eGPU with DELL Studio 1747 - not working easily

[eric87]

Hello guys,

my Dell Studio 1747 with an Core i7 720QM, 4 GB Ram (2x 2GB) and an internal Radeon Mobility 4650 is not working with the eGPU (an EVGA 2GB 760 GTX ). I'm using Windows 8.1 and successfully bought and installed nando's famous Setup 1.x software.

I'm getting the popular "code 12 error" when I plug the eGPU in or if I try to boot with it Windows 8.1 is not loading. I also found it is because of my TOLUD (please find my device manager at Bild (mLjRYtlyV7.jpg) anzeigen - imgBOX.de ).

To solve it, I tried PCI compaction in Setup 1.x - without success. Regardless of the options I choose I receive in red letters a failure ("Set other PCI compaction options, then try again"). Then I tried a DSDT override. Since I'm using Windows 8 it is not working in the traditional way, but there is a substitution as it can be found here: http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/2109-diy-egpu-experiences-%5Bversion-2-0%5D-28.html#post31421

I generated a dsdt.aml (please find it here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4w7haqec0cwnr0d/dsdt.aml ) and copied it to my C:\eGPU\dsdt.aml folder. My DSDT = 0xBF7E7000 as you can see here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wc9n07lyeiomc9u/DSDT.jpg . If I'm using "pt MEM writefromfile 1 0xBF7E7000 dsdt.aml" I get an error: "file "dsdt.aml" not found (I also copied the dsdt.aml to C:\eGPU\config and C:\config to try it - but without success.

Please help me. I really want to get it running.

Greetings, Eric

[Tech Inferno Fan]

Eric, It could happen that your \config\devcon.txt file isn't being interpreted correctly and thus compact is failing to find a solution. To identify if this is a problem please proceed to:

1. boot Setup 1.x -> menu-based, ensure the eGPU is detected (F5)

2. Save Diags->compact_fails.

3. Reboot into Win8, run c:\eGPU\eGPU-setup-mount, archive the v:\diag folder, upload to mediafire.com and post a link here.

FYI: your TOLUD is actually 3.0GB. By running c:\eGPU\eGPU-setup-mount it will create a v: of your Setup 1.x disk image. So copy dsdt.aml into v:\config. Only then can you reboot back into Setup 1.x and access that file as c:\config and apply your appropriate 'pt' commandline.

[eric87]

Dear nando,

thanks for your fast reply.

to 1.) it is detected correctly. On the right side I can find the entries [email protected] (NVidida) and the same for port 5 (p5)

to 2/3) I ran it successfully until PCItool snapshot. As written there my system was frozen (I waited >10 minutes). However, please find the result here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/v9i6e55h8cgkb1g/diag.zip

Now the dsdt.aml was loaded successfully (at least I got not reply at all), but when chainloading Win8.1 shows an error. I guess my dsdt.aml is wrong (to long or something), but I haven't understood that point really well. May it be possible to load kizwans file for the DELL Studio 1557 dsdt_Dell 1557_C8000000_36bit.aml ??

[Tech Inferno Fan]

Dear nando,

thanks for your fast reply.

WHen you did the Setup 1.x installation, did you not see the following warning?

**************************************************

BIG WARNING!! mkdevcon: PCI BUS section NOT found

**************************************************

If you are using a non-English language, then please edit the following:

v:\config\devcon.txt

and remove the "PCI BUS" section. Otherwise that *whole* section will

be excluded from allocaton when performing compaction and compaction will fail.

In any case, proceed to reboot, mount v: (c:\eGPU\eGPU-setup\mount), then edit v:\config\devcon.txt and remove the following lines:

ACPI\PNP0A08\0
    Name: Stammkomplex für PCI-Express
    Device is currently using the following resources:
        MEM : 000a0000-000bffff
        MEM : 000d4000-000d7fff
        MEM : 000d8000-000dbfff
        MEM : c0000000-dfffffff
        MEM : f0000000-febfffff
        IO  : 0000-0cf7
        IO  : 0d00-ffff

Save the that v:\devcon.txt file with this change, restart, boot into Setup 1.x and re-do 32-bit PCI compaction.

[eric87]

I can't remember this failure during installation. But I haven't paid attention to it anyways.

