Laptop with Expresscard 2.0?

How do you find out if your lappy has expresscard 2.0 (PCI-E x1 2.0) as the current Expresscard 1.0 2.5Gbit/s bandwidth is insufficient for my needs, have a decklink intensity shuttle which requires the full 5 Gbit/s bandwidth otherwise it won't work. I have found a USB 3.0 Expresscard which supports Expresscard 2.0 so just need to find out what laptops do..

 

Anyone?, Never seem to get answers to technical questions, Mods, reviewers?, anyone got a clue?

 

Sandy Bridge will have pci-e 3.0 ports. Means x1 3.0, 8Gbps after overhead, or 4 times faster than current expresscard slots. Though you'd need a pci-e 3.0 device to get that speed. Certainly current pci-e 2.0 gear will run at 5GBps (4Gbps after overhead).

Just need to wait till Q1 2011 for Sandy Bridge platform notebooks to be released.

 

What about current laptops that actually have native USB 3.0 ports like the G73jw series etc?

 

Good to know but back on topic, how do I find out if a lapstops expresscard port is Expresscard 2.0 compliant

 

There are no current laptops that are expresscard 2.0 compliant.

Intel's series-5 chipsets have pci-e 2.0 ports, but only for the power management side. They are still 2.5Gbps.

To identify that sort of detail refer to the chipset datasheet.

 

Those aren't really native, though they are internal. There is still debate whether or not Sandy Bridge will have native USB 3.0 or still use a NEC add-on card.

 

whether the southbridge supports it or not, the ports operate normally, don't they? I mean, because they are internal, they're connected to PCI-Express like bus and are able to operate at full speed because of it. it's just a slightly different route the USB 3 device is taking to be connected.

 

I meant native to the machine not the chipset. It isn't an external plug in card so to the user the USB 3.0 is native to the machine.


Since the OP's device is available as a USB 3.0 device that would be the most logical as if the machine is truely compliant then not only are the speeds met but also any power requirements from the port as well.

Maybe the OP needs the ExpressCard 2.0 support for something else as well but if not there are more and more machines with USB 3.0 coming available........

 

Not sure if I am making myslef clear..

For onboard USB 3.0

USB 3.0 Spec Supports up to 5GBit/s (500MB/s)

But problem is that most onboard USB 3.0 Controllers are connected internally via PCI -E x 1 1.0 Bus not 2.0 so you only have 2.5GBits/s of bandwidth, So whatever USB 3.0 device you connect you are limited by the 2.5Gbit/s PCI-E x 1 1.0 Bus..
Which is not a problem for most people, but the device I want to use requires the full 5Gbit/s Bandwidth..

Express Card USB 3.0

Since Expresscard runs off PCI-E x 1 1.0 Bus you have only 2.5Gbit/s of bandwidth, so for full 5Gbit/s of bandwidth required for USB 3.0 you need an Expresscard Slot which Runs off the PCI-E x 1 2.0 bus, which is known as Expresscard 2.0, both the card and slot has to be Expresscard 2.0 Complaint.

Now there are a few 2.0 compliant Expresscard USB 3.0 cards, but I am looking for laptop with Expresscard 2.0 slot, and how to tell they have 2.0 slot

Hope this clears thing up, but chances are if you have a lappy or desktop with onboard USB 3.0 it's running off the crippled 1.0 BUS, so when they say 5Gbit/s Speed it's a lie!
Another thing is that for most desktop boards they share PCI-E Lanes with other PCI-E cards, eg. graphics, so if you have Onboard USB 3.0 that runs off say a PCI-E x1 2.0 bus, as soon as you plug a card into a PCI-E slot you will loose that 5Gbit/s of bandwidth.. as far as I know only X58 chipset gives you the full Bandwidth for onboard USB 3.0

 

As stated, no boards have PCIe 2.0 x1 but I believe in the DIY ViDock thread, some have PCIe 1.0 x2, which is the same bandwidth.