*HP HDX 9000 DRAGON Owners Lounge, Part 2*

2 quick questions. Is there a website which has the BIOS error codes for the hdx?
Also the RAM sockets comprise of a main port and an expansion port (according to the manual). Is it ok to use 6gb of ram and which goes in the expansion?
I've heard that having two sticks of different size (one 4gb and one 2gb)is not recommended.

 

The flashing lights? None specifically for the HDX.

It's not recommended. Has caused various issues for some who tried it.

 

I meant the BIOS error beep codes. For example if there is a hardware problem then the PC will make 3 or 4 beeps in a specific sequence to communicate what is the problem; e.g. 1-1-2 1-2-2 etc

 

Nothing specific to the HDX. You'll have to perhaps interpret or infer from other HP beep code charts. Such as: BIOS Beep Codes - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

 

The card itself works fine, shows up in the device manager and can be activated/deactivated there. But he HP utility shows it always as "deactivated".

Thought it would be nice to turn it on/off with a little tray utility but it's not really necessary

 

The second port doesn't register in the HP wireless Assistant. Only the first port does since it is the one that is whitelisted in BIOS.

To turn it on/off with a tray app, I use USB safely Remove program.

 

do you think gpus' clocks like 200/400/100 are enough for everyday use.
I'm thinking of making a profil for these clocks. Maybe it helps with temps in idle.

PS.
Could I use front panel from my dragon's dvd if I buy blue ray UJ-220 or UJ-120?

 

No, actually, letting it downclock by itself via powermizer is more efficient than making a profile with lower clocks. Powermizer is the only way to enter the 2D clock mode which runs cooler than a profile with 200/400/100 which would run at 3D clocks and therefore at a higher temp.

Yes, it will fit fine.

 

Vidock 3 and 4/4 Plus (now work on notebooks with NVIDIA GPUs and Win7):
Village Instruments : ViDock

Any thoughts? Price is $279US (for Vidock 4 Plus) + the price of your choice NVIDIA desktop card, e.g., a 480 GTX for $400US ( eVGA GeForce GTX 480 Graphics adapter - 1.5 GB - GDDR5 SDRAM)

 

I've read it uses x1 bus not x16. So The performance is less ~50%

 

Definitely what portable pcs should consist of. There's no reason slots aren't universal except for $$ and different data rates (though interface could be universal)

I think when heat (i.e. heatsinks, fans) stops being an issue, fully upgradable pc 'hubs' will be universal. But then we have the future instance when Moore's law becomes obsolete, making upgrades obsolete (think relatively instantaneous prime95)

 

At least you get a proper dual-link DVI and HDMI 1.4 capable of driving a 120Hz stereoscopic monitor (current Dragon is locked at 60Hz max. and its old HDMI 1.2 cannot cope with the higher refresh rates bandwidth). Also a 580 GTX would still offer a noticeable boost, even at x1 / 50%. (All assuming Vidock 3/4 can be attached to the Dragon.)

 

that's right
question is how to use Vidock with dragon's display :confused2:

 

Can somebody help me?

I need recover CD fo my HP HDX 9450EA.
HDD changed and recover partition absent.

May be i can download image of Recover CD?

 

Vidock is only designed to work with an external display not the laptop's internal!

 

clean install is the best option.


BTW Do you think uprgading hdx is worthwhile.
I thinking of buying x9000, blue ray and second 2gb. On the other hand there is for example toshiba 18,4" x505-q893 for $1150.

 

As Aldam said, you can do a clean install with a win7 or Vista DVD. Drivers can be obtained from HP's website. See first page of this thread for win7 drivers and Softpak #s.

Otherwise, you would have to buy the recovery DVD from HP.

 

I had a discussion with a gentleman at VillageTronic after reading the recent posts on Vidock. The Vidock 4 Plus has a capacity of 225 W, and apparently the most powerful cards which can be used would be the ATI 5870 (the standard version, not the Eyefinity) and the NVIDIA 470 GTX.

It was his opinion that the bandwidth of the Expresscard 54 slot would not have such a negative impact as people might think. They did a test with the newest Vidock at VillageTronic where they ran a desktop card in the normal desktop slot, and then ran the same card in Vidock through an Expresscard adapter. Measured in terms of frame rates, there was a drop-off with the Expresscard variant, but not that great of a drop-off in frame rates. Interesting. Of course, that was on a desktop set up with desktop PCI Express.

