# Discrete PCI-E graphics card adapter for laptops! *Pics*



## killeraxemannic

This is really cool! Wonder how well it would actually work! Check it out!










http://www.villageinstruments.com/tiki-index.php?page=ViDock

*EDIT: Found a write up on it for a DIY version!*

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5846&review=how+to+upgrade+laptop+graphics+notebook



















you can buy DIY parts here it looks like!
http://www.hwtools.net/Adapter/PE4H.html

Express Card









Or Mini PCI-E









Buy it now for 82 bux + 16 shipping on ebay!
http://cgi.ebay.com/PE4H-EC2C-ExpressCard-PCI-E-Adapter-Ver2-4-or-PM3N-/180639845595?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0ef94cdb#ht_4951wt_1109


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## vltor

very cool find


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## xJavontax

That looks sick.


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## Stealth2o

Do want ViDock 4+.


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## the.FBI

I looked at these about a month ago, they look nice, throw a gtx 460 in one and you can have a portable laptop w/ 6+ hours battery life and can max most games at 720p.


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## killeraxemannic

found some more info!


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## SOCOM_HERO

way cool...definitely a unique product that at least I have never seen before. Makes your average laptop a semi-beast!


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## LiLChris

Kinda kills the portability part for me.
Going to show this to my folders.


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## killeraxemannic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *LiLChris;13017901*
> Kinda kills the portability part for me.
> Going to show this to my folders.


Oh wow that would be a good use for it! Instant plug in folding power for almost any laptop!


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## Rookie1337

I'll have to read up on it but the last one like this I saw suffered from a connection bottleneck.
Still interesting none the less.

Seems like a max is a 250watt draw GPU? I wonder if that means my GTX275 would be out of the question.


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## Heedehcheenuh

Now they make something of some good after I order a new laptop.
But nice find.

Chuck D
Fold on...
Support Syrillian.....


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## killeraxemannic

I think the bottleneck would be gone if they made one of these that ran through thunderbolt if it becomes standard on PC laptops!


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## StuffStuff1

Old news. Just slightly updated,,

Im excieted i cant wait till they come out with a affordable one.


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## BankaiKiller

Wow how long has this technology been out. that's awesome. I'm buying this.

This will keep me from spending a thousand on a brand new laptop with a gpu.

I only have to spend 500 to upgrade my ASus laptop that has a nvidia gts 360 m


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## killeraxemannic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *StuffStuff1;13018001*
> Old news. Just slightly updated,,
> 
> Im excieted i cant wait till they come out with a affordable one.


Looks like you can build the DIY setup for about 100 bux!


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## StuffStuff1

Can you SLI these?

If so then we are talking.


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## killeraxemannic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *StuffStuff1;13018076*
> Can you SLI these?
> 
> If so then we are talking.


That would be sick! One could plug in to express card and one could go in to your wifi card slot!









There are adapters for both!


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## Rookie1337

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *killeraxemannic;13018221*
> That would be sick! One could plug in to express card and one could go in to your wifi card slot!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There are adapters for both!


MOBO SUPPORT? Think you guys forgot about that. I know of it because AMD gets shafted on that in the desktop world.


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## StuffStuff1

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Rookie1337;13018309*
> MOBO SUPPORT? Think you guys forgot about that. I know of it because AMD gets shafted on that in the desktop world.


SLI hack. Wont matter


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## D-Quong

Pretty cool, but kinda ruins the point of a laptop.


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## StuffStuff1

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *D-Quong;13018400*
> Pretty cool, but kinda ruins the point of a laptop.


No you fail to understand. This would be ideal for some one who need a laptop but would like to game when they get home.


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## killeraxemannic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *D-Quong;13018400*
> Pretty cool, but kinda ruins the point of a laptop.


Leave it on your desk with your monitor..... Take your laptop to work, Come home plug it in and play some games! Sounds like it would work out well to me if you wanted to have just a laptop and not have 2 computers!


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## LostKauz

what about plugging one in to a desktop system for: ... (begin discussion for desktop use)

btw im thinking a bout the scenario where you would have 3+ cards like this going.


