E-GPU on the Dell inspiron 5559

Question

Hi, I have a Dell Inspiron 5559 that was gifted to me. So I would love if someone could tell me if I have any free M.2 slot or something I can connect an E-GPU thing to. The Intel graphics does not help at all with low performance. I am looking for a graphics upgrade and have checked CPU-Z to see if I had a free M.2 port but I couldn't understand anything. So if someone could help me out that would be great.

jphughan · Accepted Answer

Going to the 'Manuals and documents' section of support.dell.com for that system here and reading the Service Manual and Specifications documents, it appears the only M.2 slot available is already taken for WiFi+Bluetooth.  I guess if you were willing to replace that with a USB dongle -- which will very likely incur a performance hit because you won't be using the antennas built into the display -- and of course were willing to have a ribbon cable poking out from under your system, then you might be able to make this work.  But that's still not a guarantee, and even if it did, any good GPU would be bottlenecked by the CPU in that system.

IDKWUTNAMETOUSE · Answer

Thanks for Addressing this issue. I have seen Videos by TrickiKnow who inserted a graphics into a much older Win 7 PC. It delivered a decent performance. So is bottlenecked the right word? Also, I am willing to Take the Cd thing or whatever it is called out to have a wire coming through it. When I consulted my Laptop expert person, he said that he could perform the modification. I just need something that can be quickly switched from a  normal Computer to a Machine with capable graphics. Also, could I take out the current graphics and replace it with a new one. This is a possibility, right?

jphughan · Answer

'Bottlenecked' just means that your CPU will prevent your eGPU from performing to its maximum capability, which is true -- so yes, it is the right word.  An eGPU would still deliver an improvement (if it works at all), but you won't be able to use a high-end GPU to its full potential, so keep that in mind when deciding what GPU you want to use and how much you want to spend.  I'm not sure what you mean by 'the Cd thing or whatever it is called'.  If you mean the DVD drive, that connects to the motherboard via SATA.  You can't use that connector type for an eGPU.  The only ways to attach an eGPU to a laptop are with Thunderbolt 3 or an M.2 slot.  Your system doesn't have Thunderbolt 3, and your only M.2 slot is being used by your WiFI card.  So like I said, if you want to use an eGPU, you'll be removing your internal WiFI card.  But if you're already consulting a 'laptop expert person', then go ahead and see what happens.No, you cannot remove and upgrade the current graphics in your laptop.  The integrated graphics are built into the CPU, and even the discrete GPU is soldered directly onto the motherboard, which is why the Service Manual for this system on support.dell.com doesn't include steps for removing a graphics card.  And even if you COULD physically remove the graphics card, laptop graphics card designs are not standardized, so you couldn't just go out and buy something.  And even if they WERE standardized, your laptop's cooling system is unlikely to be able to handle a significantly more powerful internal card.  Your power supply might also be a factor.  You might have noticed that higher-end laptops with higher-end GPUs are much larger and include much larger power supplies.  There is a reason for that.