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Win7->Win8.1 upgrade fixes Lenovo W520 16GB stuttering with eGPU


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The Lenovo Y510P has a special ultrabay capable of hosting ultrabay GPUs. Your W520 cannot do that. Furthermore, to mod a Sandy Bridge or newer system to do x2 2.0 is quite a complicated process. Involved is taking a BIOS dump, modifying it with the Intel FITC utility, then flashing it back. Often to take a bios dump requires jumpering the audio chip. In addition, you require a mPCIe+mPCIe or EC+mPCIe port with correct adjacent port layout.

If you want faster eGPU performance, I'd suggest grab a notebook with a TB1 or better still, TB2 port. Then can use a cost effective AKiTiO Thunder2 enclosure to host your eGPU with it. See TB1/TB2 candidate systems at http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/4109-egpu-candidate-system-list.html

Yeah, I suspected it would be impossible for the docking idea to work... maybe through a Kickstarter campaign, but nothing that exists at the moment.

About the TB2 laptop... yeah, I think it wouldn't be cost-effective to spend over $1000 on a laptop that wouldn't be THAT much better than the one I have. Aside from the gaming aspect, this laptop is rock solid... or at least it WAS...

I maxed out the 12GB of ram the other day while working on a massive game environment, so I purchased 32GB of 1600 ram for $200. The laptop without the eGPU attached operates WONDERFULLY. I can run Maya and UE4 simultaneously without worrying about performance issues. The Quadro 1000M works well connected to an external monitor, and gaming is a bit better moving from 1333 to 1600.

However, when my eGPU is attached, the computer will take about 5-10 minutes to get into windows, CPU usage bounces between 50-80%, the mouse and audio both stutter, screen redraws are ABYSMAL, and I can't get the GTX at any speed other than 1.1. Furmark hangs at the beginning, but seems to do alright after a few seconds, giving a score of 2541. Perhaps I'm not versed well enough in eGPU Setup to get the settings right. Nothing seems to get the eGPU out of "[email protected] 10de:[email protected]" in Setup, or "PCI-E 1.1x16@x1 1.1" in CPU-z.

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Sounds like your eGPU isn't capable of running reliably at Gen2 link speed. Use Setup 1.30 to switch your expresscard slot to Gen1 (PCIe Ports->Gen1), then re-test your eGPU functionality noting if this fixes the system slow downs you describe.

When I had 12GB ram, it ran fine at gen2 speed.

When I upgraded to 32GB, it no longer functions at Gen2. Setup lists it as "unconfigured display adapter found, device not accessible" unless I disable the dGPU via BIOS.

::UPDATE:: I checked the Quadro 1000M and it seems to be restricted to 1.1 as well.

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When I had 12GB ram, it ran fine at gen2 speed.

When I upgraded to 32GB, it no longer functions at Gen2. Setup lists it as "unconfigured display adapter found, device not accessible" unless I disable the dGPU via BIOS.

::UPDATE:: I checked the Quadro 1000M and it seems to be restricted to 1.1 as well.

Yes, it's been noted with other Lenovo systems that upgrading to from 8GB to 16GB causes some Lenovo systems to have very slow eGPU response. A X230 is one such affected system with a recent user reporting 16GB works has no problems when using Win8.1.

If you are using Win7 then you may want to see if using Win8.1 eliminates your slowdowns when running greater than 12GB of RAM.

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Yes, it's been noted with other Lenovo systems that upgrading to from 8GB to 16GB causes some Lenovo systems to have very slow eGPU response. A X230 is one such affected system with a recent user reporting 16GB works has no problems when using Win8.1.

If you are using Win7 then you may want to see if using Win8.1 eliminates your slowdowns when running greater than 12GB of RAM.

I'll try that out. Won't be tonight, though. For now it's back to 12GB.

An interesting thing I noticed with GPU-z is that my dGPU is also running at pci express 1, and occasionally my eGPU will show "pci-e x0@x14 3.0" briefly. I even saw my dGPU flash to "pci-e x0 @ x14 "

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So, as an update. In win 7 x64, with 12gb of 1333 ram via 2+2+4+4, my w520 with GTX 670 on PE4C 2.1 EC booted flawlessly into x1 2.0 without using Setup. Using Setup, I got full optimus support and framerates that were quite nice.

With 8+8+8+8 1600 ram, win 7 x64 was unusable, and didn't fiddle around with setup enough to get anything above x1 1.1 (Setup saw the card as a pcie 1 card, but windows gpu-z noted the card as pcie 2 x16 @x1 1.1.

Installed win 8 WITH EGPU CONNECTED VIA EXPRESSCARD. Same 8+8+8+8 1600 and without using setup the egpu runs flawlessly at x1 1.1 (that means no memory problems )

I'll fiddle around with setup to see if I can get it to 2.0

THANKS NANDO FOR THE WIN8 SUGGESTION!

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  • 3 weeks later...
So, as an update. In win 7 x64, with 12gb of 1333 ram via 2+2+4+4, my w520 with GTX 670 on PE4C 2.1 EC booted flawlessly into x1 2.0 without using Setup. Using Setup, I got full optimus support and framerates that were quite nice.

With 8+8+8+8 1600 ram, win 7 x64 was unusable, and didn't fiddle around with setup enough to get anything above x1 1.1 (Setup saw the card as a pcie 1 card, but windows gpu-z noted the card as pcie 2 x16 @x1 1.1.

Installed win 8 WITH EGPU CONNECTED VIA EXPRESSCARD. Same 8+8+8+8 1600 and without using setup the egpu runs flawlessly at x1 1.1 (that means no memory problems )

I'll fiddle around with setup to see if I can get it to 2.0

THANKS NANDO FOR THE WIN8 SUGGESTION!

Just wanted to make sure, ideally, for the W520, the egpu should run at x1.2 opt right?

With over 12gb of ram and win 8.1, that does not seem to be possible?

Asking because I am about to upgrade from 8 (4 x 4) gb of ram to 24 gb (4 x 4 x 8 x 8).

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Just wanted to make sure, ideally, for the W520, the egpu should run at x1.2 opt right?

With over 12gb of ram and win 8.1, that does not seem to be possible?

Asking because I am about to upgrade from 8 (4 x 4) gb of ram to 24 gb (4 x 4 x 8 x 8).

Yes, that's the ideal condition. However, frames seem to be playable in dying light, on high, even at the slower x1.1. I've been busy with work and already put enough time into fiddling with my eGPU that I took a break. I'm going to get a 970 for my desktop, and when I do, my 670 will be available again to pursue 1.2 w/ 32gb.

The most important thing is that the computer is even usable with 24+gb and eGPU. Before 8.1 it was an abysmal experience.

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