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## StuffStuff1

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *LostKauz;13018493*
> what about plugging one in to a desktop system for: ... (begin discussion for desktop use)


It would be stupid. YOu would have to buy a PCI-E to the laptop pci thing. They you have to buy the encloser. then you have to buy the video card. then you will get less then best performance.


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## daydream99

hmm.. My laptop's cpu would be a bad bottleneck..


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## Razinhail

Holy mother of DIY WINsauce!
So much potential with this. Excellent find!


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## LiLChris

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *LostKauz;13018493*
> what about plugging one in to a desktop system for: ... (begin discussion for desktop use)


An extender would probably be better, we use those for folding when the slots are too tight to fit.


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## killeraxemannic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *daydream99;13018533*
> hmm.. My laptop's cpu would be a bad bottleneck..


this would be an epic win for my i7 Asus laptop! I wonder how much better a gtx 460 would do in the setup than its built in ATI 5730


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## JTD92

For DIY you need an express card slot?


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## The_Punisher

Too bad my new laptop doesn't have either of those ports - i5 with no alternative to onboard graphics









The DIY option would be awesome, minus the bulky psu. I'm thinking 12V 7A power brick for something like a 5770.


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## killeraxemannic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *JTD92;13018636*
> For DIY you need an express card slot?


Well there are 2 ways to do it

Express Card









Or Mini PCI-E


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## gtarmanrob

haha that is pretty epic. i could use this on my Asus Gj73 with an Nvidia card and get 3D movies/games on my TV


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## killeraxemannic

Sweet video!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oOo7Q9NDjw[/ame]


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## 3dfxvoodoo

heck ya I want
pci to pci-e counter
and a pci 3dfx card =win


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## Cyrious

hmmmmm.... several very crazy ideas have come to my head regarding this... Would not be easy or cheap to pull off, but is possible. must think on this

....... it has just occurred to me that i was speaking like dr suchong from bioshock. I need some sleep.


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## bluedevil

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCK5dLWiO2Q[/ame]


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## killeraxemannic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *bluedevil;13019081*
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCK5dLWiO2Q


Just watched that! It can play crysis!


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## MetalBeerSolid

But you need a laptop with Mini PCI-e or Expresscard...


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## caffeinescandal

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MetalBeerSolid;13019172*
> But you need a laptop with Mini PCI-e or Expresscard...


Dont most laptops have these ports? Old laptops wont have it, but recent laptops should have them.

Imagine a 6970 on a small netbook. lol I would do this if the parts were a little cheaper but cool hack nonetheless.


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## StuffStuff1

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *The_Punisher;13018658*
> Too bad my new laptop doesn't have either of those ports - i5 with no alternative to onboard graphics
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The DIY option would be awesome, minus the bulky psu. I'm thinking 12V 7A power brick for something like a 5770.


youll cpu bottle neck before that


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## mike44njdevils

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *LiLChris;13017901*
> Kinda kills the portability part for me.
> Going to show this to my folders.


We're _your_ folders now, lol.

First thing I thought of when I saw this.


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## JedixJarf

I remember when ASUS was going to come out with one of these a few years ago...

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/ces-asus-xg-station,4679.html


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## DuckieHo

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *The_Punisher;13018658*
> The DIY option would be awesome, minus the bulky psu. I'm thinking 12V 7A power brick for something like a 5770.


Power bricks are unregulated PSUs.... you definitely do not want one powering a GPU directly.


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## killeraxemannic

if your going for a small PSU I would say this would be the way to go! Its only 300w but its only powering a graphics card


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## gtarmanrob

ah damn. just having a look, my G73 doesnt have the required slot.


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## 161029

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *JedixJarf;13019467*
> I remember when ASUS was going to come out with one of these a few years ago...
> 
> http://www.tomshardware.com/news/ces-asus-xg-station,4679.html


I thought it did come out.


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## s-x

This is super old tech, but its not surprising a lot of members dont know much about laptops.
Anyways, this is the best place to research a DIY Vidock:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences.html


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## cyanmcleod

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *s-x;13021762*
> This is super old tech, but its not surprising a lot of members dont know much about laptops.
> Anyways, this is the best place to research a DIY Vidock:
> http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences.html


yup, i did that a while back on an old laptop at work. its been around for years.


