Z1 + ViDock + GTX 570 > FTW (the Z2/PMD killer)

[cyclone5]

Sadly my ViDock 4+ has now completely failed. I was using the workaround for the delay start, by plugging the express card in just after powering on the laptop, but the card was working OK, until last night when:

1. The 2 x monitors (running from ViDock DVI) switched off on their own. These 2 monitors were the only monitors connected at the time, and was running in stamina.
2. I heard crackling noises coming from the ViDock
3. Smoke was rising from the ViDock

I turned off all ViDock power quickly. Inside the ViDock there is evidence that one of the components has burned out! I have contacted vidock support, and am waiting for a response. Not happy

[Qaenos]

Sadly my ViDock 4+ has now completely failed. I was using the workaround for the delay start, by plugging the express card in just after powering on the laptop, but the card was working OK, until last night when:

1. The 2 x monitors (running from ViDock DVI) switched off on their own. These 2 monitors were the only monitors connected at the time, and was running in stamina.
2. I heard crackling noises coming from the ViDock
3. Smoke was rising from the ViDock

I turned off all ViDock power quickly. Inside the ViDock there is evidence that one of the components has burned out! I have contacted vidock support, and am waiting for a response. Not happy

This is really bad news. Anxiously awaiting to hear what the cause of this was. I'm following this thread and the potential Z2/LightPeak ViDock solution closely as I really want to pull the trigger on the Z2 if it can be used like how you guys have these Z1s with the ViDock 4+. However, if all this hacking is unsafe, i.e. causing component failures like this one, it might just not be worth it...

[User Retired 2]

Sadly my ViDock 4+ has now completely failed. I was using the workaround for the delay start, by plugging the express card in just after powering on the laptop, but the card was working OK, until last night when:

1. The 2 x monitors (running from ViDock DVI) switched off on their own. These 2 monitors were the only monitors connected at the time, and was running in stamina.
2. I heard crackling noises coming from the ViDock
3. Smoke was rising from the ViDock

I turned off all ViDock power quickly. Inside the ViDock there is evidence that one of the components has burned out!

ViDock 4+ is underpowered for a GTX570

Not surpising if you were driving a GTX570 - they often require in excess of the 225W peak power as shown here. The ViDock 4+, being a 225W device, would be overdriven hence the reason for what appears to be a power fuse blowing.

Good enough reason to seek a refund?

For that reason as well as the ViDock 4+ being found here and here to not be pci-e 2.0 compliant contrary to the advertising, you may consider seeking a refund and implement a DIY eGPU instead. It will be cheaper, have no power issues, soon be pci-e 2.0 compliant upon release of a new cable and has a $20 a mPCIe connectivity option. The last useful to attach it to say a 900P 13" Asus UX31 ultrabook if it has an accessible mPCIe slot.

See the DIY eGPU experiences thread if interested. There are several Z11-Z13 DIY eGPU implementations shown there.

[TofuTurkey]

This thread no longer makes me want to spend my monies :|

Sadly my ViDock 4+ has now completely failed.

I'm sorry for your loss I hope the monitors and GPU card are ok.

[Qaenos]

ViDock 4+ is underpowered for a GTX570

Not surpising if you were driving a GTX570 - they often require in excess of the 225W peak power as shown here. The ViDock 4+, being a 225W device, would be overdriven hence the reason for what appears to be a power fuse blowing.

Good enough reason to seek a refund?

For that reason as well as the ViDock 4+ being found here and here to not be pci-e 2.0 compliant contrary to the advertising, you may consider seeking a refund and implement a DIY eGPU instead. It will be cheaper, have no power issues, soon be pci-e 2.0 compliant upon release of a new cable and has a $20 a mPCIe connectivity option. The last useful to attach it to say a 900P 13" Asus UX31 ultrabook if it has an accessible mPCIe slot.

See the DIY eGPU experiences thread if interested. There are several Z11-Z13 DIY eGPU implementations shown there.

I hope I am not hijacking the thread, but is the DIY eGPU solution for the Z2 in the same state as the ViDock solution, i.e. waiting for Light Peak specs / cables / adapter?

[User Retired 2]

I hope I am not hijacking the thread, but is the DIY eGPU solution for the Z2 in the same state as the ViDock solution, i.e. waiting for Light Peak specs / cables / adapter?

bplus have expressed interest in making a Thunderbolt eGPU solution which as you know is difficult to get the transmitter/receiver chips and specifications for. LP is in the same category. bplus haven't detailed any plans of making a Sony LP solution.

