ViDock 2 - My experiences so far

I just purchased a ASUS N71JQ-A1 laptop I want to run with 2 external ASUS MS202N monitors on either side of it.

I would like each monitor to be independent of each other with the laptop screen running the main display and the capabilities of me pulling programs off the left and right side of the screen to the external monitors located on each side of the laptop.

I have been searching for a way to do this and from what I have read it seems like the ViDock 2 might be the solution.

Can someone tell me if I am missing something or if using the ViDock 2 will allow me to setup my laptop with monitors on either side?

Thanks
CC

 

Yes, it will work, but since your ASUS N71JQ-A1 will support one external monitor by itself you would do better to buy the ViBook Plus instead to support the other monitor. It is much smaller, and cheaper.

Either solution will allow you to have different applications on all 3 screens.

 

Thanks for the quick reply paladin44.

So with the ViBook Plus I will be able to still use my laptop as the main display and configure the displays properly so they are on either side of the laptop.

From what I just read on the ViBook Plus it seems like it would do what I want.

I use photoshop and illustrator a lot do you think this would be a problem when using the ViBook Plus or are the refresh problems only going to be noticed when gaming with it. I read where people do not recommend the ViBook Plus for gaming (which i never do).

Also I assume I could run my monitors at 1600 x 900 with the ViBook Plus since it supports higher resolutions than that?

Thanks
CC

 

paladin44: I noticed you sell the ViDock plus on your website. You might want to go post a comment over at
http://www.ccereviews.com/reviews/village-tronic-vibook-plus/3/

It is the first review I found on the ViDock plus and people seem to not be able to find retailers that sell it.

CC

 

Yes, it will work just fine, and will support your 1600x900 resolution.

It is too slow for gaming, but will be fine for what you do.

I might even recommend a better layout than the one that you have suggested...see the thumbnail attached.

As for posting at that other thread, it might be considered spamming if I do it, but if you were to do it I think people would think you were doing them a favor.

 

Why do you think that is a better layout?

I just figured having the laptop centered would look and work more symmetrical and enable me to do my main work on my laptop screen and still use the laptop keyboard and then drag my secondary work or "watch" screens for e-mail, documents etc off to the side.

Always open to new suggestions though and would love to know why the other setup in the photo you think is better?

 

2 main reasons:

1. I can use my full sized ergonomic desktop keyboard...or, you can use whatever desktop keyboard suits you best. I can type much faster on it, and there is minimal wear and tear on my laptop keyboard (comes in handy at resale time).

2. Notice my external monitors are larger than the laptop screen, so my main monitor is the bigger one. That is an old picture...I am actually using 22" external monitors now.

But...to each his own

 

I have a HP HDX18t Laptop with a nVidia GeForce 130M graphics card. It has 4GB of ram and running Windows 7.

I'm trying to run a Dell 30" LCD monitor with a native resolution of 2560x1600. I've tried everything (PowerStrip software, mulitple cable adapters, USB to DVI DisplayLink stuff) to no success. I can't even get 1920x1200. All stuck at 1280x800 (not good on a 30" display).

From research the ViDock2 might be the only thing left to try. Will ViDock2 work with my system allowing me to get 2560x1600 resolution on the 30" monitor? I am not into refresh rates for gaming etc. I'm a designer and only need real estate screen for photoshop/illustrator design work.

 

Your GT130M should be able to do 1920x1080. Google search "DTD Calculator" to make the registry changes.

The ViDock can output whatever the video card that is supplied can output. A HD4670's maximum resolution is 2560x1600 with dual-link DVI as shown here .

 

nando4, not sure what your answer to my question is. I'm guessing its "yes", the ViDock2 "should" be able to do it?

But yes, the HDx18 has an internal native resoluiton of 1920x1080. Thats what its set up at.

 

nand04, I'm more concerning about vidock2 compatibilty with my specific system. don't want any conflicts, etc. nvidia internal card working along with the hd4670 issue? Windows7 with 4GB of ram an issue?

 

Nvidia and ATI cards can co-exist in a Win7 environment. ViDock's Compatability guide shows issues with > 2.5GB on *some* systems.

Refer to 2. What software setup do I need to make this work? i. Pre-boot PCI Configuration Script here for an explanation and solution if affected. We've found most systems having > 2.5GB RAM are affected but have solved the problem on 2 of 2 candidate test systems by creating a pre-boot PCI Configuration script.