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## The_Punisher

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DuckieHo;13019494*
> Power bricks are unregulated PSUs.... you definitely do not want one powering a GPU directly.


I've seen some that are switching power supplies, aren't those regulated?


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## cyanmcleod

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *The_Punisher;13021967*
> I've seen some that are switching power supplies, aren't those regulated?


no, they switch on and off as needed but they dont actually regulate the power like a good power supply would on each rail. like using a corsair or antec will actually make sure the ripple is ok on each rail but some cheap noname will just fry your video card rather than power down.


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## The_Punisher

Gotcha. I wonder how they fit it in such a small package then? Surely there's a way to build it without lugging around a full-size computer psu.


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## cyanmcleod

i was able to snatch a cheapo dell PSU and rig it to power on and play games that way but i ended up just getting a 4650 since it didnt need external power and used it. the best thing to do is just buy a laptop that already has the video card you need unless you really really really have a need for this.


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## DuckieHo

Quote:



Originally Posted by *killeraxemannic*


if your going for a small PSU I would say this would be the way to go! Its only 300w but its only powering a graphics card

Amazon.com: Shuttle PC50-PW 300W Power Supply for XPC: Electronics


No.... the problem with using an ATX PSU is that many suffer from crossloading. Older/cheaper units require some load on the +5v/+3.3v rails. If they don't, the +12v line will be poorly regulated or out-of-spec.

Quote:



Originally Posted by *cyanmcleod*


i was able to snatch a cheapo dell PSU and rig it to power on and play games that way but i ended up just getting a 4650 since it didnt need external power and used it. the best thing to do is just buy a laptop that already has the video card you need unless you really really really have a need for this.


From my experience with cheapo dell PSUs, you were probably damaging your card if you were using it for just +12v.


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## killeraxemannic

Quote:



Originally Posted by *DuckieHo*


No.... the problem with using an ATX PSU is that many suffer from crossloading. Older/cheaper units require some load on the +5v/+3.3v rails. If they don't, the +12v line will be poorly regulated or out-of-spec.


In this case what type of PSU would you recommend for a setup like this?


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## Mr.Pie

Quote:



Originally Posted by *killeraxemannic*


In this case what type of PSU would you recommend for a setup like this?


a modern one

or while powering the GPU
plug in some fans or hdd's or something along those lines

but this is kinda old news isn't it?

thsi was developed by someone notebookreviews like ages ago

as linked by OP

they have a huge thread over on their forum
(forum.notebookreview.com) if your interested for more info


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## jethro_static

This one looks very stupid.






















Now, Make a brick power adapter for that and maybe were in to something.


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## aksthem1

My friend had been looking into buying a ViDock or building his own. The price of the ViDock and a decent GPU would have been a more than decent used desktop. Thanks for the link.


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## cyanmcleod

Quote:



Originally Posted by *DuckieHo*


From my experience with cheapo dell PSUs, you were probably damaging your card if you were using it for just +12v.


yeah, thats why i ended up getting a card that did not require external power.


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## AgentHydra

FSP, Visiontek, and a couple other companies make +12V only PSUs with only PCI-E and EPS +12V power connectors. (like this and this)

They tend to be pretty mediocre performers but it could be a viable option.


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## killeraxemannic

Quote:



Originally Posted by *AgentHydra*


FSP, Visiontek, and a couple other companies make +12V only PSUs with only PCI-E and EPS +12V power connectors. (like this and this)

They tend to be pretty mediocre performers but it could be a viable option.


That seems pretty win for this setup! I wonder how good the cheap one is. Probably better than just powering the card of an unregulated power brick!


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## killeraxemannic

Bumping for ppl who didn't see it yet!


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## ColdRush

This would be great for lan parties, or simply just a home docking station. I may invest in the future...

Actually, scratch that. My gpu is soldered to the board and my only mini pcie slot is occupied by my intel wifi 1000.

Still a cool idea regardless.


