Right: A HP 2560P 4Gbps-EC2 eGPU implementation using an ATX PSU to drive a NVidia card
Expresscard 2.0 (EC2 or 4Gbps-EC2) is a lower cost and lower bandwidth eGPU interface alternative to Thunderbolt found in older 2011-2013 PC notebooks. In this article you’ll find the pros, cons , adapters; and a full listing of EC2 equipped notebooks including recommended notebooks provided to help decide if this is the right eGPU interface for you. Here ◄ are eGPU.io user submitted EC2 eGPU implementations as an additional reference.
Update: four (expensive) 7th/6th generation Lenovo workstations have a rare Expresscard 3.0 (8Gbps-EC3) port here . They each also have Thunderbolt 3 ports.
- ready availability of cost-effective EC2 candidate notebooks. Many are durable business grade systems being offloaded by companies, still in good condition, on the second hand market. 3rd/4th-gen quad-core systems still performance competitive against even the newest 7th gen quad-core equivalents (example).
- is a hotpluggable interface. Important due to NVidia’s GTX10xx cards requiring this for functionality which prevents mPCIe/M2 wifi or PCIe SSD slot interfaces from being used to host a eGPU (reference).
- is a direct PCIe interface often yielding a plug’n’play solution, or may require minor Windows error 12 tweaking. Comparatively, Thunderbolt is PCIe interposer silicon so can present more challenging eGPU detection issues.
- availability of an affordable EC2 eGPU adapter starting at US$6
| Expresscard 2.0 adapter | PCE164P-N03 + DIY EC adapter | EXP GDC Beast 8.4d | BPlus PE4C-EC060A 3.0 |
| Appearance |  |  |  |
| Price | US$6 & + US$5 | US$44 | US$98 |
| Max PCIe bandwidth | 8Gbps – x1 3.0 (6th gen i-core CPU or newer) 4Gbps – x1 2.0 (2nd-5th gen i-core CPU) 2Gbps – x1 1.1 (1st gen i-core CPU or older) | ||
| Input PSU source | ATX, PCIe or DC jack | ATX, Dell DA-2, or DC jack | ATX, Dell DA-2, or DC jack |
| Cable type | socketted | socketted | soldered |
| Static insulated | ✔ | NO | ✔ |
| USB port | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Spare cable | US$2 extension + others | mPCIe ⋅ EC ⋅ M.2 | ✖ |
| Vendor page | eGPU.io (discuss) | Cloud Hero (CN) | BPlus (TW) |
| User builds | link | ||
- it’s 4Gbps of bandwidth delivers compromised performance compared to a desktop, 32Gbps-TB3, 16Gbps-TB2 or 10Gbps-TB1 Thunderbolt system. 16Gbps (x4 2.0) deemed necessary to hit 85% desktop-level performance (reference).
- an external monitor attached directly to the eGPU is required to maximise performance on the narrow 4Gbps eGPU bandwidth (reference).
- candidate notebooks are older and thicker often with poorer LCD colors, viewing angles and resolutions; and slower storage than newer systems.
Suggest avoiding 2nd-gen i-core systems due to their lack of native USB 3.0 support and the quad-core CPU variants will TDP throttle well before reaching their 4-core turbo performance limit due to their more power hungry 32nm lithography.
That then leaves 4th and 3rd gen systems, with little separating them other than the latter maybe using mSATA SSD technology, newer dGPUs and perhaps better LCD technology. Some even have a Thunderbolt2 (TB2) or Thunderbolt1 (TB1) port.
Dell Latitude/Precision systems are the easiest to configure for eGPU use and so are the pick of the bunch.
HP Elitebooks/Probooks with dGPUs do not have the iGPU wired so cannot provide NVidia Optimus accelerated internal LCD mode. Aim for an iGPU-only Elitebook if that is a desirable feature.
A listing of EC2/EC3 eGPU candidate notebooks
Lime are recommended EC2/EC3 eGPU candidate systems. Note: model variation means you should confirm an expresscard slot is in the system before making your purchase.
