Tech Inferno Fan

Yes.. your HD2000 iGPU does allow Optimus driver to engage. I am enquiring with BPlus now about the Gen2 capability of PE4H 2.4a. I'm a bit surprised as I beta tested something similar to the EC060A item they list (soldered on EC2C end, mHDMI connection to PE4H 2.4a) back in Dec 2011 finding it would fail to reliably run a Gen2 link. I'll find out soon enough. The [email protected] and [email protected] benchmarks at http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/2747-12-5-dell-e6230-gtx660%40x1-2opt-hd7870%40x1-2-pe4l-ec060a-2-1b.html#post37197 give an idea of what performance you'd get on your system. We see the HD7870 beats the GTX660 across the board except in Dirt2. The [email protected] results being the same as running a HD7870@x2E on your machine. I can confirm I had the same issue with the BEX/atiuxpag.dll error, originally thinking something went amiss with my build. Glad you brought this up as means there is some generic issue with the Radeon drivers. Agree, cards based on the HD7870LE give a lot of bang-per-buck until HD8xxx are released. GT780dxr has no expresscard slot nor is there an iGPU available for Optimus/Virtu internal LCD mode. IF have an accessible mPCIe slot typically used for wifi, then yes you could attach an eGPU using a PE4L-PM100A 2.1b. I'd advise getting a AMD HD7xxx card as it has better overall performance than a NVidia card in a limited bandwidth configuration. REF: x1.2 results at http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/2747-12-5-dell-e6230-gtx660%40x1-2opt-hd7870%40x1-2-pe4l-ec060a-2-1b.html

[Started 2-12-2011 on NBR. Relocated to T|I due to being banned by Lenovo fan ZaZ] Download >> setPLL 1.0f[/COLOR] (2.27MB, 2011-4-4) [/B] [/CENTER] User contributed LUT files [ICS]: ICS9LPRS355BKLF (HP 2510P, Tech Inferno Fan), ICS9LRS3197 (Acer AS5740G, MotoVlad), ICS9LPRS365BKL (Amilo Pi 3560, vladichimescu). [SILEGO]: SLG8SP585 (Acer AS5740G, MotoVlad). What is setPLL? What operating systems are supported? Tested: Win7/64 and WinXP x86. Untested: other Win7/Vista/XP. What PLL definition files are supplied with setPLL? How do I install and use setPLL?See also [url=http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m11x/564464-how-use-setpll-overclock-your-r2-over-166-a.html#post7288744]How to Use SetPLL to overclock your R2 over 166[/url] (thank you DavyGT) What quirks/bugs does setPLL have?What additional utilities are included in setPLL package? UtilityPurposeUsageautomatedFolder of scripts to automatically set your AC or DC clocks on startup, during ACDC switch & after a resume-from-standby/ hibernate. Shortcut resume-setPLL.vbs in startup folder to usesetIGPto alter the Core Render Clock on GM950/X3100/4500MHD IGPs. A downclock + Maximum Battery in Intel IGP systray giving greatest glitch-free stable setPLL overclock. GMAboostGMABooster clone to do a netbook GMA950 overclock.HPfanutility to to save/load HP Elitebook fan profiles.DSDTiasl+asl utils to create a custom DSDT override for fan control.N/Adevset(devcon) ~Device Manager for use in your batch files/scripts.devcon commandlineAcknowledgments Thank you to maddi2k, Moral Hazard, DavyGT and 2.0 for testing and supply confirmed working [PLL].lut example files; Jeff, the author of r-w everything, for providing his most excellent SMBUS read/write ability with his package plus enhancements. Revision history

The Samsung bas a B950 + GT520M and you state it supports Optimus. In which case, adding a NVidia Fermi or Keplar eGPU will give Optimus support too. Before you jump on the Samsung, I do see Lenovo E520 and Fujitsu AH531 units on ebay.it for 300-400 euros. Either would be a more convenient eGPU implementation as they both have an expresscard slot. Though do note, the AH531 has a high TOLUD so would need a DSDT override to get 4GB+ configurations working.

E6230 implementation has been done with success: http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/2747-12-5-dell-e6230-gtx660%40x1-2opt-hd7870%40x1-2-pe4l-ec060a-2-1b.html#post37197 . E6330 will have the same pci-e configuration so will be just as easy. It's difference to a E6230 being it's a larger 13.3" chassis that incorporates an internal optical drive. Specwise it's OK except I'd suggest swapping the 3-cell battery for a 6-cell.

