Let's figure out how to make a DIY eGPU (previously DIY ViDock)

[Dominus94]

Ok well, There has to be somthing in vista that is stopping multiple drivers from being installed.. It can't just be the operating system as a whole. is there anything that I can patch? or change? All I want to do is save myself having to go out and by a whole new OS. if worst comes to worst then maybe I'll have too. but First I would like to be sure that there is nothing I can do to fix the issue with vista.

@key001,

If I were to wipe the intel drivers off and install the windows 7 version of them.. How would I know that everything was working as it normally would in widows 7 with the vidock2? is there any way I can test this?
(just to know for sure before I buy this thing lol)

[PanzerHauptmann]

Ask the guys that sell it @ that VillageTronic place, they may know... go right to the horses mouth man.. Im sure they get bombarded with questions like this all day long, something this forum doesn't specifically address, per se.. I believe our goal is to best devise a method to produce a working replica or DIY ViDock, although not to answer vidock-related questions.. I know the two go hand in hand functionality-wise, but for a specific question like that would best be asked at the guys @ http://harmonicinversion.com/product...agetronic.html

give it a go..

[Max_Headroom]

As you may or may not know, Windows operating systems use slightly different driver models:
XP: XPDM (Windows XP Display Driver Model)
Vista: WDDM 1.0 (Windows Display Driver Model, supports desktop compositing aka. Aero, DirectX 10 and other advanced features)
Windows 7: WDDM 1.1 (Improved WDDM with lower memory requirements, better performance, etc.)

XP and Windows 7 can use multiple graphics cards with different drivers (Microsoft calls this heterogeneous multi-adapter) because XPDM and WDDM 1.1 supports it. WDDM 1.0 however does not.

I did a bit of research, and here's what I found: (Wikipedia is awesome, as always)

• WDDM 1.0 drivers are forward compatible with Windows 7, however new functionality introduced in WDDM 1.1 won't be available. [1]
• WDDM 1.1 drivers are backward compatible with Windows Vista. When installed on Windows Vista, such a driver simply acts as a WDDM 1.0 driver. [1] i.e. no heterogeneous multi-adapter support.
• XPDM drivers can be installed on Vista and this will enable heterogeneous multi-adapter support! [2] New functionality introduced in WDDM won't be available. This means no Aero, no virtualized video memory, no DirectX 10 and so on. Also, all graphics cards must use XPDM drivers, you can't mix WDDM and XPDM drivers on the same system.

One problem you might run into is that driver installation packages from ATI, Nvidia or Intel may enforce certain system requirements and prevent installation if the rules are not met; the XP driver installer may for example refuse to run on Vista. If this happens, it might be possible to extract the driver files from the installer package and install manually.

[AgeKay]

on a side note, anybody out there have issues running at xxx x 720 or xxx x 1080? These resolutions appear grainy, off-centered, and distorted. I have to set to xxxx x 768, 800, or 960. and 1920 x 1080 same case, It must be set to 1920 x 1200 in order to appear correct. Strange..

That's because 1920x1200 is your LCDs native resolution. LCDs pixel size is fixed unlike CRTs. If you use any other resolution that is not a perfect fraction of your native resolution, it will have to use lets say 2 pixels to represent 1.5 pixels.

[key001]

Hmm good idea!

Could I install the windows 7 drivers then, and use the vidock with say a nvidia 9800GTX+?? I just want to make sure before I fork out $300 some bucks lol

anyway, how would I go about removing the video drivers??

Oh and, Thank you so much for the fast response!!

it won't fit into vidock2 ViDock 2 - My experiences so far and PE4L may or may not fit depending on the cooler design because the molex connector is located near the pci-e slot
this may work http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-246-_-Product
and with this you'll have to cut the plastic somewhere or use PE4H http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-339-_-Product

sweeper - http://downloads.guru3d.com/Guru3D--...load-1655.html

[mbarry]

Wait, you can get the PE4H from NewEgg?!? The links are dead though.

[PanzerHauptmann]

That's because 1920x1200 is your LCDs native resolution. LCDs pixel size is fixed unlike CRTs. If you use any other resolution that is not a perfect fraction of your native resolution, it will have to use lets say 2 pixels to represent 1.5 pixels.

Aren't most comp. monitors LCD screens?? If so, why arent more people complaining about this problem??

[Dominus94]

Thanks for all your help guys! In the end I decided to go with a desktop as I could also do with a new cpu and a ram upgrade! thanku anyway!

cheers

[AgeKay]

Aren't most comp. monitors LCD screens?? If so, why arent more people complaining about this problem??

