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    How to tell whether a laptop uses displayport for internal signaling?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by Mister Bean, Mar 5, 2011.

  1. Mister Bean

    Mister Bean Newbie

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    Is there any way to tell whether a laptop uses displayport for signaling between the motherboard or video card and the internal monitor?

    Do all laptops using Montevino and later chipsets do this? Or will it vary between those as well?
     
    Mister Bean, Mar 5, 2011
    #1
  2. Meaker@Sager

    Meaker@Sager Company Representative

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    I believe most use LVDS.
     
    Meaker@Sager, Mar 5, 2011
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  3. Mister Bean

    Mister Bean Newbie

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    Hmm. Hopefully I'll still be able to find one. Any idea about how to tell whether a particular model uses one or the other?
     
    Mister Bean, Mar 5, 2011
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  4. newsposter

    newsposter Notebook Virtuoso

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    It would be helpful if you could describe exactly what you are trying to do.
     
    newsposter, Mar 5, 2011
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  5. Mister Bean

    Mister Bean Newbie

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    I had an idea a few years ago for a portable external laptop monitor. Basically it would be the same form factor as a laptop, but instead of having a computer in the body, it would be just batteries. When you're on the road pull this out, plug it in and you've got a second monitor to use with your laptop. A corollary idea is that because you could fit so many more batteries inside the case without all the other components, it could work as an external power source for the laptop as well.

    There's the option to use an iPad as an external monitor, but it works over wireless so it's not very fast, and iPad resolution is pretty low for this purpose.

    I haven't thought about it in some time, but had told a friend back when I originally thought of it. Today he mentioned that he was looking for one recently, thinking that somebody must have built it by now, but it seems nobody has. Instead he has resorted to carrying a desktop monitor with him on trips, but it's fragile and takes up half his suit case.

    It seems that you could start with an old laptop, clean out the unnecessary hardware - keeping the battery and charging system - and then connect the display to an external port. Older laptops using LVDS typically have an LCD controller integrated into the motherboard which makes them ill suited for this purpose. LCD panels and controllers by themselves are expensive and you'd have to put together a power source so I ruled that out for now. What I have been told about displayport, which may be incomplete, is that you could take that internal display port cable for the monitor, connect it to an external port and be set.
     
    Mister Bean, Mar 6, 2011
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  6. Mister Bean

    Mister Bean Newbie

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    Ooh, that is good news. I just saw people saying they were very expensive and didn't bother to check.

    I hadn't considered adding a way to check the remaining power for the batteries. Some sort of status LED would probably be adequate, but would take some work.
     
    Mister Bean, Mar 6, 2011
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  7. Agent 9

    Agent 9 Notebook Consultant

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    There are plenty of batteries out there (usually from business notebooks) that have the battery indicator built right into it (my current HP Elitebook, as well as a old Dell Insperion 5000 [from 2000] has a battery indicator built right into it as well)
     
    Agent 9, Mar 6, 2011
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  8. newsposter

    newsposter Notebook Virtuoso

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    Ah, there are USB connect and powered secondary displays available.
     
    newsposter, Mar 6, 2011
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  9. Mister Bean

    Mister Bean Newbie

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    Interesting, but too small, I think.
     
    Mister Bean, Mar 8, 2011
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