[Started 2-13-2009 as *HP 2510p Owners Lounge* (NBR). Relocated to T|I due to being banned by Lenovo fan ZaZ] Welcome to the 2510P Owner's Lounge! A place to liase with other owners and share useful tips/tricks/mods to get the most satisfying user experience. A running summary is below: Release Date: 27 June 2007 (pre-GFC build quality) Alert about HP's 2510P bios F.20 or newer - do NOT upgrade to it for these reasons unless you don't care for the awesome no-whitelist, dual-IDA, SLIC 2.1 modded functionality. Also expect your resale to be worse if it's got the > F.20 bios once buyers figure out they are the undesirable systems to have.Alert about HP's newer and faster replacement ZIF HDDsIf your factory-delivered slow 60GB/80GB/120GB 2-platter Toshiba ZIF HDD has bad sectors then HP replace it under warranty with a higher-density thinner (5mm versus 8mm) single-platter drive. Eg: HP replaced my 80GB MK8009GAL with a MK8025GAL. It's still 4200rpm but my Win7 WEI disk increase from 3.9 to 4.4. It's faster and consumes slightly less power. The reason for this 'upgrade?' Toshiba no longer make those dual-platter models. Examples of modified 12" HP 2510P systems ordered by approx additional expense spent Benchmark Storage Other Mods 1.8" ZIF bay^1 PATA optical bay/2.5" caddy used External akwxc87 hdd: 80GB-5400rpm DVD - [email protected] chris32303 hdd: 120GB MK1214GAH DVD - modded_bios, [email protected] >>2540P mike60 hdd: 100GB Toshiba DVD - modded_bios, 6200AGN.wifi, F3507G.wwan webcam losdrivare none pata-hdd: 160GB HM160HC/ebay usb_DVD [email protected], quiet_fan, >>2530P kecsap none sata-hdd: 160GB WD1600BEVS/ebay [email protected], RT2571W_wifi, nc2400_palmrest, broadcom_HD, 9cell_83Whr sfsilicon none sata-ssd: 60GB OCZ Vertex/ebay - [email protected], quiet_fan, +others rooseveltthecat none sata-ssd: 90GB Kingston V200+/ebay - ?? hammadurb none sata-ssd: 96GB Kingston V+100/ebay - 6250AGN.wifi +2USB rangeroverhse8 hdd: 240GB MK2431GAH DVD - modded_bios, [email protected] Crx7 ssd: 60GB SuperTalent ZT2 DVD - modded_bios, 5200AGN.wifi, 4GB RAM webcam m.fessler none sata-ssd: 128GB Crucial M4/ebay - Khalaris none pata-ssd: 128GB Transcend/newm zerGus ssd: 64GB ProIV DVD - hw_undervolt e&i ssd: 60GB MX-Nano sata-hdd: some HDD/newmodeus usb_DVD+f.. modded_bios Jay2k1 ssd: 32GB Mtron^2 DVD e-sata [email protected] tudorlaptop ssd: 64GB ProIV pata-hdd: 160GB HM160HC/newm usb_DVD quiet_fan, >>x201 w0lla hdd: 80GB Toshiba sata-ssd: 80GB Intel X25MG2/newm - ?? Ayori ssd: 64GB K3VLAR DVD ZIFhdd_USB modded_bios, 4GB_RAM Borh ssd: 64GB ProIV DVD - 93Wh_9cell pocket_geek ssd: 64GB Samsung pata-hdd: 320GB WD3200BEVE/newm - HS2300.wwan, >>2530P withanee67 ssd: 120GB MX-Nano DVD - modded_bios, 4GB_RAM rr3636 hdd: 120GB Toshiba sata-ssd: 80GB Intel X25M.G2/ebay+newm - 4GB_RAM Tech Inferno Fan & ssd: 60GB K3VLAR-E sata-hdd: 500GB MJA2500BH/newm^3 ZIFhdd_USB modded_bios, [email protected], quiet_fan, GTX470 eGPU, pc2-6400, MC8780.wwan >>2530P RED - highest performance setup | GREEN - lowest power consumption drive setup (2.5" SSD see here). ^1 - can sell HP supplied ZIF PATA HDD to recoup storage upgrade costs | ^2 - only available as 32GB or smaller ^3 - hotswap on demand as otherwise adds 0.8W power consumption overheadUS$180 12" HP 2510P 60GB SSD_____ : US$150 2510P + US$90 60GB 2.5" SF1222 + US$20 ODDcaddy - US$80 ZIF HDD+DVD sold@ebay US$225 12" HP 2510P 60GB SSD+DVD : US$150 2510P + US$125 60GB 1.8" Supertalent ZT2 ZIF SSD - US$50 ZIF HDD sold@ebay. Ensure has minimal cosmetic issues, remaining balance of 3yr onsite warranty and a decent battery. I recommend a 2530P over a 2510P due to it's stronger build, SATA storage subsystem, longer battery life and superior performance.OS, drivers and disassemblyDrivers, Manuals, Maintenance And Service Guide, Media Services Library with disassembly videos.Replacing a damaged LCD: one-gen older nc2400 shown with identical process.Popular HP Notebook Software Collection : one-stop location for the latest versions of popular HP notebook sw.Win7 OEM sources : the additional HP installation contents added to a Win7 CD.HP/Compaq Desktop Wallpapers : A compilation of stock wallpapers from the HP and Compaq notebook rangeTouchpad/quicklaunchTwo-finger scrolling touchpad driverWin7 Quicklaunch buttons supportVideoWin7/32: Modded X3100 video driver. Increases desktop WEI by 10%.XP: downgraded X3100 video driver to correct high CPU utilisation at idle after a few mins of usageBIOS/DMI modificationsmodded_bios: Win7/SLIC 2.1, no whitelist, dual-IDA overclock, quiet_fan, pcie-ASPMs.HP Flash BIOS Emergency Recovery: in case have a bios flash go wrong.HP DMIFIT 118 Utility: change DMI details, eg: model number, serial, password.Disabling AMT and TPM (serial/IDE in Device Manager) permanentlyBIOS whitelisting mods. To add non-HP WWAN/wifi or external pci-e cards. Obsoleted by no-whitelist modded_bios.Resetting a forgotten admin bios password - requires a systemboard swap, or boot-to-bios with a non-protected flash eeprom (near the 1.8" HDD bay), hotswap the protected eeprom and change the password OR flash a new eeprom with an unprotected password using a 4MB bios image.Flashing bios in Linux using flashrom: partial read success onlyOverclocking2510P Performance Toolkit 1.0c to provide overclocked AC and undervolted DC profile switching.setfsb/Throttlestop. Includes Win7 WEI+wprime benchmarking, PLL pinmod, ram timings.166Mhz_bclk : A 133->166Mhz hardware PLL pinmod overclock - no longer need setfsb to do it. 200Mhz_bclk: run a U7500/U7600/7700 as 200x6 instead of 133x8/x9/x10 for faster X3100 and RAM. Using Linux's grub2 bootloader. Useful too for non-Windows operating systems.Improving battery lifeExtending Battery Life. Includes power consumption measurement tools. hw_undervolt: undervolt by up to 0.135V (-16%) via VID3, VID2, VID0 pins.93Wh_9cell: Install the 2540P 93Wh 9-cell battery for 12%/69% longer battery life than the 2510P's 