DIY eGPU experiences

I have successfully connected an HD6850 to my Apple MacBook Pro laptop using a PE4H adaptor.

System: MBP 17" T7600-2.33 with X1600

CPU: T7600-2.33

RAM (GB): 3

Video card: AMD Sapphire Radeon HD6850 @x1

3dMark06 test result: 9651

RE5.var test result: 56

Port: ICH7M: Express Card

OS: Win7/32

The full specs for my computer can be found here.


COMMENTS

(1) I had hoped to connect the HD6850 to my laptop with a x2 connection (by replacing the laptop's WiFi card with an mPCIe card) but unfortunately the laptop's port numbering will not allow this. The port numbering for the laptop's PCI Express Controllers (as reported by Everest Ultimate) is as follows:

PCI-E 1.0 x1 port #1
In Use @ x1 (Marvell Yukon 88E8053 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller)

PCI-E 1.0 x1 port #2
In Use @ x1 (Atheros AR5008X 802.11n Wireless Network Adapter (Apple))

PCI-E 1.0 x1 port #3
In Use @ x1 (AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series [1002-6739] [NoDB])

As stated in FAQ #5 at the start of this discussion thread ("Can my system do a PE4H x2 or x4 link as shown in PCI-E Scaling Analysis?"), I cannot achieve a x2 setup because I don't have the correct combination of ports to do it. x2 requires a port 1+2, port 3+4 or port 5+6 link to my PE4H.

I can successfully connect the HD6850 to my laptop using a x1 connection via either port 2 (by removing the WiFi card and inserting an mPCIe) or port 3 (using a PM3N in the Express Card slot) but when I connect both the mPCIe and the PM3N to the computer simultaneously, the computer only recognises the mPCIe in port 2. With both connected, Everest Ultimate says that there is nothing connected to port 3.

Conclusion: if anyone else wants to duplicate my x1 results using an identical Apple MacBook Pro, I recommend that you buy the PE4L adaptor rather than the PE4H adaptor since you won't be able to achieve a x2 connection.


(2) The driver for my laptop's built-in graphics card (an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600) is not compatible with WDDM 1.1. As a result, when I initially connected the HD6850 to the laptop, Windows Device Manager said that the HD6850 "isn't using any resources because it has a problem".

To address the compatibility issue, I found three posts in this discussion thread ( #86, #505 and #2104) which helped me. Based on the advice in those posts, I inserted two lines of code into the system file atiilhag.inf located at:
C:\Windows\INF\atiilhag.inf

The code is in the format:
"[name of graphics card] (Microsoft Corporation WDDM 1.1)" = ati2mtag_[device name], PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_[device id]

The two lines of code I inserted are as follows:
"ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (Microsoft Corporation WDDM 1.1)" = ati2mtag_atikmdag, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_71C5
"ATI Radeon HD 6800 Series (Microsoft Corporation WDDM 1.1)" = ati2mtag_amdkmdap, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_6739

After making these additions to atiihag.inf, I then:
* Deleted C:\Windows\INF\atiilhag.PNF;
* Uninstalled the HD6850 and disabled the X1600 in Device Manager;
* Uninstalled all ATI software and ATI drivers on my laptop;
* Restarted my laptop; and
* Installed the latest DNA drivers.


(3) Whenever I want to use the HD6850 with my computer, I:
* Disable the X1600 in Device Manager (if it is not already disabled);
* Power off the computer;
* Connect the HD6850 to the laptop via the Express Card slot;
* Unplug the DVI cable for my external monitor from the laptop and connect it to the HD6850;
* Power on the HD6850; and
* Turn on the computer and boot into Windows (via Apple's Boot Camp).

To disconnect the HD6850 and revert back to the laptop's X1600, I:
* Uninstall the X1600 in Device Manager;
* Turn off the computer;
* Turn off the HD6850;
* Disconnect the HD6850 from the Express Card slot;
* Unplug the DVI cable from the HD6850 and connect it to the laptop; and
* Turn on the computer and boot into Windows. During boot up, Windows automatically finds and installs the driver for the X1600.


(4) A very big thank you to Nando for starting and maintaining this thread. Your advice is much appreciated.



UPDATE

Since writing this post I have attempted a x1E connection (as suggested by Nando here) but I found no significant improvement (test results here).

 

wow, this saved me... i'm using VPCEB12FD, i3,HM55 CHP.

Thanks again nando, i appreciate your help.

Thanks for the Question beq_bb...

 

Alright guys I need some help with this. I have a dell xps studio 1645 I7 laptop. I have also purchased an Ati 6950 video card. I have an xbox psu.

Next step is buying the vidock. I understand there are 2 versions. What parts to I need to purchase at this point? I want to have the maximum available speed for my laptop. This is a screenshot from everest:



I have to empty pcie slots in the laptop. Port 2 is a mini pcie slot.

Thank you.

Edit: I think it is safe to assume port 3 is the express card and port 1 is one of the 2 unused slots right?

 

Yup.. so the Intel HD is not installed. Problem then is the HD5750 won't work in Win7 since the primary video card needs to be active AND there's only room for one of them in 32-bit space. The dilemma can be solved by installing XP drivers which work without needing the primary video active for both gpus OR remove RAM to make 32-bit space room for both, or get Sony to lower TOLUD in the bios to make room.

Win7 usually requires the primary video card, the X1600 in your case, to be active. I'm assuming then that by booting with the HD6850 powered on that it becomes the primary as set by the Apple bios (kext?) ?

Can use ' devcon remove VEN_1002&DEV_71C5' and 'devcon install VEN_1002&DEV_71C5' and 'devcon rescan' to automate this process with shortcuts.

Your system also has expresscard=port3 and wifi=port2. If removed the wifi then could also do a x1E link, gaining you 15-30% more performance.

Could swap your wifi into the second mPCIe WWAN port and see what port it appears as in Eversest. On a Dell Studio 1557/1558, the WWAN mPCIe port is port1, so it has the port layout to be able to do a p1+2 x2 link using 2xPM3N mPCIe products.

If going a single-cable solution using expresscard slot, then a PE4L-EC2C or PE4H-EC2C do the job equally as well. If you'll be using a xbox 360 PSU to drive it then the PE4L provides a more compact solution.

Optimus 270.51 drivers no longer have the Confidential overlay?

According to: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/469747-sony-z11-nvidia-optimus-37.html#post7323972 . Anyone want to try it?

 

Thanks nando4. I have swapped the wifi card and indeed port 1 is one of the other 2 mini pcie slots. If I am to completely remove the wireless card and go for a usb wifi I would have a total of 3 pcie ports + 1 express card.

That being said, has a 4x setup been benchmarked yet? I understand 2x PM3N will yield 15-30% higher performance. What about a 4x?

Thanks again.

 

Nobody has done a x4 implementation as yet. Inspiron 1520 was the first other system recently flagged as x4 capable.

Please confirm the final mPCie slot is port3 by putting wifi in it, booting Setup 1.x, enabling port3 and seeing if wifi appears on port3. If so, then your Dell XPS 1645 could do a p1+2+3+4 x4 implementation.

 

Confirmed. All Dell Studio XPS 16 (virtually all models 1645,1640, etc) ports are operational and marked as follows:


Now... Port 2, the mini pcie port... I believe that the PM3N can be made to fit in that port if those ear extensions are cut.

I am definitely interested in testing a 4x setup, but I do not have the available funds at the moment. I will order a 2x setup for now. Maybe the manufacturer will provide 2 PM3N in order to test this .

 

Nando thank you for the replies... And i wanna ask one last question
You said that i should install xp drivers right?
So it means install 64bit xp drivers on 64bi win7?
Or i should install xp OS
Because i'm trying to install 64bit xp driver on win7 but it's not working. /sorry that i'm asking this dumb questions. I'm a total newbie /
And again thank you for your solutions and replies

 

Still trying newer drivers as 258.96 is still the only set that doesn't give code 43.

Tried to install beta 270.51 and received: <del> This graphics driver could not find compatible graphics hardware.</del>

Edit: Universal nvam.inf was not in right place. Card is recognized again but new error: You must install an Intel® driver first.

Not recognizing my setup, whereas every release would. Blacklisting? Or am I jumping the gun?

 

Ok, I've now finished reading/studying this epic thread!




Can you please confirm if the shopping list below should work?

Shopping list:

PE4L-EC2C ver1.5 Pack
GTX-460 Graphics Card
Power supply ( MSY Online)
External monitor

Then, set-up the laptop and physically build?

 

Lol i removed the 1 RAM and it recognizing ATI HD 5750 with no error 12. but ATI control panel not detecting, and my integrated HD graphic using most of the ram and now i got 25% free memory slot... And i don't think HD5750 working either... If i disable the intel HD it's not using HD5750. and no graphic adapter is detected... This is getting too complicated. Now i'm finally regreting buy this thing.

 

XPS M1530 can do a p3+p4 x2 link

DELL XPS M1530 Intel Discrete - WISTRON Hawke - REV -1.pdf - 4shared.com - document sharing - download XPS M1530 schematic, snippet below shows the port layout as being:

port1=lan
port2=wifi
port3=wwan
port4=turbo memory
port5=expresscard slot



If you can readily access port3+4, then could do a x2 setup using 2xPM3N products. The wifi card would need to be removed as port1 would run x2 as well. The expresscard slot is port5 so could also apply the x1E tweak if went an ATI card.

 

OMG i didn't see the freakin cons... Now i have to buy monitor rofl...

 

Thanks Nando - hadn't realised it could do a x2 link.

Although don't like the idea of no wi-fi, and having a look at the x1 vs x1e ati vs nvidia 4xx comparison, the x1 should be effective for me

 

(1) I don't believe that the Apple EFI firmware is setting the HD6850 as the primary video card. In fact, I'm not sure that the Apple EFI even recognises the HD6850. For example:
(a) When I boot into Windows, nothing appears on my external monitor until the boot up process reaches the stage where I am prompted to input my Windows password, at which point the computer display switches from low resolution on the laptop to high resolution on the external display; and
(b) If I attempt to boot into OSX while the HD6850 is connected to the laptop, the laptop crashes almost immediately.


(2) Thanks for the suggestion to use Devcon. Much appreciated.


(3) Based on the information in FAQ #5 ("Can my system do a PE4H x2 or x4 link as shown in PCI-E Scaling Analysis?") at the start of this discussion thread, I believe that I cannot achieve a x2 setup because I don't have the correct combination of ports to do it. As I understand it, x2 requires a port 1+2, port 3+4 or port 5+6 link to my PE4H.

I can successfully connect the HD6850 to my laptop using a x1 connection via either port 2 (using an mPCIe) or port 3 (using a PM3N) but when I connect both the mPCIe and the PM3N to the computer simultaneously, the computer only recognises the mPCIe in port 2. With both connected, Everest Ultimate says that there is nothing connected to port 3.

 

A USB wifi adapter is cheap and easily available, worth the hassle for the performance boost IMHO. I'd say the question here is whether you want to open up your lappie and void the warranty.

 

Thanks, I should have figured a USB wi/fi adapter would exist.

Am out of warranty anyway, so this is very tempting...

port1=lan
port2=wifi
port3=wwan
port4=turbo memory
port5=expresscard slot

So I need to remove port3 (wwan) + port4 (turbo memory) and connect each with an PM3N to a PE4H? And doing so need to remove the lan from port 1 (or the wifi from port 2 - what is the difference?

I presume based on port numbering I can't do an expresscard, and P3MN combination?

