What can I do with the 45mm ExpressCard slot on my X220?

[StarGehzer]

I've seen cards that would give me USB3 ports (my X220 is an i5, so it only has USB2).
Are there memory card that would fit in?
What other options are there?

[dr_st]

The useful things I can think about off the top of my head:

* USB 3.0
* eSATA
* eGPU (for connecting external video adapters)

[MisterB]

You can also get really fast SD and CF card readers. They are much faster than USB card readers. Mostly useful if you do a lot of digital photography, especially if you use a high resolution DSLR that uses CF media.

[dr_st]

Can you recommend such fast readers?

The PCIe-based SDXC reader in the X220 is quite fast in its own right. USB3.0 readers are even better than that.
(see for example: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 24#p728124)

But a fast CF reader may be a good thing for the ExpressCard slot, if you use fast CF cards.

[MisterB]

CF cards get the biggest speed increase. I've got two PCI ExpressCard readers and one Cardbus reader. Only the ExpressCard readers read UDMA cards at anything near their rated speed. I've got an SD reader too but it's USB based and it's faster than the external USB readers I have but nothing like the PCI CF readers.

[dr_st]

Again - can you show me such a reader? How it looks, who manufactures it, where can it be bought?

[tarvoke]

1. get a handful of 54mm adapter doodads if you are going to be using 34mm cards, e.g.:
http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Expr ... B007UR1PIC
(I use these and they're fine)

2. ... someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but -

mPCIe can be either/or pci-express and/or usb. it is limited to the machine design. it was my understanding that the expresscard slots of current thinkpads are **only** USB (my personal experience is only with using SD readers in the expresscard slot of x200t & x220t - and it shows up as a USB device not a PCI device)
((if possible, it can also be the choice of the card itself, but in the end, it is 100% what the machine itself supports))

if the expresscard slot is behaving as USB and not pci-e, then that's v2.0 only and no real advantage adding v3.0 ports. also in which case eSATA might not be any more faster either.

on both x200t and x220t I have been happy with SDAD109A11 expresscard, + shortening-microsd-holder http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GA2PHIW (only sticks out about 1mm) + pick your favorite cheap microSD card. I've tried running the OS off of this, and the speed is acceptable but noticeably-slow (again 'cos it's technically still USB2)

[dr_st]

it was my understanding that the expresscard slots of current thinkpads are **only** USB (my personal experience is only with using SD readers in the expresscard slot of x200t & x220t - and it shows up as a USB device not a PCI device)
((if possible, it can also be the choice of the card itself, but in the end, it is 100% what the machine itself supports))

Nope, they support both PCIe and USB. As you say - it's the choice of the card which lanes to implement. The slot implements both.

[tarvoke]

it was my understanding that the expresscard slots of current thinkpads are **only** USB (my personal experience is only with using SD readers in the expresscard slot of x200t & x220t - and it shows up as a USB device not a PCI device)
((if possible, it can also be the choice of the card itself, but in the end, it is 100% what the machine itself supports))

Nope, they support both PCIe and USB. As you say - it's the choice of the card which lanes to implement. The slot implements both.

thanks dr_st! I was worried if I might be spreading misinformation. and also thanks, now that I know I could use USBv3 card to get some benefit.
(((hmm... no wonder the sandisk SD reader card I'm using only cost ~USD7., ha)))