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eGPU PCI-E recommendations

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Apr 8, 2003
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Downtown Toronto

eGPU PCI-E recommendations

Hi All,

Can someone recommend an decent eGPU that I can use with a Dell E5550 laptop? I plan on pulling the wireless card out and using the PCI-E slot for this purpose.

The intent is to do moderate 4k 60hz gaming.

cheers
7 replies
Deal Fanatic
Mar 6, 2005
5785 posts
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ChiGGz wrote: Hi All,

Can someone recommend an decent eGPU that I can use with a Dell E5550 laptop? I plan on pulling the wireless card out and using the PCI-E slot for this purpose.

The intent is to do moderate 4k 60hz gaming.

cheers
Unfortunately there isn't an upgrade for your laptop, the PCI-E/M.2 slot for the Wi-Fi card is far too small to fit any graphics card. They are only intended for that or storage devices.

For your purposes you'd need an external GPU dock, throw in a desktop GPU and connect it to the Laptop via Thunderbolt (which yours does not have).
Sr. Member
Jul 1, 2009
711 posts
133 upvotes
Wait for TB3 to be more widely adopted, and things like the Razer Core to be more popular, then you'll have a solution. Right now, that PCIE slot (which is a mini-PCIE slot anyways) you're looking at isn't going to cut it, those are 1x slots mostly.

There was some work on using TB2-based eGPUs for macs (because no one else really supported TB2), but the cost for that system was just insane.
Deal Expert
Mar 23, 2004
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tkyoshi wrote: Unfortunately there isn't an upgrade for your laptop, the PCI-E/M.2 slot for the Wi-Fi card is far too small to fit any graphics card. They are only intended for that or storage devices.
Umm I think you missed the part where the OP said eGPU.
tkyoshi wrote: For your purposes you'd need an external GPU dock, throw in a desktop GPU and connect it to the Laptop via Thunderbolt (which yours does not have).
eGPUs have been implemented before Thunderbolt even existed so this is not a hard and fast rule. Stuff like ViDock had been going since ExpressCard started. However going through ExpressCard has the problem that it's only an x1 PCIe link. It's not as bad if you have ExpressCard 2.0 but it's still pretty slow. However the degree to which GPUs are handicapped with such a low link varies, and it depends on just how much performance you're looking for.

Mini PCIe can be used for this purpose as well but it's a little less ideal, may require cutting the laptop base for access when closed, and not all laptops will work with things other than wifi or lan cards in those slots--one should research what is/isn't possible on their particular model before attempting.

Finally whether or not the dGPU's processing power can be used while displaying on the laptop's internal display (or only on an external monitor) is another thing to consider. Some laptops it's possible IIRC and some it is not.

The newer the laptop you have the more likely it is that these things will work and work better but it's never all that ideal. That said it probably can be done on something as new as an E5550 with pretty good results but RFD is probably not the best place to ask these questions TBH.

I would try here instead where people actually have experience and someone may be able to fill in the details of what is possible and what is required on OP's laptop:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/forums/ ... sion.1103/
Deal Fanatic
Mar 6, 2005
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ES_Revenge wrote: Umm I think you missed the part where the OP said eGPU.


eGPUs have been implemented before Thunderbolt even existed so this is not a hard and fast rule. Stuff like ViDock had been going since ExpressCard started. However going through ExpressCard has the problem that it's only an x1 PCIe link. It's not as bad if you have ExpressCard 2.0 but it's still pretty slow. However the degree to which GPUs are handicapped with such a low link varies, and it depends on just how much performance you're looking for.

Mini PCIe can be used for this purpose as well but it's a little less ideal, may require cutting the laptop base for access when closed, and not all laptops will work with things other than wifi or lan cards in those slots--one should research what is/isn't possible on their particular model before attempting.

Finally whether or not the dGPU's processing power can be used while displaying on the laptop's internal display (or only on an external monitor) is another thing to consider. Some laptops it's possible IIRC and some it is not.

The newer the laptop you have the more likely it is that these things will work and work better but it's never all that ideal. That said it probably can be done on something as new as an E5550 with pretty good results but RFD is probably not the best place to ask these questions TBH.

I would try here instead where people actually have experience and someone may be able to fill in the details of what is possible and what is required on OP's laptop:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/forums/ ... sion.1103/
He said PCI-E (It's actually a M2 slot in the E5550 which is different from MSATA/mPCIe) Slot from the WiFi card!!!! It's contradictory! The amount of work you're proposing he might as well buy a desktop lol.

E5550 has NO ExpressCard slot either :)

Here's some discussion on using M2 slots, you could prob start here and ask around there and/or the link ES_Revenge posted: https://www.techinferno.com/index.php?/ ... -possible/
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Mar 23, 2004
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tkyoshi wrote: He said PCI-E (It's actually a M2 slot in the E5550 which is different from MSATA/mPCIe) Slot from the WiFi card!!!! It's contradictory! The amount of work you're proposing he might as well buy a desktop lol.
Well that goes for everyone trying to do dGPU on a laptop. I really don't understand it myself when you can just build a compact ITX system instead and have a full GPU plugged into a native socket and not really worry about much else. But many people are obsessed with having a laptop, so yeah they will try all kinds of things to get it working.

Anyway so there's neither ExpressCard or mPCIe in an E5550? I find that hard to believe but if true I guess it's true. Seems pretty limiting on a Latitude though.

In the link here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads ... mentations

It states the E5550 is capable of two x1 links, "•x2 1.0 (two x1 ports)" and I think I'd rather believe the guys over there that are actually doing stuff than you, lol. Either way I agree a "desktop" is still a much better route. Even if you pair an i3 or G3258 and H81 ITX board together with a dGPU, you're probably getting a better experience than jerry-rigging an eGPU to a laptop.
Deal Fanatic
Mar 6, 2005
5785 posts
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ES_Revenge wrote: Well that goes for everyone trying to do dGPU on a laptop. I really don't understand it myself when you can just build a compact ITX system instead and have a full GPU plugged into a native socket and not really worry about much else. But many people are obsessed with having a laptop, so yeah they will try all kinds of things to get it working.

Anyway so there's neither ExpressCard or mPCIe in an E5550? I find that hard to believe but if true I guess it's true. Seems pretty limiting on a Latitude though.

In the link here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads ... mentations

It states the E5550 is capable of two x1 links, "•x2 1.0 (two x1 ports)" and I think I'd rather believe the guys over there that are actually doing stuff than you, lol. Either way I agree a "desktop" is still a much better route. Even if you pair an i3 or G3258 and H81 ITX board together with a dGPU, you're probably getting a better experience than jerry-rigging an eGPU to a laptop.
No worries we both agree that jerry-rigging is prob not the best, BTW that's for the E5500 (2009), the OP's is the newer E5550 (2015) :) I don't believe anyone on that thread has tried it with the E5550 yet, had a quick skim.

E5500 = 2x 1.0 mPCIe
E5550 = 2x m2 Slots

Universal Jack
SD 4.0 Memory card reader
Optional Edocking connector, 3 USB 3.0 (one with
PowerShare), HDMI, VGA
Network connector (RJ-45), SIM card slot optional
Two M.2 Expansion slots: 1 WWAN/HCA and 1 WLAN/BT/
WiGig

Optional SmartCard Reader and optional Fingerprint
Reader
Lock slot

http://i.dell.com/sites/doccontent/shar ... -Sheet.pdf

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