Will the ASUS Z87-DELUXE/DUAL work with Apple's Thunderbolt display using a Discrete GPU?

I haven't done this myself, but I've been researching it, because I'd like to build a gaming PC to run alongside by MBP and use the same Thunderbolt display, keyboard, and mouse that I use with my Mac.

It has been done with other motherboards. You need a program called Virtu GPU, which allows you to use your GPU for video processing, while sending the video output to a port other than the one on the GPU itself (the TB port in this case). MacRumors and some other websites have some write-ups of this. That's about all I know at this point.

The dream is within reach! Make it work and report back to us!

Yeah that also doesn't work 🙂 You can go TB to HDMI or DVI, but you can't go HDMI/DVI to TB.

Here's a video of a guy who uses an external GPU to run his rMBP 13". Starcraft 2 on Ultra settings with 60+ fps 😎

http://youtu.be/KX0JOKawu90

Yep. No really good options I'm afraid. The onboard TB connectors on PC motherboards use the onboard graphics for displays, so Virtu is the only way to get a GPU involved.

The other option of course is to get one of those Dell displays that's supposedly equivalent to the Thunderbolt Display. That ought to have a couple of inputs on it. But then you lose the single-connection docking capability, display audio, iSight camera, etc.

There is at least one mobo that circumvented this problem, albeit on the previous Intel platform: ASRock Z77 Extreme6/TB4. This article clearly explains the workaround:

http://www.pcper.com/news/Motherboards/ASRock-Z77-Extreme6TB4-Motherboard-Offers -Thunderbolt-Discrete-Graphics

I'm curious to know if the Haswell version, Z87 Extreme9, is capable of the same thing. Anyone try it out?

I have the thunderbolt display, would also be keen to build a gaming rig.

Would be awesome to have this work.

But the money to put into a asus deluxe mainboard + gtx780 + ram/casing/cooler + 4770k and on top of that a tb display + ssd and the trouble to getting virtu lucid to work.

I would rather save up spend it on an yet to release haswell iMac.

With the previous gen ivy bridge system vs iMac compared price i had a few mths back in singapore dollars.

Asus P8Z77-V-PRO-Tbolt + Corei7 3770k - $773

CRUCIAL 512GB M4 SATA3 - $565

CORSAIR Vengeance 1600C9 (8GB=2x4GB) - $95

MSI GTX680 Lightning 2GB GDDR5 805

Enermax 750W ENM750AWT /3yrs 80plus 159

CoolerMaster Silencio 450 Black $89

CORSAIR H80i $158

Windows 8 $149

Apple thunderbolt display $1348

----------------------------------------------

773+565+95+805+159+89+158+149+25

= $4141 total

vs a iMac currently cost: $4118 (512gb /core i7/ gtx680mx/8gb)

As you can see the price is almost same, but better suited with thunderbolt support even in bootcamp win8.

Real nice system you got there 🙂

There have always being a test i wish to make with my ATD.

Get a TB to HDMI/DisplayPort adapter, connect the hdmi port on the GTX780 to one of thunderbolt port. And the other TB port connect to the ATD.

Hopefully that might bypass the need for lucid virtu mvp software, and get the full potential of the gtx780

As per describe above before (using dp-in thou):

http://www.pcper.com/news/Motherboards/ASRock-Z77-Extreme6TB4-Motherboard-Offers -Thunderbolt-Discrete-Graphics

I finally took the risk and bought the following:

Mobo: Asus Deluxe Quad

CPU: Intel i7 4770k - The CPU must have integrated GPU.

GPU: Asus Direct CU R290

OS: Win 8.1

And was happy to say it works great with the ATD!! But here are the steps i followed.

1. Connect to a normal HDMI/DVI monitor

2. Install windows

3. Install virtu software

4. Install all asus software that comes with the mobo.

5. install intel thunderbolt driver

6. Update windows to the latest version.

7. Use EazFlash to update to latest bios

8. Go to bios, disable windows fast boot, enable iGPU mode.

9. Connect to ATD.

Only the iSight cam is not working.. do not have the drivers. The rest are all working.

No more messy wires. Just a single TB from PC to ATD.. its a joy to have.

I've been ready to pull the trigger on a TB mobo for a couple of weeks to use with my Thunderbolt display. The Asus Z87 Deluxe/Quad or Z87 Expert have been at the top of my list, along with a board from Gigabyte and one from ASRock.

Even though the Asus boards are not listed on Lucid's compatibility list, they still work with Virtu MVP?

http://lucidlogix.com/support/virtu-mvp-enabled-products/

Now that you've been using this setup for a month, do you have any other words of wisdom?

Currently its still running good no issues. Thou was hoping to get the i-sight camera working.

However i do have hicupps and setback when i first tried it.

1. I couldn't get any response from the ATD and was about to give up, until i have intel thunderbolt driver installed in windows 8.1 (the drivers came with the MB . just install everything in that asus cdrom) & upgrade to the latest BIOS (Its so easy to update bios on the asus boards). So a temporary dvi / vga display is required. (I use my HDTV to set it up)

2. You can only connect 1 and only 1 ATD. And windows fast boot option in the bios have to be turned off.

3. Lucid MVP is highly dependent on the Windows version & 64bit or 32bit. (Installing the wrong version will cause windows to crash.. have to reinstall everything again) - the link they give me when i purchase is for windows 7.. so it messed up my system.. had to do it again. Check their site for the correct downloads.

4. I do run into memory issues before(Some games told me not enough memory, tomb raider / rome total war). I assume its graphics memory, as i have 8gb ram. - Turning off multi-screen support in the MB bios kinda resolve this issue. I have no idea if the graphics memory is shared with onboard memory and the graphics card memory is ignored.

5. Pick a graphics card brand, and stick with it. I upgrade from ATI HD5770 to R290, because it will not affect any drivers, its simple plug and play. And the graphics is scaling at 2560 x 1440.. so R290 is better price/performance wise compared to gtx780

All in all if everything is done right, You can get yourself a logitech T630 mouse + k810 /811 keyboard.. and you have a system quite close to the imac running win 8 and you can share it with your mac.