9/6cell.Software tweaksquiet_fan: Almost silent fan using a custom ACPI dsdt table.Enabling third-button mouse click scrolling with touchstykIncreasing touchstyk speed under Linux/UbuntuStorage relatedUndo the slave PATA 30MB/s sequential write speed cappingManually setting ZIF/IDE transfer mode and standby timeoutSolution to 30 second bios hang when using a caddyDisabling power saving to increase SSD write performanceSSD tweaks for Win7Storage mods1.8" ZIF compartment noting a 240GB ZIF HDD is not compatible with the 2510P as explained.1.8" ZIF PATA SSDs availableZIFhdd_USB: Convert supplied 1.8" ZIF HDD to a tiny USB drive using a US$7-delivered enclosureJumpering the 1.8" Toshiba ZIF HDD as slave and here. eg: run ebay caddy with a 2.5" sata SSD as master. Installing the ZIF cable and purchasing a replacement 2510P-specific ZIF cableschematic snippet of the 2510P's 1.8" ZIF and optical drive schematics.Optical bay compartment2.5" SATA or PATA SSD or HDD using an optical bay caddyForcing master/slave on optical drive or caddy if there are no jumpers.Setting the ebay caddy to run as slave. This works whereas link above it doesn't.usb_DVD: Convert supplied 9.5mm internal DVD drive to an external USB unit using a US$15-delivered enclosureusb_DVD+faceplate: Same as usb_DVD but swap ODD faceplate to have perfect appearance.OthersPCMCIA e-sata and hereAdd a mPCIe USB 3.0 port: to run faster internal/external storage Add a mPCIe sata port - could thread internally to drive a non-bootable sata SSD/HDD in a caddy.e-sata/usb cable or enclosure, useful for external e-sata storageEnabling and connecting to the ICH8M native sata port + detailed update. Anyone who can pull this off gets a prize Other hardware mods/upgradesnc2400 palmrest (kecsap): use a nc2400 palmrest if don't want the touchpad (inc other parts too)How-to: Installing a Broadcom Crystal HD (BCM70012) into a nc2400/2510p (kecsap): improves HD video playback4GB_RAM: 4GB memory upgrade + using extra 'inaccessible' RAM in a 32-bit OS as a ramdisk. +2USB: add 2 extra USB ports via a US$10-delivered PCMCIA cardpc2-6400_RAM: Upgrade your stock 2GB 667MHz RAM to 800MHz for free.wifi-in-WWAN slot : using a USB mPCIe wifi card in WWAN slotMC8780/MC8781 WWAN: add US$30 internal 3G card using 2510P's WWAN and SIM card slots and antennas.2530P_keyb:. Fit the more contemporary, less busy 2530P keyboard.webcam &: successfully add a webcam by tapping internal docking connector USB pins. See schematic snippet.2530P nightlight retrofit : closest thing to having a backlit keyboard. Adding internal USB devices by tapping USB pins.DIY eGPU. - desktop HD5750/GTX470-equipped 2510P for gaming/DVI/HDMI/S-Video accelerated graphics.Systemboard swap: superLFM capable 800Mhz FSB L7700-1.8 CPU systemboard a direct swapout. A 2530P systemboard swap has been attempted.Schematic 2510P-Quanta-OT2-schematic.pdf courtesy of laptopdesktopschematic. Block diagram in the spoiler: Mini 2510P ReviewThe 12.1" HP 2510p ultraportable has an impressive 5-6 hour battery life from the 10W TDP ULV U7x00 CPU and 6-cell battery. It is rather inexpensive too which I assume is because it is now older tech and the reviews highlight the bottleneck 23MB/s 4200 RPM 1.8" PATA drive, dreadfully slow against 50-60MB/s 2.5" drives. The 2510p is a far better user experience than cost competitors such as a netbook and pricier newer CULV systems (see comparative SU7300/SU9400 overclocked performance). It comes with 3yr global onsite warranty, a decent-sized keyboard with touchpad and touchstyk, 1280x800 LED backlit matte LCD, pcmcia slot, mini firewire port, DVD writer, internal modem, bluetooth, WWAN-ready with mPCIe slot+antenna+SIM slot, 2xUSB ports with the left one being powered. Weighs 1.46kg with the 6-cell battery, without the 180gram DVD and has optional accessories available: docking station with s-video port, 9-cell battery. Links: comparison to a netbook, a good review. 4 - docking station ports | 5 - the slow ZIF PATA harddisk in the 1.8" drive bayThere are negatives as well: only 2 USB ports, a mono speaker, no webcam (unless mod one in), no HDMI, 1 RAM slot means a pricier 4GB upgrade with x3100 graphics working 20-30% slower than a dual-channel setup, the WWAN/wifi slots are whitelisted as are on all HP Business systems, and the bottleneck with 4200rpm 1.8" PATA harddisk. 2510P, 2530P, 2540P, 2560P differences Item/Owner's Lounge 2510P 2530P 2540P 2560P unwhitelisted bios yes yes no no PLL/overclocking ICS9LPRS355/yes ICS9LPRS397/yes no no LED-backlit LCD 12.1" 1280x800 12.1" 1280x800 12.1" 1280x800 12.5" 1366x768 primary/optical bay 1.8" ZIF/pata 1.8" usata/sata 1.8" usata/sata 2.5" sata/sata CPU/chipset 65nm Merom/965GM 45nm Penryn/GS45 32nm Arrandale/QM57 32nm Sandy Bridge/QM67 FSB Mhz U7x00/L7700 533/800 U9x00/L9x00 800/1066 1066 1333 Graphics x3100 4500MHD Intel HD HD3000 no of RAM slots single channel (1) dual channel (2) dual channel (2) dual channel (2) RAM DDR2-667 DDR2-800 DDR3-1333@1066 DDR3-1333 Wifi 4965AGN 5100AGN 6200AGN 6205AGN expansion slot PCMCIA+mPCIe expresscard 1.0+mPCIe expresscard 1.0+mPCIe expresscard 2.0+mPCIe WWAN-ready yes yes yes yes webcam and nightlight no, consider mod yes - on some models yes yes Displayport/HDMI no no, consider DIY eGPU yes/no yes/no USB ports (+ODD caddy) 2 2+1 3+1 3 native e-sata no no no yes keyboard traditional traditional semi-chiclet island Bootable SD card? no yes yes yes Weight with 6-cell+ODD 1.63kgs/3.59lbs 1.70kgs/3.75lbs 1.81kgs/3.99lbs 1.92/4.24lbs 2510P/2530P/2540P HP Accessory List shows shareable accessories between 25xxP units. COL=undersirable features of the series.The sum total of the features, and mod possibilities, when combined with a low buy-in price on ebay make the 2510P a bargain. So then how does one go about extending the functionality of the 2510P in a cost effective manner? Read on..Acknowledgements: a cast of many 2510P contributing to this thread. Many thank yous.

