external graphics solution.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/06/gigabyte-booktop-m1305-ultraportable-gains-external-geforce-gt22/

saw this on engadget and wondered why the ViDock or DIYdock dont use the docking port if this can?

 

Because that's a custom docking port made for that laptop ONLY. Most laptops either have NO docking port, or a custom one that is brand specific. There is NO standardized port for external graphics "yet".

 

Pfffft a GT220 LMAO, what about an HD4850 .

 

Maybe we should work on something similar in the DIY ViDock Thread?

 

This is a very interesting bit of news.
It looks like a dock with a full desktop video card inside wired to the northbridge at x16 or may be x8 !
It is very likely that it would be possible to stick any desktop video card into it with an additional power supply. Really need to see pics from inside the dock and some Everest screens.

 

i just really want to find out what speed the docking thingy is capable of and whether it needs any special drivers to run it. wondering if it could be faster than using the express port?
DIYdock MKII??

 

Yup - this is likely tapping the northbridge x16 pci-express link directly as described here. Unfortunately notebook manufacturers have not done that for us so it would require some major re-engineering to access the northbridge in that way (lift northbridge chip, put a sandwich layer that accesses the pins + provides passthru for other pins, place northbridge back on this layer.

DIY ViDock uses the ICHxM pci-express ports which are connected externally as mPCIe or expresscard ports. Much more accessible and from latest reports, the HD4850 even in x1 link speed will outperform the G220M in this solution. Expresscard 2.0 scheduled for release in newer notebooks next year, will make the DIY ViDock solution very clean and easy.

A HD5870 connected to expresscard 2.0 (x1 2.0) gets over > 20k in 3dmark06(!!). So while this is a novel solution for one single system, the DIY ViDock solution can be applied universally to systems equipped with mPCIe or expresscard slots.

 

Potentially sad news here:
http://www.mybestlaptop.org/gigabyte-m1305-laptop-feature.html#more-3357

It's clearly a desktop card, not a laptop card and there are claims that it is wired only at x1.
Still, need to see the internal pics, everest screens and read the manual to understand how it pushes the video signal to the laptop's screen.

 

I wouldn't have expected ... more

 

Is this feasible down the road for other laptops? I guess it ok if you were only at home when you need the computer. What about when you travel and take the laptop with you? One more thing to carry, though at least its smaller than a tower.

We'll see how far they go with it.

 

At everyone the criteria of an estimation of efficiency. In my opinion the external video card, in the form of a prefix, is cheaper than the stationary computer with a powerful video card. Whether the powerful video card is necessary to the laptop, being on departure?