 

The m1530 would do a x2 setup using port3+4 with two PM3Ns. There are a few pitfalls of such a setup:

1. Intel sets port1 into x2 when setting port3 into x2, so would need to remove the wifi as otherwise it would be seen as lane2 of your lan and freeze the system. So you'll need a USB wifi adapter to run concurrent wifi.

2. hwtool's PM3N 1.0/1.1 doesn't start/stop the PCI CLKRUN when you pull the HDMI cable. That's a real problem as then the only way I got a successful x2 link on the DV4 was to hotplug the PM3N into the wifi slot when the GTX470 was powered up. Not only did this cause wear of the mPCIe slot but it was dangerous as could short something. It was annoying to the point that I modified my PM3N's PERST# jumper to be used as a CLKRUN instead.

If interested in doing this I'd suggest ask hwtools for a "CLKRUN" modified PM3N 1.2 based on this feedback I provided to hwtools. I know they are developing one.

3. you'd have two mini HDMI cables running from under your system to your PE4H​

Is it worth doing?

Based on the DV4-2000 x1, x1.Opt and x2 GTX470 results where x2 gives 30-60% faster performance than x1 the answer is yes. The other way to gain such a performance increase is upgrade to a a x1.Opt capable system (4500MHD/Intel HD primary GFX). Benefit there being a simpler single-cable setup.

If going ahead with a x2 GTX460 setup then consider a CPU overclock using either or both:

- running dualIDA to gain another 200Mhz of performance. See http://forum.notebookreview.com/win...ida-both-cores-core-2-duo-15.html#post6646598

- a FSLx 200->266 PLL pinmod to gain 33% more performance : http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...pll-pinmod-overclocking-methods-examples.html

 

Thanks Nando - seems my old laptop has a bit of life left in it yet!

I have emailed HWTools to see about the v1.2 PM3N, as I don't really feel like hotplugging!

Will keep this thread updated with whatever build I end up with, along with performance results

 

I'm still a bit shaky on this whole x1, x2, x8, x16 thing. So even if you have, say, 2 open mPCIe slots, and you plug 2 PM3Ns into those slots and hook it up to a PE4H, you are not guaranteed a fully functional x2 link? Is that correct? Sorry if this has been asked before (which is undoubtedly the case), but having a clearer explaination in the OP would help. And kudos to nando for sticking around all this time.

 

@mbarry - see "5. (Performance) Can my system do a PE4H x2 or x4 link as shown in PCI-E Scaling Analysis?" on the first page, which determines which PCI ports are needed to be open for it to work.

Do you know what chipset you have?

 

First off, bigups and respect due to Nando4 and all those that are the driving force behind the DIY ViDock movement. I found this discussion last Friday night after I got pissed off my laptop couldn't run Shogun 2 worth a darn, even with all the settings on low. So I placed my order of parts Saturday and have been reading and testing since they all arrived on Thursday. This forum has been great and I want to make sure I give back. I will be very detailed about my experiences implementing the DIY ViDock solution on my Latitude E6500. Hopefully this post will help E6500 owners that come after me get up and running quickly.

Here's what I have:

Laptop -
Model: Dell Latitude E6500
OS: Windows 7 Professional 64bit
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo T9400, 2533 MHz (9.5 x 267)
RAM: 2 GB DDR2 800MHz (Only running 2GB due to Dell TOLUD issue. Actually have (2) 2GB DIMMs and (2) 4GB DIMMs)
Chipset: Intel 82801IEM ICH9M-E
Bios: A24
GPU: 256MB NVidia Quadro NVS 160M
Driver: 8.17.12.6776 - Verde Notebook Release 265 - Driver 267.76 dated 2011.03.24

DIY ViDock -
Adapter: PE4H v2.4 + EC $85 + $10 S/H
GPU: Asus ENGTX460 DirectCU $199.99 (169.99 after rebate)
Power Supply: Corsair CX500 $49.99 (39.99 after rebate)
Total Cost: $344.98 - $304.98 after rebates

Here are my results:

Benchmarks - PCI-E 1.0 x1 (All ran at defaults)
Before DIY ViDock-
NVS160M/1440x900
3DMark06/2298
RE5 DX9 Var/9.0 fps
RE5 DX10 Var/9.4 fps
UHDX11/2.8 fps

After DIY ViDock-
GTX460/1280x1024
3DMark06/5233
RE5 DX9 Var/62.4 fps
RE5 DX10 Var/59.5 fps
UHDX11/15.5fps

RE5 FPS Avg Gain over on-board GPU: 51.75 fps

I had a thought on another column added to the front table, "Price Per Framerate Per Second". That would be a real world measurement of how efficient a build is for your wallet. In my case, I took the average of both GPU's RE5 fps scores and subtracted them to determine by gain.

PPfps Score: $304.98/51.75fps = $5.89

Here is how I did it:

Download the following software before you start-
Aida64
3DMark06
Resident Evil 5 PC Benchmark Utility
Unigine Heaven DirectX 11 benchmark 2.5
For internal GPU Verde Notebook Release 265 - Driver 267.76 dated 2011.03.24
For External GPU GeForce/ION Driver Release 265 - Driver 266.58 dated 2011.01.18

E6500 Port Layout
Port #1 - WWAN slot
Port #2 - WLAN slot
Port #3 - UWB slot
Port #4 - Express Card slot
(Note: If you are missing any port numbers, then that means those devices were disabled in the bios. Turn them back on so that the OS can see the ports)


Note that this should work for any machine spec'd like mine. If you have another on-board GPU, you may need to do a few things different. Use Aida64 to confirm what you have inside your machine and on what ports. Also you can use support.dell.com to input your Service Tag# and see what the original configuration of your machine was when it shipped. The E6500 implementation is actually pretty simple unless you make it hard on yourself, so just follow my steps. Note that I went with a PE4H+EC because I plan to attempt a 2x link. You can go with the PE4L if you have no plans on trying a 2x link.

1) Confirm you do not have more than 3GB of RAM in your laptop. This will not work if you have 4GB or more. Confirm your bios is A24.

2) Boot your machine and run your initial benchmarks on your internal GPU. Record your results and shut down the laptop.

3) Assemble your DIY ViDock. Plug your GTX460 into it, attach the miniHDMI and Express Card. Hook up your power supply to the GPU and PE4. Attached your monitor to the GTX460.

4) Turn on the power supply. Confirm you get a green light on the PE4. Insert EC into slot. Turn on your monitor.

5) Boot your laptop up and you should boot right into Windows. Windows will automatically detect the GTX460 and download the latest driver. Let that download complete

5b) If your system did not boot all the way into Windows, power down the machine and try again. Double check you are on A24 bios (I was on A22 and laptop would freeze at Windows logo). If you still cannot boot straight in, then boot without the EC plugged in, go to stand-by, plug in EC and come out of stand-by. (SIDENOTE: For me, stand-by inserts do not work. GTX460 shows without a driver when I do this and I lose sound and usb ports. However I can boot with the EC plugged in and everything powered up without a problem)

6) At this point, you may be able to access the NVidia control panel and switch output over to the external monitor. If so, go into device manager and disable the HD Audio devices and you are done. Run your second round of benchmarks and let everyone know what your results are. If you are getting any error codes, then move on to 7. If your sound is not working then see 6b.

6b) This sucks and I would love a permanent fix for it if someone has it. So when the GTX460 driver installed, it automatically installed the drivers for the HD Audio to work through the card. But these kill the on-board sound. I believe it is because they both end up sharing IRQ16 (at least on my machine). To fix, just download the latest sound driver from Dell Support and install. Do not reboot after installing and the sound will come back. It doubly sucks because you will have to do this every time you use the card. If you reboot without the card attached, sound works fine. But booting up with the card plugged in, you will have to re-install drivers to get sound working.

7) If you are here, then you probably did something to make it harder on yourself than you had too, like I did. So here is how to fix it. First disconnect the ViDock. If the machine is on, then power down, disconnect and reboot. Next we need to completely remove any traces of NVidia drivers from the system. Go into add/remove programs and uninstall all things NVidia. If you get errors during uninstall, don't worry about it. Also note that it may take a long time for drivers to uninstall. If prompted to reboot, do not. Next go into Device Manager and under view, show hidden devices. Uninstall the GTX460 and the associated HD Audio devices. Reboot if prompted.

8) Go back into Device Manager and remove the NVS 160M. You screen will go to standard VGA. Pay attention to what the NVS 160M device icon now looks like in device manager. Disable your wireless card via your wireless switch and shutdown.

9) Connect the ViDock and boot up. Upon coming back into Windows, your wireless should be off so it won’t grab the driver from Windows Update. Cancel any driver installs it may attempt. Use the 266.58 driver I had you download earlier and manually update the driver for the GTX460 in device manager. The GTX 460 will be the icon that was not there at the end of step 8. Reboot when prompted.

10) Go back into device manager and manually install the 267.76 driver to the NVS 160M. Reboot if prompted.

11) You should now be able to access NVidia control panel and switch output over to the external monitor. Sound is probably not working so see step 6b.

12) In the NVidia control panel, set PhysX config so that it is processed on the CPU.


At first, I was not happy with my results because I was looking at other peoples setups that were getting 10,000 plus on 3DMark06, but then I messed with the RE5 benchmark and then finally launched Shogun 2. It was a night and day difference from what I was getting before. I still have a few questions however.

1) Aside from making sure PhysX is set to use CPU, what other recommended settings do people have for the 3D Settings in NVidia Control Panel. For example, I have CUDA-GPUs set to both GPU's, should that be limited to just the GTX460?

2) Aside from disabling HD Audio in device manager, are there any other tweaks I can do to maximize my 1x connection?

3) Does it make sense for me to attempt use Setup 1.x? Based on my understanding from reading, there would be no gain in my situation unless I was ready to try a 2x connection.

4) Has anyone tried the Setup 1.x 36bit relocation on a E6500 that was using bios version A24? Does it still fail?

5) Any new ideas/suggestions on how to get around the 3GB memory limit?

Hopefully this has been helpful. Happy gaming!

 

search for HD audio's device id in windows\inf and move those .inf and .pnf
somewhere. That's how I got rid of 5750's audio HD.

Here's an example:
oem26.inf
.....
%HdAudioDeviceDescription% = HdAudModel, HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_1002&DEV_ AA01&SUBSYS_00AA0100&REV_1000
Yours will look differently since it's nvidia.

 

You can quickly and easily generate a list of installed device drivers by opening a CMD window and typing:
pnputil.exe -e

 

Nando - apologies, I misread what you wrote. You suggested that I try a x1E setup but I mistakenly read what you wrote as suggesting that I try a x2 setup. D'oh!

I have now done as you suggested and removed the WiFi card from my laptop. The port numbering for the laptop's PCI Express Controllers is now:

PCI-E 1.0 x1 port #1
In Use @ x1 (Marvell Yukon 88E8053 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller)

PCI-E 1.0 x1 port #3
In Use @ x1 (AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series [1002-6739] [NoDB])


In other words, port 2 is not being used (and there is no port 4).

With this new arrangement, I re-tested my computer using the RE5 and 3D Mark tests. I discovered no significant change.

x1 test results
RE5.var: 56
3dMark06: 9651

x1E test results
RE5.var: 52.8
3dMark06: 9658


Perhaps the x1E anomaly does not occur with Apple motherboards.

