[video] MacBook Pro running a GeForce GTX 780 Ti via Thunderbolt 2

[Arthur]

Maybe one day Windows PCs will be able to do this too.

 

Running an NVIDIA GTX 780 Ti Over Thunderbolt 2 « AnandTech

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G0M05rJkTQY

Edited May 5, 2014 by Arthur

[mac_shinobi]

What thunderbolt caddy / enclosure was that and how much. Also they booted into a version of win 8 whether 8 or 8.1 or whatever so presumably does not work under OS X ?

[localzuk]

Its a Sonnet Express III-D - Sonnet - Echo Express III-D Thunderbolt 2 PCIe Expansion Chassis

 

Its compatible with OS X, sure. The reason they used Windows is probably that it is simply where their games library resides. (The chassis anyway, the gfx card would depend on drivers - which Apple are very controlling over)

Edited May 5, 2014 by localzuk

[Arthur]

how much.

The linked AnandTech article mentions a price of $979 for the Sonnet Echo Express III-D chassis. Then you have to add a mid-to-high end graphics card and PSU.

 

Also they booted into a version of win 8 so presumably does not work under OS X?

It works under OS X (as @localzuk mentioned), but there are way more games available for Windows than OS X.

Edited May 5, 2014 by Arthur

[X-13]

Maybe one day Windows PCs will be able to do this too.

 

I hope so... it'd save me having to get a gaming desktop.

Edited May 5, 2014 by X-13

[mac_shinobi]

Thanks. Good points

 

Wish steam would hurry up with steam os

[mac_shinobi]

I hope so... it'd same me having to get a gaming desktop.

 

Be great if they could release a gaming console with something like that and you could upgrade the GPU or multiple GPU's using a sli or crossfire link when ever you wanted and depending on the gpu's you had installed along with SSD's would determine how good ya graphics / experience was

[X-13]

Be great if they could release a gaming console with something like that and you could upgrade the GPU or multiple GPU's using a sli or crossfire link when ever you wanted and depending on the gpu's you had installed along with SSD's would determine how good ya graphics / experience was

 

I've been saying this for ages... people just look at me like I'm some sort of idiot.

 

A project ara style laptop would be awesome.

 

http://www.projectara.com

[Arthur]

Be great if they could release a gaming console with something like that and you could upgrade the GPU

If you had a PC-based console like Valve's Steambox, there wouldn't be any point in having an external GPU since you could just replace the one inside the case.

[Arthur]

A project ara style laptop would be awesome.

Like the Novena laptop, but with an Intel CPU and better graphics?

 

I hope laptop manufacturers adopt Thunderbolt 3 as this should make external GPUs more viable.

 

Edited May 5, 2014 by Arthur

[mac_shinobi]

If you had a PC-based console like Valve's Steambox, there wouldn't be any point in having an external GPU since you could just replace the one inside the case.

 

Id want more than one gpu like two 295x2's

 

Why have one when you can have two, three or four?

[Arthur]

I'd want more than one gpu like two 295x2's

Would you really want 1,000+ watts of heat being dissipated underneath your TV (especially in the summer)?

[mac_shinobi]

Would you really want 1,000+ watts of heat being dissipated underneath your TV (especially in the summer)?

 

Summer would have to sort something out but would be some heating in winter

 

Watched a video and I think both GPU's draw about 1451 watts so yes quite a lot

[mac_shinobi]

Like the Novena laptop, but with an Intel CPU and better graphics?

 

I hope laptop manufacturers adopt Thunderbolt 3 as this should make external GPUs more viable.

 

 

Just googling for the answer now but what revision of thunderbolt does the 2011 mac mini have and is there a thunderbolt to USB 3 adaptor of some description available ?

[localzuk]

Id want more than one gpu like two 295x2's

 

Why have one when you can have two, three or four?

 

You'd not be able to do this via an external system at the moment (until the next version of Thunderbolt comes out), as the bandwidth of Thunderbold 2 is too low.

 

Just googling for the answer now but what revision of thunderbolt does the 2011 mac mini have and is there a thunderbolt to USB 3 adaptor of some description available ?

 

It'll be Thunderbolt 1 - running at 10Gbps per channel. So, you wouldn't be able to run a single top end card on it I don't think - as they use PCI-E v3 (which has a 15Gbps bandwidth).

Edited May 6, 2014 by localzuk

[mac_shinobi]

You'd not be able to do this via an external system at the moment (until the next version of Thunderbolt comes out), as the bandwidth of Thunderbold 2 is too low.

 

 

It'll be Thunderbolt 1 - running at 10Gbps per channel. So, you wouldn't be able to run a single top end card on it I don't think - as they use PCI-E v3 (which has a 15Gbps bandwidth).

 

ok fair enough ref point 1 but point 2 :

 

Linky : Which external hard drive: USB 3 or Thunderbolt? | Analysis | Features | PC Pro

 

USB has long been the industry standard for inter-device connectivity, and while USB 2’s speeds of 480Mbits/sec were surpassed by USB 3’s 4.8Gbits/sec, Intel’s Thunderbolt has claimed the lead by promising transfer speeds of up to 10Gbits/sec

 

Unless I am missing the point, I was just hoping to be able to use a USB 3.0 external hard drive on a thunderbolt cable / adaptor so as to convert the 10gbs thunderbolt connector into a usb 3.0, saying that not sure if that would work as USB transfers power to external devices where as thunderbolt may or may not ?

[Arthur]

I was just hoping to be able to use a USB 3.0 external hard drive on a thunderbolt cable / adaptor so as to convert the 10gbs thunderbolt connector into a usb 3.0, saying that not sure if that would work as USB transfers power to external devices where as thunderbolt may or may not ?

http://www.kanexlive.com/article/thunderbolt-adapters

 

or

 

http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/03/belkin-thunderbolt-express-dock-review/

 

Thunderbolt does supply power.

Edited May 6, 2014 by Arthur

[abillybob]

I'd be worried more about the power consumption of it as a lot of GPU's need a 400Watt power source from somewhere and am I right in thinking a Thunderbolt port just won't cut it? I think this video may have been a fake due to the User removing it so quickly and by the looks at some of the comments on YouTube.

[localzuk]

I'd be worried more about the power consumption of it as a lot of GPU's need a 400Watt power source from somewhere and am I right in thinking a Thunderbolt port just won't cut it? I think this video may have been a fake due to the User removing it so quickly and by the looks at some of the comments on YouTube.

 

The external case holds its own supply - it doesn't use the one from thunderbolt.

 

Unless I am missing the point, I was just hoping to be able to use a USB 3.0 external hard drive on a thunderbolt cable / adaptor so as to convert the 10gbs thunderbolt connector into a usb 3.0, saying that not sure if that would work as USB transfers power to external devices where as thunderbolt may or may not ?

 

I was referring to its use for graphics cards, not external hard drives as the entire discussion had been about graphics cards...

Edited May 6, 2014 by localzuk

[mac_shinobi]

Kanex Thunderbolt Adapter

 

or

 

Belkin’s Thunderbolt Express Dock Is The Best Damn Thing In The World | TechCrunch

 

Thunderbolt does supply power.

 

For the Price of the belkin dock ( aprox £165 ) - might as well just get a NAS or DAS and some WD Red Drives or similar, I think the thunderbolt ext hdd's are about £149 give or take a bit ( looking at the external Lacie drives ) -

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=thunderbolt+hard+drive&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=34250627036&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13490706759157606323&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_42rb9j9vkl_b