the other side or connecting the two silver prongs together with the black piece.
Anyone know?

 

EDIT: Never mind, I finally got it working! I borrowed my roommate's LCD which allows for DVI input and connected it to the GTX 560 Ti, booted up and it worked immediately, tested it with 3dmark06 and got a score of 17296

However, I am still unable to use my internal lcd with the graphics card for some reason. When I try booting up with the GPU disconnected from the monitor, I simply have the same problems as described in the quote above. Does anyone have a solution for this?

 

wow thats all the performance you get for bf3 at that low resolution? IM kind of bummed out now. i was planning on getting a 460 or 470 for 1080p for bf3.

 

Ok, finally. I think I got everything fixed. My final issue was a poor PSU. Fixed with 2 until I can get a good single one. I'll be posting results and setup issues shortly below.

 

Yes in Bf3 on ultra setting i've got beetween 25 to 40 fps on a gtx 560 (not OC), but i'm playing in the laptop monitor that's why i have a low resolution , but it's completely playable and really smooth on all situation , i think i'll get more fps with an external monitor .

Nice )

 

You are jumping up to 1920x1080 or something on the external though.
I would really love some more BF3 numbers if you have time

 

O ok. i was planning on using internal monitor as well. hopefully when the new 2.0 kit comes out it will look much more promising.

 

thax for all the information you gave

I have 4530s and gtx460

everything else is ok so far but i dont know how to run setup 1.x ..

i dont know how to boot da setup 1.x

 

How much more FPS would you get if you ran it on an external monitor?
I was hoping to play BF3 with a 560Ti with an external monitor at 1920x1080 on ultra. My laptop doesn't support expresscard2.0 either. Would 1080p gaming be possible?

 

Hey, I got it working on internal screen, Play fifa 11 at very high quality, and it runs very smooth, but I can't get it working on External monitor since it doesn't have DVI and HDMI ports, instead, I have to use DVI-VGA, I'm thinking about buying a new external monitor, which features Full HD.

 

You'll find everything here http://forum.notebookreview.com/6295529-post641.html
just follow the guide, tell us if you still cannot configure it .

http://forum.notebookreview.com/6542661-post1222.html

Following these test i think yes since we can see a significant fps improvement using an external monitor on a x1.opt setup .
Devil may cry on dx 10 jumped from 40.5 fps on internal to 96.5 on external .
I'll post some screenshots as soon as i get an external monitor , for the momment i can only use my laptop's monitor on 1366x768 .

 

To do a disk image installation that provides a DIY eGPU Setup 1.x option at your XP/Vista/Win7 bootloader, extract to c:\eGPU then run as an ADMIN user the following. Ensure User Access Control us turned off (control panel, search for "UAC", click "Change User Account Control settings", to "Never notify", reboot. Running c:\eGPU\setup-disk-image will result in this structure. Can setup the files manually as shown in that link if there is a problem with setup-disk-image.

Code:
:: defrag the disk image, a pre-requisite for being able to be used as a disk
:: image, add XP/Vista/Win7 bootloader to contain a DIY eGPU Setup 1.x
:: menuitem. The disk image will be read and *written* to exactly as if it was
:: a floppy/USB drive. Advantage being faster speed and more convenience
:: than a USB bootdisk.
c:\eGPU\setup-disk-image.bat

:: Mount disk image as V:
c:\eGPU\eGPU-Setup-mount.bat

I did everything until here but i dont understand nextstep
pls help




:: Create devcon.txt file. The ACPI PNP resource list (devcon.txt) provides
:: additional allocation boundaries so your system doesn't freeze due to PCI
:: allocation over prohibited ranges
v:\devcon\mkdevcon.bat


after this step is done what should i do ?

 

I have the same plan
Please note that his numbers came from GTX 560 not Ti version.

 

Speaking about BF3: May I suggest to lower Antialiasing Post? It's a heavy option and a (bandwith eater), he should see a huge boost in performances.

 

Hi

I have finally got the eGPU working perfectly, only on internal LCD. I tried on the external monitor, but it is not detected. Maybe I need a new monitor to experience full performance?