 

Can anyone post their Vidock case on a special topic? (everyone)





EDIT: Oops sorry for posting, there is a non-elegant title post for this, http://forum.notebookreview.com/gam.../473780-please-post-your-diy-vidock-pics.html

 

For what purpose?

 

To quickly find the relevant INF file. I thought it possible that some people might interpret your suggestion (about searching for the HD Audio INF file) to mean that they should individually open each INF file until they found the correct one.

 

Hello,

I have ordered all DIY Vidock set to set up my XPS m1330 with GTX460

my setup is almost identical to Flaunt's except CPU

Laptop : Dell XPS m1330
CPU : T9300
Original Graphics Card : 8400M GS
RAM : 4GB
OS : Win7 64bit
Vidock Setup : ExpressCard PE4L

I was using GTX460 SE model, but i couldn't get it to work for days, looking back to this blog, so i went and switched it over to regular GTX460 model from EVGA.
But nothing has changed, it would still not load up.

Since Flaunt has mentioned that he didn't have to install any of the vidock softwares, i have tried every combination possible without.
Booting with the Card powered and connected, connecting when my computer is at sleep, and just plain PNP when it is up.

When i connect the card before booting, device manager shows that my GTX460 is working. But 8400M shows error 12.
and it does not show any option to use GTX460. Aren't i supposed to see something in Resolution? it just shows as 'default monitor' without any other option.

Connecting the card during sleep and just simple PNP gives me same problem. it says that there is not driver for GTX460, and 8400M fails with error 12.
also, just like Flaunt's case, all the device on USB including internal bluetooth goes off. becoming very annoying since i can't use my wireless keyboard and mouse anymore.

I have tried using nvidia driver 258.96 and 266.58. i got both of notebook and desktop versions to install for 266.58, but desktop version of 258.96 just won't install.

almost every device that i don't utilize are disabled (taking Flaunt's advice). fingerprint, SD reader, HD audio, Ethernet card, webcam are all disabled.

It has been almost a week trying to make this work...
i am so close to just returning everything and going to Ebay to sell it off..
Please help as soon as you can.

 

Here is a pic of my setup at work. DIY ViDock even works while my Latitude is docked. Dual ports on the monitor, so I route the output from the GTX460 to it as well. Makes the setup real clean



I also just realized that by doing this, I just may be able to get 6 monitors going at once. Nivida Control panel is showing me my current dual monitors as well as the second input on my main monitor. I had my laptop screen open and that lcd showed up as well. So I potentially could have 2 monitors from the dock, 2 monitors from the GTX460, 1 monitor from the laptop and the laptop LCD screen. That's just sick! But no telling what the performance would be like driving all those screens.

Running RE5 on my 24" at 1920x1200 with anti-aliasing at 8x and motion blur on with everything else high, dropped my framerate down to 35fps.

 

fulloffeel,

Don't give up man, it will be so worth it when you finally got it working.

I have not read Flaunt's post, but here are my suggestions:
1) Drop down to just 2GB for the time being so the Dell ram issue is a non-issue.
2) Start from step 7 of my long post here

I have a m1330 here at the office. If I get a chance later this week, I will try to get my DIY Vidock working on it and let you know what I did to get it to work.

 

It would be awesome if you can try m1330 for me.
i think im gonna have to hold back trying your method till weekend.
gotta catch up on school work.

Question. if i take out of one of 2GB ram, and get it to work, does that mean i will be 2GB short whenever im using Vidock?
i need ram more than graphics in my case....if that is the reason, i can't give it up

but for the sake of process of elimination, i will try

thank you so much for your encouragement too!!

 

I have found out various issues when using an external GPU that has the same brand as the internal built. I'm running into the same issues as you described (external not working, driver issues) so I switched to ATI and started being happy.

 

Well, I've been thinking about this seriously for the last few days.
I've come to the conclusion that really graphic intensive gaming should be done on my Xbox 360.

The only game I'm likely to play is Minecraft.
Will this card work with the PE4L and my Inspiron 1545 with an Intel 4500MHD?
Will I be able to play Minecraft on high?
Would I be pushing it too far to play it on a 1920x1080i 23" monitor?
I don't think it would be pushing it, I can run Minecraft on low with a little bit of lag with my standard Intel 4500MHD.

 

would you suggest trying ATI, like HD5670?

 

As far as i know MineCraft is a very CPU intensive game much like GTA4.
I doubt upgrading your GPU will improve your gaming experience much if the CPU is indeed the bottleneck.
Building a DIY Vidock solely for the purpose of MineCraft is a complete waste imo. Ofcourse i could be wrong, anyone?

---

This page (eGPU experiences) is a running summary of this 350+ page thread best viewed by setting NotebookReview Style in bottom left page corner​
x1.Opt tweak: Please help make us heard! Add to this NVidia thread asking for help getting Optimus running on more systems, and/or making the PCI-E link compression available without the use of Optimus. -Khenglish
		experiences.			.	.	N E W S ​	.	.	(06-01-11) NVidia Verde 275.33 released (05-31-11) Thunderbolt eGPU product preview (05-30-11) Troubleshooting FAQ page created (05-30-11) [email protected] impl. (05-30-11) [email protected] impl. (05-29-11) Volunteers: DIYViDock->eGPU rename (04-28-11) hwtool's PM3N 1.2 for mPCIe now avail (01-01-11) DIY ViDock Setup v1.0e8 released	.

Introduction - The Let's figure out how to make a ViDock thread has produced a PE4L and a x2/x4-link capable PE4H product, either of which can host a pci-e RAID, soundcard or a desktop video card. This thread is dedicated to the practical application of these products to attach a desktop external Graphics Processing Unit to a notebook via the expresscard or mPCIe slot. Ideally this thread is a place for users to share installation and performance details for others to duplicate or reference.

​ * Graw/TWE/MafiaII 12" Len.X201t+HD5770 * StarcraftII 13"_Dell_M1330+GTX460 * Star Trek Online 15"_Macbook Pro+GT240
Gaming videos running on eGPU or ViDock implementations	US$55 PE4L-EC2C (expresscard) or PE4L-PM3N (mPCIe) products	HP 2530P setup using NVidia Optimus to play MafiaII on the internal LCD	Sony VPC-Z11 running 3 displays: 1 via onboard graphics, 2 via eGPU	HP 2510P: [mPCIe] Swapping wifi card with PM3N via underside covers

A compact US$200 12V/120W HD5750 kit was tested on a 14" T6600-2.2 Inspiron 1440 and a ATX PSU driven US$250 GTX460 was tested on a 12.1" [email protected] HP 2530P. Even at x1 1.0 pci-e link speed (2.5GT/s), the performance difference b/w a desktop gpu and onboard 4500MHD of these notebooks is staggering. The Inspiron 1440 using the x1E tweak saw 3dmark06 go from 866 to 9551. RE5 benchmark went from an unplayable 4.1FPS to a very playabe 60.9FPS. The HP 2530P 's x1.Opt link saw 3dmark06 increase over 12 times to 12585 and RE5 gave an average of 84FPS, even allowing the internal LCD to be driven by the external desktop gpu.

If you run Win7 exclusively it is very easy to enable the desktop gpu without a reboot. Just standby the system, plug in the PE4L, resume, Win7 detects the desktop gpu and reverts back to how you have your desktop setup (eg: HD5750 as primary or extended display). Easy.

[/URL] Table Of Contents

pros/cons of an eGPU	A summary of the pros and cons of an eGPU solution.
Pre-purchase FAQ	Answers to questions before you commit.
Getting started[/URL]	Parts/software/info for a successful implementation.
Troubleshooting FAQ
Answers to common setup problems.
Performance: ATI versus NVidia benchmark results Performance: Scaling Analysis[/URL]	Compares ATI and NVidia setups on the same hardware. Compare performance over x1, x1E, x1.Opt, x2, x2E links
Implementations: Examples Implementations: Macbook Implementations: CUDA/GPU applications Implementations: non-video PCIe cards	A table of eGPU implementations by NBR users. Implementations on Mac systems. Implementations using the GPU for applications+computation. Non-video card implementations
Archived News	Misc other articles

pros-cons[/URL] Pros and cons

Pros

• Inexpensive: US$65-shipped PE4L with HD5770+120W=$200, GTS450+120W=$200, GTX460+430W=$200, GT430+72W=$130, HD5670+72W=$140. Add $66 (hwtools) or $62 (HIT) for a x2 capable kit using a PE4H.
• can be used on any system with an accessible expresscard OR mPCIe slot
• See 10 times or more increase in video performance
• Can have Internal LCD-only setup: NVidia Optimus or Ultramon/Chung-Gun method.
• Desktop video card can provide additional HDMI video+audio, s-video and VGA out
• provide dual-link DVI connection for 2560x1600 LCDs
• allows multi-monitor connectivity:
  -ATI Eyefinity to provide up to 3 LCDs attached to any HD54xx or better card.
  -ATI 5870 Eyefinity edition providing up to 6 LCDs off a single card.
  -ATI FirePro 2450, 2450x1, and 2460 to drive up to 4 monitors from a low power card
  -NVidia Surround can connect up to 2 LCDs. Note: NVidia 3D surround requires a SLI setup.
• Easy, on-demand attachment without a reboot if running Win7
• Can be reused after a system upgrade, or shared amongst multiple systems
• See an extra 30-60% in performance when attached to an expresscard 2.0 system, or do a x2 1.0 setup
• Provides an additional USB port when connected to expresscard slot
• Time-share your desktop video card b/w your desktop and notebook system.
• Perform CUDA processing for applications that support it like Adobe CS5/Premier [NVidia-gfx only]
• Ability to use physX/hybrid physX & game detail
• Components can become a stepping stone to a full deskop system if want higher performance

Cons

• Requires 12V PSU to drive the desktop video card
• requires an external LCD/CRT/TV to connect to display at highest FPS
• may require booting eGPU Setup 1.x from a disk image or USB stick to overcome error 12 issues
• restricted bandwidth: a x1/x2/x4 link represents 1/16, 1/8 or 1/4 the bandwidth of a x16 slot.

prepurchase Pre-purchase FAQ

1. How does a eGPU differ from a Villagetronic ViDock3/4?

Spoiler

The Villagetronic ViDock 3/4 is in essence a PE4L packaged together in nice chassis with a PSU. eGPU's flexibility makes it imho an overall better solution over ViDock 3/4. Consider the eGPU's advantages:

• significantly cheaper: US$77-delivered PE4L versus US$215-delivered for the ViDock3. A GTX460-768MB eGPU setup works out to be US$230 cheaper, or half the cost of an equivalent Vidock4+ GTX460 setup. Costs can be reduced further by recycling or salvaging power supplies with savings put towards a higher grade gpu, a cpu upgrade OR even towards a system upgrade that's a better eGPU candidate.
  
  
• less losses to try: can try and if unsatisfied, can resell on ebay with minimal losses. Villagetronic's strict return policy means higher ebay reselling losses.
  
  
• has eGPU Setup 1.x software to overcome error 12: cannot allocate resources issues.
  
  
• developed the x1E tweak and custom NVidia Optimus drivers to deliver highest possible performance. DNA drivers for ATI cards are available too.
  
  
• mPCIe AND expresscard systems are supported. Villagetronic only caters to expresscard systems.
  
  
• PCI reset delay circuit to boot past problematic bios with unit switched on (PE4L 1.5+/PE4H 2.4+).
  
  
• x2 capable on some systems: x2 1.0 provides ~60% better performance than x1 1.0.
  
