Have you seen this yet? Now you can not only UPGRADE your video card, you can use DESKTOP video cards with your Laptop!

If the express card bandwith is 2.5gb then wouldn't that make the card rather useless? except for desktop or film activity, i just dont see games running fluenlty, although that youtube video seems to have had a big impact on performance.

 

Well that is more than the "ol'" AGP bandwith... My pc still has a 3850 ATI on agp and it can hande everything but GTA (somwhere on medium - low on 1400x900, gta version 1.2).

Also games don't really use the large ammout offered by pci express yet AND pcimca (or somethin like this) is about to launch their new standard that is to surpass current express card!

We just have to wait for the new express card and then I'm sure this tech might actually work!

 

Well it looks promising , i think i may look into this box when my computer starts to age, this could probably add about a year or so on it if this is sucessful

 

Well, I think the video shows what it can do...regardless of "technical" assumptions that it can't.

For more information, go to the first post in this thread and click on the link there.

 

About size that Steiner32 said in page 3. Well, this Vidock is looking great, but one of its advantage is the ability to be upgraded, but in future, the size of most of these graphic cards will probably be bigger than it can fit, right?

I looked up some last gen ATI and Nvidia and they were both larger than the size of the SiVock (maybe different models dont). And is the 120W limitation because of the actual express card tecnology? Dont these facts remove its special feature of being upgradable out of the point?

 

Not at all. There are essentially 3 sizes and power "zones" with desktop video cards, and ViDock will be able to accommodate them all.

The first version, the ViDock2 is for cards up to the current ATi 4670, and then there will be two more versions released shortly that will take say the ATi 4770, and up to the ATi 4890...this is the one that will be big enough and with a Power Supply that will handle any of the biggest cards for years to come.

However it is clear to see, just on this forum alone, that not everyone needs or wants the biggest and baddest of them all. If that were true, then ATi and nVIDIA would only produce one card per generation.

This way, you can settle in to the class of card you want, based on your budget and gaming needs. You could even get the ViDock that will handle the fastest cards, but start with a mid-range card (they are backward compatible) and work your way up to the fastest card if that is your desire. However if you know you are not ever going to be a hard core gamer, but still like to game at a more moderate level, you can get the ViDock and video card that fits your needs.

 

Ooohhh, i didnt know they were gonna release other versions! now everybody is gonna be fine. k

Thx for the reply k

Now we just gotta wait and see if there a way to use the laptops LCD =P

 

I know right now that they only have ATI's inside of them. But would I be able to connect my laptop to the ViDock, even though it has NVidia in it? Or does the thing pretty much bypass the gpu inside the laptop?

 

Im happy with ATI in them , i would laugh if someone got crossfire working...or linked 2 box' together

 

Mmm, does the ViDock2 benefit from the non in built GPUs from the laptop?
For example cataclysms laptop above?
And if it does, will it be compatible with Nvidia non in built GPU?
In the video the guy uses an in bult one, so...

 

Vista is so WONKY that it will only allow one BRAND video card in a computer, laptop or otherwise, however neither XP nor Windows 7 have that requirement.

BUT, some laptops do not have their BIOS written according to ExpressCard.org standards and don't allocate the proper resources to the ExpressCard. So if you have XP + nVIDIA internal card be sure to check the " Compatibility Chart" for more information. Be sure to scroll down to the chart at the bottom of the page and find your model.

NOW, for the good news...for the most part Windows 7 has resolved these compatibility and BIOS issues. Since Windows 7 Release Candidate is now available for free from Microsoft and virtually everyone using it seems to love it (and there are millions by now), there should be no worries.

 

Guess Ill put Windows 7 on my comp, been kinda stalling it for a while since the beta came out.

 

Hmm, I think there might be a language issue here. I think you mean the built in GPU, not the "non" built in GPU... yes?

In the video, the first demonstration is using the built in video card which is slow and very jerky...then the ViDock2 with the ATi 4670 is shown where it is much faster and smooth.

The ViDock2-4670 totally bypasses the laptop's built in GPU, and since it is using the desktop version of the ATi 4670 you can expect it to get better results than all but the very fastest of the current built in laptop GPUs like the 4870, 260M and 280M that are expensive and not upgradeable.

 

Yeah it should, anything with the express port should most likely be compatible. We aren't talking a Tri Hybrid setup (2 sli and 1 for power) thats where there can be issues, but having a secondary GPU, not running on the same display at that, should not cause any problems at all, the drivers and software will be associated to its own corrosponding hardware.

