8560w GPU upgrade - use empty DVD slot to fit MXM 3.0b (higher spec) video cards

A couple of additional notes on this topic and replies to nickelaus' pm's. I upgraded an 8760w to a Nvidia GeForce GTX 680M graphics card.

I believe there is a HP defined white list that restricts which GPU hardware manufacture's can be installed in the 8760w. I believe it to be true for the 8560w but have not confirmed it.

I believe for these models, there are ONLY two GPU hardware manufacturer's that have been white listed. The vendor ID's for AMD and Nvidia. I doubt ATI would be supported (PCI vendor ID 1002) but not sure. If the vendor ID in the driver's INF file for the AMD FirePro M5950, matches the vendor ID in the ATI card driver INF, then it should work. I just don't believe they will be the same.

NOTE: There is NO way to "edit" the BIOS hardware white list. It is encrypted with RC4 and signed. I dumped the ROM for the white list. It is code signed. Even if you edited the white list, you would need to re-encrypt it or it would be rejected by the BIOS/UEFI encrypted Boot Loader. HP even signed the Boot Loader with public key so you can't swap the boot loader either. It is like you buying a car and the manufacturer restricting what aftermarket wheels you are allowed to put on the car you just bought.

I believe the 8560w will NOT support the MXM 3.0b standard, because it never shipped with any MXM 3.0b GPU cards. I may be wrong about this but easy to verify. It shipped with MXM 3.0 "A" cards. This matters for two reasons:
MXM 3.0a is 82mm x 70mm and the heat sink cooling capacity is ONLY designed for Max Power (heat dissipation) of 55W
MXM 3.0b is 82mm x 105mm and the heat sink cooling capacity is designed for Max Power (heat dissipation) of 100W

AMD FirePro M5950 is MXM 3.0a and 35W
NVIDIA Quadro 2000M MXM 3.0a

8560w owners will likely need a custom cooling and heat sink solution if they want run a MXM 3.0b GPU card.

If you attempt this, be sure to test your thermal capacity solution (ie fans/heat sink) by running a graphics benchmarking tool that forces the GPU to 100% while it monitors GPU temps. You should also verify that the BIOS is properly turning on fans when the internal temps exceed defined set points or configure the laptop so the fans run continuously.

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8560w GPU upgrade - use empty DVD slot to fit MXM 3.0b (higher spec) video cards