  
• can add PSU to match your video card.
  
  
• has inexpensive eGPU enclosure examples if you want an enclosure.
  
  
• unrestricted video card sizes or cooling space: Not limited by chassis package dimensions.
  
  
• PE4H allows desktop video card to be hosted externally and shared b/w notebook and desktop (@x4 2.0 speed via P4HA).
  
  
• extensive user submitted experiences to replicate and set realistic performance expectations.
  
  
• uses a replacable US$6-delivered mini HDMI interconnect cable
  
  
• a NBR creation: came from a global community to serve a global community

2. Can I make this work using just my notebook's LCD display?

Spoiler

The desktop video card outputs to it's HDMI/VGA/DVI connector. The notebook's LCD display uses a LVDS input on your systemboard with no external jack to connect to it. Meaning then they cannot be physically connected together unless adapt a US$30 ebay kits allowing external input to the internal LCD as discussed, which only quite an advanced user would ever attempt.

There are however these less drastic ways of getting your accelerated graphics card to render to the internal LCD, all of which will have lower performance than when running using an external LCD:

• NVidia Optimus driver provide a transparent internal LCD cloning mode for systems with 4500MHD/HD primary video when using a NVidia GTS4xx/GTX4xx card.
  
  
• Ultramon/Chung Gun method can clone from the desktop graphics window to the internal LCD for windowed games/apps.
  
  
• USB 3.0 framegrabbers have sufficient bandwidth to capture the image from the desktop video card and pipe it back to your notebook's display.

It is not feasible to use USB 2.0 framegrabbers. The desktop video card outputs HDMI/S-Video. To try to clone the output from the desktop video card via a USB frame grabber can be done, but consider say 1280x800x32-bit = 4MB per image. If gaming at 30FPS that's 120MB/s bandwidth required. USB 2.0 is 480Mbps (60MB/s in *best case* scenario.. more like 30MB/s in real-life).

3. I don't have an expresscard slot. Can I still do a eGPU?

Spoiler

Yes, if have an accessible mini pci-e (mPCIe) slot via the underside covers that works with your wifi card then could use a PE4L-PM3N or PE4H-PM3N mPCIe setup. The example HP 2510P and Lenovo X61T both do a PM3N mPCIe-based eGPU.

NOTE: WWAN mPCIe slots with only USB pins cannot do a eGPU. USB-to-expresscard adapters cannot be used since it just uses the 480Mbps USB pins. mini pci slots can't be used. Can see the difference bw mini pci and mini pci-e here.

4. (Performance) What affects the performance of a eGPU/ViDock?

Spoiler

The x1 1.0 pci-e link restricts performance from normal desktop levels. PCI-E Scaling Analysis shows x16, x2 and x1 performance. Compared to x16 2.0 we can summarize that there is 50% performance loss at x1 1.0 and 20% performance loss at x2 1.0 link speeds. Or x2 1.0 is 60% faster than x1 1.0. ViDock and hwtools PE4L are using the same x1 expresscard/mPCIe pins so we will get exactly the same performance using either solution. Only ways either solution will see improved performance is by:

RE5 Config Resolution FPS [email protected] HD4670-1GB x1 1.0 W7/DX9 1280x800 34.7

1280x1024 32.5 1680x1050 27.6 1920x1080 25.3

Spoiler

Performance Scaling with resolution

• petition ATI to get full duplex performance on Intel chipsets without needing the x1E tweak.
  
  
• petition NVidia to roll the Optimus performance tweak into their standard desktop driver as shown here
  
  
• Try 3rd party tweaked drivers. Realistically only giving < 10% better performance.
  
  
• wait for expresscard 2.0, with it's x1 2.0 providing ~60% faster performance than x1 1.0.
  
  
• Link two x1 expresscard and/or mPCIe ports to get a x2 link, like hwtools' PE4H does.
  
  
• If system supports it, overclock the pci-e bus using setfsb. Eg: 100->105 yields a 3.3% RE5 FPS increase.
  
  
• minimise pci-e traffic by disabling hypermemory/turbomemory and video card's HDMI soundcard.

5. (Performance) Can my system do a PE4H x2 or x4 link as shown in PCI-E Scaling Analysis?

Spoiler

hwtools' PE4H has made provision to allow compatible 2xmPCIe ports, or mPCIe+expresscard ports to be combined to form a x2 port. To identify what is possible, find your Intel I/O chipset below to identify what ports can be combined to create a x2 or x4 width link.

Intel Chipset max# pci-e ports x2 link x4 link ICH7M 4 p1+2, p3+4* p1+2+3+4 ICH8M/ICH9M/HM55 6 p1+2, p3+4*, p5+6 Series-5 PM55/HM5x/QM57 8 p1+2, p3+4*, p5+6,p7+p8^ p1+2+3+4, p5+6+7+8 Series-6 HM6x, QM6x 8 N/A N/A

2510P's port

DV2000's port

*=switches port1+2 into x2 mode. ^switches port5+6 into x2 as well. An Intel limitation. N/A=feature locked into BIOS flash descriptor

Other combinations to get x2/x4 ports such as p1+3, p2+4 do not work! In example above, the 2510P can't do a x2 link since it has only the 1 physical mPCIe slot. You'll notice on the 2510P port1 is enabled - it's a root port that must be enabled for *any* port to work. 2510P's port1 is not physically connected. The DV2000 has expresscard=port1, mPCIe=port3, mPCIe=port4. So the DV2000 can do a x2 link using the 2 mPCIe slots as port3+4.

The best way to identify your port layout is to insert a expresscard e-sata card and see what port it reports as being on, then checking too the wifi card. If have multiple mPCIe slots, worth swapping the wifi aiming for a port1+2, port3+4 or port5+6 setup.

NOTE: port1 is the root port and must be enabled for any of the ports to work. On quite a few systems this is just a phantom port with no electrical connections to a mPCIe or expresscard slot.

Where can I find schematics of my systemboard to find port layout? Try laptopdesktopschematic, lqv77, GSM-extreme, notebookschematic and a general google search.

Related: How do I enable port1-port6 if bios has disabled them? Use eGPU Setup's 'iport on'.
Related: How do I setup a x2 1.0 link? Use eGPU Setup's 'iport x2 [port]'.

6. (Performance) What recommended candidate notebooks should I buy for best performance?

Spoiler

Performance will be determined by pci-e bandwidth available, which is ranked from highest->lowest below and and if the notebook has Intel HD or 4500MH primary graphics so is NVidia Optimus capable.

1. pci-e 2.0 series-6 chipsets providing equivalent to x2 1.0 bandwidth. Current ATI cards appears to be running crippled half-duplex links on Intel pci-e ports. Compare HD5750@x2 and HD5770@x2E and techpowerup's HD5870 x1 2.0 results. Series-6 chipsets might deliver x1 2.0 *full duplex* with ATI cards, or 4 times more bandwidth than what ATI cards appear to be getting on series-5 or older chipsets.

2. a Intel-chipset system that allows a x2 link by ganging port1+port2, port3+port4, port5+port6 using mPCIe+expresscard or mPCIe+mPCIe slots. Note: using a x2 port3 affects port1/port2 operation since it sets port1 into x2 mode.

3. series-4 or older Intel-chipset system that allows a x1E link off an odd numbered port for ATI cards OR an AMD/NVidia chipset that provides full x1 1.0 performance using an ATI card​

Evaluate your notebook's onboard graphics: 4500MHD or newer IGP allows 64-bit relocation, so has no 3GB+ memory issues. ATI Catalyst 10.6 supporting 36/64-bit allocation with the right chipset/CPU combo. 4500MHD or Intel HD allows NVidia Optimus superior performance with latest Fermi Nvidia cards.

7. (Performance) How could manufacturers make eGPU x2 2.0 notebooks?

Spoiler

UPDATE 2-24-2011 The Apple+Intel Thunderbolt port is a x2 2.0 external pci-e port. Perfect for high performance eGPU purposes.

As it appears there is no desire to make an external graphics port standard it can do be done effectively another way. All that is required are 12-18.4" notebooks with:

• 2x34mm Intel expresscards 2.0 ports electrically configured as either port1+port2 or port5+port6. Doable with series-6 chipsets.
  
  
• switchable HDMI input back into the internal LCD to route the external GPU output to like the Clevo X8100 provides.

In addition provide a bios that

• can set port1+port2 or port5+port6 as x2 width.
  
  
• performs correct PCI allocation when attach a desktop video card to it.

Such a notebook will be perfect for eGPU purposes, offering the equivalent of x4 1.0 in bandwidth. Performance then would be ~95% of when using a desktop gpu with full x16 2.0 bandwidth.

Only dilemma for manufacturers being such notebooks would become a serious competitor to bulky expensive gaming notebooks that have poor battery life.

8. My system has switchable graphics. Can I still do a eGPU?

Spoiler

Yes you can. Setup 1.x's (Video card->Hybrid Graphics.dedicated=off) allows the dedicated graphics component to be completely disabled on Series-5 or older chipsets, freeing up 32-bit resources to host the desktop video card. If your primary video card is a Intel 4500MHD or HD then can even do a x1.Opt NVidia setup. Series-6 (Sandy Bridge) notebooks do not allow the dedicated graphics to be disabled in this way anymore.

9. My Villagetronic ViDock2/3/4 isn't working. Can you help?

Spoiler

I've never used a Villagetronic Vidock so am not familiar with their hardware. Consider then opening a support ticket on Villagetronic's support page or asking for help on the Villagetronic community Facebook page. If Villagetronic can't provide a working solution then consider obtaining a refund from them.

gettingstarted Getting Started See Techradar's How to make an external laptop graphics adaptor article for an overview.

1. What parts do I need and where can I buy them?

Spoiler

Above: Fujitsu S710 eGPU implementation - US$85 PE4H-EC2C(comes with SWEX and PCIEMM-030) plus a HD5770+ATX PSU

1. The expresscard or mPCIe to pci-e adapter. See related 2. Can my system use PE4H's x2 1.0.. in FAQ

x1 or x2 link mode<sup>1</sup>​		x2 link mode​
US$55 PE4L-EC2C or PE4L-PM3N US$10/$22 shipping (HIT/hwtools)	US$85 PE4H-EC2C or PE4H-PM3N US$10/$22 shipping (HIT/hwtools)	US$85 PE4H-EC2C or PE4H-PM3N US$20 PM3N US$10 PCIEMM-100 US$28 shipping
US$65/$77 (HIT/hwtools)	US$95/$107 (HIT/hwtools)	US$143 (hwtools)

HIT: Harmonic Inversion Technology. A North American distributor of hwtool's PE4H-EC2C/PE4L-EC2C with cheaper shipping.
¹ buying the PE4H means can acquire parts later to do a x2 link | PE4H is supplied with SWEX
Recommend: an extra US$6-shipped DX mini hdmi cable. 2 users requiring a replacement part for the setup to work.

Amfeltec has a cheaper x1 1.0 mPCIe kit starting at US$29 here and here.

2. A video card of your choice

Review next item 2. Which video card do you recommend for best performance on my system? to determine if an ATI or NVidia solution will perform better on your setup.

3. A suitable power supply to drive your video card

Can determine how much power you require by counting the number of 6 or 8-pin pci-e connectors on your video card. The total power required to drive it will then be:

75W for the slot ¹
+ 75W for each 6-pin pci-e connector
+ 150W for each 8-pin pci-e connector

¹: Can be supplied using either the DC or the floppy molex jack. The DC jack differs on the PE4L and PE4H: PE4L takes 12V input, PE4H takes 15-20V (regulated) > 84W. The AC adapter must have a 2.5mm/5.5mm or 2.5mm/5mm barrel end to use the DC jack. The floppy molex input is used with an ATX PSU..