For PCI compaction (4GB, selective: only eGPU) was not successful. Please find the current diag after this step at: https://www.dropbox.com/s/khp02154hcqhc9v/diag2.zip

[eric87]

I can't remember such a failure during installation (but I didn't pay attention to it yesterday). Now I still have the same problem with PCI compaction: not successful. Please find the current diag after this change here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/khp02154hcqhc9v/diag2.zip

I will try to change my Win8 language to English, deinstall Setup 1.x and install again.

BTW: simply loading kizwan's DELL 1557 aml was also not working (error screen when loading win8)

[eric87]

Ui, now I have it working!! I changed language to English and installed Setup 1.x again. I needed to use mkdevcon to make a new devcon.txt. For the compaction I have chosen deactivate dGPU.

[Tech Inferno Fan]

I can't remember such a failure during installation (but I didn't pay attention to it yesterday). Now I still have the same problem with PCI compaction: not successful. Please find the current diag after this change here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/khp02154hcqhc9v/diag2.zip

I will try to change my Win8 language to English, deinstall Setup 1.x and install again.

BTW: simply loading kizwan's DELL 1557 aml was also not working (error screen when loading win8)

Diags show PCI compaction works but only for "All" or "All except SATA+.." scopes. Limiting to dGPU+eGPU or eGPU only doesn't. Please try again, setting a 32-bit endpoint=3.87GB first. Try a 4GB endpoint if no success with 3.87GB.

The various permutations of compaction to try are listed if hit F1 over "Run compact".

[eric87]

It is working now, but with a very bad performance. With dGPU I have around 6050 in 3dmk6, with the new GTX 760 I onlz have 5403 (SM2: 2139; HDR: 2065; CPU: 2571). I'm using the standard 327.23 nvidia driver right now.

Is there anything I can improve using Setup 1.x or with another driver? Whats the best compaction method? (All except SATA oder only eGPU?), should I disable unused ports?

[Tech Inferno Fan]

It is working now, but with a very bad performance. With dGPU I have around 6050 in 3dmk6, with the new GTX 760 I onlz have 5403 (SM2: 2139; HDR: 2065; CPU: 2571). I'm using the standard 327.23 nvidia driver right now.

Is there anything I can improve using Setup 1.x or with another driver? Whats the best compaction method? (All except SATA oder only eGPU?), should I disable unused ports?

Whatever you used to get it working, just repeat. The problem with your configuration is that you have a Series-5 chipsets capable of only a pci-e 1.x link. Furthermore you have no iGPU so no pci-e compression.

X1.2Opt is the best eGPU performance we can get from a expresscard/mPCIe system as explained in http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/2109-diy-egpu-experiences-%5Bversion-2-0%5D.html#prepurchasefaq -> (Pre-purchase FAQ)-> 13. What do I need to run the fastest x1.2Opt link shown in the implementations?. To get that, you'd need to offload your system and grab a better eGPU candidate such as a HP Probook 4530s/4730s or others listed at http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/4109-egpu-candidate-system-list-%5Bthin-light%5D.html

Otherwise you're only way to faster performance is to get a x2 link going by combining ports AND/or consider a AMD card over a NVidia card. Please review the main DIY eGPU thread about the requirements for x2. You may find you have the same port configuration as Kizwan's 1557 where a x2 link is possible.

Still, even with a x2 1.0 link, you'd still not get NVidia Optimus internal LCD mode and would only be matching what Series-6/7 systems *without* Optimus' pci-e compression can get, ie: NVidia x1 2.0 rather than x1.2Opt listed at http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/2747-%5Bguide%5D-12-dell-e6230-gtx660%40x1-2opt-hd7870%40x1-2-pe4l-ec060a-2-1b.html#post37197 . You can see that when comparing x1 2.0 (no pci-e compression) between AMD and NVidia we find AMD is a better performer.

[eric87]

okay nando, thank you very much! I will need to sleep a bit over this, but probably eGPU is not really efficient in my case and a new desktop computer the solution with the best price/performance range.

[Uniik]

Hello people,  I know this topic is old, however I just recently bought an egpu, first off I tried it with a friends gtx750ti and it worked flawlessly just plug and play,  however with my gtx970 I can get it to recognize the card by hots Wappingers the WiFi module for the egpu.  But if I start the laptop with the gpu connected it just stays black and does nothing.  So I got my hands on setup 1.3 but now when I try to execute the mkdevcon.bat it gives me the error mkdevcon: PCI BUS section NOT  found.  I really hope someone sees this and knows how to help.