multiple external monitor displays

has anyone here got the chance to hook up their Optimus capable Thinkpad with three monitors?

 

I believe only the T420s has that capability.

 

As indicated on lenovo support page, any Thinkpad with optimus can run four monitors when docked.

Lenovo Support - ThinkPad Multiple Monitor Configurations: NVIDIA Optimus technology

Why do you believe on T420s have this capability? Have you tried it with T420 or W520 and they did not work?

 

Doesn't work with the W520, tested it myself.

The documentation in your link also says T420/T420s and only the T520 Dual Core, except when using the 170W power brick the T520 dual and quad core models support 3 monitors.

 

W520 can only support 2 external monitors plus one internal monitor. Regardless whether you use the dock or not.

T520, T420, T420s should support 2 external monitors (from laptop's displayport and vga) and one internal monitor. Can support 4 monitors when the dock 3 plus used.

T410, T510, T410s can support 1 external monitor + one internal or 2 external monitors with no internal monitor. When used with dock 3 plus, you can support 3 external monitors using the vga + 1 dvi or dp + 1 dvi or dp connectors on the dock.

 

It's too bad that article is incomplete and doesn't show driving 4 external LCD panels or monitors.

 

yeah, I want to make if the current generation of thinkpad can really run three external monitors or should I wait for the ivy bridge versions.

 

Driving Four Dell LCD panels with a single Lenovo ThinkPad T410s Optimus laptop and dock - Keith Combs' Blahg - Site Home - TechNet Blogs

http://www.clanbbw.com/publicimg/data/images/IMG00130.jpg

 

thanks Lead_org, this is the first real photographic evidence of a Thinkpad running three external monitors. Although I wish he had higher resolution monitors.

 

only W520 can support one internal FHD and two WQXGA LCDs on the dock. Other thinkpads with optimus can do 4 monitors with only WUXGA resolution. If you need two U2711 then you would need to switch off the optimus and go with discrete only, which means the laptop can only support two LCD at the same time.

 

oh damn, I just bought a U3011, now I have a u2410, 2711 and 3011.

currently 3011 and 2410 is connect to my x200t and 2711 is connected to ps3, I want a laptop to be able to run all three monitors at their native resolutions. Guess I'll just have to wait til next year to see what the ivy bridge Thinkpads can do.

 

Says who? I tested the T420s with the U2711 at native res plus two other LCD's at 1920x1200.

 

nice, you have any pictures?

 

We aren't allowed to take cell phones or cameras into the lab area. Sorry. But I have personally tested this.

[update] I realized after I wrote this that I could at least take a screenshot of the display properties. Here they are. Unfortunately I was wrong. Apparently the T420s won't drive the Dell U2711 at it's native resolution of 2560x1440 when also driving two or three other external monitors.

I would swear at one point we had this working but I'll have to check our testing notes. I may have just thought it was running native with a DPI higher than 100%. At 1920x1080 that basically what it looks like.

I'll look and see if I can get this working. If I can't, this is probably the best any Optimus machine is going to do from this generation. Still pretty nice.

 

were you able to get the laptop LCD running while running these three external ones?

 

I neglected to flip the lid up and try. I will tomorrow when I get back to the office/lab. I'll also hook up a 4th monitor and see if that works.

 

Sorry, I got slammed Friday and didn't get to this. Attached is a pic of one of two the options I tested.

In the pic you'll see three external lcd panels and the T420s lcd all active with a Windows 7 extended desktop. I tried to add a fourth panel for a total of five but it wouldn't drive that config. The displays are running 1920x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, and 1600x900.

The second successful test was with the lid down and four external panels.

The machine seems borderline with 4 displays. I'm not sure why but my guess would be video memory starvation. It's rock solid running three display from the dock with the lid down.