Power can be supplied by using either an ATX PSU or AC adapters. Can also split AC adapter power to supply a pci-e connector as shown here.

Refer also to ithildin's and serialk11r's PSU recomendations for details on how to read the PSU labelling. 430W may actually mean it only supplies 168W for our purposes!!

NEW! 2. Which video card do you recommend for best performance on my system? 3. What software setup do I need to make this work?

Spoiler

You just need video card drivers for your chosen operating system. This will be available for download from www.amd.com (ATI/AMD) or www.nvidia.com (NVidia).

Or custom NVidia Optimus, DNA drivers for ATI cards are available too.

eGPU Setup 1.x may also be required if encounter error 12: cannot allocate resources in Device Manager or have specific port requirements such as x1E, x2, x2E link widths or mPCIe antiwhitelisting. Click link for more details.

4. I'm using an ATX power supply to power my graphics card. How do I switch it on?

Spoiler

PE4H is supplied with a SWEX, a small switched circuitboard used to power on/off the ATX PSU. The SWEX is a US$5 accessory that can be purchased with the PE4L if buying from hwtools. The alternative is do the paperclip trick to switch on the PSU.

5. What cable connects PE4L/PE4H to EC2C/PM3N and is it replaceable?

Spoiler

It's a mini_hdmi to mini_hdmi cable. Cheapest replacement being $US6-shipped DX 1.5m cable confirmed to work here.

6. [mPCIe] What can I do to make it easier to connect the mini hdmi cable to the PM3N?

Spoiler

Could consider a cutout hole on the bottom plastic cover to provide an access point if you otherwise need to remove covers to get to it. OR could permanently attach PM3N internally, threading through a flat mini HDMI cable + adapter. The adapter would go on the PE4H/PE4L end. The bulb of the cable can be dremelled to sit more flush as shown here.

7. Why does my video card fail with an error 12: cannot allocate resources in Device Manager? See Troubleshooting FAQ - Q3.

Troubleshooting FAQ: answers to common setup problems.

RE5 1280x800-variable, 3dmark06 1280x1024, +optional any other current games.

System +owner's lounge	CPU	RAM GB	Video Card +enclosure	benchmk &OC		Setup Details
				3Dmk6	RE5.var	Experience		Setup<sup>1</sup>​	Ports<sup>2</sup>​	OS
Sandy Bridge x1 2.0	i5/i7	??	[email protected]	21911?	130?	Coming June 2011			HM6x: EC/mPCIe QM6x: EC/mPCIe	Win7/64
		??	[email protected]	??	??
15" Dell XPS15 L502x	i7-2720QM 2.2	6.0	[email protected]	18024	-	wicked20		Y	HM67: mPCIe	Win7/64
13" Sony_VPC-Z11	i7-620M 2.66	8.0	[email protected]	16270	117.5	pyr0		-	HM57: EC	Win7/64
13" Sony_VPC-Z13	i7-640M 2.80	8.0	[email protected]	15867 15546	-	kturnbull docusyn &		Y Y	HM57: EC	Win7/64
13" Sony_VPC-Z11	i7-620M 2.66	8.0	[email protected]	15623	116.0	MikjoA &		-	HM57: EC	Win7/64
15" Sager NP2096	[email protected]	4.0	GTX460@x2	11060	110.8	Khenglish & & &		Y	ICH9M: EC+mPCIe	Win7/64
14" Lenovo T410	i5-580M 2.66	8.0	[email protected]	15645	110.0	ittius		-	QM57: EC	Win7/64
13" Sony_VPC-Z12	i7-620M 2.66	8.0	[email protected]	15600	-	yuuma		-	HM57: EC	Win7/64
17" MSI CR720	i5-460M 2.53	3.0	[email protected]	14268	103.7	tootthebagal		-	HM55: EC	Win7/64
12" Lenovo_X201	i7-620M 2.66	4.0	[email protected]	14530	100.6	AgentYura		-	QM57: EC	Win7/64
12" HP 2540P	i7-640LM 2.13	4.0	[email protected]	14114	-	Skiddy		-	QM57: EC	Win7/64
12" Lenovo_X201	i5-540M 2.53	4.0	[email protected]	13910	-	shining.at &		Y	QM57: EC	Win7/64
12" HP 2540P	i7-640LM 2.13	4.0	[email protected]	13742	-	allister		-	QM57: EC	Win7/32
14" HP 8440P	i5-540M 2.53	6.0	[email protected]	13702	-	Ramizs &		-	QM57: EC	Win7/64
14" HP DV4-2000	i5-430M 2.26	4.0	GTX470@x2<strike>.Opt</strike>	9226	102.2	nando4		Y	HM55: mPCIe x2	Win7/64
14" HP DV4-2000	i5-430M 2.26	4.0	[email protected]	13205	100.8	nando4		-	HM55: EC	Win7/64
12" Lenovo X201s	i7-640LM 2.13	8.0	[email protected]	12929	98.5	Initial D		-	QM57: EC	Win7/64
16" Dell XPS 1645	i7-740QM 1.73	8.0	HD6950	13946	94.6	ronvalencia &		-	PM55: EC	Win7/64
13" Dell_E4310	i5-520M 2.4	4.0	HD6850	12994	84.0	mattlach &		-	QM57: EC	Win7/64
14" Lenovo_T410s	i5-520M 2.4	4.0	HD5850.2GB	12765	-	wilse &		-	QM57: EC	Win7/64
12" HP 2530P	[email protected]	4.0	[email protected]	12585	84.0	nando4		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
14" Lenovo_T400	T9400-2.53	4.0	[email protected]	11883	-	apollo-fox		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
14" Sony_CW	i5-520M 2.4	4.0	HD5770	11758	78.3	anarkie		-	PM55: EC	Win7/64
15" Lenovo T510	i5-520M 2.4	4.0	HD5770	11748	-[/URL]	katamari &		Y	QM57: EC	Win7/64
14" HP 6930P	P8800-2.66	4.0	[email protected]	11711	-	Legu314		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
15" Clevo M860TU	[email protected]	4.0	HD5850@x2E	11761	78.3	jamesbond007		Y	ICH9M: EC+mPCIe	Win7/64
			HD5770@x2E&amp;	11393	77.4
14" Lenovo T400	T9900-3.06	8.0	HD5850	11623	-	jessea510		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
15" Toshiba A665	i3-350M 2.26	4.0	[email protected]	11583	-[/URL]	masterjumong2012			HM55: EC	Win7/32
13" Dell_XPS 1340	P9600-2.66	6.0	HD5770+green	11548	76.1	Stacky & x1E-type			MCP79: EC	Win7/64
12" Lenovo X201T	i7-620LM 2.13	4.0	HD5770	11400	-	MechOz		-	QM57: EC	Win7/64
12" Lenovo_X200	P8700-2.53	2.0	[email protected]	11308	??	ithildin
-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/32
13" Sony_VPC-Z11	i7-620M 2.66	6.0	HD5750+basic	12059	68.7*	joseph_lin		Y	HM57: EC	Win7/64
17" Clevo M570RU	[email protected]	2.0	HD5850	11120	-	Gershom		-	ICH8M: EC	Win7/64
15" Lenovo W500	T9400-2.53	6.0	[email protected]	11000	-	marteng		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
14" HP 6930P	T9800-2.93	2.0	HD6850	10906	-	giux787		Y	ICH9M: EC	Win7/32
14" Lenovo_T400	P8600-2.4	3.0	[email protected]	10780	??	becak
-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
13" Dell_E4300<sup>4</sup>	SP9400-2.4	2.0	[email protected]	10317	73.2	avlan &		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