I found AMD cards bottleneck less than NVidia cards here. However, NVidia gives Optimus drivers so allow internal LCD to work. AMD's Enduro is a while away yet to do the same, but LucidLogix Virtu does do that and will supposed be purchasable next month for $30. Lastly, some games are optimized better for one over the other. My experience is that DX9 and DX10 games do better with AMD cards. It's touch and go with DX11. I believe NVidia has the faster tesselation engine. Here's the final twist, x1.2Opt (expresscard/mPCIe) can see DX9 apps faster than a x2 2.0 TB link on a NVidia card due to the driver implementing pci-e compression upon detecting a x1 link. A x1 link can be set on a TB link by cellophane taping the second lane as shown. If you believe Lucidlogix will deliver, then a $380 AMD HD7970 will give you stellar performance. That's about GTX670 pricing. You can also have a go at hacking LucidLogix to work on your system as explained to get internal LCD working.

The Sonnet Express SE and OWC Helios have a 10Gbps Thunderbolt link. That's more than twice faster the mPCIe/expresscard slot and 12.5% faster than the now no longer available TH05. Either of those would imho be more sensible than hacking the MBPr to use a PE4L + wifi slot and give better performance too. Even though I do like the idea of such a hack. A 15" MBP/MBPr has the quad-core CPU and GT650m. Problem with them is no one has so far got it's iGPU active in Windows. That's important because the eGPU needs the iGPU for internal LCD use via either Optimus (NVidia) or Lucid Logix (AMD). Additionally, you get pretty lousy battery life in Windows since it uses the GT650M dGPU instead of iGPU. To answer your question, a HD7870+ or GTX660+ will easily outbench the GT650M. So far the most versatile Thunderbolt eGPU implementations have been on a 13" MBP/MBPr or 14" Lenovo T430s/S430. Both have the iGPU active. Only negative is both max out at dual-core i7 CPUs.

The "Summer 2013" schedule for TH04 is August 2013. That's quite a while away. Too long for me to give back my TH05.

