Solved!! Possible to put a PCI video card in IBM docking station?

[Amused]

My brother just got the new R50p -- very cool -- and with the dock he gets DVI out -- but it it's limited to 1280x1024 -- so he can't get the full 1600x1200 pumped out to the monitor via DVI (some strange limitation in the dock) .... That was one of the reasons he upgraded.

But here's a thought -- the dock has a half length PCI slot in it -- do you think he could get a 1600x1200 capable PCI video card with DVI out and stick it in the slot in the dock?? And would the system be able to figure that out??

Thanks

 

[Shalmanese]

It has to be a half height PCI card. As far as I am aware of, only the 9800/5900 series and above do DVI @ 1600x1200. Possibly some professional cards as well. I'm pretty sure the G400 doesn't and I'm almost certain the 75xx and 9xxx series dont.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Shalmanese
It has to be a half height PCI card. As far as I am aware of, only the 9800/5900 series and above do DVI @ 1600x1200. Possibly some professional cards as well. I'm pretty sure the G400 doesn't and I'm almost certain the 75xx and 9xxx series dont.

But, if we were able to find a half height PCI card that could do DVI at 1600x1200, would there be an issue when docking and undocking?

 

[InlineFive]

Originally posted by: Shalmanese
It has to be a half height PCI card. As far as I am aware of, only the 9800/5900 series and above do DVI @ 1600x1200. Possibly some professional cards as well. I'm pretty sure the G400 doesn't and I'm almost certain the 75xx and 9xxx series dont.

I thought as long as the card had DVI-D then they did go up to 1600x1200?

 

[Amused]

Anyone have any more ideas or help?

 

[jschuk]

I put a PCI card into a docking station for PI/PII era machines and it just defaults to that card instead of the laptops VGA adapter. Also, I thought I remember reading about modifying VGA cards to allow >1280x1024 resolutions on the DVI connector. I remember reading something like that about two years ago when I was researching 19" monitors. But of course, I don't know if that modification could take place in the dock or if it would be in the laptop. Either way, you would be voiding warranty on one of the devices.

 

[Amused]

OK. Now I need to find a half-height PCI video card with DVI out capable of doing 1600x1200. And ideas? Newegg doesn't seem to have any.

 

[Shivatron]

Originally posted by: jschuk
I put a PCI card into a docking station for PI/PII era machines and it just defaults to that card instead of the laptops VGA adapter. Also, I thought I remember reading about modifying VGA cards to allow >1280x1024 resolutions on the DVI connector. I remember reading something like that about two years ago when I was researching 19" monitors. But of course, I don't know if that modification could take place in the dock or if it would be in the laptop. Either way, you would be voiding warranty on one of the devices.

Good memory. Although this page says it's for T40's and A31's, I'm almost positive it will work on the R50 as well.

T40/A31p - Video Capabilities

Have fun!

 

[Shivatron]

Whoops, double post.

 

[Shalmanese]

Originally posted by: Amused
OK. Now I need to find a half-height PCI video card with DVI out capable of doing 1600x1200. And ideas? Newegg doesn't seem to have any.

I'm pretty sure your not going to find any .

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Atticu5

Originally posted by: jschuk
I put a PCI card into a docking station for PI/PII era machines and it just defaults to that card instead of the laptops VGA adapter. Also, I thought I remember reading about modifying VGA cards to allow >1280x1024 resolutions on the DVI connector. I remember reading something like that about two years ago when I was researching 19" monitors. But of course, I don't know if that modification could take place in the dock or if it would be in the laptop. Either way, you would be voiding warranty on one of the devices.

Good memory. Although this page says it's for T40's and A31's, I'm almost positive it will work on the R50 as well.

T40/A31p - Video Capabilities

Have fun!

OMG!!! You're a genius!! That is working for him!

Now he is really excited that the new ATI drivers offer rotation (pivot) but he can't seem to find how to do it. It lists the function in the release notes for the new driver, but there is no control that he can see. Any ideas???

 

[Shivatron]

Now he is really excited that the new ATI drivers offer rotation (pivot) but he can't seem to find how to do it. It lists the function in the release notes for the new driver, but there is no control that he can see. Any ideas???

You need to do a reg hack to enable "book mode"... on the same page, the instructions are about halfway down, and it's called "Landscape to Portrait to Landscape".

HTH...

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Atticu5

Now he is really excited that the new ATI drivers offer rotation (pivot) but he can't seem to find how to do it. It lists the function in the release notes for the new driver, but there is no control that he can see. Any ideas???

You need to do a reg hack to enable "book mode"... on the same page, the instructions are about halfway down, and it's called "Landscape to Portrait to Landscape".

HTH...

Got it working. Thanks!

 

[RonS]

You can use ATI's drivers to overcome the 1280x1024 DVI limitation imposed by IBM. This has been discussed over at thinkpads.com. ATI's unified driver should do the trick.

 

[bastula]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Atticu5

Now he is really excited that the new ATI drivers offer rotation (pivot) but he can't seem to find how to do it. It lists the function in the release notes for the new driver, but there is no control that he can see. Any ideas???

You need to do a reg hack to enable "book mode"... on the same page, the instructions are about halfway down, and it's called "Landscape to Portrait to Landscape".

HTH...

Got it working. Thanks!

Good to hear that you got it to work. :beer: I would be unhappy if I couldn't break that resolution barrier after paying the $$$ for the docking station.

On a slightly related note to your original post, I installed a FX5200 Dual DVI for my boss this summer and it works like a charm for TWO Dell 2000FP monitors at 1600x1200 right out of the box using the supplied drivers.