3-4 Monitor Dell laptop setup (pictures)

This was a reply I posted to a thread regarding people's computer setups located here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=138277&page=1

I posted just now on the last page (page 36 currently) to show my setup, but my purpose of posting here in the Dell forums is to get insight of other users who have similar setups with 2+ monitors, using a dock or other device (like Matrox 2go, etc) or anything. Info regarding this online or anywhere is rare and hard to come by, and setting up this configuration was even harder and more esoteric to get working perfectly. If you have a setup similar to this (especially those with D/Docks, but everyone in general with 2 or more monitors), please reply with details so we can discuss! There are some questions I'd like to ask regarding similar setups (involving possible hardware conflicts, e.g. Intel Turbo memory, USB devices, screen types, any artifacts, artifacting, etc).


This is a copy & paste of what I posted earlier on that thread:

Here's a pic of not really the whole computer room per se, but the computer setup I'm using. It's connected to a D/dock expansion station with another video card in it, supports up to 4 monitors although I just have 3 at this time (including notebook display). Windows are tiled to show how it is integrated and draggable on all monitors. I may go with a 3 monitor on top setup and one display on bottom if I can get another matching monitor, otherwise possibly go 2 on top, 2 on bottom later. I use my Precision M4300 mainly for business and enterprise use. A TINY bit of gaming on the side (1-2hrs/week).

Precision M4300
15.4" SXGA+ Truelife
T7800 2.6ghz C2D
4gb DDR2 667
7200rpm 16mb 200gb
1gb Intel Turbo Memory (which is crap and does nothing)
Quadro FX 360m 256mb onboard DDR2 in laptop (512mb turbocache which is useless really)
Quadro NVS 285 256mb DDR onboard in dock
also pictured: external 2.5" and 3.5" hard drives for media, blah blah blah

 

do you think this is possible on the Dell Latitude D810? I'm currently running 2 external LCD monitors, which are connected to the back of Dell's docking station. I have try open the Laptop lid but one of the external monitor goes blank. I wonder if any driver or software from Dell i can run to let me have that similar set up as yours ?!?!! hmmm

 

'DisplayLink'

Get your geek on.

 

hi,

one question about your configuration:
..."Quadro NVS 285 256mb DDR onboard in dock"...

are you sure this was a NVS 285 ? as far as im concerned this card is a pci-express card and i thought the d-dock only supports half-sized pci cards ?

 

Can you give some additional details about your setup? It is exactly what I want to run.

Can you give a part # or link to the DDock?
Can you give a link to extra the video card you are using?

 

Wow...I'm jealous .

 

Looks nice, though I still like another users setup better though just because he had a clear glass table and had much better organization of the area. Then again he had 2 M1530s. If anyone has the link to that, it would be appropriate to put it here, can't find it atm.

Though I agree, it is a nice setup regardless.

 

Me too. I have a HP dv7t laptop, and two 20' 1600x1200 external monitors running on my desktop. I would like to replace my desktop all together and be able to run both external monitors with my laptop. Will the dell D dock work? More info please.

Thanks

 

THAT IS NICE .... I want one too!!!!!!!!

hehe... nice stuff again

 

Wowsa! Nice set-up you got there! Nice clean lines...
Kudo's!


Cin

 

Can anyone talk to this?

 

Im currently satisfied with my dell working off a 24in LCD alone, but seeing the pictures brings a whole new meaning to working/multitasking at home.

 

That looks sweet...

 

Can someone please tell me how to do this? What equipment do I need? I have a new hp dv7t, and two 20' monitors left over from my old desktop. What do I need to run all 3 at once? In other threads people have said I cant do that with a docking station alone, but it looks like you are. I have the laptop, and 2 monitors, and cannot figure out how to run all 3 at once. Can anyone PLEASE explain to me what my options are? Does no one know? I've been searching the internet for the last week, and read several threads here, and asked in a couple places and gotten no answers.

 

anyone ???

 

It will work with a D Dock, but you have to put an additional PCI video card in. It isn't technically supported, but will work. This PDF shows the difference between a D Dock and a D Port: http://www.dell.com/downloads/us/products/latit/dfamily_docking.pdf

A D Dock or D Port will not do 3 displays alone.

For this, I suggest that you buy the card locally from a merchant with a no hassle return policy as not all cards work due to power requirements. Apparently a PNY nvidia Quatro NVS 280 works.

http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/579009962631/m/439008626831


Depending on what you are using it for, you might be able to use a PCMCIA or USB video card.

These are not cheap, but work pretty well:
http://sewelldirect.com/vtbookpcmciacard_specs.asp?source=froogle&utm_source=Froogle&utm_medium=cse

 

Hello,

I have a very similar system, but I am having problems.

I have:
Precision M4300 with similar ram and disk
Quadro FX 360m 256mb in laptop
Quadro NVS 280 256mb in dock (Not NVS 285)

I am running Windows XP.

The problem I am having is that I cannot set custom resolutions on the NVS 280. I have a new 1680x1050 monitor, which the NVS 285 does not have native resolution for.

When I try to use the NVIDIA desktop manager to set a custom resolution on the NVS 280 I get an error. I am using the latest driver from dell for the 360m, and from the NVidia site, I tried the following drivers with the 285 with no luck: 91.36, 93.71 and 175.16.

After looking closely at the original post, I see that ChannelV has a 285, not a 280 in the d/dock. Is that possible? My understanding is that the 285 is a PCI Express, not a PCI card. Will it work in the D/Dock??

Separately, I saw a post on expertsexchange.com where someone was able to use a M4300 and put a GeForce 6200 in their D/Dock and work that way.

I tried that, but my D/Dock will not power both the GeForce 6200 and the M4300. I am wondering if there are different versions of D/Docks with different power supplies, or is mine just a little fried.

At any rate, if there are any suggestions that folks have, I would very much appreciate it!!

Thanks in advance,
-Bob