Stock of TH05 has disappeared. M-factors had it advertised and pulled it just as quick as BPlus. I figure only company that could pull BPlus' leash so hard would be Intel or Apple. Quite a coincidence them allowing a drip feed of TH05 units to get out till we figured out how to make them work on a Macbooks then they pulled them. Cheapest TB-to-pci-e adapters are below: * Sonnet Echo Express SE $320 https://www.google.com/shopping/product/14266218488794450654?q=Thunderbolt%20chassis&hl=en&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1357700187,d.dGY&biw=1304&bih=589&sa=X&ei=pwvwUPjrGY7RmAX9wIDoCA&ved=0CGwQ8wIwBTgU&prds=scoring:p . * OWC Helios is $339 https://www.google.com/shopping/product/343371908683020134?q=OWC%20helios&hl=en&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1357700187,d.dGY&biw=1304&bih=589&sa=X&ei=-gvwUKHtMYjFmAXviYCoDQ&ved=0CDQQ8wIwAA&prds=scoring:p. At least they are advertising it as 10Gbps. So these give you x2 2.0 + 12.5% plus very easy attachment via the Thunderbolt port. I'm wondering if they have the PERST# delay the TH05 had necessary to get them working in BIOS mode? I'd be guessing they don't. To answer your question, a $71 PE4L-PM060A (or recommended $74 PE4L-PM100A) could be made to work in a MBPr. Only dilemma is some vendors like HP and Lenovo whitelist that port but Setup 1.1x has anti-whitelisting methods. Doubt Apple do whitelisting. The eGPU would be connected using the wifi mPCIe port in place of the wifi card. Be sure to check how accessible the mPCIe slot is before going ahead with the purchase. If it's possible, have you thought of starting with a 13" Sony SVZ rather than a 13" MBPr? It has a i7-quad, lighter chassis, PMD, RAID-0 storage. Mikjoa shows how easy it is to mod a PE4L-PM060A for use in it.