12" HP 2730P	[email protected] [email protected]	4.0	[email protected]+ +sheetmetal	10598 10320	70.9	thendless & Agent 9		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
15" Tos.L305-S5921	T9300-2.5	2.0	GTX460	-	69.2	kizakisu		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/32
20" HP_HDX9000	[email protected]	4.0	GTX260@x2	6000	-	kindheart		Y	ICH8M: EC+mPCIe	Win7/64
15" Dell E6500	T9400-2.53	2.0	GTX460	5233	-	LOGIC 3[/URL]		N	ICH9M[/URL]: EC	Win7/64
14" Asus_F8SA/P	T9300-2.5	4.0	GTX460	5221	68.2	ithildin		Y	ICH8M: EC	Win7/64
15" Acer EX5620Z	[email protected]	4.0	GTX460.7	5160	-	masterjumong2012			ICH8M: EC	Win7/64
14" Asus_F8SA/P	T9300-2.5	4.0	HD5750@x1E	10499	66.1	ithildin		Y	ICH8M: EC	Win7/64
13" Dell_XPS 1340	P8400-2.26	4.0	HD5770	10344	65.2	Kristoffer x1E-type			MCP79: EC	Win7/64
14" HP_Pavilion DV4	P8600-2.4	4.0	HD5750@x1E	10151	64.0 &amp;	nando4		Y	ICH9M: mPCIe	Win7/64
12" Lenovo_X201s	i7-640LM 2.13	4.0	HD5850	7887	64.2	ashura		-	QM57: EC	Win7/64
17" Apple MBP	T7600-2.33	3.0	HD6850	9618	61.9	ajscorpio[/URL]		N	ICH7M[/URL]: EC	Win7/32
13" Dell_E4300	SP9400-2.4	3.0	HD5850.2GB	10749	60.9	wvr &		Y	ICH9M: EC	Win7
15" Dell_D830<sup>3</sup>	T7300-2.0	4.0	HD5870	8668	60.9	trinsic nz		-	ICH8M: EC	Win7/64
14" Dell_Insp.1440	T6600-2.2	4.0	[email protected]	10264	58.4	nando4 &		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/32
			HD5750@x1E	9551 &amp;	60.9 &amp;	nando4		Y	ICH9M: EC
			HD4870.2GB@x1E	9188	57.0
15" Dell_XPS M1530	T9300-2.5	4.0	GTX460	5059	-	vremix		-	ICH8M: EC	Win7/64
13" Dell_XPS M1330	T8300-2.4	4.0	GTX460	5182	59.2	flaunt &		-	ICH8M: EC	Win7/64
13" LG P300	T8300-2.4	4.0	GTX460	5200	59.0*	junusa &		-	ICH8M: EC	Win7/64
13" Fujitsu T5010	P8600-2.4	4.0	HD5850+Raaco	10752	58.7	Max_Headroom		Y	ICH9M: EC	XP Win7/32
14" Lenovo_T400	T9400-2.53	4.0	HD5770	10214	??	royk50 & thinkpadfreund
-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
19" HP DV9690en	T7500-2.2	3.0	GTX460	4934	-	Max399		-	ICH8M: EC	Win7/64
15" Asus VX2S.lamb	T7500-2.2	2.0	GTX460	-	-	Kaighal		-	ICH8M[/URL]: EC	Win7/64
15" Compaq CQ60	QL62-2.1	2.0	GTX460	4862	-	vg19t &		-	MCP77[/URL]: mPCIe	Win7/64
15" Dell_D830	[email protected]	3.0	GTS450	4122	57.0	[Sander][/URL]		Y	ICH8M: EC	XP
14" Asus A8SR	T7500-2.2	3.0	HD5750@x1E	9237	55.5	villiankknd
-	ICH8M: EC	VHP/32
16" Sony VGN-FW45	P8700-2.53	4.0	HD5770	9829	54.9	ronvalencia
-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
13" Dell_M1330	T7500-2.2	2.0	GTX260	-	53.3*	hwtools		-	ICH8M: EC	Win7/64
13" Sony Z46GD	P9700-2.8	6.0	HD5770	10151	53.7	andeelym		Y	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
14" Lenovo T61p	T7300-2.0	3.0	GTX460	4827	53.6	bleuiko		-	ICH8M: EC	Win7/32
15" Dell_XPS M1530	T9300-2.5	3.0	HD5770+xb360	10058 &amp;	53.2	Scott1620 & lazyboy		-	ICH8M: EC	Win7/64
15" Dell_Studio 1555	T6500-2.1	4.0	HD5870	9297	TBA	Pyro515 &		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
14" Asus X42JR[/font]	i7-740M 1.73	4.0	HD4870	9133	-	d23durian		-	HM55[/URL]: mPCIe	Win7/64
12" Lenovo_X200	P8600-2.4	4.0	[email protected]	7496	52.0	hallucinate &		Y	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
16" Tosh.A505-6965	P7350-2.0	4.0	9800GT+SFF	3809	51.9	Oddious		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
15" MSI CR630	P320-2.1	4.0	HD6870	9089	-	Gausen		-	RS780M: EC	Win7/64
16" Acer 6930	T5800-2.0	4.0	[email protected]	9006	49.5	Rizzett		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
17" Acer_9525	T7200-2.0	4.0	GT240@x2 GT240@x1	5197 3464	47.0 37.3	JohnnyEM		Y	ICH7M: EC+mPCIe	Win7/64
17" HP DV71267CL	ZM86-2.4	4.0	HD5770	8848	46.5	Malumake & x1E-type			RS780M: EC	Win7/64
13" Dell_XPS M1330	T5750-2.0	4.0	HD5870	8500*	-	ruhtraeel		Y	ICH8M: EC	Win7/32
16" HP HDX16 18" HP HDX18T	P7550-2.26 QX9300-2.53	4.0 6.0	HD5750/GTX460 9600GT	8112 -	-	Panzer... & exe[/URL][/URL]		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
15" Dell_Insp 1520	T8300-2.4	3.0	GTS450@x2	7205	45.5	Moerf		Y	ICH8M: EC	Win7/32
12" HP_TX2	RM75-2.2	8.0	HD5770+CMElite	7865	42.4*	yuutsumi Chesniak		Y	RS780M: EC	Win7/64
15" MSI M610	RM76-2.3	2.0	HD5670	7850	-	rednaxela		-	RS780M: EC	XP
12" Fujitsu U9200	[email protected]	4.0	HD4870	7730	-	timohour		-	ICH8M: EC	Win7/64
13" Dell_XPS M1330	T8100-2.1	4.0	HD5670	7657	-	tan		Y	ICH8M: EC	Win7/64
12" HP 2510P	[email protected]	2.0	HD5750.HD4670	7341	44.8	nando4		Y	ICH8M: mPCIe	XP Win7/32
15" Son.VGN-NS110e	T3200-2.0	2.0	[email protected]+	8111	41.1	acer47ok		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/32
13" Dell_Vostro 1310	T7250-2.0	2.0	HD5670	7426	-	Lichtenstein		-	ICH8M: EC	Win7/64
15" Ak14-550t	T5500-1.66	2.0	HD5670@x1E	-	41.1	chung_gun		-	ICH7M: EC	Win7/32
16" GtWay MC7805E	P9500-2.53	1.5	HD4850	8495	40.6*	MexicanSnake		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
17" HP DV7-3020ED	M300-2.0	4.0	HD4870	8087	-	Adjai		Y	RS780: EC	Win7/64
15" Acer Ext.5620	T5750-2.0	2.0	HD4870	7314	-	Fardavid		-	ICH8M: EC	Win7/32
14" HP_Pav.DV2000	T2050-1.6	3.0	HD5750@x2	6735	38.5	nando4		Y	ICH7M: mPCIe x2	Win7/32
15" ASUS X59SL[/URL]	P8400-2.26	3.0	GTS450	4605	38.2	Jeykhob		-	SIS968: EC	Win7/64
15" Dell_Insp.E1505	T2300-1.66	2.0	HD5770+green	6948	??	Stacky		-	ICH7M: EC	Win7/32
			HD5750	6716	38.0	key001		-		XP
12" Lenovo_X61T	L7300-1.4	2.0	HD4870	6700?	-	Collaris112		-	ICH8M: mPCIe	Win7/32
14" Lenovo_T61	T7300-2.0	2.0	HD4850	6908	37.5	Muftobration		-	ICH8M: EC	Win7/??
14" HP dv2416US	TL56-1.8	2.0	9800GTX	-	34.9*	Shewtemup		-	MCP51: EC	Win7/32
15" Dell_Insp.1545	T4400-2.2	4.0	[email protected]	6047	-	bache &		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7/64
14" HP 6910P 14" HP NC6400	T7300-2.0? T7200-2.0?	4.0 3.0	HD5570	- 5872	- -	NosIreland & &		Y	ICH8M: EC ICH7M: EC	XP
12" Lenovo_X200	P8600-2.4	3.0	HD4670	-	-	grojules		-	ICH9M: EC	Win7
19" HP DV9225NR<sup>3</sup>	TL60-2.0	3.0		5558	34.2	carajillo		-	MPC51: EC	Win7/64
15" Acer 5720G	Txxx	???	HD4670@x1E	4825	26.9	SmellyGeekBoy		Y	ICH8M: EC	Win7/64
11" Acer 1410[/font][/URL]	SU3500-1.4	3.0	GTX460	4313	23.7	K5Doom & &		-	ICH9M: mPCIe	Win7/64
14" Lenovo_T60	T2400-1.83	??	GT240	2446	-	Kwisatch		-	ICH7M: EC	Win7/??