There are also a few YouTube videos of people achieving very respectable gaming results with very modest laptops using the newer Vidocks. Even with some of these modest machines there was a big jump in 3DMark 06 using Vidock.

He also suggested, when I asked him what kind of 3DMark 06 score one might achieve with one of the upper end cards on the Dragon, that an interested forum member could open a ticket on the support page, referencing the Dragon and this forum, and he would nurture the question along.

MobileArtist

 

If it would just allow us to connect a 120Hz external monitor to the Dragon, that would be great and enough (IMHO). If you have ever tried to directly connect a 120Hz S3D monitor to the Dragon, you would find that such connection is impossible at 120Hz (only 60Hz/75Hz are possible, including via the Dragon's own old HDMI 1.2 port). You cannot run S3D with less than 120Hz refresh rate.

 

I gave the chap a call this morning and he said the output rate is gpu dependent. If the desktop card outputs 120 hz, Vidock should enable it. We spent some time on the phone and web trying to establish whether the 470 GTX outputs 120 hz, and it appears to be the case if you read Nvidia's page about 3D implementation.

Anyway, no guarantees on this end. Just trying to get and give as much info as I can.

MA

 

Yes the 470 GTX outputs 120Hz (dual link DVI and HDMI 1.4) when installed in any desktop PC. It is certified 3D Vision ready by NVIDIA and 120Hz is a key mandatory requirement of 3D Vision and one of the capabilities of this card (also able to decode Blu-ray 3D in the GPU).

The 8800M is also able to output 120Hz but has been let down in the Dragon by HP's own implementation, lack of dual link DVI support, and the older low-bandwidth HDMI 1.2 port that can't cope with 120 HD frames per second. On Dell notebooks with 8800M GTX, you can successfully connect a 120Hz external 3D Vision display, but sadly not on the HP Dragon:
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=97053 (Stereoscopic 3D is possible on Dell XPS M1730 with 120Hz displays)

 

I did it 3 times (x86 w7 home pr., x64 w7 home pr., x64 ultimate)
But TVtuner and cardreader aren't working.

I downloaded drivers from upper topic and tried to use they, but TVdriver and cardreader still unusible.

I already have blue-ray, 8Gb and 2x1Tb HDD, WUXGA.

in Toshiba I cann't to install 2 HDD and resolution is lower...

 

Cardreader - sp45112
You can download that from the softpak directory listed on page one.

The TV tuner driver, Run sp37923 as admin first, then run sp38987 as admin and then let the computer sit for about 5 mins and it will install the driver components.

 

Wow. Good for you! Hopefully I'll get more joy when I return to the UK next week.
I'd appreciate it if you could let me know when you receive the nVidia card and how the return process went so I am forearmed.

CJ

 

Here's the first installment (temps come later) of the Notepal U3 stand review I'm workin' up ...

The pics; the commentary:

... all in all it's easily a 85 - 90% solution and when you consider that it's < $40 delivered, even though the 10 degree angle does elevate the rear nearly 2 & 1/2" (meaning that typists will notice the incline - create a custom wrist rest solution for yourself with a proper size piece of fir strip and a folded up hand towel for a cushion), short of a custom home baked alternative it's a solid winner (even if it doesn't make major differences on the operating temps the keyboard feels more comfortable, I'm gettin' a second one).

Even though it claims to be usable as a cover, you can't - the display hinge prevents that - get a Dicota Multigiant (love mine, $46 delivered) to protect your beasties.

It's really lite but very sturdy. When centered the Dragon hangs over almost exactly 1" each side, and a total of 3/4" front to back.

It's a good thing the rubber feet slide off and you can fold the top part inside the underside interior curve to alleviate obscuring the air intakes. If it were a perfect world the fans (which unless you listen for them are not perceptible even under full steam) optimal positioning would not need to be altered and the stand could also remain centered, but the closest fan to the user must be moved three rows of holes away (allowing the front edge to rest directly on the desk surface) and the stand must be shifted left the inch to that edge to allow better airflow to the CPU intake (which is not an issue since it will still rest comfortably and solidly on all the Dragons belly rubber feet).

"Recommended" by this user.