Yes, most screens are LCDs today, but that does not change the fact that this is a known technological drawback of LCDs. You can read it up on Wikipedia:

While CRTs are capable of displaying multiple video resolutions without introducing artifacts, LCDs produce crisp images only in their native resolution and, sometimes, fractions of that native resolution. Attempting to run LCD panels at non-native resolutions usually results in the panel scaling the image, which introduces blurriness or "blockiness" and is susceptible in general to multiple kinds of HDTV blur. Many LCDs are incapable of displaying very low resolution screen modes (such as 320x200) due to these scaling limitations.

You might be able to disable scaling somehow so that it shows 1080p or 720p, but then you will see black boxes on the sides.

Btw, you'll have the same issue with projectors. That's why it's always important to pay attention to native resolution of the device.

[Eye0fHoruS]

@ Scott 1620 : I would really enjoy learning more about what you meant in terms of an external cpu and electrical engineers. In addition what are the size and dimensions of the card have you got in there? Do you think it would fit in an external ITX case with a 300w psu?
@ Max Headroom : The graph was brilliant. This has given much fruit to thought. What im thinking would be a real seller is a external quad core which adds to the inner core. This quad core would be created of micro-processors which have the same integrity and power of a normal core. In order to achieve this It is suggested we move from the Newtonian model of understanding the science behind making processors and move towards quantum mechanics. By focusing on manipulating sub atomic particles and utilizing nano-technology. So we get computers and tiny micro robots to make these and thus we have micro processors which are much much smaller than any processor currently available. How about the heat? Well if we can purify water by de-ionizing it, if we can affect the electrical impulse on the same molecular level, then it may be possible to affect the capacity of this electricity to emit heat - OR - manipulate the physical components it will be based in. Therefore we can make external CPU’s at the size of those tiny dongles Logitech gives for wireless.

An interesting market yet with Chrome OS coming out soon, who knows what could happen to the computing world in over a year or so. For now I’ll focus on what I want, and if the market is still there i’ll sell it.
@ Max – second post:

On electricity:
Focusing purely on manipulating the hardware components in order to calibrate the electrical current seems a lost cause here. What is needed is to calibrate the electrical current itself. As Electricity itself is, professional, simply, not understood, people “don’t know what it is” this leaves much room for possibility and endeavours of creative conduct. Insofar as calibrating electricity to do what one wants, well, that goes only so far as what the current worldview of science pertains, the evidence of which is currently shifting. The wires don’t seem an issue with nano robots. Ok I had a ponder and what we need for that is modified electricity. This is how we manipulate the electrical impulses to do our bidding without need for any transmitters or additional complications of wiring and such. Yeah. In the same way you get purified water that has been de-ionized we alter the molecular structure of electricity on an atomic scale and we put some in these micro-processors like lithium mini batteries for a mother board.

On software:
I agree the software we have today is really not up to scratch. There could be much much more. The potential is there, put it that way. For example the computers we have now are so powerful and there are so few programs which are utilizing that potential. Its almost like one part has developed miles ahead of the rest. It is an interesting paradigm, the reasons which are questionable, but that is another line of enquiry. Well software is soft and mushy and with Google, a proven and reputed billion dollar business evidently stating you can now run your PC without an operating system and just chrome, in terms of software- anything’s possible. Learn more here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QRO3gKj3qw

On GPU/CPU amalgamation:

Well in that case you don’t fully integrate the CPU and GPU but you house them in the same enclosure for means of space spacing, product attractiveness and mobility. Those aspects of the cpu and gpu you can integrate for what is beneficial for the totality of operations you do so.

I am in gratitude of your long and efficacious post Max.
The Adeptus Mechanicus grows strong.

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs40/f/20...by_Kjiverx.jpg

@ Malumake

Cheers man. Im gonna get one now. Its too good to miss and something nice to be part of. This is an interesting enterprise. A break through. I have everyone here to thank for that.


For anyone who didn’t read it - Nando raised an important point, if any guys appear here not wanting to read through 107 pages of Tech-mechanicum please refer them to http://forum.notebookreview.com/show....php?p=5324240
When I encountered this summary it was a real relief.

@ Panzer
Quote----

“I believe our goal is to best devise a method to produce a working replica or DIY ViDock, although not to answer vidock-related questions..”

Has anyone got any ideas of how this is progressing or is it simply not time yet?
The three letter DIY is nice and true to the forum and the people, thats my cut for now.