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## somebodysb2

I hope theres a Vidock for 6990


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## Mr.Pie

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *somebodysb2;13033353*
> I hope theres a Vidock for 6990


you could
but it would be massively bottlenecked by the PCIE bandwidth which essentially runs at a 1x connection speed IIRC


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## GoTMaXPoWeR

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Mr.Pie;13033827*
> you could
> but it would be massively bottlenecked by the PCIE bandwidth which essentially runs at a 1x connection speed IIRC


Although if you were folding, it'd run full speed.


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## Flying Toilet

Pros:
Significantly increase gaming and folding performance of a laptop
Cons:
Typically limited to PCI-E x1 bandwidth. In rare cases up to x4 is possible. This effects gaming performance, but may have a further detriment to GPU folding.
Limits portability
CPU bottleneck
Requires an external monitor
A DIY vidock isn't very visually appealing, but is considerably more economical than the Vidock 4.

For somebody that hasn't already invested in a desktop computer, this can be a great solution for medium gaming.


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## killeraxemannic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *GoTMaXPoWeR;13033878*
> Although if you were folding, it'd run full speed.


I was wondering about that honestly. I guess it has to do with how much work can be loaded in the ram of the video card?


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## cyanmcleod

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *killeraxemannic;13035480*
> I was wondering about that honestly. I guess it has to do with how much work can be loaded in the ram of the video card?


ram has very little to do with folding, you shader count/speed is all that it really cares about.


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## emc_2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Heedehcheenuh;13017955*
> Now they make something of some good after I order a new laptop.


Uhh... This is old tech. ViDock has been around for years (It's a wonder really, why they haven't gone out of business yet) and you can make your own version which is way better: http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences.html


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## YannieBoy

This is news to me. And boy do I want. I was looking into building a new rig but cant justify the money since I mainly do console gaming. But every now and then, I want to play something on the lappy and just can't at the graphical level that I would love to. I'm a big GFWL gamer (I know, I Know) since it ties into my gamercard so this would be great even if it's the DIY route to get that extra umph I need to play games at the level I would like. Now the question is, I know there are games that come to mind the need a quad (GTA IV or will it work with the new card?) but idealy what card would be best for my sig below without bottlenecking and what would I need to get if DIY or which ViDock?

Thanks.


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## killeraxemannic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *YannieBoy;13044436*
> This is news to me. And boy do I want. I was looking into building a new rig but cant justify the money since I mainly do console gaming. But every now and then, I want to play something on the lappy and just can't at the graphical level that I would love to. I'm a big GFWL gamer (I know, I Know) since it ties into my gamercard so this would be great even if it's the DIY route to get that extra umph I need to play games at the level I would like. Now the question is, I know there are games that come to mind the need a quad (GTA IV or will it work with the new card?) but idealy what card would be best for my sig below without bottlenecking and what would I need to get if DIY or which ViDock?
> 
> Thanks.


I would run the DIY with a GTX 460!


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## YannieBoy

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *killeraxemannic;13044469*
> I would run the DIY with a GTX 460!


I have no problem going with the DIY Route, but which ViDock would work. Pretty sure the wife wouldn't want a some cables to hanging around, gonna have to show both sides to the story. Any issue with going with a 3d Card? Thanks again.


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## emc_2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *YannieBoy;13044562*
> I have no problem going with the DIY Route, but which ViDock would work. Pretty sure the wife wouldn't want a some cables to hanging around, gonna have to show both sides to the story. Any issue with going with a 3d Card? Thanks again.


You have to make sure Your notebook will support it and 3D is entirely independent of the notebook as long as you have a 3D capable card and a 120Hz Monitor.

And ask around on here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences.html If anyone has successfully implemented it on a G50 (Since judging from the response to this thread, 95%+ of OCN members use desktops only







).


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## killeraxemannic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *YannieBoy;13044562*
> I have no problem going with the DIY Route, but which ViDock would work. Pretty sure the wife wouldn't want a some cables to hanging around, gonna have to show both sides to the story. Any issue with going with a 3d Card? Thanks again.


I don't see any issue at all really! Its just like adding a video card to any other computer really... 3D would work perfect if you set it up!