2017 – 7th generation 14nm i-core (Kaby Lake) (Note: 8Gbps-EC3)
2015 – 6th generation 14nm i-core (Skylake) (Note: 8Gbps-EC3)
2013 – 4th generation 22nm i-core (Haswell)
2012 – 3rd generation 22nm i-core (Ivy Bridge)
2011 – 2nd generation 32nm i-core (Sandy Bridge)
2017 – 7th generation 14nm i-core (Kaby Lake)
| System | Weight/dimensions/dGPU/LCD/quad-core CPU capable? |
| 17″ Lenovo Thinkpad P71 | 7.76lbs (3.52kgs). 1.20″ thick. TB3, i7-quad cpu, P3000, 4K/FHD-IPS. |
| 15″ Lenovo Thinkpad P51 | 5.81lbs (2.64kgs). 1.16″ thick. TB3, i7-quad cpu. M2200M, 4K/FHD-IPS. |
2015 – 6th generation 14nm i-core (Skylake)
| System | Weight/dimensions/dGPU/LCD/quad-core CPU capable? |
| 17″ Lenovo Thinkpad P70 | 7.94lbs (3.60kgs). 1.20″ thick. TB3, i7-quad cpu, M3000M, 4K/FHD-IPS. |
| 15″ Lenovo Thinkpad P50 | 5.71lbs (2.59kgs). 1.16″ thick. TB3, i7-quad cpu. M2000M, 4K/FHD-IPS. |
2013 – 4th generation 22nm i-core (Haswell)
| System | Weight/dimensions/dGPU/LCD/quad-core CPU capable? |
| 17″ Dell Precision M6800 | 7.85lbs (3.57kgs). 1.59″ thick. i7-quad, M6100/K5100M, 1080P. |
| 17″ HP ZBook 17 G2 | 7.70lbs (3.50kgs). 1.33″ thick. TB2, i7-quad, K5100M/M6100, PCIe SSD slot, 1080P. Note: faulty EC slot?? |
| 15″ HP ZBook 15 G2 | 6.20lbs (2.82kgs). 1.20″ thick. TB2, i7-quad, K2100M/M5100, PCIe SSD slot, 1800P. Note: faulty EC slot?? |
| 15″ Lenovo Thinkpad W541 | 5.57lbs (2.53kgs). 1.06″ thick. TB2, i7-quad, NV Quadro, NGFF M.2 slot, 1620/1080P. |
| 15″ Lenovo Thinkpad W540 | 5.57lbs (2.53kgs). 1.06″ thick. TB1, i7-quad, NV Quadro, NGFF M.2 slot, 1620/1080P. |
| 15″ Dell Precision M4800 | 6.34lbs (2.88kgs). 1.37″ thick. i7-quad, M5100/K2100M, 1080P/1800P. |
| 15″ Dell Latitude E6540 , M2800 | 5.64lbs (2.56kgs). 1.31″ thick. i7-quad, HD8790M/W4170M, 1080P. |
| 15″ Dell Latitude E5540 | 5.29lbs (2.40kgs). 1.17″ thick. 1080P. |
| 15″ Lenovo Thinkpad T540p | 5.45lbs (2.48kgs). 1.06″ thick. i7-quad, GT730M, NGFF M.2 slot, 1620/1080P. |
| 15″ Lenovo Thinkpad L540 | 5.50lbs (2.50kgs). 1.22″ thick. i7-quad, NGFF M.2 slot, 1080P. |
| 15″ Toshiba A50 | 5.72lbs (2.60kgs). 1.37″ thick. 37W Dual-core, GT730M, 1080P |
| 15″ Toshiba W50 | 5.95lbs (2.70kgs). 1.37″ thick. i7-quad, K2100M, 1080P. |
| 14″ Dell Latitude E6440 | 4.68lbs (2.12kgs). 1.25″ thick. i7-quad, HD8690M option, RAID-0 storage, 1080P/900P. |
