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Lenovo z41-70 with GTX 970 via mPCIe - How to mod without sacrificing mobility


ShanghaiOhMy

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Hi! I've been looking into hooking up an eGPU to my Lenovo z41-70 laptop, a build which I haven't been able to find a prior example of anywhere. The laptop has an mPCIe slot on the inside, but the wireless card is currently connected to it. My ultimate goal is to preserve as much mobility as possible, which means I need wireless functionality and I need to keep the case closed. 

 

So far, I already have my hands on an Nvidia GTX 970 and a matching PSU. I'm planning to get this BPlus mPCIe adapter and this USB wireless adapter (unless anyone has better recommendations from personal experience). My biggest question right now is will I be able to display the eGPU output on the internal screen? It's a really nice FHD screen, so I don't want to let it go to waste. I'm using Windows 10, and I will install the newest Nvidia drivers once the card is hooked up. If I need to use an external monitor, I don't think the project will be worthwhile. Does it seem possible? Also, is there a good solution to quickly switch between internal graphics and the eGPU? I'd like to be able to just unplug the mPCIe cable and get moving without pausing to restart the computer.

 

Regarding keeping the case closed: I don't have an optical drive in my laptop, which means I have a big empty plastic placeholder that I could totally make my own mPCIe port inside of. The only issue with this is that I would need a ribbon extender for the mPCIe port which does not have a board to support a card on the end. Does such a thing exist? Where can I find it?

 

Relevant Laptop Specs:

OS: 64-bit Windows 10 Home

Processor: Intel i5-5200U @2.20GHz

RAM: 8GB

CPU-integrated Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5500

Internal Graphics Card: AMD Radeon R7 M360

All drivers kept as up-to-date as possible.

Edited by ShanghaiOhMy
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