[ Note: link to solution found is with the DIY version. Please ask mod to delete this post if intrusive of Villagetronic's Vidock. ]

 

Seems complicated stuff to do the "Pre-boot PCI Configuration Script". 've read it and seems way beyond my capabilities. I'm by no means a programmer or computer tech type. Just a graphic designer. I really don't want to get the ViDock and end up spending my time trying to get it to work with my system. I think I'm may end up just getting a new laptop that can directly hook up to a 30" monitor.

 

I have a couple of questions. My laptop has a PCMCIA slot. The Vidock2 uses the Express slot? Is that correct? So I would need a adaptor? I also seen there was a box extension that could be purshased. Will that make the unit long enough to use the newer ati cards? Some of them boogers are like 10 and 11 inches long.

 

The ViDock2 will not work with a PCMCIA slot. An adapter won't work.

The PCMCIA slot is too slow.

 

Yeah that figures! HaHa well thanks for the info Paladin! Guess I will have to just bite the bullet and buy a new laptop LOL Been wanting one anyway, this is just the straw to break the camel's back on this old thing.

 

So! It's been about a month since I last inquired-- is there any word on the compatibility of the 5670 and/or that modified 'Green' 5750?

Thanks!

 

It is close...but not quite yet.

 

Does this work on a first gen Macbook Pro? I read that it works on Macbook Pro 2nd gen...

 

No, it does not.

 

paladin44, I'm interested in buying the ViDock 2 with no graphics card. I plan to install the best possible graphics card there. I have a few questions:

1) I live in Portugal. Where can I order the ViDock from?
2) What's the best graphics card I can put into the ViDock?
3) My laptop (see sig) has 4 GB of RAM and an Nvidia GPU. Will any of these be a problem?

 

1. I simply don't know, but not from the US. You will have to look for a local vendor.
2. ATi 4670. I know this thread has 38 pages, but reading only a few of them will educate you greatly.
3. Yes, both could be. We are finding some laptops will not work with >3GB so you would have to test for this would be an issue with your laptop. Vista will only allow 1 brand of video card so you couldn't mix nVIDIA with ATi. Windows 7 resolves this issue.

 

ViDock 2 comes with a 72W PSU. By my calculations, if a HD5670 has the same chassis dimensions as a "compatible" HD4670, it would be able to work since it uses 61W under load.

As to your 4GB, perhaps have a look at this analysis of another ViDock2 system to see if you may need PCI Reallocation for it to work??

 

Thanks for your answers!

My second question needs to be made more specific: I had already read the whole thread, and I saw that the ViDock came standard with an HD4670. However, I saw people speaking of the HD5670 (even before nando4's last post). So I'd like to ask again, can I buy a HD5670 to work with it? Will it provide better results or will the ExpressCard speed be a bottleneck?

 

Since VillageTronics has not released any test results, or released it with the 5670 there is no way for us to answer your question, or suggest any card other than the 4670.

The 5670 may very well work just fine, and may well perform better than the 4670.

 

Why wouldn't this work with the macbook? I have an expresscard 34, Radeon x1600, and Windows 7. That seems to meet all the requirements

 

I just received my ViDock2 with the 4670. My system is an HP HDX18t with Windows 7 64 bit, 4GB memory, and NVidia GeForce GT 130M.

When I first hooked up it fail to install the necessary driver. Kept getting me a system blue screen dump everything I try to insert the Express Card adapter.

Finally remember about the more then 2GB memory issue. So I did a system restore to clear of any driver. Took out 2GB to have only 2GB of ram. Rebooted, inserted Express Card adapter. Finally installed all 3 drivers successfully. Got 30" dell monitor to work. UNFORTUNATELY it is only working on 1280x800. Any resolution above that gives me scan lines.

NEED HELP!! What next? How can I get the full 2560x1600 from my 30" monitor??

Even if it works, I'm not sure I can work with just 2GB of ram. Will be slowing down my work flow. I will try and live with it first....as long as I can get 2560x1600. What next???

 

If perform PCI Reallocation then it will work with 4GB.

 

But what about getting it to work at full 2560x1600 resolution?

 

nando4: I read the PCI Reallocation solution and I have no clue whatsoever still. I don't understand it and its greek to me. Basically, I'm the average person......not a programmer. Am I pretty much out of luck at this point?

 

Err...you mean it is GEEK to you

 

Actually I did meant "GREEK"....as in Latin, foreign, doesn't make sense.

 

Would someone please explain the compatibility of this card? Why did someone say it won't work in a Macbook 1,2? I don't understand why it wouldnt since i have all the requirements.. ATI X1600, Win 7, and Expresscard 34. I care nothing about using it in OSX, just in windows. Anyone? And second question, just off some research and mathematics, is expresscard = to about PCI-E 2.0 x4~?