DX10-centric Performance: ensure physx is set to CPU in the NVidia control panel.

[TD][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-pavilion-notebooks/451065-official-hp-dv4i-owners-lounge.html#post5737817"][COLOR=RED][SIZE=1]14" HP DV4-2000[/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL][/TD][TD]i5-430M 2.26[TD]4.0[/TD][TD][SIZE=1]GTX470@x2<strike>.Opt</strike>[/SIZE][/TD][TD][URL="http://img59.imageshack.us/i/3dmarkvantagen.jpg/"]11183[/URL][/TD][TD][URL="http://img442.imageshack.us/i/devilmaycry4benchmarkdx.jpg/"]116.4[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-169.html#post6715285"][SIZE=1]nando4[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD]Y[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][URL="http://img227.imageshack.us/i/everestk.jpg/"]HM55[/URL]: mPCIe x2[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/64[/TD][/TD]

System +owner's lounge​	CPU​	RAM[br][/br]GB​	Video Card +enclosure	[B]3dmark[br][/br]vant.gpu[/B]	[B]dmcv4[br][/br]scene4[/B]	Setup Details​
						Experience​		[B]Setup<sup>1</sup>[/B]​	[B]Ports<sup>2</sup>[/B]​	OS​
15" Sager NP2096	[email protected]	4.0	GTX460@x2	11989	138.3	Khenglish & & &		Y	ICH9M: EC+mPCIe	Win7/64
13" Sony_VPC-Z11	i7-620M 2.66	8.0	[email protected]	17957	128.8	pyr0		-	HM57: EC	Win7/64
13" Sony_VPC-Z11	i7-620M 2.66	8.0	[email protected]	15426	117.7	[SIZE=1]MikjoA[/SIZE] [URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-321.html#post7296947"]&[/URL]		-	HM57: EC	Win7/64
[URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony-owners-lounge-forum/512472-sony-vaio-z-i5-i7-official-owners-thread-part-2-a.html#post6626838"]13" Sony_VPC-Z12[/URL]	i7-620M 2.66	8.0	[SIZE=1][email protected][/SIZE]	11842	-	[URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-214.html#post6896327"][SIZE=1]yuuma[/SIZE][/URL]		-	[SIZE=1]HM57: EC[/SIZE]	Win7/64
[SIZE=1][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony-owners-lounge-forum/512472-sony-vaio-z-i5-i7-official-owners-thread-part-2-a.html#post6626838"]13" Sony_VPC-Z13[/URL][/SIZE]	i7-640M 2.80[TD]8.0[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][email protected][/SIZE][/TD][TD][URL="http://3dmark.com/3dmv/2783866"]11686[/URL][/TD][TD]-[/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-222.html#post6929338"][SIZE=1]docusyn[/SIZE][/URL] [URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-226.html#post6947587"][SIZE=1]&[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD]Y[/TD][TD][SIZE=1]HM57: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/64[/TD]
[TR][TD][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-pavilion-notebooks/451065-official-hp-dv4i-owners-lounge.html#post5737817"][COLOR=ORANGE][SIZE=1]14" HP DV4-2000[/SIZE][/COLOR][/URL][/TD][TD]i5-430M 2.26[TD]4.0[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][email protected][/SIZE][/TD][TD][URL="http://img821.imageshack.us/i/3dmarkvantaged.jpg/"]12859[/URL][/TD][TD][URL="http://img46.imageshack.us/i/devilmaycry4benchmarkdxl.jpg/"]114.3[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-169.html#post6715285"][SIZE=1]nando4[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD]-[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][URL="http://img266.imageshack.us/i/dv4hm55gtx470.png/"]HM55[/URL]: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/64[/TD][/TD][/TR][TD][TR][TD][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-business-class-notebooks/407993-hp-elitebook-2530p-owners-lounge.html#post5193442"]12" HP 2530P[/URL][/TD][TD][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-business-class-notebooks/407993-hp-elitebook-2530p-owners-lounge-10.html#post7121833"][email protected][/URL][/TD][TD]4.0[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][email protected][/SIZE][/TD][TD][URL=http://img834.imageshack.us/i/3dmvantage.jpg/]10081[/URL][/TD][TD][URL="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/109/dmcv4dx10.jpg/"]103.5[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=2][SIZE=1][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-306.html#post7243473"]nando4[/URL][/SIZE][/TD][TD]-[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][URL=http://img10.imageshack.us/i/everestz.jpg/]ICH9M[/URL]: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/64[/TD][/TR][TR][TD][font=size='1'][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-inspiron-dell-studio/408934-my-inspiron-1440-a.html#post5204918"]14" Dell_Insp.1440[/URL][/font][/TD][TD]T6600-2.2[/TD][TD]4.0[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][email protected][/SIZE][/TD][TD][URL=http://img24.imageshack.us/i/3dmvt6600gtx470optimus.jpg/]10972[/URL][/TD][TD][URL=http://img514.imageshack.us/i/dmcv4dx10t6600gtx470x1.jpg/]96.5[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-104.html#post6462149][SIZE=1]nando4[/SIZE][/URL] [URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-121.html#post6542661][SIZE=1]&[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD]-[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][URL=http://img822.imageshack.us/i/everestt6600gtx470x1.jpg/]ICH9M[/URL]: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/32[/TD][/TR][TR][TD][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo-ibm/466873-thinkpad-x20x-s-t-i-owners-thread.html#post6006818"]12" Lenovo_x201[/URL][/TD][TD]i7-620M 2.66[/TD][TD]4.0[/TD][TD][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/473780-please-post-your-diy-vidock-pics-3.html#post6618661"][SIZE=1][email protected][/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD][URL="http://img840.imageshack.us/i/84222127.jpg/"]10503[/URL][/TD][TD][URL="http://img836.imageshack.us/i/devilmaycry4dx102010091.png/"]92.9[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-144.html#post6618666"][SIZE=1]AgentYura[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD]-[/TD][TD][SIZE=1]QM57: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/64[/TD][/TR][TR][TD][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo-ibm/466873-thinkpad-x20x-s-t-i-owners-thread.html#post6006818"][COLOR=ORANGE]12" Lenovo_X200[/COLOR][/URL][/TD][TD]P8700-2.53[/TD][TD]2.0[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][email protected][/SIZE][/TD][TD][URL=http://3dmark.com/3dmv/3062456]10331[/URL][/TD][TD][URL="http://i.imgur.com/ZwgtF.jpg"]90.6[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-332.html#post7338523][SIZE=1]ithildin[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][/TR][/TD][TR][TD]-[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][URL="http://imgur.com/ez0so"]ICH9M: [/URL]EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/32[/TD][/TR][TR][TD][SIZE=1]15" Tos.L305-S5921[/SIZE][/TD][TD]T9300-2.5[/TD][TD]2.0[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][email protected][/SIZE][/TD][TD]-[/TD][TD][URL="http://www.millefioreguild.com/images/dmc4%2010.jpg"]87.4[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-185.html#post6794910"][SIZE=1]kizakisu[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD]-[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][URL="http://www.millefioreguild.com/images/setup.jpg"]ICH9M[/URL]: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/32[/TD][/TR][TR][TD][COLOR=ORANGE]16" Acer 6930[/COLOR][/TD][TD]T5800-2.0[/TD][TD]4.0[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][email protected][/SIZE][/TD][TD][URL="http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/Dettrusonic/3dmv.png"]10083[/URL][/TD][TD][URL="http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p75/Dettrusonic/DMV4dx10.jpg"][SIZE=1]94.8*[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD=colspan='2'][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-234.html#post6975594][SIZE=1]Rizzett[/SIZE][/URL] [/TD][TD]-[/TD][TD][SIZE=1]ICH9M: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/64[/TD][/TR][TR][TD=rowspan=2][COLOR=red][SIZE=1]15" Clevo M860TU[/SIZE][/COLOR][/TD][TD=rowspan=2][size=1][email protected][/size][/TD][TD=rowspan=2]4.0[/TD][TD][font=size='1']HD5770@x2E&amp;[/font][/TD][TD][URL=http://img18.imageshack.us/i/3dmarkvantagescore2.jpg/]9627[/URL][/TD][TD][URL=http://img294.imageshack.us/i/devilmaycry4b.jpg/]76.3[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=2 rowspan=2][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-post6350068.html][SIZE=1]jamesbond007[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD=rowspan=2]Y[/TD][TD=rowspan=2][SIZE=1][URL=http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/4026/everestportsetupx2.png]ICH9M[/URL]: EC+mPCIe[/SIZE][/TD][TD=rowspan=2]Win7/64[/TD][/TR][TR][TD][font=size='1']HD5850@x2E[/font][/TD][TD][URL=http://img204.imageshack.us/i/3dmarkvantagescoret.jpg/]10543[/URL][/TD][TD][URL=http://img46.imageshack.us/i/devilmaycry4score.jpg/]68.0[/URL][/TD][/TR][TR][TD][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus-reviews-owners-lounges/194796-asus-f8-owners-lounge.html#post2733868"]14" Asus_F8SA/P[/URL][/TD][TD]T9300-2.5[/TD][TD]4.0[/TD][TD]GTX460[/TD][TD]7200[/TD][TD][URL=http://i.imgur.com/g54BJ.jpg]69.6[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-107.html#post6476409][SIZE=1]ithildin[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD]Y[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][URL=http://i.imgur.com/tONfO.png]ICH8M[/URL]: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/64[/TD][/TR][TR][TD][COLOR=ORANGE][SIZE=1]13" Dell_XPS M1330[/SIZE][/COLOR][/TD][TD]T8300-2.4[/TD][TD]4.0[/TD][TD]GTX460[/TD][TD]7202[/TD][TD]65.3[/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-123.html#post6550196][SIZE=1]flaunt[/SIZE][/URL] [URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-173.html#post6738629"][SIZE=1]&[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD]-[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachments/gaming-software-graphics-cards/53755d1280788612-diy-vidock-experiences-everest1.jpg]ICH8M[/URL]: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/64[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]16" Asus M60J[/TD][TD]i7-720QM 1.6[/TD][TD]6.0[/TD][TD]GTX465[/TD][TD][URL=http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/2111/3dmarkvantage18jun10257.jpg]6443[/URL][/TD][TD][URL=http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/9684/devilmaycry4dx1018jun10.jpg]69.3[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-post6357850.html][SIZE=1]JohnnyEM[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD]-[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][URL=http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/6356/everestgtx465.png]PM55[/URL]: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/64[/TD][/TR][TR][TD][COLOR=RED][SIZE=1]15" Dell_Insp 1520[/SIZE][/COLOR][/TD][TD]T8300-2.4[/TD][TD]3.0[/TD][TD]GTS450@x2[/TD][TD][URL="http://s1.directupload.net/images/110410/gcjvzlxx.png"]5630[/URL][/TD][TD][URL="http://s7.directupload.net/file/d/2490/vyp7lnyn_jpg.htm"]69.1[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-336.html#post7352211][SIZE=1]Moerf[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD]Y[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][URL="http://s7.directupload.net/images/110410/swzs8l8j.png"]ICH8M: EC[/URL][/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/32[/TD][/TR][TR][TD][URL=http://img193.imageshack.us/i/passmarkdv2000t2050.png/][COLOR=RED][font=size='1']14" HP_Pav.DV2000[/font][/COLOR][font=size='1'][/font][/URL][/TD][TD]T2050-1.6[/TD][TD]3.0[/TD][TD][font=size='1'][COLOR=green]HD5750@x2[br][/br]HD5750@x1E[br][/br]HD5750@x1[/COLOR][/font][/TD][TD][font=size='1'][URL=http://img265.imageshack.us/i/3dmvt2050hd5750x2.jpg/]5579[/URL][br][/br][URL=http://img88.imageshack.us/i/3dmvt2050hd5750x1e.jpg/]4903[/URL][br][/br][URL=http://img412.imageshack.us/i/3dmvt2050hd5750x1.jpg/]4219[/URL][/font][/TD][TD][font=size='1'][URL=http://img402.imageshack.us/i/dmcv4dx10t2050hd5750x2.jpg/]55.4[/URL][br][/br][URL=http://img72.imageshack.us/i/dmcv4dx10t2050hd5750x1e.jpg/]43.7[/URL][br][/br][URL=http://img405.imageshack.us/i/dmcv4dx10t2050hd5750x1.jpg/]36.7[/URL][/font][/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-post6163523.html][SIZE=1]nando4[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD]Y[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][URL=http://img97.imageshack.us/i/everestt2050hd5750x2.png/]ICH7M[/URL]: mPCIe x2[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/32[/TD][/TR][TR][TD][SIZE=1]13" Dell_XPS 1340[/SIZE][/TD][TD]P8400-2.26[/TD][TD]4.0[/TD][TD]HD5770[/TD][TD][URL=http://img198.imageshack.us/i/3dmarkvantagep.png/]6923[/URL][/TD][TD][URL=http://img155.imageshack.us/i/devilmaycry4benchmarkdx.png/]49.6[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=3][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-post6268870.html][SIZE=1]Kristoffer[/SIZE][/URL] [URL=http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=161486][SIZE=1]&[/SIZE][/URL] [SIZE=1]x1E-type[/SIZE][/TD][TD][SIZE=1][URL=http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/4058/gpuzandeverest.jpg]MCP79[/URL]: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/64[/TD][/TR][TR][TD][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus-reviews-owners-lounges/194796-asus-f8-owners-lounge.html#post2733868"]14" Asus_F8SA/P[/URL][/TD][TD]T9300-2.5[/TD][TD]4.0[/TD][TD][font=size='1']HD5750@x1E[/font][/TD][TD][URL=http://imgur.com/TJxXO.png]5436[/URL][/TD][TD]-[/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/6064779-post350.html][SIZE=1]ithildin[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD]Y[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][URL=http://i.imgur.com/pomlD.png]ICH8M[/URL]: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/64[/TD][/TR][TR][TD][font=size='1']14" HP_Pavilion DV4[/font][/TD][TD]P8600-2.4[/TD][TD]4.0[/TD][TD][COLOR=GREEN][font=size='1']HD5750@x1E[/font][/COLOR][font=size='1'][/font][/TD][TD][URL=http://img338.imageshack.us/i/p8600hd57503dmvx1e.jpg/]5215[/URL][/TD][TD][URL=http://img338.imageshack.us/i/dmcv4p8600hd5750x1e.jpg/]41.8[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-post6141150.html][SIZE=1]nando4[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD]Y[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][URL=http://img18.imageshack.us/i/everestdv41xe.png/]ICH9M[/URL]: mPCIe[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/64[/TD][/TR][TR][TD=rowspan=2][font=size='1'][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-inspiron-dell-studio/408934-my-inspiron-1440-a.html#post5204918"]14" Dell_Insp.1440[/URL][/font][/TD][TD=rowspan=2]T6600-2.2[/TD][TD=rowspan=2]4.0[/TD][TD][COLOR=GREEN][font=size='1']HD5750@x1E[/font][/COLOR][font=size='1'][/font][/TD][TD][URL=http://img441.imageshack.us/i/3dmkvantt66005750x1e.jpg/]5004[/URL][/TD][TD][URL=http://img534.imageshack.us/i/dmcv4dx10t6600hd5750x1e.jpg/]42.1[/URL][/TD][TD=rowspan=2 colspan=2][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-post6141150.html][SIZE=1]nando4[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD=rowspan=2]Y[/TD][TD=rowspan=2][SIZE=1][URL=http://img40.imageshack.us/i/insp14everestx2.png/]ICH9M[/URL]: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD=rowspan=2]Win7/32[/TD][/TR][TD][font=size='1']HD4870.2GB@x1E[/font][/TD][TD][URL=http://img36.imageshack.us/i/3dmarkvantt66004870x1e.jpg/]5486[/URL][/TD][TD][font=size='1'][URL=http://img176.imageshack.us/i/dmcvdx10t66004870x1e.jpg/]43.6[/URL][/font][/TD]

