cfp

FYI: 15.6" Lenovo L540 is probably the most cost-effective eGPU friendly Haswell notebook. Has expresscard slot, i7-quad option, FHD option, NGFF SSD slot for possible future (faster x4 eGPU implementation ?? - we are not sure of pinout for this just yet), an iGPU for Optimus/Virtu internal LCD mode and of course the expresscard slot. Starts at $608 in basic i3-form : ThinkPad L540 | Mainstream Performer With Aggressive Pricing Optimized for Windows 8 | | Lenovo (US)

Thanks for the tip. I'd seen your "eGPU candidate system list" before, and it was a useful guide. I was hoping to get something at or under 2kg though, which rules out that Lenovo L540. The MacBook Retina ticks most of the boxes, but as a Windows user it does seem slightly perverse to be buying a mac to install Windows (not least in terms of price). So instead I was looking at Dell's clone of it, the XPS 15 or the M3800. These have the wi-fi card in the NGFF slot, so even that won't be a possible route for upgrades.

Other options I'm considering are the Dell e7440, which does seem to have an ExpressCard slot, (confirmation from Dell still pending), but doesn't have a quad core option. The Lenovo T440s and T440p are also options, but again lack ExpressCard slots.

Given the chipset supports ThunderBolt, it's a pain that these don't have a ThunderBolt port...

Did anyone ever test this? About to buy a new laptop and the best option doesn't have an ExpressCard slot, so this would be great if it was possible.