W700 Docking Station power two 30" Dual-Link DVI monitors?

[xaveon]

Hi everybody,

I'm thinking of getting a w700ds. I know that it already has a Dual-Link DVI port on the laptop itself, but I need to drive two 30". If I get the docking station, will I be able to use both Dual-Link DVI ports? Or will the DVI port on the docking station replace the one on the w700ds itself? Currently I am forced to use the T-Series because the advance dock has a PCIe slot, so I can plug in an extra video card. Does anyone have experience with this? Thanks!

[xaveon]

Anybody?

[Radioguy]

I don't think anyone here has acquired that new dock yet.

[awolfe63]

On prior docks this was not possible. Don't know for sure about the W700 dock - but it looks like it is possible to connect 1 30" monitor to the dock's DVI and 1 to the dock's DisplayPort. That would be the only way to do 2 (non-duplicated) 30" monitors.

[erik]

I don't think anyone here has acquired that new dock yet.

are they that hard to get?   i've had one sitting in front of me as of this morning.

On prior docks this was not possible. Don't know for sure about the W700 dock - but it looks like it is possible to connect 1 30" monitor to the dock's DVI and 1 to the dock's DisplayPort. That would be the only way to do 2 (non-duplicated) 30" monitors.

correct.   the only issue is that if the second display doesn't support displayport natively, resolution will be limited to either 2048x1536 or 1920x1200 depending on how the FX 3700m handles the output (which i haven't tested yet).   not even the quadro FX 4800 in my thinkstation D10 can output higher than that over a DP to DVI adapter.

unfortunately, displayport isn't the "swiss army knife" everyone thought it would be.   but, that's a whole other topic.

[Radioguy]

are they that hard to get?   i've had one sitting in front of me as of this morning.

No, you got one, and thus someone here has one. (I don't think I saw mention of anyone getting one here before you, hence my post)

Is there any possibility that you would post some pictures of this dock from the back and sides? I haven't seen a picture of it from any of those angles. Thanks.

[awolfe63]

  not even the quadro FX 4800 in my thinkstation D10 can output higher than that over a DP to DVI adapter.

unfortunately, displayport isn't the "swiss army knife" everyone thought it would be.   but, that's a whole other topic.

Apple has a DisplayPort to dual-link adapter that supposedly will drive a 30" monitor. I wonder if anyone has tried it?

[xaveon]

It would be really great to be able to drive both my 30". I wondering if there i s a performance decrease because you are using two different type of connectors?

[awolfe63]

It would be really great to be able to drive both my 30". I wondering if there i s a performance decrease because you are using two different type of connectors?

Any modern graphics card has a performance decrease when driving 2 monitors with different images just because twice as many pixels need to be generated. For 2D - the difference is not noticeable and barely measurable. For 3D - driving 2 same-size monitors with different pictures cuts the frame rate in half or sometimes even more.

It doesn't matter which connectors are used. That's handled by a different part of the chip which is duplicated for each monitor.

[erik]

Is there any possibility that you would post some pictures of this dock from the back and sides? I haven't seen a picture of it from any of those angles. Thanks.

sorry for the late reply.   i was out all weekend.

i just took a shot of the dock.   the image is 1600x480 pixels and about 170KB.

http://i44.tinypic.com/ac62j7.jpg

in order from left to right:
- security slot
- USB (x4)
- eSATA
- gigabit ethernet
- VGA
- DVI-D (dual-link)
- S/PDIF (RCA)
- DisplayPort
- audio in (1/8" stereo TRS)
- audio out (1/8" stereo TRS)
- A/C power

[Radioguy]

Thanks! It looks thicker than my T/R 60/61 advanced mini dock. Almost like the older T4x ones.

I was only interested in the side pics to see if they kept the same size passive venting, or if they increased that compared to my dock. Can you also confirm that this dock is incompatible with the 60/61? The docking connector looks the same, but I'm assuming there's some other incompatibility.

[erik]

it's been over a year since i've had a T61p but i know a T6x won't work with this dock.   the T6x cannot support S/PDIF, eSATA, or displayport, making the dock completely incompatible.

cooling doesn't look like it would be impeded by the dock in any way.   i can take shots of the sides tomorrow if you want.

[awolfe63]

The T6x Advanced Dock has SPDIF.

[erik]

interesting... i didn't know that.   i'm surprised it wasn't implemented on the advanced mini dock.

regardless, the T6x still cannot support eSATA or displayport.

[Radioguy]

Thanks.

Are you only saying the fact the T61 doesn't support eSATA etc is the reason that it wouldn't be compatible? I was more wondering if it was physically compatible, than if a component wouldn't be supported. Theoretically, if they are physically compatible, those unsupported ports might just be useless, while others may work. Again, I'm assuming there's a physical change preventing T/R docking as well, but I'd love to know for sure.

interesting... i didn't know that. i'm surprised it wasn't implemented on the advanced mini dock.

There's an RCA jack on it as well.

[erik]

the dock is physically incompatible.   all of the location pins are in completely different locations to prevent anything but a W700 from docking.

There's an RCA jack on it as well.

i had an advanced mini dock and don't recall seeing S/PDIF.   my memory must be going.

[awolfe63]

I'm looking at my advanced mini-dock right now and I don't see the RCA/SPDIF. It is on my advanced docks.

[Radioguy]

the dock is physically incompatible.   all of the location pins are in completely different locations to prevent anything but a W700 from docking.

Thanks. Good to know.

i had an advanced mini dock and don't recall seeing S/PDIF. my memory must be going.

I'm looking at my advanced mini-dock right now and I don't see the RCA/SPDIF. It is on my advanced docks.

It's on the right side edge next to the Kensington lock port.

[awolfe63]

So it is. Under the computer (for a 15.4"). What a weird spot.

[Radioguy]

So it is. Under the computer (for a 15.4"). What a weird spot.

Same here. I wouldn't want to use it without a right-angle plug.

[erik]

that explains why i missed it.   i had a 15.4" T61p.