 

I've only just recently got my eGPU working on an external, and it turns out the problem was indeed the monitor. My monitor was also VGA only and I had to use a DVI-VGA adapter as well, so I couldn't get it to detect at all. But when I borrowed my roommate's monitor which supports DVI and hooked it up, the eGPU ran like a dream. My advice would be to see if you can borrow someone else's monitor with DVI and see if it works before buying a new one.

 

Updated with DX11 scores and GTX560tiHawk results. 6thJan2012.

Dell XPS Studio 1640 Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 @ 2.4Ghz
eGPU ATI Radeon HD 4850 @ 1280 x 960 @x4
& GTX560tiHawk @x4
iGPU HD3670

For Dell XPS Studio 1640 users, I was able to get my system running at x4 with a few issues that needed worked out.

The process that I follow to run my eGPU at x4 follows:
1. Install Setup 1.x
2. Checked mPCIe ports with wifi card and all were active.
3. Took off bottom cover and installed PM3N cards.
4. Switched jumper on port 1 mPCIe card to the opposite side which was the right side. This was due to my computer not booting at all. It would power up then turn off within a few seconds.
5. For power, my original PSU was not adequate because my card was shutting down after a few minutes. Changing PSU's fixed this problem.
6. After booting into setup 1.x, I activated ports 1-4 then selected x4. Then PCI compaction for both internal and external cards.
7. Due to chainloading failing for both MBR and Windows 7, I needed to use just the Reboot option at the bottom. This was due to computer chainloading to a black screen.
8. I have the express port 4 connected to port 4 on the PE4H.
9. Card is turned on and connected when started.
10. I need to change the activate and change ports to x4 on each boot.
11. I also need to use F8 and disable driver signature each boot after Reboot from setup 1.x (note: only for DNA drivers for HD4850, when using GTX560tiHawk I reinstalled signed drivers and did not need this step with the NVIDA card).
12. I also had an issue with the DNA driver once I had x4 working. I needed to uninstall then reinstall the latest DNA driver and then my eGPU was working correctly and my external monitor was good to go.
13. For the NVIDA card only, for some reason when i use setup1.x it never initially shows but after I activate all ports then set to x4 it still doesn't register. However; I use the reboot option go back into setup1.x and then it registers. I then do compaction then reboot option again then I'm good to go.

This should fix any problems you may have. I've posted results below and will post some pictures shortly. I'm not to happy with my 3Dmark scores, but have a GTX 560ti Hawk edition on the way and will like to see the difference from my HD4850 will be, plus I'll be able to benchmark some dx11 games since my HD4850 is only dx10. Hope this helps and anyone can post with opinions. I also had an issue with my CPU being set to a lower multiplier setting and will do some retesting and will update all GTX560tiHawk results ( update as of 29th with correct results).