 

expresscard will be 1.0 x1

 

As this change or is it still true? I was hoping maybe new drivers could maybe fix that.

 

(Someone correct me if I'm wrong) It's not a matter that drivers can fix. The problem is that your laptop's screen receives its input through a cable that is connected to your internal graphics card (physically, it is connected to the motherboard, but the information it receives comes from the internal graphics card).

The only feasible way for the laptop's screen to display the image from the external graphics card is if laptop manufacturers make the laptops with an external graphics input. Since that would take up valuable space in the inside of the laptop and would be useless to a vast majority of people, I don't see it happening.

Alternatively, you can open a small hole in the hinges of your laptop and split the cable that takes the video information, and add a switch of some sort so that you can select which card provides the image to the laptop screen. If you are a DIY type of person, it's probably do-able, although it is tricky.

 

this is pretty much similar to Asus XG Station it seems.
also ati/amd were supposed to roll out sth similar: http://www.amd.com/us/products/technologies/ati-xgp/Pages/ati-xgp.aspx

 

similar yes, but the technologies you mention use proprietary connectors
meaning if your laptop doesn't have the special connector, you're outta luck
the vidock uses expresscard, which many many laptops have

 

Soo uuum... any progress on the testing front, for the new ATI cards? Months are ticking by, and I can't order a ViDock 'till I have confirmation.

 

The ViDock 2 seems great and all, but any idea if it would actually help for gaming performance on a dell precision m2400? it has the nvidia quadro fx 370m.. Would it be worth the upgrade?

 

I have a HP Pavilion DV8T 1000 CTO Laptop. It has an After market SSD, 4GB of Kingston HyperX 12800 memory, Core i7 720, Nvidia Geforce GT 230m 1GB graphics with windows 7 Ultimate.
I was wondering if the Vidock would show a significant improvement over the GT230m?
I bought this loptop back in December and I cant tell if it has a Express card 2.0. It has an express card 54 slot.

 

Run 3dmark06
a desktop 4670 (that's what's inside Vidock2) gets ~8500 3dmark06s @ full speed

EDIT: that's 8500 @ full speed, 16x, in a desktop

 

(You should wait for a reply from a more knowledgeable person, like nando4, before you make a final decision, since I'm not an expert in this)

Your card is reported by notebookcheck.net as having a 3dmark06 score of 5647 ( link, your card is the 62nd on the list). You can see on this thread users reporting 3dmark06 scores around 8500 with the ViDock, which is roughly a 50% increase. Note that 3dmark06 scores vary somewhat, so you should still run it yourself.

Whether a 50% increase in performance is worth it or not only you can tell.

 

You have expresscard 1.0 (x1 1.0 performance).

Vidock2 can now be specced with a HD5670. techpower showing a HD5670 is 20% faster than a HD4670 at x16 2.0 speed here. A HD4670 was the card previously shipped with a Vidock2.

Similar question asked and answered here but with reference to a mobility HD4650 rather than a GT230M.

 

I just recently received my Vidock2 with the 5670 card installed and i can't for the life of me get it to work with my ASUS G2K (WIN7 - 64 bit). I get the same stinkin Code 12 error that many other folks get and i have tried to create a USB boot disk to allocate some memory for pci slot but since my experience in this area is minimal at best i have failed.

Has anyone found a workaround for my particular laptop? Just to let you know my laptop has 3GB of memory and i have even removed 1GB but as soon as i plugged in the magic card my computer completely locked up. Several times. I put the stick back in and the computer operates fine. Now...to get Vidock working....

Help me please!

 

what exactly is ViDock2 ....the original post doesnt explain clearly

 

Well...I updated the BIOS to the newest version (205) which was a few versions newer than what i had on the laptop and now it gives me a code 10. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers but all with the same result. I guess i have to call the company i ordered it from to see what they have to say. Any help would be appreciated.

And to answer the previous post...it's a external graphic card that you can hook up to your laptop via expresscard slot. Check youtube for a video.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

try a XP driver with onboard video disabled

 

If one were to purchase the ViDock2 with the ATI 5670 video card and later want to try a more powerful video card, I am guessing one can just upgrade the power supply to one that provides more amperage and maybe put it in a larger case if needed ?? Thanks for any info. God Bless

 

wasnt the vidock 4 blank? supposed to come out like a year ago? i knew they could not do it...just saying.