(11-21-2012) EXCLUSIVE!! A i5-3320M 2.6 12.5" Dell E6230 + GTX660 and HD7870 was performance tested on all the bandwidth levels available to mPCIe/expresscard systems: x1.2Opt, x1 2.0 (x2 1.0), x1.1Opt (aka x1.Opt) and x1 1.0. Comparing to my last year's i5-2540M 2.6 [email protected] here we see moderate eGPU performance improvements along with a huge 3dmark11 boost. I was impressed by the HD4000 iGPU performance compared to the last gen HD3000 - it can now provide gaming-on-the-go.Implementation: i5-3320M 2.6 12.5" Dell E6230 + NVidia GTX660 @x1.2Opt + HD7870 @x1 2.0 Notebook AU$600 12.5" Dell E6230 i5-3320M 2.6 HD4000 8GB DDR3 320GB (A.02 bios) Series-7 QM77 expresscard 2.0 slot Windows 7/64 Pro + NVidia 306.9 + AMD 12.11b9 DIY eGPU parts PE4L-EC060A 2.1b: US$81(US)/ US$92(ROW) shipped US$240 Asus GTX660 (2GB, 1020/1502) and US$240 Gigabyte HD7870 (2GB, 1100/1200) US$5 salvaged 12V/17A "550W" ATX PSU TOTAL=US$326 (GTX560Ti=US$216 or GTX660Ti=US$376 below) Benchmarks (highest OCed GTX660) 3dmark: 06/vant.gpu/11.gpu=19842/21071/6108, RE5.dx9=160.3, dmcv4.dx10_s4=159.4] LCD config RAM GPU$ DX9 DX10 DX11 Ports / SPD 3dmk6^ RE5 var|fixed FFXIV Mafia2^! 1080p 3dmk^ vant.g dmcv4 scene4 3dmk11 720p Unigine Heaven Dirt2#^ 1080p 1080p 720p ext 8.0 GB HD7870 x1.2 19653 157.4 | 87.7 4249 4511 59.5 21798 186.2 6427 1736 32.2/70.7 QM77 PCIe-S GTX660 x1.2Opt 19673 & 159.6 & | 91.1 & 3851 4248 59.1 &59.3 20331 & 159.4 & 5900 & 1759 & 53.5/74.9 &55.7/76.9 QM77 CUDA-Z GTX660 x1 2.0 10978 137.0 | 77.6 3751 4206 49.5 20185 150.3 5753 1739 51.9/74.8 QM77 CUDA-Z GTX660 x1.1Opt 19416 138.2 | 75.8 3849 4242 54.3 17464 112.9 5399 1449 30.1/50.3 QM77 CUDA-Z HD7870 x1.1 18432 106.9 | 53.6 3962 4467 51.2 18935 118.2 5833 1396 20.4/34.2 QM77 PCIe-S GTX660 x1 1.0 6301 85.2 | 44.6 3183 3738 31.1 17316 111.5 5381 1458 29.2/49.0 QM77 CUDA-Z int HD7870 x1.2 - 112.7 | 61.9 - 4243 - - 132.0 - 1241 - QM77 PCIe-S GTX660 x1.2Opt 16472 79.7 | 74.2 2636 3916 47.3 16051 82.1 5493 1461 37.4/46.7 QM77 CUDA-Z HD7870 x1.1 - 42.2 | 29.5 - 2825 - - 49.6 - 789 - QM77 PCIe-S GTX660 x1.1Opt 10471 39.9 | 37.3 1351 2851 23.5 10231 41.1 4623 947 19.5/23.6 QM77 CUDA-Z HD4000 5811 42.4 | 34.7 699 1382 14.6 3026 43.3 - 333 18.9/25.6 - $ = the x1 1.0 and x1 2.0 NVidia modes (not Opt) have the iGPU disabled. Achieved by powering the eGPU before starting the system. HD7870 int mode achieved by running app on external LCD, making in windowed, then dragging it to the internal LCD. Unfortunately LucidLogix Virtu isn't working on the Series-7 Dell E6230 to allow full screen apps to be rendered by the eGPU but displayed on the LCD attached to the iGPU all done transparently. ! = two back-to-back runs using result from the faster second run & = 1020/[email protected]>1106/[email protected] GTX660 eGPU overclock result capture or text. # = min/average, London multi-car track with all HIGH except post-process=MED. cmd used "DiRT2.exe benchmark example_benchmark.xml", output saved to Documents/My Games/Dirt 2/Demo/benchmarks ^ = 1080P or 1280x1024 'internal LCD mode' provided via notebook HDMI port to external LCD US$325 GTX660+ PE4L-EC060A 2.1b+PSU x1.2Opt configuration check E6230: [email protected] using PE4L 2.1b E6230: [email protected] cabling using PE4L 2.1b E6230: [email protected] running RE5 bench Idea reference: DIY eGPU experiences [version 2.0]Software Setup Some unique features of the Dell E6230 The most interesting result here is reviewing how good the x1 NVidia pci-e compression is. Previously, it has been suggested that x1.Opt is equivalent to x1 2.0 and x1.2Opt equivalent to x2 2.0. The DX9 benchmarks support this idea, even putting Optimus pci-e compressed performance (x1.1Opt) ahead of non-compressed performance with double the bandwidth (x1 2.0) However, when we look at the DX10 and DX11 bench results we see x1.1Opt giving pretty much the same results as x1 1.0; and x1.2Opt giving the same results as x1 2.0. There the physical bandwidth gives more performance than the pci-e compressed bandwidth. By induction, these results tell us that the x2 2.0 capable TH05 Thunderbolt-to-pcie adapter will give better synthetic benchmarks and in real-life gaming DX10/DX11 NVidia performance than the x1.2Opt expresscard solutions. What is interesting is the HD7870 mostly surpasses x1.2Opt performance. If the pci-e compression is disabled and we compare the NVidia and AMD cards on equal terms (x1 2.0 or x1 1.0), the AMD card is the superior performer. Gone too is the half-duplexing issue with the AMD card that affected older Core2Duo and 1st-gen i-core systems giving lousy performance. this GTX660 can be powered by a basic 12V/15A ATX PSU available anywhere. It only requires a single 6-pin pci-e power connector and has a maximum TDP of 140W. It means also any fat XBOX 360 PSU (150W, 175W, 203W) could be modified to be a portable PSU to power it. GPU-Z will report a x1 2.0 link speed upon starting GPU-Z but will revert to x1 1.0 a few seconds later *if* the GTX660 eGPU isn't under load. Changing from Adaptive to Performance in the NVidia Control panel having no effect. Running a game on the eGPU in the background does however keep and maintain a x1 2.0 link. The HD7870 requires a background process to put it under load to switch into x1 2.0 link mode. x1.2Opt's extra bandwidth makes it realistically possible to now run a eGPU using the internal LCD mode only. x1.2Opt-internal shows twice faster FPS than x1.1Opt-internal in gaming benchmark results. Clearly x1.1Opt-internal was choking on the limited bandwidth. This extra bandwidth means a SB x1.2Opt-internal implementation will outperform a 1st-gen i-core x1.1Opt-external implementation (when you factor in the faster CPU). It will cost less too when you factor in the savings from not buying an external LCD. Though I'd still recommend getting an inexpensive s/h external LCD to run highest FPS. The windowed benchmark FFXIV sees FPS double if the Aero interface is disabled prior to the run. Gaming/benchmarks are noticably smoother with x1.2Opt over x1.1Opt. Far less microlags. Benchmark histograms show less deviation from the median frame rate. A GTX660 is the first affordable mid-range Keplar card sitting at a US$230 pricepoint. A notably more powerful GTX660Ti (960 vs 1344 cores, +40%) is available at ~$290, plus has more overclocking headroom due to large power limits. A GTX560Ti can be had for $180 or for $130 as a s/h unit on ebay. A GTX560Ti is still a great performer but does require slightly more power to run (~150W TDP). So then Cheapskates may want to get a GTX560Ti and performance enthusiasts pay the extra $50 for a GTX660Ti instead of the GTX660. My total cost was US$325. A GTX560Ti or GTX660Ti would be a US$216 or US$376 package respectively. In order to do x1 1.0 testing it was necessary to do a x1 2.0 to x1 1.0 live link degrade where the eGPU was booted as the primary video device. The next version of Setup 1.1x adds a prompt to do 'link retraining' when changing a port from Gen2 to Gen1 and vice-versa. Where in the case of a live link the user will select No. In the current Setup-1.105, link retraining was done automatically and would hang when applied to a a live pci-e link. Conclusion for Sandy/Ivy Bridge systems with latest GTX6xx/HD7xxx card for expresscard/mPCIe systems capable of x1.2Opt: AMD has overall the better performance but the margin is minor. for Thunderbolt systems or systems incapable of x1.2Opt: AMD cards > NVidia cards. Other factors favoring NVidia cards are CUDA and Optimus' internal LCD mode. Unfortunately AMD's equivalent Enduro is still being developed and doesn't appear to be easy to retrofit to eGPU solutions. I did manage to get LucidLogix Virtu to work. See http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/2967-lucidlogix-virtu-internal-lcd-mode-amd-egpus.html#post41056 for details.

