External GPU setup for Dell Precision M6700

I'm hoping someone here can help me as I've searched with no success so far.

I've a fast Dell Precision M6700 with a K3000M graphics card. I use the machine for Blender and really need to update the card. However, I find no faster cards available for it anywhere. Can anyone recommend any kit I can use with this machine to beef up the GPU processing?

Thank you for any advice offered!

 

Perhaps on ebay? Depends on your budget, but M5000M is the strongest Quardo available currently.

 

External GPU enclosures are just on the horizon, but they all utilize a Thunderbolt 3 interface, which the M6700 lacks.

As ijozic indicated above, your best bet is to try out a new internal GPU from ebay. More specifically, you're looking for an MXM 3.0/3.1 Type B (3.0b or 3.1b) compatible video card. The following Quadro upgrades meet this type:

Quadro K3100M
Quadro K4100M
Quadro K5100M
Quadro M3000M
Quadro M4000M
Quadro M5000M

The maxwell quadros are still fairly new, so you'll probably have to pay a lot for them used. The K1 series should provide a decent bump at a decent price.

However, there's no guarantee an upgrade will work. MXM upgrades aren't as widely discussed as they once were, and I've read there may be incompatibilities on the BIOS level that prevents these types of upgrades from working. I can't say for certain if this is the case, but try to find a seller who accepts returns in the event it doesn't work.

 

I'm convinced all of these would work on Dell M6700. One forum member posted shots of his M5000M upgrade and plenty of people upgraded theirs (myself recently as well) with 970/980M. Although, for Maxwell Quadro cards (and all Geforce cards), driver inf files would probably need to be modified as the Dell M6700 doesn't list the Maxwell Quadro cards (yet? not sure if they were added recently).

 

Good to know! I recently ordered a 7510 with the intent to eventually upgrade the GPU whenever feasible sometime down to road. Hopefully the same will apply with it.

 

7510? I'm afraid that's 15" and those use MXM 3.0 Type A cards AFAIK so your options would be limited to these lower TDP cards.

 

This eGPU setup might work for you:
https://www.banggood.com/Mini-PCI-E...al-Independent-Video-Card-Dock-p-1011222.html

I just ordered it, and I'll be trying it across my expresscard slot on my Dell m6600 with a few desktop GPUs (Very hopeful xD). Will let you know how it goes.

 

Scratch that. The webpage for the PE4C specifically lists compatibility for the m6600 and m6700 with i7s.

http://www.bplus.com.tw/Adapter/PE4C V3.0.html

 

Check for a gtx970m or for a gtx980m.

There are a lot of infos in my signature