Blackmagic eGPU

Do you have questions about Desktop Video, Converters, Routers and Monitoring?
  • Author
  • Message
Offline

MarcusAlzona

  • Posts: 14
  • Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2018 10:52 pm
  • Location: Bethesda, Maryland / Washington DC Metro Area
  • Real Name: Marcus Alzona

Re: Blackmagic eGPU

PostFri Aug 10, 2018 5:47 pm

Uli Plank wrote:There must be cheaper solutions for that. Just ask the question in the forum at egpu.io, they should know.
I know there are USB-C to Display Port adapters for less than 50 bucks.

Thank you for the egpu.io tip - I agree, there are certainly less cheaper stand-alone solutions for individual setups. And actually I already have all the cables required (sometimes multiple methods - HDMI to DP, HDMI to DVI, USBC to HDMI) to plug both laptop types into the keyboard and monitor.

The problem I'm facing is that the primary role for the "desktop station" I now have is for a 2018 MacBook Pro plugged into (and using) the BM eGPU, with a keyboard and 4K display plugged into the eGPU (so only one cable is attached to the MBP (more convenience & less wear and tear).

But the secondary machines for this "station" are 2015 Macbooks....which means every time I wish to use them at the "desktop station" I'll have to unplug the keyboard and monitor from the eGPU, and plug it into an Apple Multiport AV connector (+ a USB-C power supply). And undo that / reattach to the eGPU when I want to use the MBP again.

I'd like to avoid the constant plugging / unplugging of HDMI / USB cables from the back of the eGPU, hence I'm trying to figure out some sort of way to leverage the USB/HDMI "hub" functionality of the BM eGPU without using the GPU itself. (Sounds like "no" at the moment, but I don't know if this is set in stone, or perhaps in the future could be enabled via a software update.)
Offline

Chris Chiasson

  • Posts: 566
  • Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 4:32 pm

Re: Blackmagic eGPU

PostWed Aug 15, 2018 11:03 pm

MarcusAlzona wrote:
Uli Plank wrote:There must be cheaper solutions for that. Just ask the question in the forum at egpu.io, they should know.
I know there are USB-C to Display Port adapters for less than 50 bucks.

Thank you for the egpu.io tip - I agree, there are certainly less cheaper stand-alone solutions for individual setups. And actually I already have all the cables required (sometimes multiple methods - HDMI to DP, HDMI to DVI, USBC to HDMI) to plug both laptop types into the keyboard and monitor.

The problem I'm facing is that the primary role for the "desktop station" I now have is for a 2018 MacBook Pro plugged into (and using) the BM eGPU, with a keyboard and 4K display plugged into the eGPU (so only one cable is attached to the MBP (more convenience & less wear and tear).

But the secondary machines for this "station" are 2015 Macbooks....which means every time I wish to use them at the "desktop station" I'll have to unplug the keyboard and monitor from the eGPU, and plug it into an Apple Multiport AV connector (+ a USB-C power supply). And undo that / reattach to the eGPU when I want to use the MBP again.

I'd like to avoid the constant plugging / unplugging of HDMI / USB cables from the back of the eGPU, hence I'm trying to figure out some sort of way to leverage the USB/HDMI "hub" functionality of the BM eGPU without using the GPU itself. (Sounds like "no" at the moment, but I don't know if this is set in stone, or perhaps in the future could be enabled via a software update.)


Sound like you want the eGPU to work as a Hub when not connected to a Thunderbolt 3 device. Sadly, I don’t think anything can be done about it. These EGPU boxes were made to work with current devices with Thunderbolt 3 to use the GPU. The hub aspect was more of a bonus. So I doubt Blackmagic will update it to work in hub mode, when connected by USB A, HDMI, etc.
Offline
User avatar

rick.lang

  • Posts: 17175
  • Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 5:41 pm
  • Location: Victoria BC Canada

Blackmagic eGPU

PostWed Aug 22, 2018 12:57 pm

Kim Janson wrote:... how to instal a Apple Cinema Display with only Mini Display port to it?


