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

[ruhtraeel]

See DIY ViDock - My experiences so far. The M1330 has quite a few pci-e ports enabled by default by the bios. Worth too swapping around the wifi and trying an e-sata card to see if can get a combo yielding port+port2 or port3+port4. If so, could do a x2 1.0 setup that would yield some spectacular numbers with say a HD5xxx series.

Hello, and thanks for the reply.
So to do what you have said above, what would I need to buy?
And being totally new to all this, I'm not quite following all this info.

[User Retired 2]

Hello, and thanks for the reply.
So to do what you have said above, what would I need to buy?
And being totally new to all this, I'm not quite following all this info.

Added a Getting Started section to the experiences thread.

[ruhtraeel]

Added a Getting Started section to the experiences thread.

WOW THANKS! +rep

[Malumake]

Quick update...popped my PS while setting-up (I work on it at home and at work), so looking at which one to get to replace it with right now. Also, will be soldering in a power switch to stabilize power-up/down voltage/amperage spikes during setup.

[KAiSE]

Wanted to start off by saying this thread is awesome!!!

Was looking for some advice/suggestions on what video card I should use.
Right now I have a Dell XPS M1730 nVidia 8700M GT SLI running Vista 32 with 4gb of ram (ya I know)...
Haven’t had time to upgrade it to 64 bit cause I have some much crap on it...

I noticed Vista is a no go; so I need Win 7 64.
My intentions are to get 3 monitors working with my laptop (to extend my desktop) plus add some horsepower when gaming.
One monitor will be plugged directly into my laptop and the other two into the DYI ViDock. All three monitors will be used when working (2D apps); and the DIY with one or two monitors when gaming.

Can anyone suggest a video card to use that will allow me to use a resolution of 1920x1080 on both monitors preferably one under 80W so I won’t need additional power for the video card?

Another question, has anyone got an ICH8M chipset and >2.5gb of memory to work?

Thanks all.

[User Retired 2]

Can anyone suggest a video card to use that will allow me to use a resolution of 1920x1080 on both monitors preferably one under 80W so I won’t need additional power for the video card?

Another question, has anyone got an ICH8M chipset and >2.5gb of memory to work?

I don't have 1x4GB stick for my single-slotted ICH8M 2510P, but was able to do PCI Reallocation as if I did successfully here. Something I suggest you try before purchasing the hardware to set it up.

Using a HD5750 with a 12V/80W PSU

12V/80W adapter presents a couple of options. Officially you'd be restricted to a HD5670, or a POWERCOLOR Go! Green AX5750 or Nvidia GT240. The safe performance option being the HD5670. However, the HD5750's higher performance at not much more cost is tempting.

HD5750's ordered by power consumption:

72W POWERCOLOR Go! Green AX5750
81W Powercolor PCS+ HD5750
81W? Gigabyte HD5750
85W Sapphire HD5750
92W HIS HD5750 icooler

xbitlabs here claiming 61W for a HD5750 and 81W for the HD5770. These power consumption figures suggest to me that a Powercolor HD5750 would work with 12V/80W. The following tweaks could be applied 'just in case':

- power starvation, if it is 81W at full load could just slightly underclock the HD5750
- if xbit's 61W is more accurate, then could overclock the HD5750 to near HD5770 performance levels as suggested by xbitlabs here.

This would need a patch lead to supply power to the HD5750's pci-e connector, as we can see here the power is split. Relatively easy to do on the PE4L if using the DC input. Just need a lead running from the floppy molex into the 6-pin pci-e power connector.

[KAiSE]

Thanks nando4.
Interesting thanks... I'll see if I can do a PCI reallocation, I'll have to read up on that... and install Win7... I'll install it on an older drive for now.

Would you happen to know if the HD5670 or HD5750 can output 1920x1080 on both ports?
Can the PEH4 handle a 18.5V/90W, will that work?

Which cards did xbitlabs use? 5750@43.7W and 5770@61.2W??? Those will work if I can find them...

Molex from the PCB to video card would be great; but what would be the power requirements 200+W?

[ruhtraeel]

Hello,
So I found a few pages on a cross-display driver perhaps being in development for this, after the XGP made its own...
Is this true?

[Malumake]

Hello,
So I found a few pages on a cross-display driver perhaps being in development for this, after the XGP made its own...
Is this true?

Could you link these articles please?

[ruhtraeel]

Could you link these articles please?

It wasn't an article, it was just a brought up question, I don't even know if it's possible. Was curious though.