The system only needs to have a support iGPU (Intel 4500MHD, HD, HD3000 or HD4000) and a NVidia Fermi/Keplar eGPU to get Optimus to engage. A HD2000 is a Sandy Bridge class iGPU so Optimus *should* engage. I say should because we haven't had a confirmation as yet. Contrary to some comments, there is no need to have a NVidia dGPU in the notebook to have Optimus engage. As to a GTX560Ti vs GTX660. The comparison you are making is based on two different systems and two different Win7 builds. Khenglish points out driver version performance difference as well. If I had tested the GTX660 in my last years 2560P, then it would have given better results across the boards. Though for internal LCD mode there will be little in their difference because pci-e bandwidth limits start playing a larger role in performance results. You'd get better results with your system if go for a GTX560Ti and upgrade your CPU, if it's socketted, with the money you save over buying a GTX660. x1.2Opt does pci-e compression, accelerating DX9 performance considerably. The pci-e compression scales according to the CPU performance. This confirms a x1E link (port is set to x2 but link is running in x1 mode). Your method of attaching the eGPU by sleeping, powering on eGPU then resuming is causing the bios to reset the port status and revert back to x1 mode. Rather than use that method, do this to get the eGPU on the system in x1E mode: 1. set the PERST# delay switch to 15s, SW1=3 on your PE4H 2.4 2. power on the eGPU 3. power on your notebook. boot to Setup 1.1x and hit F5 until the eGPU is detected. 4. set your port to x1E mode, run your PCI compaction/startup.bat/etc so it chainloads to Win7. 5. Perform your RE5-var-dx9-1280x768 benchmark and PCISpeedTestv0.2. 6. Poweroff the systems, repeat steps 2-5 but in x1 mode. 7. Upload results for comparison. Does x1E give better results as it did with older HD5xxx cards?

Fullscreen mode, disable the AMD audio, run RE5 var 1280x800 (or 768 if no 800). Your fixed results were a bit lower than expected given a T6600-2.2 with HD5750@x1E had a better result. Maybe that will fix it? If you've changed the port to be x2 mode in Setup 1.x prior to chainloading, that is all that is required. You could use AIDA-64, looking at the southbridge to confirm if it's still in x2 mode if really want to be doubley sure.

25.2 is a bit low for a P8400-2.26 + HD7770. I got 30.8 with a T6600-2.2 + HD5750@x1E here. Techpower says a HD5750 gives 68% the performance of a HD7770 here so you should be getting quite a bit better than that. Please ensure you disable the AMD sound so it uses the internal speaker instead. That gives maximum bandwidth for video rendering. Per Khenglish's comments, can you run the variable dx9 benchmark? That's were we can see how it fares on the leaderboard.

This is great news. Other test I'd ask you to do is run the Resident Evil 5 benchmark in x1 and x1E mode. It showed +20% improvement with x1E mode when using a HD5750. REF: x1E tweak. If the result is the same then yes, AMD have fixed the issue and HD7xxx is elevated in stature for older systems. After you've done that test, could you run all the benchmarks as shown in the Implementations and post your results for me to include in that table? Your HD7770 may be a desirable upgrade for these older systems that are otherwise seeing crippled performance.

Post your results like shown in the DX9, DX10 and DX11 tables on the first page, along with your system and eGPU details for comparison with and inclusion on that table. Run pcispeedtest up to "4194304" is sufficient, so can CTRL+C out then. As explained previously, x1E is when your port3 is in x2 mode but only 1 lane connected. The screenshot in Setup 1.1x shows x1E was engaged. That pciespeedtest matches what I saw on my [email protected] on a Ivy Bridge here. Was that with x1E engaged or was it just x1? We require both to see if your HD 7770 performed differently for each as explained in the x1E tweak info. If they perform the same then AMD has fixed that handshaking bug on older chipsets.

Please post your full benchmarks for inclusion on the first page. We can then evaluate them to see if they are reasonable.

Update 2-2-2013: PE4H 2.4 fails Gen2 testing, disregard info below Per zsph's testing, PE4H 2.4 fails Gen2 testing here. That means the message below is not accurate. <strike>PE4H 2.4 supports pci-e 2.0 Good news for PE4H 2.4 owners. According to a new update at PE4H (PCIe passive adapter ver2.4) where they've soldered the EC2C/PM3N end but left the other end detachable, PE4H 2.4 owners can now get pci-e 2.0 performance if attached to expresscard/mPCIe 2.0. PE4H 2.4 has a nice and study base so was my favorite as an open, free standing device.</strike> Was extensively discussed circa April 2012 with your involvement and summarized: DIY eGPU experiences - Page 987, main image captured below but requires an update. <A HREF="http://www.mediafire.com/file/up6zgx33dloyrs3/DIYeGPU-vs-others.xls"><img src=http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/4668/diyegpuvsothers.png></A> Main distinction between DIY eGPU and Villagetronic being price and profit-taking. It was already suggested that if Villagetronic wants a community to rally around his product and self-support it then give us one worth supporting (at his cost + 10%). Let that product not be a foot-in-the-door for the premium/profitable products to get supported. You want the HP4A (x4 1.0) shown below or HP060A component shown at the start of this post (x1 2.0).

