laptop graphics cards.

[stevekaz]

Is iRISxe insufficient to run Obduction even with the other minimum parameters met? I get a crash within a second or two after launch. Don't get to any screen splash. Also, are there any mirror servers to try to connect to? Unable to connect to usual servers.

[Kastron]

I think you're going to need a desktop graphics card. I have the macbook pro with the discrete graphics card but it is not enough and have to use the eGPU.

[Halloween Jack]

Originally posted by stevekaz:

Is iRISxe insufficient to run Obduction even with the other minimum parameters met? I get a crash within a second or two after launch. Don't get to any screen splash. Also, are there any mirror servers to try to connect to? Unable to connect to usual servers.

Double check the game's Minimum System Requirements against your laptop's dxdiag specs - if you're crashing, it's likely because something in your laptop isn't meeting the game's reqs.

The game doesn't live on any servers, unless you're referring to your connection to Steam, maybe. That wouldn't be a game issue.

[stevekaz]

Originally posted by Kastron:

I think you're going to need a desktop graphics card. I have the macbook pro with the discrete graphics card but it is not enough and have to use the eGPU.

How did you obtain/install an external graphics card. Did it work?

[Kastron]

Well, those are fairly easy questions to answer, though I'm not sure if they are the most helpful. I bought the eGPU and graphics card from Amazon.de 'Installing' was also very easy, simply plug it in via USB-C.

The much more difficult part is finding a working setup for your computer (OS Version, Graphics card, Enclosure). If you're wanting to add an eGPU to a windows 10 machine then it isn't so tough. If you're looking to add one to a Mac, then it gets incredibly specific.

https://egpu.io/forums/mac-setup/guide-troubleshooting-egpus-on-macos/

Or https://egpu.io for normal windows.


It is incredible rewarding when you get it setup though. With one USB-C Cable I get power, ethernet, a 10 TB harddrive and of course a powerful GPU which I can upgrade anytime I'd like.

--

Yes it worked and works great for all PC VR Games, beamed wirelessly to the quest.

[stevekaz]

Thanks. I hope it will work for Obduction too.

[Kastron]

what kind of laptop do you have?

[stevekaz]

hp spectre x 360 convertible 15t eb100

[stevekaz]

Iris x e shared memory GPU

[stevekaz]

11th gen i7 1165G7 2.8 GHz

[stevekaz]

Are you using a Razer Chroma ?

[Kastron]

from what I see it looks like you can use an eGPU at least I think you need a thunderbolt 3 port and should have that. on egpu.io I see lots of people have gotten them to work with various models of Spectre 360 units. https://egpu.io/best-external-graphics-card-builds/ you might find the one that's closest to yours and see what they did. I have a Razer Chroma Core X whichever one that is yes. And the AMD RX 5700 XT. Maybe the nvidia cards would be a better but I can't use these on the mac. Like I said, windows is much more forgiving on the eGPU setups. Order the Razer Core or the X model and the best graphics card you can afford and try it. If it doesn't work then send it back and try something else lol. Also make sure you get a really fast rated thunderbolt cable to link them together. the ones that come with the enclosures are really short so if you try to buy a longer one make sure it's thunderbolt fast fast (mine is 40 Gbps) rated.

[stevekaz]

Kastron,
Thank you so much. While researching the razer, I noticed that the hp accelerator looked like the best option of all the egpus. Unfortunately, They have been discontinued leaving the Razer core x chroma as the best alternative. If I can talk my wife into not eating for 2 weeks, I'll try one. (I'll still eat, of course). I haven't found a website that explains the difference between the various cards. Speed, power requirements, heat production/cooling requirements, and compatibility with the spectre machine. You have been very helpful, and I appreciate it, but I don't want you to spend time and energy trying to explain a complicated comparison, but if you can recommend a website with a good comparison that would be great.
Thank you again,
Steve

[Kastron]

Sure, though compared to some my knowledge would be sorely lacking - I apologise in advance! The setup involves 4 things - the laptop, the cable, the enclosure & the graphics card. Your laptop (and OS) is set, of course, the cable (40 Gbps Thunderbolt 3 cable...or faster I guess).

I've had luck with the Razer Core X Chroma enclosure, but the Razer Core X would be just fine they are identical except for some LEDs and effectively a USB hub / Ethernet jack added in...for an additional $100.

Personally, it was a geek dream to plug in one cable and get power, graphics card, external harddrive & ethernet with one cable. If this isn't yours, and power+graphics would suffice then save yourself the $100.

Having wired ethernet comes in handy when wireless streaming to the quest, but this can be done via a gigabit dongle which costs much less than $100.

From what I can tell all of this is fairly straight forward and you don't need to do much besides connect it all. As for the graphics card, there might only be a handful of very expensive (and physically oversized ones) that will not fit in the Razer enclosure.

This is also the same for the power draw - the power draw requirements as noted on the graphics card documentation often refer to the power required for the entire computer system rather than the card itself (which is what you're concerned with when connecting it to an eGPU enclosure's power supply).

TBH graphics cards have gotten extremely powerful and while a choice between AMD vs Nvidia might seem fairly straight forward, different companies make their own versions of all of the AMD & Nvidia cards as well. Some of these different companies have better reputations than others and have different methods of cooling, charging ($$$), availability....

This guy explains a bit: https://youtu.be/_Cg-MNGuYWY?t=228
For reference, in the 'benchmarks' screen he flashes up mine is the lowest of the bunch.

Here's an article which was just updated a few days ago:
https://www.gamestyle.net/best-graphics-card-for-vr/
Also, for reference, the Gigabyte Radeon Rx 5700 Xt Gaming OC 8G Graphics Card (#1 on their list) is the exact model I have, though this is just coincidence. This 5700 is an AMD model design produced by Gigabyte.

I decided on mine because it was a mid range card (not the lowest of the bunch, and not super expensive) on a list of cards which play decently nice with bootcamp I looked up at egpu.io. Further looking online revealed people seemed to have good things to say about gigabyte (one of those different third-party companies). It was also a cheap price on Amazon.de when I looked.

If you stick to that list then you'll likely be alright, I'd price out all 7 on amazon in whatever country you're in and then see what's in your budget.


The good thing is you can always upgrade it later should you need to. Or sell it all when you're done with Obduction....

Just kidding, you won't ever want to leave VR.

[stevekaz]

Thank you again. I stumbled on to an HP accelerator which is still in shipping. It has the same outputs as the Chroma. I still believe my problem is with the iRIS gpu. I think that adding any egpu that has 4 GB of vram will allow me to play the games I want to play as long as it is not Intel with no vram.

Thanks for your help If I get this up and running sucessfully, I'll let you know if you are interested.
Steve

[Kastron]

Yeah sure! Id love to hear what you get together and how it works. Yes the integrated graphics card isnt powerful enough for sure. The recommended graphics cards for obduction vr mode: NVIDIA 980/1060 or AMD Fury (equivalent or greater).

The ones that work in the accelerator are listed here... https://www8.hp.com/us/en/campaigns/omenaccelerator/overview.html?m802=1&tab=1

Good luck!