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Laptop - External Graphics Card-ing - Help?

post #1 of 8
11/24/12 at 11:14pm
Thread Starter 

Hello all.

 

Despite being a student, with a budget smaller than a list of good analogies I've come up with, overtime I've had two laptops come into my possession:

 

NEC Versa E6310

HP Persario CQ56-103TU

 

Whilst the NEC has good an 'actual' graphics card in it - the vram in it a while ago killed itself and the HP has a terrible Intel Series 4 graphics chipset in it which I can play stuff-all on.

 

However, recently a friend upgraded his graphics card and he's given me his older GeForce GTX 440 and now between the two laptops I'm trying to use it as an external graphics card for one of my laptops. I'm just not quite sure how (I know it can be done) or on which laptop. I'd prefer the NEC despite its age because its already essentially dead to me right now and the HP doesn't have a ExpressCard port, which I assume would be allot faster than USB2.0. The NEC has a 'TI PCIxx12 card reader' by the way. Despite looking around the internet and forums like this, I've still got no clue as to where to start. I can also use a soldering iron (he says in a modding forum), so I don't really want to have to buy any pre-made products.

 

Any help with be appreciate, thanks!


Edited by NotTheOnlyOne - 11/25/12 at 12:31am
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post #2 of 8
11/25/12 at 4:05am
To be honest there is no possible way in just simply take an external graphic card and make any notebooks to recognizes and using it. You need at least to find an adapter to work the current internal bus and connector, and that is next to impossible

cheers ...
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post #3 of 8
11/29/12 at 1:45pm

Light on info but it is something at least:

 

http://lifehacker.com/5851902/turn-a-low+powered-laptop-into-a-gaming-machine-with-an-external-video-card-dock

 

Only way to know if it will work with your hardware is to get in there and try.

 

I'd be prepared for disappointment though....
 

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post #4 of 8
11/29/12 at 3:33pm

Maybe I spoke too soon:

 

http://www.techradar.com/news/computing-components/graphics-cards/how-to-make-an-external-laptop-graphics-adaptor-915616

 

External graphics card adapter found there.

 

Nutshell:

 

PH4E expresscard adapter + pci express graphics card + power supply.

 

couple hundred bucks once it's all said and done though (unless you have the right parts lying around already) and you may still be limited by the processor in your laptop if it's an older model.....
 

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post #5 of 8
11/30/12 at 1:00am
Nice find smile.gif

cheers ...
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post #6 of 8
12/1/12 at 4:39am
Thread Starter 

Yeah, I know about the PE4H - which was what I was referring to when I said "pre-made products". I'm trying to avoid it since it still costs $91 + shipping to Australia - but I guess that'll be what I have to do. Thank you all though! Luckily I have both an ExpressCard port and the 440 is PCIe so I should be fine. For anyone who is wondering where I'm getting it from: http://www.hwtools.net/adapter/pe4h.html. I was hoping to see if there was another way 'round this scenario other than spending $100 (the graphics card being worth approx. the same amount :3). I'll try to post my setup and results on this forum for others. I don't know why (is it just?) windows has to have the external graphics card on another monitor - hopefully I'll be able to use my laptop screen with some help of linux multi-desktoping. 

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post #7 of 8
12/1/12 at 4:43am
That will be another trick to convert the notebook LCD to support both the internal board and incoming video signals of external cards. Good luck, it would be nice to see you get it to work

cheers ...
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post #8 of 8
12/1/12 at 10:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by qhn View Post

That will be another trick to convert the notebook LCD to support both the internal board and incoming video signals of external cards. Good luck, it would be nice to see you get it to work

cheers ...

You ain't kidding.

Laptop screens tend to be proprietary to the laptop motherboard....
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