For those wanting to run dual monitors IN ADDITION to your notebook's screen... - Page 2

yes i have dell 8200 and vtbook - i too notice that third monitor is sluggish. i am thinking about m1710 with d/dock and would like to know if monitors run off that pci card are similarly sluggish.

I also notice that when draggin windows between laptop monitor and vtbook monitor the windows are a little jerky as they are moved over, but not between laptop monitor and monitor connected to laptop through vga out. Would be curious to know about pci card's performance in this metric too.

thanks

I have a M1710 which is basically a blinged out M90. The docks work fine with it. I have heard both the old and new versions of the D/Dock work, but I would only risk getting the newer one. I have the D/Dock with a SB X-fi Installed. If the card will fit, it will work as the D/Dock's pci slot is a fully functional slot as if it were on a desktop. The card just has to fit. I had to mod mine to fit the digital i/o module cable into my x-fi as the slot doesnt go down the card far enough....

As far as the size, it is about as wide as the keyboard and the main part is about as deep from the bottom of the keyboard to the base of the screen. That doesnt count the 2x5 connector tongue. The height is about 3-4 inches. I have mine installed in my home theater and it is working out quite nice.

and wow... I thought my 37" 1080p setup was crazy.... but 4 monitors.... Imagine 4 37" westinghouses running in tandem or 3 and your laptop as a dashboard or something... maybe with NFS or FSX. Or BF2 or 2142 or ....... damn... that would be insane.

There is an option in the M1710 BIOS to use the dock PCI slot and a couple other options so I'm pretty sure it supports it...

I have three external 24" Dell monitors running with my M90. It wasn't so easy to get configured properly. Here are all the details of my experience:

http://thoughtshapes.com/node/66

For anyone wanting to do this, D/Dock stuff is insanely cheap on ebay. I got my dock and monitor stand for $45 shipped, where to purchase that straight from Dell would be pushing $300 total.

I just want to say thanks for putting this out there. I was just talking with a coworker about the laptops they gave us at work (D620's with all the options checked). She really likes having two monitors, and was looking forward to using the laptop as a desktop replacement. This d/dock will be perfect.

I've been running my XPS 1710 with the Nf7900-GO on the D-dock and the smaller dock without ANY issues whatsoever. I changed the MXMII video to a 7950 GTX and still no issues -the dock has a beefier PSU than the standard AC wallwart that comes with the laptops.

you can fit ANY full sized video card with a PCI slot in the dock- there is a metal tab that can be removed with one screw that Dell sort of put in to try and ...discourage customizations, but really, you can put in a giant RAID card in there too, if you want (you're on your own on how to power the HD's, though if you know what you're doing you could easily wire in a few rails and change the voltage a bit... someone ought to make a little customizer for this- to add a D-DOCK NAS device directly INTO the D-Dock- could be done, esp. with the new 500+GB 2.5"'s on the market right now!!!!
ANYTHING will fit in that fits in the PCI slots. (No it's NOT PCIe though!).

If you have a Matrox PCI it will work fine. I tried my old one, (G400 pci, hard to find!) and my old ATI pci rage pro card, no issues. THEY WORK GREAT as long as the cards themselves have the umpf to power the displays. THAT IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE. Unless you can find someting like a ATI 9800pro PCI, though, 3d and CAD work isn't going to be too hot. However, adding two more 19" LCD's for 2d office work, or light 2d cad work, with the BEEFIEST PCI card you can find (it's a NORMAL pic slot, with ROOM for a full length card, like an old voodoo) you can have a ton of options.

Right now I have a Delta 1010 professional soundcard in mine (it has a break-out box rack mount for the real converters) for when I'm doing pro audio.

ANY D-Dock with work with ANY dell laptop that supports the same bottom jack they make, except possibly the newest XPS with the SLI cards- which might need more power than even the D-docks can handle- someone else will have to test that as I don't have one around to try out.

I've tried 10 "different" D-Docks and APR (Advanced Port Replicator) and all work just fine.

From my understanding, you HP users out there are ALSO going to be happy with a similar solution for your HP presario rigs. The HP dock that is similar to the Dell D-Dock also has the same features. I've yet to pick one up, but one is in the mail for my MOM and I'll check out what it can do when I set it up for her in her home office.

*grin*