Since bplus are very close to getting pci-e 2.0 transmission going with an active cable then the quickest way to getting a solution would be lifting the HD6650M dGPU on the PMD, attaching an interposer chip in its place with 4 mHDMI connectors, then thread 4 pci-e 2.0 cables for each lane out of it to connect to a PE4H. You'd also want to thread the DVI/HDMI from the video card to attach to the DVI lines if wanting to drive the internal LCD. This I detailed here.

The hardest part would then be designing the interposer chip and getting the IR BGA gear to swap the interposer in place of the HD6650M. Such a solution bypasses the whole LP layer and works on the final pci-e and DP signals that are sent/received by the eGPU.

[cyclone5]

ViDock 4+ is underpowered for a GTX570

Not surpising if you were driving a GTX570 - they often require in excess of the 225W peak power as shown here. The ViDock 4+, being a 225W device, would be overdriven hence the reason for what appears to be a power fuse blowing.

Good enough reason to seek a refund?

For that reason as well as the ViDock 4+ being found here and here to not be pci-e 2.0 compliant contrary to the advertising, you may consider seeking a refund and implement a DIY eGPU instead. It will be cheaper, have no power issues, soon be pci-e 2.0 compliant upon release of a new cable and has a $20 a mPCIe connectivity option. The last useful to attach it to say a 900P 13" Asus UX31 ultrabook if it has an accessible mPCIe slot.

See the DIY eGPU experiences thread if interested. There are several Z11-Z13 DIY eGPU implementations shown there.

Quite down in the dumps about all this, after all the effort and expense and after being so close to getting this working.

The only positive I can draw from this is that I was lucky I was sitting there at the time. I have a tendency to go out or go to sleep leaving my electrical devices running, so who knows what could have happened. I was not running video at the time, I was installing SQL server and the installer window was the only window visible on the desktop, so was hardly pushing the video card to its limits.

Got to start again on another path. Now that I've experienced 2 x WQXGA, I think that ultimately now I want to go for 3 U3011s. From what I understand, the only single card capable of driving 3 x WQXGA is GTX590 and nobody has even got one of those working with a DIY ViDock, due to PCI memory allocation issues that I can’t get my head round. So basically the options are:

1) DIY ViDock (using my GTX570 assuming it still works), and then later try driving a 3rd Dell U3011 via the laptop's HDMI at 35Hz as per ComputerCowboy's workaround. Previous instability issues mentioned in this thread could well have been due the ViDdock 4+ struggling to cope with the GTX570
I'm certainly no electrical engineer, and get the feeling that the DIY route might be another minefield, and prefer my electronics to be neat and tidy, with a relatively low risk of them burning me to death.

2) Give up and get a desktop. Fit it with either a) the existing GTX 570 + another GTX 570, or b) a GTX590 and remote desktop to the Vaio Z1 over the LAN using the new multi monitor features in remote desktop that I know work in W7 Ultimate/Enterprise.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

[ComputerCowboy]

I suspect you got a bad dock from the start, you were having issues before it burnt out.

Village told me that the GTX570 was supported, if they got it wrong it is their fault.

Remote desktop over Gigabit ethernet should provide an OK experience until you want to play video.

If you want more power for your GTX570 you don't need a DIY dock, just get an old ATX PSU and run the card off of that...

In the mean time you have the monitors and the Z1, have you tried running just one with my U3011 35Hz driver? Note that you will need an HDMI>DVI cable, or the Z1 dock and a DVI cable.

I've been running the U3011 without the ViDock since I figured this out, it runs great... but 24P video was a little choppy... so I made a U3011 24P driver. The only rub on the 24P driver is that the mouse movement on the desktop is not as smooth.

[User Retired 2]

1) DIY ViDock (using my GTX570 assuming it still works), and then later try driving a 3rd Dell U3011 via the laptop's HDMI at 35Hz as per ComputerCowboy's workaround. Previous instability issues mentioned in this thread could well have been due the ViDdock 4+ struggling to cope with the GTX570
I'm certainly no electrical engineer, and get the feeling that the DIY route might be another minefield, and prefer my electronics to be neat and tidy, with a relatively low risk of them burning me to death.

Easily done. Just buy a modular power supply and attach the cables neatly. Eg: Newegg.com - SILVERSTONE Strider Plus ST50F-P 500W ATX 12V v2.3 & EPS 12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply . You'd have 12V/34W*0.8=326W. Plenty to drive your GTX570. It has an optional $20 short cable kit if the supplied ones are too long.

Could also get a GTX570 backplate if your concerned it might touch something when running out in the open on a DIY eGPU's PE4H.

[ComputerCowboy]

@nando4... where is the 411 on how to set up a delayed start on the DIY eGPU. If I was to build one I'd want a delayed start, and I'd like it to start/stop the ATX PSU.

Also where is the proof that a GTX 590 won't run? Has anyone tried it?