ASUS ThunderboltEX II PCIe Expansion Card - Testing Thread

[mauroalpha]

anyone get the thunderbolt 2 dual to work on a z97a/usb3.1? can't get it to recognize on windows.

Tubeboggan, I've had the same problem and i've solved, at the end card is working only if i don't reboot but if I shut down mac no problems, card works!!

So,
for get it recognized in windows you have to check these parameters:

Go to...

Boot
Fast Boot = Disabled <<<<<< very important


Thunderbolt
Security Level = 'no security'
Wake from Thunderbolt Devices = 'Off' <<< also very important
AIC Support = 'On'
AIC LOCATION = 4
Thunderbolt PCIe Cache-line Size = '128' <- choose down to 32 if necessary SMI/Notify Support = 'On'

Ignore Thunderbolt Option Rom = 'On'

TBT Device IO resource Support = 'Off'

Reserved Mem per phy slot = '32' or up to '128'
Reserved PMem per phy slot = '32' or up to '128'


Well I've had to play something around with cache size and mem , at the end I've used 128 for every field.

Strange thing at the end in OSX is that audioboard via thunderbolt works but i don't see in sys info thunderball device showed and also it work only if i shut down and boot...no if i reboot. Or, let me explain,when i reboot it works randomly, expecially if i go back into the bios and modificate the mem & cache number.

I've read in other forum that maybe this problem is a reallocating problem?

 

[tubeboggan]

Thanks for

Tubeboggan, I've had the same problem and i've solved, at the end card is working only if i don't reboot but if I shut down mac no problems, card works!!

So,
for get it recognized in windows you have to check these parameters:

Go to...

Boot
Fast Boot = Disabled <<<<<< very important


Thunderbolt
Security Level = 'no security'
Wake from Thunderbolt Devices = 'Off' <<< also very important
AIC Support = 'On'
AIC LOCATION = 4
Thunderbolt PCIe Cache-line Size = '128' <- choose down to 32 if necessary SMI/Notify Support = 'On'

Ignore Thunderbolt Option Rom = 'On'

TBT Device IO resource Support = 'Off'

Reserved Mem per phy slot = '32' or up to '128'
Reserved PMem per phy slot = '32' or up to '128'


Well I've had to play something around with cache size and mem , at the end I've used 128 for every field.

Strange thing at the end in OSX is that audioboard via thunderbolt works but i don't see in sys info thunderball device showed and also it work only if i shut down and boot...no if i reboot. Or, let me explain,when i reboot it works randomly, expecially if i go back into the bios and modificate the mem & cache number.

I've read in other forum that maybe this problem is a reallocating problem?

Thanks for the reply. Still a no go. I changed everything you put down. Any additional setting in BIOS that you changed?
Also I don't have any thunderbolt device at the moment to test. And I've read that you need something attached for it to be recognized? correct me if i'm wrong.

other notes: running Windows 10, usb sony srs-x88 speakers

 

[mauroalpha]

Will do a check later in the other settings and report u back have u the latest bios firmware? 2801 ?

ps: instead of reboot, try to shutdown and restart pc

 

[mauroalpha]

So, in bios check also these:

Boot>
Interrupt 19 Capture > Disable
Above 4G decoding > Enabled

Secure boot --
Os Type >Other Os
and secure boot state disabled

Advanced>
PCH Configuration-->PCI Express Configuration-->PCI-E Speeed> GEN2

System Agent Configuration-->NB PCI-E Configuration-->PCI-EX16_1 & 2 LINK SPEED > GEN3
I think this is very important and maybe made the trick!!


Try also to put 64 in the cache e mem size in the thunderbolt options, now i'm using this configuration and it's working..

Hope these info can helps, let me know!!!

 

[tubeboggan]

So, in bios check also these:

Boot>
Interrupt 19 Capture > Disable
Above 4G decoding > Enabled

Secure boot --
Os Type >Other Os
and secure boot state disabled

Advanced>
PCH Configuration-->PCI Express Configuration-->PCI-E Speeed> GEN2

System Agent Configuration-->NB PCI-E Configuration-->PCI-EX16_1 & 2 LINK SPEED > GEN3
I think this is very important and maybe made the trick!!


Try also to put 64 in the cache e mem size in the thunderbolt options, now i'm using this configuration and it's working..

Hope these info can helps, let me know!!!

Yes, running latest BIOS 2801.
Changed all settings, still nothing. I don't get it.

 

[mauroalpha]

have u tried to run only CPU graphics instead of gtx970 ? I've read about some people having issues with external graphics.

Also i forgot to reply to your question: i've just tried to boot without tb device connect, it doesn't work the card, i mean, in dpci list (in dpcimanager) there no tb device.This means that maybe you're getting the card working but to get it u have to connect something! (no hotswapp)

maybe this is your point


ps: I've forgot to say that even if the tb works, under thunderbolt menu in the sys info it tell me > Thunderbolt: No driver loaded
but it's working!

 

[tubeboggan]

have u tried to run only CPU graphics instead of gtx970 ? I've read about some people having issues with external graphics.

Also i forgot to reply to your question: i've just tried to boot without tb device connect, it doesn't work the card, i mean, in dpci list (in dpcimanager) there no tb device.This means that maybe you're getting the card working but to get it u have to connect something! (no hotswapp)

maybe this is your point


ps: I've forgot to say that even if the tb works, under thunderbolt menu in the sys info it tell me > Thunderbolt: No driver loaded
but it's working!

Yes, I've tried with CPU graphics. Even tried all 3 pcie16 slots.

Yes, that's what I was thinking. I don't have any TB devices yet. But when you first installed it, did it show up in device manager before you had anything plugged in?

 

[mauroalpha]

Yes, but the device is only osx compatible so after the activation i was seeing only Port 1 and Port 2 name in tb device manager app

What u're going to connect via thunderbolt?

 

[tubeboggan]

Yes, but the device is only osx compatible so after the activation i was seeing only Port 1 and Port 2 name in tb device manager app

What u're going to connect via thunderbolt?

a 4bay raid enclosure.

 

[shineproductions]

@Mork_vom_Ork: Hi can you please post a config.plist and SSDT for ASRock Z170 Extreme7+ on BIOS version 7.30 using HD 530 graphics for Sierra? I am using Clover version 3961 and Sierra version 10.12.2.

My UAD Apollo Twin Duo thunderbolt audio interface is working, but I am not using the right SSDT, and config.plist so I am experiencing some issues. The Apollo Twin shows up as a pci device, and the audio works, but System Report says: "Thunderbolt: No drivers are loaded."

Also I have the ASUS ThunderboltEX DUO card on an ASRock Z170 Extreme7+ motherboard in PCIslot#3.

Just installed my ASUS ThunderboltEX DUO card on an ASRock Z170 Extreme7+ motherboard in PCIslot#3, turned on "Intel Thunderbolt" in BIOS and selected "one time stored key" instead of "legacy", and guess what:

The card is visible under the Thunderbolt Options in System Information Manager and all connected Thunderbolt devices are usable (right now only Apple Thunderbolt-2-Ethernetadapter connected). Didn't have to enable it under WINDOWS first... just installed, BIOS settings selected and CLOVER-Boot right into El Capitan 10.11.6 (latest beta) - et voila: it shows in System Information as Thunderbolt-Hardware.

Used an ASRock Thunderbolt2 AIC the last weeks (also in PCIslot#3) but was never able to get recognized as Thunderbolt, evan if i could use connected Thunderbolt devices. Card was always detected as "Express Card".

PS: this card is now also visible as Thunderbolt under YOSEMITE 10.10.5