Half size to Full size Mini PCI-E PCI Express Adapter

[santacluj]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Half-size-to-Fu ... 0603605639.
Does this adapter allow to use PCI Express cards on 2503 docking station?

[RealBlackStuff]

No, that card is for inside a T6x/X6x and newer laptops that use a half-size mini-PCIe wifi card, such as the Intel 6200N
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-6200-N-Ha ... 1015393553

[TuuS]

There is a big difference between a miniPCIe card, which is very tiny, not much bigger then a postage stamp and is available in full and half size, and a PCIe card that fits in a desktop or tower case, which come in many different sizes. The full sized advanced dock does have a single PCIe slot, but it will only accept what is commonly called a "low profile" card, one designed to fit in smaller desktop computer cases, and even then not all will fit in the dock, in fact most will NOT fit. Many PCIe video cards contain fans and/or large heatsinks that are large enough that they don't leave room for a card to be installed next to them, effectively using the space of two cards. In most computer cases this isn't a problem, but the space in the advanced dock is very small so you need to be careful about what kind of card you try to install. Your best option is one with passive cooling (heatsink but no fan). The dock itself has a fan, so you should have enough airflow to cool a passive card. Also consider the power requirements of the card and make sure it's one the dock is capable of powering. Some cards include an external power supply that plugs into the card. This would be ideal as it would require less power from the dock itself, but most cards that use external power supplies are far to large to fit in the dock. Also consider that although the dock has a 16x PCIe slot, it's reduced down to 1x speed when it connects to the laptop, so you're never going to get a super powerful graphics system in one.

I believe this option was designed more for use with laptops that didn't have discrete graphics so you could use them when docked to do tasks the integrated gpu was otherwise unable to do. I know many people have installed more powerful cards in these devices with mixed levels of success, but you're never going to end up with a serious gaming rig by doing this, it just isn't going to happen. Some people have even used adapters to move the graphic card outside the dock's case, so the size requirement and airflow aren't a problem. This is a really "ugly" option in my opinion, and even if you do get a super graphic card to work by having it taped to the back of your docking station with extra power supply or whatever, you still are restricted by the 1x pci bus width, so I wouldn't plan on using this for more then moderate graphics as it was intended, which would make an integrated laptop about equal to a high-end discrete unit when docked. For this purpose the advanced dock is a very good option, but I will admit that many of the stories I read of people doing crazy stunts to get more graphic power into them do interest me and I would love to find a card that is both powerful and capable of running in one of these docks without a lot of cutting and NO duck tape to hold it together.

[santacluj]

Respect for TuuS! I have no need in powerful graphic card. What other options aren suitable for this port?