| 14″ Dell Latitude E5440 | 5.06lbs (2.30kgs). 1.10″ thick. 900P, GT720M options.. |
| 14″ Lenovo Thinkpad L440 | 4.98lbs (2.26kgs). 1.04″ thick. i7-quad, NGFF M.2 slot, 900P. |
| 14″ Dell Latitude 5404 | 6.77lbs (3.07kgs). 1.75″ thick. Rugged. |
| 13″ Toshiba R30 | 3.40lbs (1.55kgs). 1.00″ thick. |
| 12″ Fujitsu T734 tablet | 3.96lbs (1.80kgs). 1.48″ thick. i7-quad option. |
2012 – 3rd generation 22nm i-core (Ivy Bridge)
| System | Weight/dimensions/dGPU/LCD/quad-core CPU capable? |
| 17″ Fujitsu NH532 | 6.60lbs (3.00kgs). 1.79″ thick. i7-quad, GT640M-LE, 900P/1080P. |
| 17″ Dell Precision M6700 | 7.77lbs (3.50kgs). 1.46″ thick. i7-quad, M6000 (~HD7850)/K3000M-K5000M. 1080P. |
| 15″ MISC PREMIUM BUSINESS Dell Latitude E6530 , Precision M4700, HP Elitebook 8570P, Probook 6570B, Lenovo Thinkpad W530, Thinkpad T530 | i7-quad, M4000(~HD7750M), K2000M (~GT640M), 900P/1080P. |
| 15″ Fujitsu AH532 | 5.25lbs (2.40kgs). 1.43″ thick. i7-quad, GT640M-LE, . |
| 15″ Fujitsu A512 | 5.50lbs (2.50kgs). 1.44″ thick. i7-quad upgradable |
| 15″ Acer P453 | 5.72lbs (2.60kgs). 1.00″ thick. i7-quad upgradable |
| 15″ Dell Vostro 3560 | 5.75lbs (2.61kgs). 1.28″ thick. i7-quad, HD7670M. 1080P. |
| 14″ MISC PREMIUM BUSINESS Dell Latitude E6430 HP Elitebook 8470P, Probook 6470B Lenovo Thinkpad T430 | i7-quad, NVS5200M(~GT550M), 900P. |
| 14″ Toshiba R940 | 4.20lbs (1.91kgs). 1.00″ thick. HD7570M/900P opt. HD7570M opt is not switchable gfx. |
| 14″ Lenovo Thinkpad T430s | 3.89lbs (1.77kgs). 1.02″ thick. NVS5200M. 900P. TB1 on some i7 models. |
| 14″ Dell Latitude E6430s | 4.59lbs (2.08kgs). 1.2″ thick. |
| 13″ Dell Latitude E6330 | 4.29lbs (1.95kgs). 1.2″ thick. |
| 13″ Toshiba R930 | 3.26lbs (1.48kgs). 1.00″ thick. |
| 13″ Clevo W130EW | 3.92lbs (1.78kgs). 1.26″ thick. i7-quad option. |
| 13″ Acer P633-M | 4.20lbs (1.90kgs). 0.98″ thick. i7-quad. |
| 12″ Dell Latitude E6230 | 3.50lbs (1.59kgs). 0.97″ thick. |
| 12″ Fujitsu P702 | 3.30lbs (1.50kgs). 1.26″ thick. 1280×800 LCD. |
| 12″ Lenovo Thinkpad X230 | 3.40lbs (1.55kgs). 1.36″ thick. IPS LCD option. mSATA. |
| 12″ HP Elitebook 2570P | 4.20lbs (1.90kgs). 1.29″ thick. i7-quad cpu and RAID-0 storage upgradable. |
2011 – 2nd generation 32nm i-core (Sandy Bridge)
There is no native chipset USB 3.0 controller so machines with USB 3.0 use a Renesas/NEC USB 3.0 controller.