I still have my Apple Cinema Display from my original PowerMac G5 (late 2003). I used a DisplayPort to DVI-D dongle and the huge and hot Apple DVI to ADC convertor.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Rick Lang
Offline
User avatar

Uli Plank

  • Posts: 21281
  • Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2013 2:48 am
  • Location: Germany and Indonesia

Re: Blackmagic eGPU

PostWed Aug 22, 2018 3:28 pm

I had the eGPU running with a cheap adapter to Display Port with a LG 4K monitor, no problem.
An advantage of that eGPU, others don't have a second TB-3.
No, an iGPU is not enough, and you can't use HEVC 10 bit 4:2:2 in the free version.

Studio 18.6.5, MacOS 13.6.5
MacBook M1 Pro, 16 GPU cores, 32 GB RAM and iPhone 15 Pro
Speed Editor, UltraStudio Monitor 3G, iMac 2017, eGPU
Offline
User avatar

rick.lang

  • Posts: 17175
  • Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 5:41 pm
  • Location: Victoria BC Canada

Re: Blackmagic eGPU

PostWed Aug 22, 2018 6:05 pm

Kim, my addled brain misread your post. I thought you had the original display with the proprietary ADC connector. On re-reading, I understand your monitor has the DisplayPort!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Rick Lang
Offline

Sandro

  • Posts: 4
  • Joined: Mon Aug 27, 2018 10:07 am
  • Real Name: Sandro Ligtenberg

Re: Blackmagic eGPU

PostMon Aug 27, 2018 10:16 am

hi, I've been testing the Blackmagic egpu on a 2016 15 inch mbp. happy with overall performance, but I can crash the mbp every time if I render something in Resolve (15) and use safari simultaneously to view a video from the internet. It takes 20 minutes to half an hour, then the computer locks completely, need a hard reboot.
specs: mbp 2016 15 inch/2.9 ghz i7/16 gb ram/radeon 460
osx 10.13.6/Resolve 15
thanks, Sandro
Offline
User avatar

Uli Plank

  • Posts: 21281
  • Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2013 2:48 am
  • Location: Germany and Indonesia

Re: Blackmagic eGPU

PostTue Aug 28, 2018 3:53 am

Strange, I had some extended renders going on with the eGPU and a much weaker MBP 13".
I was using Safari, including videos, all the time.

How is Resolve configured? Did you use both GPUs (Studio only) and where is another display connected (if any)?
Metal or OpenCL? You may need to play a bit with configurations, but that shouldn't happen.
And does the same footage render without a hiccup if you don't use Safari? Could still be coincidence.
No, an iGPU is not enough, and you can't use HEVC 10 bit 4:2:2 in the free version.

Studio 18.6.5, MacOS 13.6.5
MacBook M1 Pro, 16 GPU cores, 32 GB RAM and iPhone 15 Pro
Speed Editor, UltraStudio Monitor 3G, iMac 2017, eGPU
Offline

Sandro

  • Posts: 4
  • Joined: Mon Aug 27, 2018 10:07 am
  • Real Name: Sandro Ligtenberg

Re: Blackmagic eGPU

PostTue Aug 28, 2018 7:05 am

Hi Uli,
I've got the LG 5K ultrafine connected through the egpu.
I've found that the cpu is stable if I use only the egpu and on metal (studio). Also fastest. Went through all the permutations. On other settings I get roughly 10 frames per second less and the cpu fluctuates wildly. On this setting it stays at 3.4 GHZ.
I've been converting a couple of TB worth of material to prores proxy and it can run for hours without a problem if I don't launch safari. If Safari is active streaming video (Netflix and Vimeo tested) I have a hard crash within 30 minutes, happened twice as an accident, third time as a test.
Thanks
Offline
User avatar

Uli Plank

  • Posts: 21281
  • Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2013 2:48 am
  • Location: Germany and Indonesia

Re: Blackmagic eGPU

PostTue Aug 28, 2018 5:08 pm

Well, the 5K LG is quite demanding and data throughput with videos running on it might take too much away from the GPU. Remember that even TB-3 only equals a x4 PCI slot, while in the computer you have x16.

I tested with a 4K LG plugged into the eGPU, and while it was not crashing, it slowed any operations in Resolve or rendering down considerably.
No, an iGPU is not enough, and you can't use HEVC 10 bit 4:2:2 in the free version.

Studio 18.6.5, MacOS 13.6.5
MacBook M1 Pro, 16 GPU cores, 32 GB RAM and iPhone 15 Pro
Speed Editor, UltraStudio Monitor 3G, iMac 2017, eGPU
Previous

Return to Post Production

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: mzperx and 43 guests