I believe a GTX680 should be plug'n'play on a 2560P with no need for Setup 1.1x at all. Pls try that. If you do get an error 12 against the GTX680 then: * boot Setup 1.1x and do a !Save Diags -> !Compact_fails, follow instructions and post the resultant \diag folder as a linked archive. * consider doing a DSDT override. There the GTX680 could be hosted in 36-bit PCI space so the wifi wouldn't have to be relocated.

Thank you. I'd like to think that my last response was helpful in your situation. There's another background read from the CEO of Villagetronic captured here about his support structure, pricing, product and liasons with DIY eGPU community which may help you decide if you want to keep it (and work with them) or ditch it and get DIY eGPU hardware instead.

Important point. Setup 1.1x software comes with no implied support or warranty as is noted on the HIT Setup 1.1x donation page. See F2. Why is a $25 donation required to access this software? Why have previous free versions been removed? for a background on why this came about. Villagetronic state at Village Instruments : Return Policy, giving you assurance that they are prepared to work with customers to solve their issues or get a refund. Ie: Hello guys :-)... | Facebook shows us that Villagetronic are using the Setup 1.1x software and DSDT overrides from our support repository to help their customers. Pls followup with Villagetronic in getting a timely and appropriate response to your support needs for your Villagetronic ViDock product.

The modded driver page highlights in RED that they are no longer necessary. The standard desktop driver has Optimus support. One other thing is to try with 8GB instead of 16GB. For whatever reason 16GB is problematic on Lenovo systems. Finally, what eGPU hardware are you using and how have you got the board switches set? Where do I get support for Villagetronic products? As previously advised here:

Didn't you note that in BIOS mode, the HD4000 doesn't even show up on the pci-e bus? Implying Apple switch if off entirely. In which case, no point in testing BIOS mode.

Thank you for posting your results. Now your system probably has port3 as the expresscard slot making a great candidate to test if the x1E tweak still applies to the HD7xxx series. The way to test is do a run of PCISpeedTestV0.2 using x1 mode. Then reboot, apply Setup 1.1x's PCIe ports->Link Width.x2 or x1E to your port3 and redo the test. Is there any performance difference between x1 and x1E mode? Previously we identified the x1E mode (running port1 or 3 in x2 mode but with only 1 lane) gave 15-30% better performance than x1. If they perform the same now then AMD have corrected a x1 link handshaking issue with that series which will mean the First steps -> 2. Which video card do you recommend for best performance on my system? will be updated favoring AMD cards.

If it was a safety recall where the product contained toxic materials dangerous to your health or had electrical faults that could damage your notebook then I'd be inclined to return it. Neither of those is true. Masaharu advised above "We still believe TH05 is good". So BPlus can ask for you to return the item but it's at your discretion. You've paid for it, are now the rightful owner so can do with it as you please.

1. Use latest Lenovo x220T bios that sets a dynamic TOLUD when it detects the eGPU on bootup. 2. Ensure you set the PCI Reset Delay switch to 0s. 3. Ensure the eGPU is powered prior to powering on the X220T. 4. If still fails, use the Setup 1.1x Video cards->Initialize function. That's usually necessary if you hotplug-after-boot. 15" MBP has a quad-core + Thunderbolt port + GT650M. Only issue is the iGPU can't be activated in Windows as yet. The ramnifactions of that being (1) the laptop gets pretty poort battery life when running Windows (2) cannot get the eGPU to render the image but display it to the internal LCD as both Optimus (NVidia) or Lucid Logix Virtu (AMD) to do that require an active iGPU. Next in line would be a dual-core 13" Macbook Pro or Lenovo T430s/S430, both with Thunderbolt ports. Lastly, you could consider expresscard 2.0 (5GT/s) systems. They get half the bandwidth of Thunderbolt (10Gbps) ones but something like a 12.5" HP 2570P/2560P or 13" Fujitsu T901, both with a socketted CPU so you can install a 45W i7-quad into them. Furthermore, a PE4L-EC060A costs $71 versus a TH05 $180. The TH05 was a bargain at that price. Now the cheapest Thunderbolt-to-pcie device is a OWC Helios at $349. The higher pricetag of Thunderbolt means expresscard eGPUs are certainly not dead in the water just yet. 2014 maybe.. that's when 20Gbps Thunderbolt arrives. Will need a new notebook + TB enclosure/adapter for that. Same problem has been reported on a 16GB Lenovo X230. The fix was to run it with 8GB. Strange one. Yes, X220 can run pci-e 2.0 from it's expresscard slot so you want a pci-e 2.0 capable adapter from BPlus. So select a product from the second list below: pcie 1.1x capable PE4L 1.5 or older PE4H 2.4 or older pce 2.0 capable PE4L 2.1 or newer PE4H 3.2 or newer