| System | Weight/dimensions/dGPU/LCD/quad-core CPU capable? |
| 17″ Macbook Pro | 6.60lbs(2.99kgs). 0.98″ thick. TB1, HD6750M, 1200P, i7-quad. |
| 17″ Dell Vostro 3750 | 6.62lbs (3.00kgs). 1.46″ thick. GT525M. 900P. |
| 17″ Dell Precision M6600 | 7.77lbs (3.50kgs). 1.46″ thick. 1080P. M8900 (~HD6970M)/2000M/3000M/4000M/5010M. |
| 17″ Fujitsu NH751 | 8.16lbs (3.71kgs). 1.79″ thick. 1080P. GT525M. |
| 15″ MISC PREMIUM BUSINESS Latitude E6520 , Precision M4600 HP Elitebook 8560P , Probook 6560B Lenovo Thinkpad W520 , Thinkpad T520 | 900P/1080P, i7-quad option. |
| 15″ Fujitsu E751 | 5.50lbs (2.50kgs). 1.38″ thick. 900P option. |
| 15″ Fujitsu AH531 | 5.50lbs (2.50kgs). 1.43″ thick. GT525M |
| 15″ HP Probook 4530s | 5.55lbs (2.51kgs). 1.12″ thick. HD6490M option. 900P/1080P LCD user upgrade. |
| 15″ Acer 8573G | 5.61lbs (2.55 kg). 1.22″ thick. GT540M. |
| 15″ Lenovo Ideapad Y560p | 5.94lbs (2.70kgs). 1.33″ thick. HD6570M. mSATA. i7-quad option.. Not switchable gfx |
| 15″ Dell Precision M4600 | 6.15lbs (2.79kgs). 1.44″ thick. M5950 (~HD6770M). 900P/1080P. |
| 14″ MISC PREMIUM BUSINESS Dell Latitude E6420 HP Elitebook 8470P , Probook 6460B Lenovo Thinkpad T420 | i7-quad, NVS4200M(~GT520M), 900P. |
| 14″ Lenovo Thinkpad T420s | 4.03lbs (1.83kgs). 1.05″ thick. NVS4200M/900P option. mSATA. |
| 14″ Fujitsu LH701 | 4.18lbs (1.90kgs). 1.27″ thick. GT520M |
| 14″ Toshiba R840 | 4.20lbs (1.91kgs). 1.00″ thick. HD6450M/900P opt. HD6450M opt is not switchable gfx. |
| 14″ Lenovo Idepad Y460p | 4.85lbs (2.20kgs). 1.33″ thick. HD6550M. mSATA. i7-quad option.. Not switchable gfx |
| 14″ HP Probook 4430s | 4.88lbs (2.22kgs). 1.12″ thick. HD6490M option. |
| 14″ Dell Latitude E5420 | 5.06lbs (2.30kgs). 1.28″ thick. 900P option. |
| 14″ Lenovo Thinkpad L420 | 5.06lbs (2.30kgs). 1.26″ thick. |
| 14″ Lenovo Thinkpad E420 | 5.25lbs (2.39kgs). 1.43″ thick. HD6630M option. mSATA. |
| 14″ Dell Vostro 3450 | 5.35lbs (2.43kgs). 1.28″ thick. HD6630M option. |
| 14″ Toshiba M645 | 5.40lbs (2.45kgs). 1.39″ thick. |
| 14″ Fujitsu S751 | 5.40lbs (2.45kgs). 1.46″ thick. 900P option. |
| 14″ Asus B43 | 5.46lbs (2.48kgs) 1.38″ thick. |
| 13″ Fujitsu SH76 | 3.20lbs (1.45kgs). 0.91″ thick. |
| 13″ Toshiba R830 | 3.26lbs (1.48kgs). 1.00″ thick. |
| 13″ Fujitsu S761 | 3.85lbs (1.75kgs). 1.26″ thick. GT520M option. |
| 13″ Fujitsu SH561 | 4.18lbs (1.90kgs). 1.40″ thick. GT520M |
| 13″ Dell Latitude E6320 | 4.29lbs (1.95kgs). 1.2″ thick. |
| 13″ HP Probook 6360B | 4.65lbs (2.11kgs). 1.33″ thick. |
| 13″ HP Probook 4330s | 4.70lbs (2.13kgs). 1.10″ thick. HD6490M option. i7-quad capable. |
| 13″ Fujitsu T901 tablet | 4.73lbs (2.16kgs). 1.42″ thick. NVS4200M option. i7-quad capable. |
| 12″ Fujitsu P771 | 3.10lbs (1.41kgs). 1.18″ thick. 1280×800 LCD. |
| 12″ Lenovo Thinkpad X220 | 3.20lbs (1.45kgs). 1.36″ thick. IPS LCD option. mSATA. |
| 12″ Fujitsu P701 | 3.30lbs (1.50kgs). 1.02″ thick. 1280×800 LCD. |
| 12″ Asus B23E | 3.40lbs (1.55kgs). 1.1″ thick. Boston Power Sonata 48Whr 3cell. |
| 12″ Dell Latitude E6220 | 3.50lbs (1.59kgs). 0.97″ thick. |
| 12″ Samsung Series-4 | 3.83lbs (1.74kgs). 1.3″ thick. |
| 12″ HP Elitebook 2760P tablet | 3.97lbs (1.80kgs). 1.27″ thick. AFFS 1280×800 LCD option. |
| 12″ HP Elitebook 2560P | 4.24lbs (1.92kgs). 1.29″ thick. i7-quad capable. |
| 12″ Fujitsu T731 tablet | 4.40lbs (2.00kgs). 1.54″ thick.. |
| 10″ Panasonic J10 | 2.35lbs (1.07kgs). 1.38″ thick. |
Related Articles
Dell Vostro 3750 not recommended for Express Card? Correctly understood? To which (in your opinion) the connector of this laptop is better to connect this adapter, to Express casrd or m Pci-e (for higher bandwidth (for speed))?