 

Hello,

This looks like a great thing for me. I have a Dell Inspirion 6400(E1505) with a mobility radeon x1400. I can run the newest games but with graphics settings on minimum and max 1024x768 resolution(or even worse). I have been thinking of buying a new laptop, the new Sager Np9850 or Alienware M17x. But that will set me back more than $2,500 which feels stupid when I have a computer that works really good except in the video department. So if I could upgrade it with the Vidock2 for $379 thats would be truly great.

Thanks Donald that you are answering questions in this thread. I have two more questions.

1. Will this work with my configuration I have now?
Dell Inspirion 6400(E1505), Mobility Radeon x1400, Core 2 Duo T7600 2.33GHz, 2Gb Ram, Windows 7, Expresscard slot/54.

2. I get about 1,000 points in 3dMarks 06 with the setup I have now. How likely is it that with my setup I will also hit over 6,000+ points in 3dMark 06 with Vidock2?

 

My bads! i dont know why, but i thought it was "in built" not "built in" kkk
But luckily you got what i meant.

So, all built in cards are bypassed, meaning that the best would be to have a laptop with a good processor and RAM rather than a good GPU, right?

You said there was a 6,5% loss when testing with 3DMark06 compared to when its plugged into 16 lane directly with the 4670. Is there any expectation of the loss to the versions of ViDock2 thats for mid and huge Graphic card?

Gotta wait and see if you can drive it to the laptops LCD.

 

@Spiritfish...welcome to the forum

1. Yes it should work just fine. Checking the Compatibility list shows your DELL is compatible.

2. Very likely you will see 6000+ right out of the box...a little tweaking could put you well over 7000 in 3DMark06.

 

Exactly correct

No, not yet...but then we don't expect much loss, and I don't think we care about it too much either since they will strongly outperform any laptop video card now, and in the future, as the ViDock will be able to be continuously upgraded with the latest desktop GPUs.

 

When do you expect to see the new VidDock 2 that can handle the more powerful GPU's? Within a month? Within 6 months? Within a year?
Thanks

 

More than a month but certainly less than 6 months. We are hopeful to bring them to market by mid to late August.

 

Paladin44 you seem to be in the know about this device. What are the chances developments will take place to allow the vidock to work with the laptop's lcd, I would become very interested in getting it if this was possible?

 

Clarify.


I've changed from nVidia to ATI, from PNY to MSI to Sapphire under Vista with no issues.

 

See my post #43 on page 5 of this thread:

"ATi says on AMD chipset based laptops we can also use it to drive the laptop's LCD...and we are working with their technical group to make that happen as well, but until they can prove it to us we will have to wait on that one."

 

With VISTA you cannot have two or more video cards in the machine at the same time unless they are the same brand...WONKY

This does not apply to either XP or Windows 7.

 

Just a quick question. This is indeed a very enticing solution, but after reading the compatibility list, I'm not on it! I've got the 17" mbp from a couple months ago which is generation 5. Apparently it only supports gens 1,2,4. Paladin, would you have any idea whether they would look to eventually support the 5th gen model and or subsequent models. Thanks.

 

Mmmm... i just started to wonder today if the Vidock2 is recommended to non gaming graphical demanding programs like Auto CAD.

It does make sense to assume it would do just fine, but, is there any info that confirm it?

 

On the compatibility chart you've mentioned that there are a few versions of Macbook Pros running OSX that are incompatible. What about Macbook Pros running Windows 7 in bootcamp?

 

I guess it would run 100%, since bootcamping "transforms" the Mac into a PC.

But this can only be answered for sure after some tests...?

EDIT:guess i was wrong, what NgCir said makes much more sense (below)
(ignore the info in this post pls)

 

If you've got a 5th gen MBP, the version of Windows you're running will not effect the fact that your hardware is currently not supported.

 

The Mac generations that are not compatible have the same BIOS issue as on the PC. Their BIOS is not properly allocating resources to the ExpressCard to meet the PCMCIA standard.

ViDock has worked with Apple but there seems little interest from their end to fix it. Also in the new Mac Book Pro they have removed the Express Card in all Notebooks but the 17 ". I am still waiting for someone to report if running Win 7 on that Notebook would fix it (under Win 7). I am expecting so. But for your Model under Mac OS it depends on Apple to make a BIOS update. From experience this seems highly unlikely.

