Advanced Dock Graphic Cards

[SeaRay580]

We are looking for a graphics card suggestion for the advanced docking station for use with W500 and dual 24 inch monitors.  The X1300 recommended is a lame solution

Thank you

[ZPrime]

Are you using the internal display as well, hence the need for another card?

If not, just close the LCD, put one 24" on DVI and the other on VGA (or pick up DisplayPort adapters for DVI) and you won't need an external video card.

I don't know the dimensions of the Advanced Dock so I can't tell you what cards will fit in there.  What is "lame" about the X1300?  Do you need more 3d performance or what?  You'll run into space issues in the dock for sure - I think full-length cards like NVidia 260GTX or whatnot won't fit, plus I think there are power limitations on the dock as well.  I've never had my hands on anything beyond the Mini Dock so my experience here is limited.

[SeaRay580]

The W500 ATI/AMD GL5700 card is OK and is better than the X1300.  Just not great for ACAD and 3-D applications in the design space I deal in.  We needto use two digital monitors, DVI interface or better for the application we are working.  Thus my question.  We currently use the Internal TP LCD and a single external large high resolution monitor

[ZPrime]

You should definitely be able to do the DVI on the dock + a DisplayPort -> DVI adapter from the side of the machine, and NOT use the internal display.  This would let you use the V5700 to full potential, although honestly I'd bet it'll choke with two WUXGA displays trying to do 3d.

Since I don't have access to an advanced dock I can't tell you what will fit inside it, sorry. 

[Valira3]

I just got a new laptop with the exact setup described above.  I can get it to output a video via DVI on Advanced Mini Dock or by using DisplayPort->DVI adapter from the side, but not both at the same time.  Using ATI settings, I can configure the VGA on the dock to function as well, so in that case I can get one external monitor on DVI and one on VGA.  However, I have not been able to get two DVI out of the laptop (using the dock + DisplayPort->DVI adapter).

Anyone have any clue if there are any settings or configuration that could be used to get that setup to work? 

Message Edited by Valira3 on 10-30-2008 11:16 AM

[horzu]

We have also a need to connect two 1920x1200 monitors using DVI or HDMI to a W500. 

Is the external graphics card in advanced docking station the only way to connect two 1920x1200 monitors with digital quality (VGA quality is not adequte) to a W500?

Has it been confirmed that the display port with DVI cable and advanced mini dock DVI connector do not work simultaneously to drive both monitors?

Does anyone have experience with other dual connector display adapter? X 1300 does not sound  good. Or even better, does Lenovo have a new dock which would support two digital display connectors?

Thank you for any updates!

[jordan_moss]

Hey,

I have a W500 Vista x64 laptop.

Using the laptop or mini dock, you can NOT have two external digital outputs. The options are:

• Internal + VGA
• Internal + DVI/Displayport
• DVI/Displayport + VGA

The display port and DVI on exposed on mini dock are mutually exclusive its one or the other.

SeaRay580, your best option is mini dock, close the lid on laptop and the 24"'s off DVI and VGA ports, if that isnt good enough buy a workstation

I have the advanced dock and currently in progress of trying to get the PCIe slot to work.  The slot in the advanced dock is PCI Express X1 which limits the bandwith so there is no point in using higher end cards.

I dont have a X1300 to test with, I have tried HD4350 and HD2400XT both dont work the laptop will not boot with either of these cards in the docking station.

Hope that was useful.

[jordan_moss]

Success!

My goal was to have 4 panels running on the W500 under Vista x64 and I have got it to work there are some issues.

I have a W500 with FireGL V5700 with Advanced Dock 2503-10U with a Radeon HD4350 fitted.

This allows 1920x1200 W500 display + 3 DVI panels.

When I first fitted the card and attempted to boot it did the following:

HD2400XT or HD4350 installed in advanced dock

Dock the W500

Press the power button

Fans start in dock and on graphics card

Lights come up on laptop hdd/power etc

Docking station LED changes  "Dont remove"

Just before it would show the Lenovo BIOS splash laptop shutdowns, Fans off, LED changes "Undock ok"

2 secs later the process repeats 

After playing around with BIOS settings I found a workaround. 

W500+Advanced Dock+HD3450 solution workaround is: 

• Boot laptop undocked
• Enter BIOS
• Dock laptop into advanced dock
• Change graphics to "Switchable"
• Save settings / exit
• Normally machine would boot but on exit of BIOS it will init the docking station, reboot
• Enter BIOS again
• Change to "Discrete"
• Save and exit BIOS
• Machine will now boot into Vista with both FireGL 5700 and Radeon HD4350

I suspect this has something to do with reserving system resources? 

It is great that this workaround can be done without having to actually boot the system so Vista doesnt change drivers around.

Due to switchable graphics not working correctly from day one, I am already used to the going to the BIOS to change the video settings when I am running on battery.

I will be putting a support ticket in with Lenovo to ask for a tech to look into this hopefully a BIOS update will remove the need for this workaround.

[anti00Zero]

Thats very interessting. Can you give use some 3dmark06 results of your 4350?

Message Edited by anti00Zero on 07-07-2009 10:05 PM

[PanEuropean]

Hello Folks:

In case it helps anyone, the technical literature that describes the Advanced Dock (the dock that can accept a PCIe card) states

The ThinkPad Advanced Dock accepts a standard height (111.15 mm (4.376 in.)) and half length PCI Express Cards (167.65 mm (6.6 in.)) only.

There is a photograph of a card that fits in the Advanced Dock at this link: click here.

There is also a definition of the industry standard sizes for PCIe cards at this link: click here.  It appears to me that the Advanced Dock accepts what is described as a 'short card'.

Hope this information is useful.  Now, if I could only find instructions anywhere on the Lenovo website that explain how to install the card in the dock... ...seriously, I have checked everywhere, and I can't find a single document that explains how to open up the Advanced Dock and put the card in. 

Michael