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## killeraxemannic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *emc_2;13044596*
> You have to make sure Your notebook will support it and 3D is entirely independent of the notebook as long as you have a 3D capable card and a 120Hz Monitor.
> 
> And ask around on here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vidock-experiences.html If anyone has successfully implemented it on a G50 (Since judging from the response to this thread, 95%+ of OCN members use desktops only
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ).


It looks like it depends on if your laptop runs the express card through the USB controller or not. Apparently cheaper laptops do that to save costs because its still works through usb but at reduced speeds


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## truly

Hi.

I'm going to buy new sandy bridge notebook, and since SB has mPCI-E 2.0 ports it won't bottleneck gpu performance so much (5870 with SB i7 has 18k in 3dmark06 - almost as much as on desktop)

I'm going to buy Vidock kit and probably opt for gtx460-gtx56ti (or similiar amd cards) - more for 560ti range.

And now it's my question: will i5-2410m (2.3ghz turbo: 3/6) be bottleneck for gpu like 560ti ? Or should I opt for i7-2630qm (2.0ghz turbo: 6/7/8/9) ?

I'm almost 100% sure that I would not use power of i7 more often than once - twice per year, and i7 combined with 540m notebook gpu isn't going to give me much better performance in games - so I don't need it.
So will there be noticable difference between these two listed cpus with graphic like 560ti or 6950 ? Should I choose i7 instead ssd (for now at least) ?

I don't care about synthetic - only games matter especially crysis 2







- which I know that benefit from HT and multicore.

cheers
truly


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## KaMeNoS

Quote:


> PE4H is PCIe x1 bandwidth limit passive adapter in compliance with Expresscard and mPCIe specification.


The DIY version runs at PCIe x1. Won't that be a huge bottleneck?


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## emc_2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *KaMeNoS;13102674*
> The DIY version runs at PCIe x1. Won't that be a huge bottleneck?


Yes. But it's still a huge step up from an IGP's performance.


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## truly

On sandy bridge laptops is pci-e 2.0 it has bandwidth 5gbps so it's like pci-e 1.0 x2. On sb i7 radeon 5870 has 18000p in 3dmark06. So it have like 80-90% of its power ? I worry about i5 2cores ;/

Edit: oh it seems that you didn't write to me...


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## BradleyW

These have been for sale for a long time i do believe, but not sold by a vast amount. Good bit of tech indeed!


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## Fuego

I found these over a year ago and dug around for info, and everything that I found review wise pointed to poor performance and bottleneck issues. They have been around for over 2 years and have remained obscure because of little performance gain coupled with high cost.


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## Fooxz

I wonder how terrible this would be with netbooks? I mean my Acer can play wow, albiet on the LOWEST possible settings and smallest resolution, and stutters like a mofo, but thats very likely due to the onboard graphics, since its absolute garbage.

It has a mini PCIe slot, and even with a weaker GPU, like a 240 or 430, i wonder how the little Atom CPU would manage...

it would be nice for an extra lan computer for steam games like TF2, CS:S (or just 1.6) and maybe even LoL?


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## gre0481

This is definitely not the first time I've seen this. The first question that comes to mind, what is the bandwidths on the connection to the pc, and second, how portable is a PSU









I'd rather get a antec lanboy and have everything in one unit, then carry around a GFX card in an enclosure, PSU + Laptop.

I don't forsee it it being a foreseeable option, Highend laptops can't compete with high end desktops; and will never in the near be a 100% solution to a laptop









Feel free to dig this thread up in 20 years and prove my theory wrong


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## Fuego

At the cost of that setup, It just doesn't look like a wise choice, IMO you would be better off purchasing a high end laptop....that totally kills portability for a very small gain in performance.


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## Fooxz

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Fuego;13103247*
> At the cost of that setup, It just doesn't look like a wise choice, IMO you would be better off purchasing a high end laptop....that totally kills portability for a very small gain in performance.


Im looking at it more from a tinkering point of view. I already have the netbook, and a spare video card lying around to use, interesting idea that they could potentially be used together.

I'm rarely ever in a situation that i would need a powerful "gaming" laptop, i can either use the netbook or my GalaxyS, or just use my normal desktop. I'm not lazy enough to not be willing to bring my desktop to LANs.

BUT, the idea of strapping a comparatively powerful graphics card to a regular laptop seems very enticing.