 

DRAGONe

Very nice.
I;d locate fans under gpu's vent , cpu's vent and under hdds.
Is it loud?
Make screenshots from HWmonitor nad please make photos of frotn of dragon and with open lcd

 

In x505 you can.

 

What about this:

Refresh Rate Patcher 1.0.1 - NVIDIA Forums

http://www.sendspace.com/file/o4ic9b

 

Does not work, due to hardware lock and port bandwidth limitations on the HDX Dragon!

 

Dear Kindheart,

The laptop GPU could be limited to 60HZ for many reasons, however a ViDock could allow you to use your 450GTS to achieve the 120HZ on an external monitor. Basically, the ViDock is a piece of hardware that allows you to interface a desktop Graphics card to a laptop.

When it does interface with the laptop, you will have all features that you could expect when installing it into a desktop. However you can expect anywhere from a 10-20% performance decrease compared to the desktop because of bandwidth limitations in the ExpressCard.

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Best Regards,
James Israel Atchue

-Your Village Tronic Ninja Support Team

 

Looks nice, man! So you are saying it does not seem to make a huge difference in term of temps? Mmmh, still if the HDX fans are doing less work it's already a success, since they'll gather less dust and work less. Keep me posted for other details!

 

Actually, it won't make the fans work less since their speed is temp threshold adjusted. They will continue to work the same. Only a dramatic change in temps would affect the speed. Say, if it were able to delay when the medium speed setting were to kick in. To do that, it would need to be able to drop temps by at least 10 DegC on GPU. Something which is not possible with an external device given that the GPU's air intake is located about a few centimeters from the exhaust and that the thickness of the plastic chassis is too thick for thermal transfer.

 

Last Summer I had big heat problems and I used a huge fan (not a PC fan, a regular one) with that one directed sideways from left to right (right toward the GPU) I got about -20°C on the GPU. Maybe you are right about these smaller fans, but it doesn't hurt to try. Anyway I really hate how in summer the table under the dragon heats up! The fact of keeping it on a small aluminum base is already a big plus (this is also not the best season to test this thing... We'll see in June).

 

Speaking of drivers, what would you say are the best and then second best NVIDIA drivers? The one's that have been recommended 9745 have consistently had a problem crashing, sometimes more times than others.

 

197.45 from Microsoft are the best to date. Haven't had a crash once since installed on either HDX. The 200 and up series are troublesome for the HDX. You might some other issue going on that makes it crash for you. Unless others chime in about crashes with the 197.45.

Otherwise, you'll have to drop back down to the 186.91 from Microsoft which was the best before the 197.45 came out.

 

Very interesting thought; I'll investigate that positioning from both the aesthetic and functional aspects and add that into Part II (temp measurements). I hadn't considered that option because I am planning on forcing air through a membrane to filter it prior to entry into the machine.

Almost imperceptible even @ max; I don't have a scientific measurement tool so it is my subjective opinion, however I am quite irritated by very minimal noises and was not at all - had to listen intently to hear it at all.

Part II (temp measurements) is not yet scheduled - likely, not this, but the following week; I can't believe you want pics in the position you will actually use it in! (just kiddin', "Space the final frontier ...", not an excuse just an explaination)

 

Small price for the benefit, IMHO.

I KNOW he's never heard this one before ... I hope you replied Gesundheit!

 

It really is. No temp data as of yet (probably week after next). May help to prolong interior fans life by lessening their load since it can force air into the vents as opposed to solely the unit fans pulling it in. I personally believe that there will not be major temperature benefits - my primary desire is to have the U3s fans push air through a media to filter it prior to machine entry and lessen the interior buildup of dust on the interchange vanes (improving flow through this area is the most effective means of cooling, IMNSHO). For any real temperature impact only forcing a source of artificially cooled air will provide any substantial changes.

 

This is not really Dragon related but here is my new Gaming Rig:
EVGA | Intelligent Innovation

Due to the inability to upgrade the GPU in the Dragon I had to make myself a mATX beast to be my new portable LAN rig. Cool thing is The case is called the Dragon Slayer, and that it does with a 35036 3DMark Vantage score.

The HDX Dragon will still have a place in my heart and computer room. It is the best laptop I have ever had. I will hold onto it and continue to use for as long as it last.