Detailed scores (Mark06 iGPU)
3DMark Score 4425 3DMarks
SM2.0 Score 1574
HDR/SM3.0 Score 1895
CPU Score 2000
GT1 - Return To Proxycon 11.67 FPS
GT2 - Firefly Forest 14.57 FPS
CPU1 - Red Valley 0.63 FPS
CPU2 - Red Valley 1.02 FPS
HDR1 - Canyon Flight 16.72 FPS
HDR2 - Deep Freeze 21.18 FPS
Detailed scores (Mark06 x1)
3DMark Score 5257 3DMarks
SM2.0 Score 2086
HDR/SM3.0 Score 2149
CPU Score 2023
GT1 - Return To Proxycon 14.31 FPS
GT2 - Firefly Forest 20.46 FPS
CPU1 - Red Valley 0.64 FPS
CPU2 - Red Valley 1.02 FPS
HDR1 - Canyon Flight 17.21 FPS
HDR2 - Deep Freeze 25.77 FPS
Detailed scores (HD4850 Mark06 x4)
3DMark Score 7476 3DMarks
SM2.0 Score 3152
HDR/SM3.0 Score 3541
CPU Score 1865
GT1 - Return To Proxycon 22.1 FPS
GT2 - Firefly Forest 30.44 FPS
CPU1 - Red Valley 0.58 FPS
CPU2 - Red Valley 0.96 FPS
HDR1 - Canyon Flight 32.36 FPS
HDR2 - Deep Freeze 38.46 FPS
Detailed scores (GTX560Hawk Mark06 @x4) with throttlestop clock of 9.5 mulitpliter from 6.0. (For some reason it was set to 6.0 from factory, all earlier results with ATI cards are with 6.0 multiplier)
3DMark Score 10815 3DMarks
SM2.0 Score 4826
HDR/SM3.0 Score 5736
CPU Score 2137
GT1 - Return To Proxycon 39.24 FPS
GT2 - Firefly Forest 41.19 FPS
CPU1 - Red Valley 0.68 FPS
CPU2 - Red Valley 1.08 FPS
HDR1 - Canyon Flight 63.48 FPS
HDR2 - Deep Freeze 51.24 FPS
Detailed scores (Vantage iGPU)
3DMark Score 1378 3DMarks
Graphics Score 1138
CPU Score 3733
Jane Nash 2.6 FPS
New Calico 4.1 FPS
Detailed scores (Vantage x1)
Graphics Score 3204
CPU Score 3861
Jane Nash 8.86 FPS
New Calico 9.93 FPS
Detailed scores (HD4850 Vantage x4)
3DMark Score 5335 3DMarks
Graphics Score 6215
CPU Score 3744
Jane Nash 18.17 FPS
New Calico 18.25 FPS
Detailed scores (GTX560tiHawkVantage @x4)
3DMark Score 8296
Graphics Score 13542
CPU Score 3837
Jane Nash 35.48 FPS
New Calico 44.0 FPS
AI Test 488 operations/s
Physics Test 6 operations/s
Detailed scores (GTX560tiHawk 3Dmark11 @x4)
3DMark Score P3101
Graphics Score 4147
Physics Score 1804
Combined Score 1713
GraphicsTest1 20.86 FPS
GraphicsTest2 21.99 FPS
GraphicsTest3 25.77 FPS
GraphicsTest4 11.16 FPS
PhysicsTest 5.73 FPS
CombinedTest 7.97 FPS
Resident Evil 5 DX9 x1 HD 4850
30.4
Resident Evil 5 DX9 x4 HD 4850
59.9 B
Resident Evil 5 DX9 GTX560ti @x4
69.0 Rank A Variable
Resident Evil 5 DX10 x1 HD 4850
24.3
Resident Evil 5 DX10 x4 HD 4850
58.8 B
Resident Evil 5 DX10 GTX560ti @x4
71.2 Rank A Variable
Devil May Cry DX9 x1 HD 4850
Scene 1- 48.21
Scene 2- 35.90
Scene 3- 52.57
Scene 4- 35.53
Devil May Cry DX9 x4 HD 4850
Scene 4- 77.18
Devil May Cry DX10 x1 HD 4850
Scene 1- 33.55
Scene 2- 26.92
Scene 3- 35.51
Scene 4- 26.93
Devil May Cry DX10 x4 HD 4850
Scene 4- 61.63
Devil May Cry DX10 GTX560ti @x4
Scene 4- 111.99 Rank S
Heaven Benchmark GTX560ti @x4
Fps 38.1
Score 959 with Default settings.
Min 16.2 Max 103.2 FPS

 

Since it worked for you, it will work for me. I'll definitly buy a new monitor.

 

my systems are egpu 460gtx and hp 4530s,

the question is that why i cant use Express 2.0(generation2)

as soon as i turn on express 2.0 i see blue screen

whats wrong with 2.0 ?? is there any possilbility ?? to use this

 

I was wondering, the new AMD APU line of laptop procs are getting pretty good reviews and seem to have great tech in them. The built in GPU's in the APU's are also better by far than what Intel is offering with the added bonus that users can use both, built in GPU and external GPU for some great combined performance (with good driver support, which is getting there).

Can we please have a DIY eGPU solution for that setup as well? Would be great as AMD laptops are also cheaper.