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## Fuego

Yes but as i said earlier, when I dug around for product info and reviews all of the reputable sources that I found at that time stated "small performance gains and bottleneck issues", if you want to throw a few hundred dollars at in the name of tinkering...go for it.


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## Imglidinhere

That's the coolest thing I've seen yet! Seriously, you could spend like, $500 on a laptop with a good CPU and integrated GPU, buy this thing and have your old desktop GPU be the powerhouse...







That's Brilliant!


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## Fooxz

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Fuego;13103429*
> Yes but as i said earlier, when I dug around for product info and reviews all of the reputable sources that I found at that time stated "small performance gains and bottleneck issues", if you want to throw a few hundred dollars at in the name of tinkering...go for it.


well for the DIY kit its only $55, which i suppose is a bit much if it doesn't work, but who knows


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## truly

There was problem because of lack of proper port.
As I told you yesterday I'll say it one more time:
With sandybridge now you have these options:
mPCI-E 2.0 (5Gbps)
ExpressCard 2.0 (5Gbps)
USB 3.0 (5Gbps)
Thunderbolt (10Gbps)

In past there was only mPCI-E 1.0 and EC 1.0 which were (2.5Gbps) the problem and lack of these port.

Now, here you can see how much performance it gains with mPCI-E 2.0.

Bandwidth is enough. Now when all notebooks starting to have usb 3.0 (and thunderbolt in future - not sure about that) if only somebody can figure it out how to use USB3.0 to connect them - it could finally be breakthrough









For PSU - villagetronic has small PSUs but they are expensive. You can also mod xbox 203W PSU, which is portable.

Idea is great but probably uneconomic, because there should be plenty of this on the market.
Nvidia and AMD would loose too much (mobile graphic sales drop) if ppl were able to use external fast graphics on notebooks, especially on internal screens.


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## killeraxemannic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *truly;13107285*
> There was problem because of lack of proper port.
> As I told you yesterday I'll say it one more time:
> With sandybridge now you have these options:
> mPCI-E 2.0 (5Gbps)
> ExpressCard 2.0 (5Gbps)
> USB 3.0 (5Gbps)
> Thunderbolt (10Gbps)
> 
> In past there was only mPCI-E 1.0 and EC 1.0 which were (2.5Gbps) the problem and lack of these port.
> 
> Now, here you can see how much performance it gains with mPCI-E 2.0.
> 
> Bandwidth is enough. Now when all notebooks starting to have usb 3.0 (and thunderbolt in future - not sure about that) if only somebody can figure it out how to use USB3.0 to connect them - it could finally be breakthrough
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> For PSU - villagetronic has small PSUs but they are expensive. You can also mod xbox 203W PSU, which is portable.
> 
> Idea is great but probably uneconomic, because there should be plenty of this on the market.
> Nvidia and AMD would loose too much (mobile graphic sales drop) if ppl were able to use external fast graphics on notebooks, especially on internal screens.


So it looks like if you have a laptop with EC 2 your set!


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## truly

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *killeraxemannic;13109243*
> So it looks like if you have a laptop with EC 2 your set!


Well, I'm not sure if core i5 is enough. But even it is - you have so many cables on your desk, and psu.

I should opt for gaming desktop but I hate noise they generate and fact, that you can't take them with you. Or maybe I'll make new thread and require advice for choosing silent hardware....


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## killeraxemannic

Quote:



Originally Posted by *truly*


Well, I'm not sure if core i5 is enough. But even it is - you have so many cables on your desk, and psu.

I should opt for gaming desktop but I hate noise they generate and fact, that you can't take them with you. Or maybe I'll make new thread and require advice for choosing silent hardware....


I would guess that it really depends on your i5. I could most likely guess that the i7 processor in my ASUS laptop would probably not bottleneck a decent graphics card like a GTX 460, and I know there are a few of the high end laptop i5's that bench pretty close to my lowest end i7. I can play BC2 with my 5730M pretty well and its definitely the GPU getting blasted not the CPU when you monitor their usage.


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## Darkknight512

ATI did this themselves a while back (look up ATI XGP), they ran into problems of the express card only having 1 PCI-e lane. You would probably only be able to run a mid-low end card on this.