 

I did it on my UJ-220 - dimension wise matches up just fine; just be very careful when dismantling, there is one hidden plastic catch that's a real b to get at. As long as you slowly, without a great deal of force, minorly bend it to loosen its catching you'll be okay.

 

Don't be a defector; Win7Ux64, SSD (with these first two its OMG better, < $300), UJ-220 & X9000 (then you can ThrottleStop it), if you aren't out of capital yet 2x4 GB RAM (least overall impact on functionality and performance). Not only will it breathe fire it'll fart flames and leave steaming piles too.

 

For realistic performance expectations when attaching a desktop video card to a notebook, review the http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences.html performance matrix.

 

Did you feel that ... there has been a major change in The Force.

NOT cool.

In a place of special honor I imagine; the King is dead, long live the King.

 

That looks serious!

Very nice CompT. I'll likely be heading in that direction (though mini desktop) coupled with an IPS monitor sometime next year perhaps.

 

An IPS monitor would be awesome. But that alone would have blown my budget build. $1500 was my price cap on the system and $200 for the monitor. Eventually though I will have to drop the $ on one. I have seen them in action and nothing compares to visual quality and contrast\color accuracy.

 

While it would be nice to customize the Dragon to the latest specs, for some, its not practical (at least technically). While its one thing to add ram, change the hard drives, its another thing to open up the Dragon, change the CPU, etc.

Changing to an SSD has been a Godsend...my major apps. which I run are really smooth..and that's all need.

Besides Robotron 2084, I don't play any games anyway...

Oddly enough, I was looking at Toshiba laptops today as well. Its a shame one can't purchase 18.4' laptops from HP in the US (though one can still get from hp.co.uk website-HP Pavilion dv8-1250ea Entertainment Laptop PC.)

I still think I will go with the HP Touchsmart to run my applications-the only downside is the Touchsmarts don't have dual drive bays...

 

Here's a YouTube review of the older Vidock 2, fitted with an ATI Radeon 4670, and outputting to a decent sized Dell monitor.
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=qE5NmURV5P8&feature=related

The test machine is a Dell Inspiron Core 2 Duo T7250 with an Nvidia 8400M GS.

Basically, as you'll see, an unplayable game becomes playable. The newer Vidock 4 Plus, with a much better card, and mated to a stronger CPU, ought to provide even better results.

There's also this YouTube from sewelldirect (a vendor for Vidock) which demos the Vidock 4, but unlike the first video it's less specific about hardware.
YouTube - ViDock4 demonstration by Sewell Direct

I saw a review somewhere of Vidock running on a Lenovo (not your typical gaming machine) with an impressive bump in 3D score, but it vanished into the ether. (I saw it somewhere late at night.)

MobileArtist

Oops. The correct url for the sewelldirect video is YouTube - ViDock4 demonstration by Sewell Direct.

Somehow, though, the funky link I posted takes you to the same place.

(Got to get more sleep.)

MA

Last oops.

I copied the url correctly both times, apparently, but it rendered the url in plain English for some unknown reason.. Here's my last attempt.
YouTube - ViDock4 demonstration by Sewell Direct

If it comes out in plain English again, then I must be on the Holodeck.

MA

 

Villagetronic tout impressive 3dmark06 numbers, but read about the real-life gaming performance in examples like here and here.

Important is to find out if your system can do a x1E or x2 link then it's worth pursuing. Do that by studying the pci-e port layout presented by Everest. At x1 1.0 (crippled) performance levels, you'll find your NVidia 8800xx series will perform better than even a desktop HD68xx or GTX4xx in DX9.

Much more details in http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences.html .

 

The first link is not a VillageTronic video, but a user's experience with a modest machine before and after Vidock 2, with a clear description of the hardware used.
It's more of a seeing is believing video, and it speaks for itself, assuming the poster is not a rank dissembler.

The DIY Vidock results are...as the acronym states...not using Vidock hardware, but a do it yourself approach using similar, self assembled hardware.

But it's good to take a wait and see attitude. I'm pretty sure one of our fellow posters has created a ticket with VillageTronic, so more and better information is in the offing.

MA

 

If you can provide the info of what accessible mPCIe and expresscard slots port layout is, like this, then can advise on what the highest link speed can be achieved. The DIY ViDock has the x1E, x2 and x2E setups/tweaks to extract peak performance.