 

Sure, it will work fine for Auto CAD. To the best of my knowledge SolidWorks is the only engineering software that writes their software to only work with workstation class video cards (e.g. nVIDIA Quadro cards).

 

Ah so my previous statement to tasty chicken might be completely wrong. Good to know. I'd really only be interested in using it in Windows under Bootcamp for games and 3d apps.

Thx paladin

 

NgCir, we would love it if you wanted to get one and test it...then report back to us.

If it doesn't, return it for a full refund of your purchase price, less shipping

 

Hehe I'd love to. There are just a couple things standing in the way, like I don't have an external monitor right now, and I'm running Vista 64....and I'm in Europe, so shipping costs, and import taxes would still add up.

You guys should be able to find an enterprising Mac owner in the states to be the guinea pig, and I'll be very interested to hear what he has to say when the time comes.

 

Any takers from the Mac community running Window 7?

 

I'm thinking it might not be a bad idea to post something in a new thread in that forum (even if its just a link to this thread). If it were an Apple branded product I think people would jump all over it.

 

If this works 100%, people will not buy gaming laptops any more.
I mean, just buy a good, fast, portable laptop. And this.
You have a lighter laptop, cheaper (maybe even faster procesor for the price)
And when you want to game just hook this up.
Even if the express card bottle necks it. Isn't usb 3.0 coming out in like 2010-2011?
new faster ports are coming out soon, I say awesome to this.

 

Hmm pretty sure that this will work with vista, mixing cards has been done before, by setting discrete and power saving configurations, it may just be a case of drivers, but we need to look further then just 3dmark 06 as thats aged now, and to be honest 6000 is a start, nothing special, good priced laptops can easily push 9000+ now.

Im just curios if this box can be upgraded with highest end GPU solutions or if its restricted, will there be plans for crossfire, i hope this goes well.

 

How could that be - the Lenovo W500 is in compatible and also in non-comp chart ?

 

Paladin I thought having more than one type of gpu running at the same time was radeons thing? I don't quite recall the specifics, but I remember it allowed card from the 3000 series to work with the 4000 series.

 

You might want to read the rest of the thread. Think page 6 or 7 has the answers you're looking for. Its in here somewhere.

 

Very interested in this when my Unibody MBP Rev A starts showing its age. Thanks to Paladin for all the Q&A. I would assume since the laptop is bypassing its built-in GPU that there would be significantly less heat inside the case which is always a good thing. Is this correct?

edit: Also, do you expect to be able to offer these housings at a lower price point as the technology gets cheaper and easier to manufacture? I love the idea, but $300+ is still a little bit pricey for me.

 

Paladin44, do you think it would with my rig, i have mobility radeon 3450, intel c2d t5800. How do i know if my express card is 2.0 or what ever requirements and how would i know if my bios allocates resources to it.

1. Can it work together with my radeon hd 3450?
2. Can i use my own built in monitor?

Thank you for your help

 

Yes, there will be significantly less heat in your laptop case, but there will be additional heat generated at the ExpressCard.

If you use a desktop keyboard along with your external monitor you will also have a better gaming experience, and you won't be anywhere near your laptop's heat anyway.

Yes, I have never seen technology not come down in price over time, although we have been selling their VTBook for years and it has never come down in price.

 

Actually virtually no laptops have ExpressCard 2.0 installed yet, so all performance testing we have done so far is with 1.0. I just found this out, so I misspoke before when I said that what made it work is 2.0...it is actually the rest of the things I listed in that post that make it work so well.

I am not sure exactly what you are asking in your question #1...so let me try. If you are asking can you use them together at the same time the answer is no. You will bypass your built in LAPTOP video card and use the DESKTOP ATi 4670 instead. If you mean will it work when you have an ATi RADEON MOBILITY 3450 the answer is yes, regardless of your OS because both cards are the same brand.

I have already answered your question #2 twice in this thread. Please see my post #43 on page 5 and my post #73 on page 8 of this thread.

 

hey donald.

don't laugh at this question

will this work with a HP DV2000? (My little sisters are stuck with a nvidia geforce go 6150 on it) and for an asus eee... forget it

 

Thanks, so you think it would work with my overall system

 

I am only interested in buying this when it can drive the laptops own LCD. If they can't get it to do this, they might lose out on a lot of potential buyers so I hope they get this working with proof soon enough.

 

I'm not sure I understand your reference here. Could you please clarify, and relate the relevance to this discussion?

 

Well, it is not on either of the compatibility lists, but if it is running XP or better yet Windows 7 it should work fine.