eGPU Razer core x chroma and AMD rx 6900 xt on MacBook Pro 2019, 16 inch.

[Aboraspower]

Hey guys,

Bear with me. I have searched half the world for an answer but it seems I have missed something(s) and no one seem to have a straight answer.

I bought a Razer Core x chroma and a AMD RX 6900 XT to my MacBook Pro 2019, 16 inch (intel).

According to the official apple site this setup should be compatible. (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208544)

The problem is that the MacBook Pro can detect the Razer core but not the GPU.

I have tested different Thunderbolt cables also.

So my humblest question to you guys are? What am I doing wrong?

This is the setup.
MacBook Pro, 16 inch, 2019.
2,3 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9;
(iGPU)AMD Radeon Pro 5500M 8 GB
(iGPU)Intel UHD Graphics 630 1536 MB
32 GB 2667 MHz DDR4
MacOS ventura

Thank you in advance.

 

[scottkendall]

I do not have a straight answer either but I have a bunch of questions that might lead you to your answer. See Below:

Have you Plugged the power supply inside the Razer Core in the 6900xt?
Have you removed the card and put it back in?
Is the Razer Core powered on, I think when I had a Razer Core X hooked to a Mac mini it showed up even if the power was not on.
How long is your TB cable?
Is it plugged directly into the MacBook or via some kind of hub?
How big is the power supply is it enough for the 6900xt?
Do you have an external monitor installed?
Have you tried to close the Mac book screen?

While I cannot find it I do seem to remember reading something like with the Mac book the GPU does not back feed in internal monitor and that it only works on an external Display.

Honestly I would wager to say the 5500M will give you about the same power as the Egpu because it is limited to 4x over TB3. The 6900xt is effetely 300% faster then the 5500m. But it only has about 25% of the threw put of the internal card. Might not be worth the effort.

I found this and on apples forums, the Device ID might be key. I personally spent an extra $300 on my 6900xt when prices went down and bought my card from AMD web site directly for $1000 instead of $700 on a XFX or Sapphire just to eliminate any doubt.

Use an external graphics processor with your Mac - Apple Support

Learn how to access additional graphics performance by connecting to an external graphics processor.

support.apple.com

 

[Aboraspower]

I do not have a straight answer either but I have a bunch of questions that might lead you to your answer. See Below:

Have you Plugged the power supply inside the Razer Core in the 6900xt?
Have you removed the card and put it back in?
Is the Razer Core powered on, I think when I had a Razer Core X hooked to a Mac mini it showed up even if the power was not on.
How long is your TB cable?
Is it plugged directly into the MacBook or via some kind of hub?
How big is the power supply is it enough for the 6900xt?
Do you have an external monitor installed?
Have you tried to close the Mac book screen?

While I cannot find it I do seem to remember reading something like with the Mac book the GPU does not back feed in internal monitor and that it only works on an external Display.

Honestly I would wager to say the 5500M will give you about the same power as the Egpu because it is limited to 4x over TB3. The 6900xt is effetely 300% faster then the 5500m. But it only has about 25% of the threw put of the internal card. Might not be worth the effort.

I found this and on apples forums, the Device ID might be key. I personally spent an extra $300 on my 6900xt when prices went down and bought my card from AMD web site directly for $1000 instead of $700 on a XFX or Sapphire just to eliminate any doubt.

View attachment 571522

Use an external graphics processor with your Mac - Apple Support

Learn how to access additional graphics performance by connecting to an external graphics processor.

support.apple.com

Hi,

Thank you for the answer.

Yeah I have plugged the power supply internally and externally. The leds in both the eGPU case and the GPU is glowing. And one of the fans are spinning. So there is power. Also, when I plug-in the eGPU my computer, the Chip-icon appears top right in my window but the the screen blinks and the chip-icon then disappears. It is the chip-icon you can click to chose what graphic card you want to use. So my computer detects something but not the GPU.

Yeah, I have removed the card and reseated it.

The TB-cable is the one included with the Razer core chroma. It is about a half meter. I have tested a longer one also. The TB cable is plugged in directly to to the Macbook from the eGPU.

The power supply should be enough for the GPU with big margins. The eGPU can take care of heavier GPU:s than this but I chose the rx 6900 xt because the official apple site said it supports both the eGPU and the GPU.

I have an external monitor. It is the same thing when I use it. Chip-icon appear at top right, the screen flickers, and then the chip-icon goes away.

Yeah, when I have the external monitor connected I have the Macbook closed.

OH MY GOD! I just happen to have an AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT from ASUS. What are the odds? Do we have any solutions or is it a lost cause? Is there a tweak?

 

[scottkendall]

Hi,

Thank you for the answer.

Yeah I have plugged the power supply internally and externally. The leds in both the eGPU case and the GPU is glowing. And one of the fans are spinning. So there is power. Also, when I plug-in the eGPU my computer, the Chip-icon appears top right in my window but the the screen blinks and the chip-icon then disappears. It is the chip-icon you can click to chose what graphic card you want to use. So my computer detects something but not the GPU.

Yeah, I have removed the card and reseated it.

The TB-cable is the one included with the Razer core chroma. It is about a half meter. I have tested a longer one also. The TB cable is plugged in directly to to the Macbook from the eGPU.

The power supply should be enough for the GPU with big margins. The eGPU can take care of heavier GPU:s than this but I chose the rx 6900 xt because the official apple site said it supports both the eGPU and the GPU.

I have an external monitor. It is the same thing when I use it. Chip-icon appear at top right, the screen flickers, and then the chip-icon goes away.

Yeah, when I have the external monitor connected I have the Macbook closed.

OH MY GOD! I just happen to have an AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT from ASUS. What are the odds? Do we have any solutions or is it a lost cause? Is there a tweak?

Apple web site says it only supports a certain device ID if you were using a hack you could spoof the ID but in this case with a real MacBook I am not what to say or what you could do.