FCPX 10.4.7. egpu problem

I can confirm this worked for me.

I 100% agree, spending 3+ months with useless hardware was rubbish, as was Apples don’t care attitude but my workaround saves me 30+ mins on every 5 min video so it helps but IS NOT THE ANSWER!!!

Everything requires time machine but I do not have a backup that includes 10.4.6. Any help?

"Meaning when setting up monitors you have the white bar on the eGPU monitor?"

Meaning that is FCP X interface is running on the display attached to the eGPU, that's what will be used.

FCP X will start on whatever display is currently "active".

My preferred way to make sure that FCP X starts on the display I want:

1) click the menu bar on that display

2) launch FCP X using only Spotlight: command-space, start typing Final, press enter

Cedric I only have one monitor attached to my Mac mini via the Vega 56 eGPU. No way FCPX isn't running on just that display since there is only one.

This may be true of playback performance and in general performance will always be better anyway with a monitor attached directly to the eGPU.

The share issue does not seem to be related to any of this since share to a Master format will use the eGPU for all of us and will be used by FCPX during a background render since that is also based on ProRes. It is every other Apple Devices or Compressor based option that defaults to the internal GPU no matter what we do.

Interesting... https://www.cultofmac.com/658768/macos-catalina-egpu-issues/

I'm on a 2017 MBP and it's using my Vega64 eGPU (along with interval discrete) when playing back and rendering FCPX now. No external monitor.

njovusann wrote:

Ok guys i think i figured it out. In order for render/share/playback to work with the eGPU, Final Cut needs to be open in the monitor connected to the eGPU.

What is your set up? Which Mac and what version of FCPX? Can you attach a photo of the activity monitor for the eGPU. Is it making a massive difference or is it just firing? The problem I keep seeing is not getting it to fire, but for it to be really utilised to the fullest ability, rather than using both a bit. Could you time a comparison of rendering the same clip when plugged directly into Mac and then again directly into Monitor. This would be so helpful!! Thank you!

I've been using an 2013 MBP with en external BlackMagic GPU with amazing results. It's only Thunderbolt 2 , but still much faster then the internal intel graphics. With the latest update to FCPX I'm stuck with no playback over eGPU, like the rest of the posters here. I really do hope Apple fix this bug. I don't run en external monitor, never needed to before.

Finished a follow up call with support today.

Two weird results:

My problematic project I was trying to export using H.264 encoding used only the integrated graphics (not eGPU) on Catalina, but appeared to use a combination of the integrated graphics and eGPU on Mojave (using the same version of FCPX).

Using a different project, exporting H.264 encoding appeared to use the eGPU entirely on both OSes.

Besides whatever I hear back as feedback from Apple engineers after this diagnostic support call, I'll be working on a brand new video/project in the upcoming week. I'll be attempting to export with H.264 encoding and see if it uses my eGPU.

It's been a nightmare for me. I use neat video noise remover and it take a full day to render 1 video... I'm getting more familiar with premiere right now, cause I can not work in final cut like this..

I just talked with the Media Specialists at Apple. The tech rep actually grew up quite close to me!

I’m using FCPX 10.7.8, have a Radeon RX 580, and Mercury Helios enclosure. All of my exports are internal CPU and GPU intensive which shouldn’t be the case.

We went through the entire process of recording Data as I exported with this issue. They said they’d get back to me in 5 days or so! We’ll see where it goes.

This is a huge problem, they shouldn’t have rolled the 10.4.7 out without resolving it first, let alone release .8 and not address. Unfortunate, but I have faith in Apple’s engineers.

According to Apple Developer notes if you use an eGPU with an internal display the internal or discrete GPU is used an not the external as that has inferior performance due to memory transfers back and forth.

In order to ensure the external GPU is used for playback you need to use the display connected to the egpu and that one only.

If you use multiple display the discrete GPU will be used for all live tasks and the external gpu will be used for background and for what you have selected under multiple displays (browser, timeline or viewer)

Basically it works if you connect your main display to the eGPU card, but honestly it is a huge burden and not Apple like at all. I am also using a Mac mini 2018 and need to physically disconnect the cable from the Mini in order for this to work. It used to work perfectly why on earth is Apple deciding again what they believe is good for their users leaving no other choices?

Titokane you are making confusion here.

if you have a display connected to an egpu and this is the only display being used the display will be accelerated regardless of what the egpu preference settings are

if you have multiple displays the internal display is always controlled by the onboard GPU and any acceleration will depend on the application ability to do it or not. Applications that cannot manage multiple displays will go through onboard GPU and use displaywindow only on the egpu

all of this never changed from mac os x point of view. In terms of the extent of usage of the eGPU in a scenario where the display is not connected to the egpu or there is only the internal display available this will depend on the code. Metal doesn’t recommend copying data over thunderbolt for processing because of limited bandwidth compared to PCI. It is possible that in the past previous versions of final cut were not following metal guidelines and therefore once optimised eGPU usage drops however once you go in a supported scenario the overall performance would be improved

apple is not going to do anything about it as this is the way metal is expected to work and fcpx is aligned to it