Thinkpad T500 with multiple moniters

I have a T500(with intel GPU) and 2504 Advanced mini dock with DVI. I have a couple of questions.

1.) Can my setup drive 2 25" 1920x1080 res Monitors without problems? I am not going to use it for games. I will use it for movies, netflix, youtube and programming.

2.) Can my setup instead drive a 29" Dell ultrasharp u2913wm monitor? This monitor runs at 2560 x 1080 at 60 Hz.

3.) Which would you do and why, a 29" monitor or 2 25" monitors?

Thanks.

 

The Intel GPU shoudl able to do two LCDs, either the internal + external or two external.

The displayport on the T500 can do 2560x1600, which the Dell has. I don't know why it wouldn't do 2560x1080, but stranger things have happened I suppose and I don't have any firsthand knowledge.

My two LCD desktop has two UXGA LCDs, one running at 1200x1600. I've had two FHD LCDs on my desk before. It's too wide in my opinion. That's why I went back to the UXGA LCDs. Maybe with some sort of stand that stacked them might work.

 

Hi Zaz,
Thanks for the reply. Thats good to hear that I can drive 2 monitors with my current configuration. If I was going to go the 2 monitor route, how would I actually hook them up to the dock? Do I do one off the DVI and the other off the VGA or can I do 1 off the DVI of the dock and 1 off the display port of the laptop itself(my dock only has 1 VGA and 1 DVI port)? Also, if I hook up the 2 monitors do I need to do fn+f7 to switch the diplay from the laptop screen to the 2nd monitor? Thanks.

 

You can hook them both up to the dock. I have ZaZ's 2x UXGA configuration and they are both connected to the dock. You don't need to mess with the function keys; you can configure both displays within Windows.

 

Depends if you have 21:9 movies,

dual monitor productivity would be better than single imo(you need to use software window divider and they are pretty clumsy )

Which 25" monitor you looking at? I think 2x 24" 1920*1200 would be easier to manage.

 

Copycat.

I'd say unless you're a connector snob, I'd vote for hooking them both to the dock via VGA and DVI. That way you can just plop the T500 into the dock and don't have to plug in the monitor. Plus, it'd be connected in the rear with the dock as opposed to on the side if you plugged into the T500.

 

I was thinking of the new HP 25xi IPS 25" monitors. They are 1920x1080.

 

I'd be more inclined toward the single 2560x1080 LCD. Two 25" FHD LCD is probably four feet across. You can probably get a pair of Dell 2007FPs for around the same price as the HPs. The benefit of going UXGA is you can turn one sideways for 1600 vertical resolution, which is the perfect tool for Office and Internet type stuff. A 25" FHD is too tall for portrait mode and 1080 isn't wide enough for Firefox and a sidebar. The downsides of the Dells being the response time being 16ms. I don't game on my PC so it's a non-issue for me, but you'll have to decide on that one. The Dells are also CCFL backlight, which means they may dim and/or yellow over time, though CFFL monitors tend to have better color than LEDs if you care. Good luck whatever you decide.

 

ThinkPad T500 with integrated GPU will support 2 WUXGA LCD