Video cards in ThinkPad Docks?

[mrpaulin]

I've got an A31p on a Dock, and a T41 on a Dock II. I'm interested in adding a video card to each Dock so that I can attach a third LCD to each system.

Does anybody have information on the thermal/current limitations of the ThinkPad Docks? I want to make sure I neither overload nor overheat the Dock. Any experience with PCI video adapters in ThinkPad Docks would be greatly appreciated!

Also, I've never been able to find Hardware Maintenance Manuals for either generation of the Dock. I've seen in other threads that these documents do exist -- any pointers, please?

[indiglo]

I've got an A31p on a Dock, and a T41 on a Dock II. I'm interested in adding a video card to each Dock so that I can attach a third LCD to each system.

Does anybody have information on the thermal/current limitations of the ThinkPad Docks? I want to make sure I neither overload nor overheat the Dock. Any experience with PCI video adapters in ThinkPad Docks would be greatly appreciated!

Also, I've never been able to find Hardware Maintenance Manuals for either generation of the Dock. I've seen in other threads that these documents do exist -- any pointers, please?

Hi. I found a link of HMM for Dock and etc. Hope it help.
http://downloads.thinkpad-portal.com/Th ... 2877_2878/

You can check its parent directory and finding more ....

[davidspalding]

You should be able to put a 32-bit PCI card in teh Dock II, but I'm unsure if the second video adapter will allow you to run three monitors. Anyone actually done that? If so ... cool.

[tfflivemb2]

Are you trying to stretch the display across the three LCDs or just share the same desktop?

If you are just "sharing" the video, then this might be your best route: click here.

[Toine]

Hey, not on the subject, but what to you think I have to pay for a second hand dock II?

[davidspalding]

Hey, not on the subject, but what to you think I have to pay for a second hand dock II?

Yes, you're off-topic, please post a new message in the appropriate forum.

[Toine]

You are jokking, right

[mrpaulin]

I'm just using the LCDs for my desktop, and I am already running three: the internal 1024x768 ThinkPad panel of the T41, an external Dell 2000FP on the DVI output of the Dock II, and an external Dell 1900FP on a Village Tronic VTbook Cardbus adapter. Similarly my A31p has the desktop spread across the internal 1600x1200 ThinkPad IPS panel, an external Dell 2000FP on the DVI output of the Dock, and an external Dell 1900FP on a Village Tronic VTbook Cardbus adapter. These work pretty well, but the Cardbus interface is slow. I plan to add a 32-bit PCI graphics card to each of the Docks, and retire the VTbook Cardbus interfaces. I'm looking at using the Radeon 9250:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814103167 and I'm trying to make sure I don't overdraw the current limits on the PCI slot in the Dock. I also want to avoid overheating the Dock.

I am grateful for the HMM information link posted above, although it reveals nothing about either of my concerns

[davidspalding]

You could check with IBM, but I think the Dock II is made to handle just about any PCI card you want to throw at it. Hence the presence of a fan. Just my hunch.

[andyP]

the dockings allow for the use of half height pci graphic cards.
I once set up a solution for a customer using a dock II with a T40, in the dock was this Quadro4 card:
http://www.pny-europe.com/uk/quadro_nvs_pci_280.asp
it has a DVI to 2x VGA "Y" cable in delivery which allows you to connect 2 external monitors to the graphic card in the dock, I then attached a monitor to the VGA on the dock and BINGO! 3 external monitors as extended desktop with resolutions up to 1600x1200.
The customer has never reported to me about having had any problems
Lenovo also offer the card as a non-original accessory:
http://www-131.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/store ... 8425009885