[TD]13" Dell_E4310[/TD][TD]i5-520M 2.4[/TD][TD]4.0[/TD][TD]HD6850[/TD][TD][URL=http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5126493448_2d86ec61a3_o.jpg]7051[/URL][/TD][TD][URL="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/5126505710_3e7ee84346_o.jpg"]40.5[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-196.html#post6834455][SIZE=1]mattlach[/SIZE][/URL] [URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-198.html#post6840169"][SIZE=1]&[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD]-[/TD][TD][SIZE=1]QM57: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/64[/TD] [TD][COLOR=orange]13" Sony Z46GD[/COLOR][/TD][TD]P9700-2.8[/TD][TD]6.0[/TD][TD]HD5770[/TD][TD]5577[/TD][TD][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachments/gaming-software-graphics-cards/53056d1279449063-diy-vidock-experiences-dmc-.jpg]37.9[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-107.html#post6472786][SIZE=1]andeelym[/SIZE][/URL] [/TD][TD]Y[/TD][TD][font=size='1'][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachments/gaming-software-graphics-cards/52966d1279306152-diy-vidock-experiences-everest.jpg]ICH9M[/URL]: EC[/font][/TD][TD]Win7/64[/TD] [TD][font=size='1']16" Tosh.A505-6965[/font][/TD][TD]P7350-2.0[/TD][TD]4.0[/TD][TD][font=size='1']9800GT@x1E+[URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-76.html#post6327087]SFF[/URL][/font][/TD][TD][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachments/gaming-software-graphics-cards/51059d1275959095-diy-vidock-experiences-3dvantagex1e.png]3651[/URL][/TD][TD][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachments/gaming-software-graphics-cards/51058d1275958862-diy-vidock-experiences-dmcdx10_1xe.jpg]37.8[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-75.html#post6326965][SIZE=1]Oddious[/SIZE][/URL][/TD][TD]-[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachments/gaming-software-graphics-cards/51060d1275959095-diy-vidock-experiences-emode.jpg]ICH9M[/URL]: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/64[/TD] [TD][SIZE=1][URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo-ibm/466873-thinkpad-x20x-s-t-i-owners-thread.html#post6006818"]12" Lenovo_x201s[/URL][/SIZE][/TD][TD][SIZE=1]i7-640LM 2.13[/SIZE][/TD][TD]4.0[/TD][TD]HD5850[/TD][TD][URL=http://img688.imageshack.us/i/vantagem.png/]7163[/URL][/TD][TD][URL=http://img267.imageshack.us/i/dmcd.jpg/]34.0[/URL][/TD][TD=colspan=2][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-post6326225.html][SIZE=1]ashura[/SIZE][/URL] [/TD][TD]-[/TD][TD][SIZE=1][URL=http://img704.imageshack.us/i/capturezih.png/]QM57[/URL]: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/64[/TD] [TD][COLOR=ORANGE]14" Lenovo_T60[/COLOR][/TD][TD]T2400-1.83[/TD][TD]??[/TD][TD][font=size='1'][COLOR=Green]GT240[/COLOR][/font][/TD][font=size='1'][TD]2964[/TD][TD]-[/TD][TD=colspan='2'][URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-128.html#post6566573][SIZE=1]Kwisatch[/SIZE][/URL] [/TD][TD]-[/TD][TD][SIZE=1]ICH7M: EC[/SIZE][/TD][TD]Win7/??[/TD][/font]
[U]Key[/U]
[COLOR=Red][B]RED[/B][/COLOR] - a x2 1.0 link using a PE4H linking expresscard+mPCIe or mPCIe+mPCIe. All others are x1 1.0.
[COLOR=Orange][B]ORANGE[/B][/COLOR] - appears to have port layout to do a high-performance x2 1.0 setup using either port1+port2, port3+port4 or port5+port6
[COLOR=Green][B]GREEN[/B][/COLOR] - video card that requires only a [URL=http://desc.shop.ebay.com/i.html?LH_TitleDesc=1&amp;LH_PrefLoc=2&amp;_nkw=80W+12V+adapter+6.6A+-bulb+-fan+-car&amp;_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A2608&amp;_sticky=1&amp;_stpos=80123&amp;_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&amp;gbr=1&amp;_sop=15&amp;_sc=1]compact 12v/80w AC adapter[/URL] for power. No external ATX PSU needed.
All tested at 1280x800 except 3dmark06 which used the default 1280x1024 and those marked *

x1.Opt: system with 4500MHD or Intel HD primary graphics using [URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/6542661-post1222.html"]NVidia Optimus[/URL] for higher performance + internal LCD mode.
[SIZE=1]x2<STRIKE>.Opt</STRIKE> = x2 link, Intel HD graphics, Optimus driver, but Optimus performance tweak only engages on x1 link as [URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-169.html#post6715285"]found[/URL].[/SIZE]
x1E/x2E: apply [URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/6141150-post455.html]x1E tweak[/URL] to ATI cards and older NVidia cards on series-4 or older Intel chipset to get ~full duplex performance

¹ Requires eGPU [URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/6295529-post641.html"]Setup 1.x[/URL] to overcome [I]12: cannot allocate resources[/I] and/or to set specific port requirements.
² EC/mPCIe: expresscard/mini_pci-e slot used by a EC2C/PM3N product. Port layout required for x1E/x2/x2E/x4 mode. Intel chipsets' require port1 enabled for other ports to work so port1 may not be a physical mPCIe/EC slot.
³ equipped with Villagetronic's ViDock 2/3/4 product
⁴ Dell Latitude E43xx/E64xx/E65xx cannot resolve error 12 with 4GB on x1.Opt setups. See [URL="http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences-227.html#post6949956"]explanation[/URL].

Systems [U]capable[/U] of a higher performance x4 or x2 pci-e links

The [COLOR=ORANGE]Orange[/COLOR] and [COLOR=RED]Red[/COLOR] systems shown in the above table. Also:

-x4 1.0 (four x1 ports): Dell Inspiron 1520, XPS 1640/1645, Lenovo X200.

- x1 2.0 (single port): expresscard 2.0 with Series-6 chipsets. Not Series-5 pci-e 2.0 chipsets

- x2 1.0 (two x1 ports): Acer 5920G, 6930G, 8930G. BenQ S41. Dell M1530, E4300, E6400?, Studio 1558 (WWAN=port1, wifi=port2), D630, D830, E6410, E5500, Vostro 1310, Fujitsu Amilo xi2555, HP DV9690en, HDX9000, Lenovo T400s?, MSI GT627, Toshiba A665-3D.

Systems [U]not capable[/U] of a higher performance x2 1.0 pci-e link shown in black in the table above, as well as:

Acer 4741G(mPCIe), 5820TG(mPCIe), 8935G, Asus F3JC, G60, N61JQ, Dell Vostro_3400, Inspiron_1545*, HP DV3-2232tx, DV6-2119TX, DV7-3110TX, Lenovo G560, x201s, MSI A620x/Cx620, U200 (mPCIe), Samsung R580, Sony VGNNW29GF, Toshiba A300*, A500-026, A500-031, M305, P500-01g, R700, U500-00k.

* = can do a [URL=http://forum.notebookreview.com/6141150-post455.html]x1E tweak[/URL], relevant to only ATI cards and older NVidia cards, since the expresscard slot is an odd numbered port with nothing occupying the next port and is a series-4 or older Intel chipset.

macbook[SIZE=4][B]Implementations: Macbook[/B][/SIZE]

04-03-11 MacBook 17 T7600-2.33 with X1600 + HD6850 implemented with Win7/32
11-10-10 Mac Mini T7200-2.0 + HD5450 implemented with Win7.
11-05-10 MBP 17" T2600-2.16 with X1600 + GT240M result with Win7.
9-27-10 MBP 15" Unibody T7500-2.2, 6GB RAM with 8600M GT+HD4650/HD5770-7LCDs impl. & & & with Win7.
8-11-10 MBP 15" Unibody T7500-2.2 with 8600M GT + HD4870 implemented with Win7 and MacOS 10.6

Other references:
- Villagetronic's Is ViDock compatible with MacBook Pro?
- search macforums for "vidock". There's specific video firmware and video cards that work on Mac OS.

cuda[SIZE=4][B]Implementations: CUDA/GPU applications[/B][/SIZE]

Octane Render: 10x faster than CPU-based rendering.
Badaboom: CUDA based video transcoding

nonvideo[SIZE=4][B]Implementations: non-video PCIe cards[/B][/SIZE] Examples:

- Creative SB X-Fi Titanium desktop sound card via the expresscard slot. See details.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
archives[font=size='4'][B]Archived News[/B][/font]

04-01-11 tabletpcreview's eGPU on Tablet PC's: experiences, benchmarks, setup, ect...
03-23-11 Sony first notebook PC with Thunderbolt
03-14-11 XBOX 360 203W AC adapter mod by thendless. Portable GTX460 power supply.
11-07-10 DA-2 220W AC adapter mod
09-08-10 i5-520M 2.4+HD4890@x1 NBR review
08-27-10 Panzer's fuse bypass on PE4H < 2.4 for GTX465+
07-05-10 Enzyme 1.4b3 versus Catalyst 10.6
06-28-10 Catalyst 10.6 works with 36/64-bit alloc

 

I did have the same problem as well for a bit. What was happening was that I would run the Nvidia setup.exe and it would choose on its own which card it would install the driver too. So at one point, I had the external driver installed on the internal card. Video for the internal would work, but the external card kept giving error message. Stripping out the old drivers and re-installing them manually as I mention in step 7 here fixes that problem.

Based on ithildin Radeon HD 5750 1GB vs. Geforce GTX 460 1GB - Performance Comparison, I went with the GTX460 for the better overall performance. Switching cards would probably resolve any driver conflicts but I think it would be unnecessary as you can fix the driver issue without switching cards.

I will shoot for attempting an install in the m1330 here on Thrusday or Friday. I actually got to get some work done in the office today. Recovering right now from being up til 2am playing Shogun 2 and Crysis 2 last night.

 

Great setups, all!

Does anyone have recommendations for a case/box to put all of this in? I'm wary of leaving my graphics card out.

I'm leaning towards a cardboard shoe box (!!), but would pay a bit to have the PSU and the graphics card in something like a micro sized PC case.

 

Does anybody know of any Sandy Bridge systems yet which would be perfect in combination with a DIY Vidock?

 

I just read flaunt post here. He makes no mention of the RAM problem that the Dell E6500 has, so you should be ok with 4GB of RAM. But it does look like his procedure is almost identical to mine with getting the vidock to work with that laptop.

 

Search for Mini ATX... (Wait for me to recommend one or decide)

Me too.

 

Can you buy these already made ? If so anyone got a link ?

 

You should direct to DIY ViDock Experiences before making any decision.

 

i have bin up all night looking at that and im dead

 

Someone's building custom 250W enclosures using a PE4H

$400 GTS450/250W enclosure. Now I'm not sure if it will sell given a GTX460 without an enclosure can be had for $150. Though the Thermaltake Power Express PSU is a neat but pricier alternative to the xbox360 203W PSU.

Your 4500MHD primary adapter means you can do x1.Opt ( NVidia Optimus) with a Fermi card such as a GT430, GTS450 or GTX460. The GTX460 offering the best bang-per-buck and often appears in the s/h market.

 

Hey nando do you think this setup could work?

http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/6512/123uxd.jpg

Im planning to use a radeon 6950 or a gtx 570 with a PE4H 2.4 version setup

 

Village Tronic: Notebook Graphics Solutions

 

Below setup uses a US$30-shipped ThermalTake Purepower Power Express 250W PSU. At $362 for the whole setup it's a pricey but professional looking enclosure: Expresscard PCIe Geforce GTS 450 ViDock Video DVI HDMI

 

Well, that's how it used to be, but I don't believe this is the case anymore.

My brother bought a laptop with a Pentium Dual Core T4500 in it (2.3Ghz) while mine has a T4400 (2.2Ghz). The only difference between the two is the extra 100Mhz which I don't think is going to the thing that makes it run flawlessly.

He has some built in ATi card while I have an Intel IGP.
His card is 512mb while mine's only 64mb.

Like I said, he runs it flawlessly and the only thing I can put it down to is his GPU.

 

Just found this still cheap, and should do me if I choose to play more intense game.

It should work right?