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## Intense

wat, do want would be a million times better than my laptops intel HD


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## Imglidinhere

I can totally see someone on OCN buying a laptop with the fastest Sandy Bridge CPU, this adapter, and a 590 and gaming on it... XD


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## Basilob

Um, my laptop doesnt have an expresscard slot, but will it work with a usb to expesscard adapter?


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## 161029

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Basilob*
> 
> Um, my laptop doesnt have an expresscard slot, but will it work with a usb to expesscard adapter?


There's a USB version IIRC.


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## Basilob

Um, i am going to sound like more of an idiot, but what does IIRC mean? and also, will these adapters be compatible with the GTX 600 series when it comes out?


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## Fooxz

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Basilob*
> 
> Um, i am going to sound like more of an idiot, but what does IIRC mean? and also, will these adapters be compatible with the GTX 600 series when it comes out?


IIRC = If I remember correctly.

This should be compatible with any PCIe graphics card. SHOULD being the key word. Problem is bandwidth, it would be a terrible idea to put a 590 or 6990 in one of these for instance, because you wouldn't get full performance out of it. better to use a mid-range card, because it would still be way more powerful than a laptop graphics card, but bandwidth would be less of an issue.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Basilob*
> 
> Um, my laptop doesnt have an expresscard slot, but will it work with a usb to expesscard adapter?


That is a terrible idea. USB has less bandwidth than expresscard, you would get TERRIBLE performance.
"480 Mbit/s (USB mode) and 2.5 Gbit/s (PCI Express mode)"


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## Basilob

Ok, i really cant use one of these on my g74? Oh, and i have a USB 3.0, which can transfer at 5 Gbits/s.


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## DuckieHo

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Fooxz*
> 
> That is a terrible idea. USB has less bandwidth than expresscard, you would get TERRIBLE performance.
> "480 Mbit/s (USB mode) and 2.5 Gbit/s (PCI Express mode)"


Not only that... USB has higher overhead and latency than PCIe.


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## Basilob

OK, i should of asked much less stupid questions. So, basically, can i use it on my G74sx?


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## DuckieHo

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Basilob*
> 
> OK, i should of asked much less stupid questions. So, basically, can i use it on my G74sx?


Well... does it have a ExpressCard or Mini-PCIe port?


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## Onions

well the only good use of this i think would be folding??? get like 10 of these adn your set


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## ColdRush

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Basilob*
> 
> OK, i should of asked much less stupid questions. So, basically, can i use it on my G74sx?


I don't see any reason why you would want to. That notebook is a desktop replacement to begin with and the 560 should be more than enough.

To answer your question: Yes, but you would have to pull your wifi card out to use it unless it has dual mini pcie slots.


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## Basilob

the reason i would want to is while it is powerful, with another 560 hooked up to it i could run games much faster on the higher settings. Also, since the USB 3.0 has a higher rate of transfer (i think) than the express card, would that work?


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## dizzy4

Just wait for more notebooks to use technology like thunderbolt or lightningbolt. The new sony Z series uses their own proprietary version to do the same thing. Even if the connector looks physically like USB on the vaio, it is basically multiplexing displayport, USB etc. With methods like that expect to see this becoming more mainstream in the near future.


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## ColdRush

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Basilob*
> 
> the reason i would want to is while it is powerful, with another 560 hooked up to it i could run games much faster on the higher settings. Also, since the USB 3.0 has a higher rate of transfer (i think) than the express card, would that work?


I really doubt that DIY kit supports 3.0, it was released way before 3.0 became a new standard. So you would likely be restricted to mini pcie, and also your mobile 560 is likely not equivalent to a desktop 560 so SLI would not work.

Another problem would be mini pcie bandwidth, which I don't think would be able to accommodate a card like the 560ti. If mini pcie supported that much throughput it would be the standard for laptop gpus.


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## Basilob

Well, by using a USB 3.0, i was talking about plugging an expresscard to usb adatpter into the 3.0 port, and also, how do you find the bandwidth of a graphics card? Would a 460 or 450 be too much for the adapter?


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## Djmatrix32

Hmmm I would want to try this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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