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    Toughbook dock with external video card?

    Discussion in 'Panasonic' started by ADOR, Jul 24, 2011.

  1. ADOR

    ADOR Evil Mad Scientist

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    I have looked at the available docks for several Toughbooks and haven't seen one with a external video card. Do they make one? I know they make one for Thinkpads. I have one I have been playing with just to see how far I can go with it, but I would really like one for a Toughbook.
     
  2. xboxhaxorz

    xboxhaxorz Notebook Evangelist

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    type vidoc on this website
     
  3. SHEEPMAN!

    SHEEPMAN! Freelance

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    Ummm I couldn't find anyplace to type vidoc but I did read the article. Excellent.

    I'm using chrome...maybe needs i.e?

    Jeff
     
  4. ADOR

    ADOR Evil Mad Scientist

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    Thanks but I know about the Vidock and the excellent DIY Vidock thread on notebookreview, but I was trying to see if anyone made a dock that supported external video cards. That way it can be added to my too look for used list. You can pick up the older docks for thinkpads for around 25 bucks shipped, I didn't think they made one for it, but wanted to check.
     
  5. xboxhaxorz

    xboxhaxorz Notebook Evangelist

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    in the search at the top, or in google type diy vidoc. but the op is looking for something different i guess.

    which article?
     
  6. ADOR

    ADOR Evil Mad Scientist

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    Yep, I have something a little different in mind. I have been playing with a older thinkpad and a dock I got off of ebay. The full docks have a full size video card hole. You can even put the really big cards in them with a riser ribbon and external video card, so the factory dock would work with a newer card. If I was to get a VIDOCK OR DIY VIDOCK that would cover that would cover video only. I like having all the extra ports too. That is why I was looking to see if one of the dock OEM's made one with the toughbook with external video card. I may have to see it there is a way to take a factory dock/port replicator for a toughbook and mod those connections to a factory thinkpad dock. The thinkpads of that generation run the same voltage and power cord as many of the newer toughbooks do. Just may be doable, just researching this project right now. Probably have to find a list of pin-outs, etc to properly do it.
     
  7. capt.dogfish

    capt.dogfish The Curmudgeon

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    I'm guessing that searching for a Toughbook dock with provision for a video card is going to be a waste of time. The Toughbook market is overwhelmingly not interested in graphics performance. Kinda like the non-Toughbook market is not very interested in high nit, daylight viewable displays.
    CAP
     
  8. ADOR

    ADOR Evil Mad Scientist

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    Yep, after a couple of days after work playing around on Google I didn't find one hit. It is looking like my only option now would be to mod a toughbook dock and see if I can connect it to a thinkpad dock, or just get a vidock.
     
  9. xboxhaxorz

    xboxhaxorz Notebook Evangelist

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    yea i agree, its not as if people buy toughbooks to play starcraft 2 on them