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eGPU enclosure + GTX 1080 Ti /Mac

Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2017 8:03 pm
by contegufo

Re: eGPU enclosure + GTX 1080 Ti /Mac

Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 9:29 am
by lycium
I have to say: why go to all this trouble with external GPUs for a laptop with an operating system that very reluctantly supports them via a series of hacks that simply works better using Windows (per the article, not my conclusion) at a huge price premium, when you can simply build a normal inexpensive desktop PC to do your rendering (leave it wherever you would leave the external GPUs) and use the laptop for whatever small-scale computing it's actually designed to do...

I never cease to be amazed how much time and sympathy people have for overpriced and overheating laptops (with any operating system), especially in the context of rendering.

Re: eGPU enclosure + GTX 1080 Ti /Mac

Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 8:31 pm
by Eneen
And this card will additionally accelerate viewport display

Re: eGPU enclosure + GTX 1080 Ti /Mac

Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 9:38 pm
by davide445
Having gone trough this path this is my opinion: eGPU are a useful tool if you are tight on budget or when you really need to work in mobility.

With DIY eGPU I was able to speed up x5 or more any graphics process on an old laptop with about €250 cost (DIY kit + used GPU), a cost impossible to achieve even with a used PC. This was meaning non only speedup but the possibility to experiment with tools impossible to manage with the old iGPU of my laptop due to lack of some tech support.

The cost side make much less sense with commercial eGPU enclosures, where even the less expensive Akitio Node can be found for about €350 + GPU cost you are in the range of a full PC. If you already have a spare GPU and a powerful laptop might make sense from the cost side, apart from costs of course is perfect for who work in mobility.

I can later find a old used HP workstation for €350, where I can in fact reuse my GPU and even the eGPU DIY kit to power it externally. The performance and stability difference vs the laptop setup is stunning, so I really suggest this path for anyone that is not really tight on budget.