EDIT: Do Express Card 2.0 4 Gb/s speed in both directions ()? The sum will be 8 GB/s, right?
What is the difference between the adapter 9.0 and 8.4d?
@alex-cu, the Vostro 3750 is already listed as a 2nd-gen expresscard eGPU candidate system. There are recommended common systems with proven eGPU implementations.
Expresscard and mPCIe run as x1 2.0 (4Gbps) links on a Vostro 3750. Expresscard slot is more practical and doesn’t suffer from the NVidia driver error 43 problem given it’s a hotpluggable interface. Both of these details mentioned in the opening post.
A 2nd-gen i-core system such as your Vostro 3750 runs 4Gbps in both directions. See here for measured performance.
Please ask the eGPU adapter vendor for differences between version numbers.
FYI: I believe 9.4d doesn’t exist. There is a 8.4d.
Some 8.4d and 9.0 differences are in https://egpu.io/forums/expresscard-mpcie-m-2-adapters/exp-gdc-beast-8-4d9-0b/ .Can it work with Core 2 Duo? (T7800)
I have used an eGPU with a core2duo CPU before. Just note the issues you may encounter and solutions to them.
Notebook Dell Vostro, Intel I7-2670QM, 8 GB. The video card will be connected via Express Card 2. Power Supply Dell 220 Watt. Please advise which video card better to connect 1060, 1070 or 1080? For gaming and video editing in Premiere and After Effects?
For gaming, a GTX1060, as with an older slower CPU and over Expresscard you’re going to struggle to utilize the more potent cards. For professional programs, the PCIe connection width matters little, so the answer is typically “the one that satisfies your professional needs” or “whatever you can afford”.
Thank you! If I understand you correctly, the 1060 is the most optimal for the equipment that I have. Did I understand you correctly?
Palit 1060 super jetstream 6gb – normal option? Or another card?
Out of the three you listed it is the one that makes sense. As for the model, get the cheapest one that still has a decent warranty. You do not need to pay extra for an overclocked model or anything.
Can you give an approximate model?
Where are you located in the world?
Russia, Moscow
I am not familiar with Russian computer retailers, so it is hard to me recommend something specific. Do you want to link some options that are available to you?
What manufacturer of graphics cards You can recommend?
It also depends on the quality of customer service they provide. In the US I swear by EVGA, but it might be different in Russia.
Thank you! Which EVGA model should I choose? In Russia they sell cards of this manufacturer.
The cheapest one that has 6GB of VRAM. With an eGPU over Expresscard, there is little reason to opt for the more expensive overclocked versions, as any gains will be minimal anyway.
In the US, this is cheapest 6GB model: EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 GAMING, 06G-P4-6161-KR, 6GB GDDR5, ACX 2.0 (Single Fan)
Thank you! Only this model? Will not she get too hot?
Considering it will be sitting on an open eGPU adapter, overheating is literally the last of your worries 🙂
Any other model will work as well, like I said, I am just trying to save you some money.
Thank you! Can be more expensive model, I’m ready to pay for the speed and good model of the video card, the main thing is that it then worked well.
