EGPU help please?

[zehnman2]

Hello forums!

So I like games. And my laptop, is not that bad... but I'm not due for an upgrade for 5ish years, so I've been wondering If theirs anyway to get an eGPU kinda thing going for when my computer becomes obsolete. Currently, I have a Lenovo y480 with 8 gb of RAM, an i7(not sure which one... 3610QM?), and a nVidia GT 640MLE (when I bought it, they said it was a 640... but it's not... bastards).

So my gaming is good... but not great. There seems to be a few ways to get an eGPU going: USB 3.0, or an internal mPCIe/mSATA port (which would kill my mobility). I'm leaning towards the USB 3.0 because I need to be mobile (I'm a high school student and I take my computer to and from school).

Thoughts? Is there anyway for me to reach gaming nirvana? Can I ha've my mobility? (mPCIe is still possible... I don't NEED to bring it to and from... I can run virtual desktop on an iPad or something).
Any help would be great

Thanks!

 

[warhead0]

Unfortunately laptops don't really support upgrading parts. usually only the RAM and HDD can be replaced.

This is why a large number of gaming machines are built as desktops, you can replace obsolete parts much easier.

 

[jaguarskx]

Link up an external to a laptop? Impossible unless you have a PC card slot for a ViDock external GPU enclosure. The PC card is more or less extinct, very few modern laptops have such a slot. External GPU enclosures for the Thunderbolt interface are being developed by Lucid Logix but so far it is only at the concept stage. While it does work, no manufacturer has so far partnered up with Lucid to create a consumer product thus far.

Anywaste... none of this info will help you since the Lenovo IdeaPad Y480 does not have a PC card slot or a Thunderbolt interface. It is kinda hard to build a desktop to handle playing games for 5+ years without having to upgrade the GPU and maybe the CPU. That is more or less impossible on a laptop. If you want to sort of keep up with games on a laptop, then you probably need to upgrade every 3 years at most depending on your performance expectations and laptop's ability to handle games beyond 2 years old.

 

[zehnman2]

Is it impossible via usb 3.0? not sure what the bandwith is on it...