litodrift3rboi

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.

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!

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 "

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.

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.

Hey everybody. I have been running an eGPU for several months now, with fantastic results. I've been less than thrilled with limitations and driver stability issues, but am overall pleased with my experience. Setup: Lenovo w520 Laptop Intel i7 2820QM 12GB 1333 RAM 300GB 7200RPM HDD (Previous owner removed boot SSD, so have free mpcie/msata slot) HWTools PE4C v2.1 ASUS GTX 670 FTW 2GB GPU @1.2 Opt via ExpressCard (but runs nearly the same speed running alongside Quadro 1000M... maybe 1-2 fps difference) Soltek Qbic 250w PSU custom enclosure with HDMI High Speed w/ Ethernet extensions to front of case. (enclosure came from an old Compaq tape drive) twin SilenX fans in front, and original tape drive fan (pretty loud, but pulls the air like it means business) in back for heavy gaming. total cost for eGPU setup: USD$250 With this setup I get quite a noticeable performance increase in games, and the case doubles as a laptop stand when I travel (though it's made from steel instead of aluminum, so it's HEAVY!) Furmark @1080p gives a score of 2543 3D Mark on Firestrike gives me 5604 I would like to run my card either by 2x via the free mpcie/msata under the keyboard, or looking into the possibility of an ultrabay -> msata -> mpcie card with the cable run through the face of the bay (to allow plug-and-go installation) I know there has been some discussion of ultrabay eGPU with other Lenovo laptops, but nobody seems to have tried it with the w520. This could potentially let the card run at pci express 3.0 8x via a single cable.