Are there faster and more suitable cards for my processor and laptop?
GTX 1070 will not work for my system via ExpressCard2 for video editing? Or is it better than 1060? If 1070 is more suitable, then I’m ready to pay and buy it. 1060 or 1070 for mounting?
Thank you very much for the help! I bought a Palit super jetstream gtx 1070. I’m satisfied with it so far !!! Good luck to all and success!
@alex-chu, you could consider submitting an Implementation Guide for your Dell Vostro 3750 to share in your good result.
I have Fujitsu AH532 (PCIe 2.0 1x, so EC2.0) (Core i7 3632QM; GT640M LE)
I have GTX 1080 TI from my PC.
1) Can I utilise this GTX 1080 TI with my laptop with EC2.0 and have GTX 1080 TI PCIe 2.0 1x?
2) Which egpu adapter is better for this?
@Liubomyr Petsiukh , the Fujitsu AH532 is listed as a Gen2 (x1 2.0) expresscard eGPU candidate in the opening post.
From the expresscard adapters it gets a little muddled. PE4C 3.0 has the best Gen2 compliance of the three shown, but is expensive. PCE164P-N03 is very affordable, but requires some soldering to create a mating expresscard. Which then leaves the middle-of-the-pack EXP GDC with known static insulation issues. So consider which eGPU adapter best suits your budget & rework skill level to get the adapter working at Gen2 link speed.
Thank you for your answer.
1) So for me the best would be PE4C-EC060A 3.0? Or with PCIe cable (replace WIFI adapter)?
2) Is he compatible with gtx 1080 ti?
Maybe a stupid question but can a Dell Lat.E6440 with an i7-4600 as CPU manage an GTX 1060 as eGPU by mPCIe?
Hello
New to eGPUs
I want to upgrade my TOSHIBA QOSMIO X500
https://usermanual.com/document/2045/toshiba-x500-pqx33a-00x00j-specification.html
Want to use Express card
Will it work? What video card I can use?
Thank you
Under Pros of an EC2 eGPU solution it might be useful to have links to benchmarks that show that direct PCIe connection can have better performance than Thunderbolt even though the bandwidth is less (because latency is much less).
Would it work with a dell latitude E6410 and and gtx 550 ti?
may i ask the exact equipment in the picture? i have the same 2560p and i want to use the same equipment in this pic. Thanks.
Good day. I have exactly the same old HP elitebook 2560p laptop you have tested. Could you please confirm which is the Nvidia gpu graphics specs you have use with this laptop? Is there any special configuration to use these Gpu? I already have an old HP 30 inch QHD IPS monitor which in fact has only one Displayport and one DVI-D dual link inputs. This should be ok? Thanks and best regards. Daniel
@Daniel, pls review https://egpu.io/forums/builds/12-late-2011-hp-2560p-gtx1050-ti-gdc-beast-ec/
I just want to mention that PE4C is discontinued and I don’t know if it has any successor
some model you listing also have celeron lsuch as HP Probook 6460b Celeron B840, can i still use with beast and GT240?
@Mohd-Zulfahmi-Bin-Maidin, HP Probook 6460B is listed as a candidate expresscard eGPU system under 2nd-gen i-core category.
oh i seee, whatever proc model, as long it’s 2nd-gen i-core or sandy bridge platform..it will can support with ease..
Hello, I bought an exp gdc 8.5c (expresscard version) to improve the performance of my pc (dell e6220).
Everything works perfectly and no errors but when I run gpu-z I see that my graphics card is express card 1.1,
here is the inscription: PCIe x16 1.1@Димас - x1 1.1. Is there a way to upgrade to 2.0?
Sorry for my English… Thank you in advance for your replies !
Aste
PS: email addresses ending with outlook.fr will not work for registration (to warn you)
@Aste999333, Pls see the following topic on how to get your desired performance:
https://egpu.io/forums/expresscard-mpcie-m-2-adapters/mpcieecngff-m2-resolving-detection-bootup-and-stability-problems/
i just wanted to say that you can put i7’s in the Probook 6360b. Mine’s swapped with 16 gigs of ram, a i7-2670qm and an 860 evo. with a lightweight linux distro this thing still flies