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Desktop Graphics in Notebook?

M

mikemodano9c

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 6, 2004
Messages
316
Obviously the issue of dissipating the heat from a performance desktop gpu while not making a laptop that is too huge/heavy is an issue, but if that could be done it is possible it could be done? ATI/Nvidia sell their mobile segment gpus for laptops, but if someone could get around the cooling concerns would they license desktop gpus so someone could design a proprietary board that could be used in a notebook computer? I know if a board was designed with a desktop gpu and the cooling solution was adequate while still creating a workable final product (size/weight) I would be interested in such a laptop.

I think a liquid cooling solution to dissipate that heat load is possible in the size of a typical "desktop replacement" size/weight notebook.

Thoughts?
 
Computers are held back by two things: size and heat. Laptops have to be way more conscious of both of those things. It'll probably happen someday, but until we have fiber optic diamonds in our CPUs, I doubt laptops will get the same chips as desktops.
 
Keep in mind for the ViDock solution, you need a laptop with an ExpressCard slot. Sadly, newer laptops are omitting this port altogether. My guess is that many used that port for USB 3.0 adapters when just recently, laptops only had 2.0 ports. Now that recent laptops have built-in USB 3.0 ports, hardly anyone uses that port.

It could also be a more sinister attempt by the greedy companies to prevent us from buying desktop GPUs to hook to laptops externally and be forced to buy a laptop GPU. They'd much rather have you buy a GTX 480M for $600 from them than a GTX 480 for $200.
 
What would putting a 180W or higher desktop GPU into a laptop accomplish? The power brick alone would be even more bulky, and keeping the laptop plugged it in would almost become a requirement for use. And you'd dare not put such a product on your lap for the sake of your legacy. ;)

If you want better mobile performance, there are laptops with dual 75W GPUs, like the HD 6970M X2 equipped Alienware M18x (runs Crysis in Extreme @ 1920x1080) or the Clevo X7200 sold under various names. Those are pricey options (M18x is $2470 in base model + HD 6970M X2 upgrade), but they exist.

IMO, get a portable if you want a portable, and get something capable of running top GPUs (desktop) if you want to game. Otherwise there will be compromises trying to make one of those fit into the role of the other.

-----

I'm waiting for the "lunch box" form factor to come back. Bring back the baby AT form factor too. I'm getting sick of this proprietary Intel ATX nonsense. ;)

amZ9g.jpg


A company I worked for a long time ago used to sell clones of those. That was so long ago that the display was plasma (amber) and LCD was just becoming a new option... and the plasma was the better option.
 
Uncle had something similar. I believe it was a 286 with 2mb of ram. He got all excited for the coprocessor option...
 
When I stopped working there, the top models had a 386-33MHz. The systems were assembled in-house. I hated repairing those things. So fragile.
 
pxc said:
What would putting a 180W or higher desktop GPU into a laptop accomplish? The power brick alone would be even more bulky, and keeping the laptop plugged it in would almost become a requirement for use. And you'd dare not put such a product on your lap for the sake of your legacy. ;)

If you want better mobile performance, there are laptops with dual 75W GPUs, like the HD 6970M X2 equipped Alienware M18x (runs Crysis in Extreme @ 1920x1080) or the Clevo X7200 sold under various names. Those are pricey options (M18x is $2470 in base model + HD 6970M X2 upgrade), but they exist.

IMO, get a portable if you want a portable, and get something capable of running top GPUs (desktop) if you want to game. Otherwise there will be compromises trying to make one of those fit into the role of the other.

-----

I'm waiting for the "lunch box" form factor to come back. Bring back the baby AT form factor too. I'm getting sick of this proprietary Intel ATX nonsense. ;)

amZ9g.jpg


A company I worked for a long time ago used to sell clones of those. That was so long ago that the display was plasma (amber) and LCD was just becoming a new option... and the plasma was the better option.
Click to expand...

The external GPU is something I'd leave at home for gaming and my laptop would still be use able when it is disconnected.
 
yowen said:
The external GPU is something I'd leave at home for gaming and my laptop would still be use able when it is disconnected.
Click to expand...
The OP did ask "in Notebook" and my answer explored that. :p

External GPUs make the laptop even less portable for gaming, but it would make sense for some people who don't need the contraption to be mobile. Too bad the external GPU thing never took off. The hacks using a ExpressCard/mini PCIe slots are kind of lacking. Having a high speed capable connection off a dock port (HTT or QPI) would be nice to connect to an external PCIe bridge. But many mobile chips now don't even include those high speed busses anymore.
 
who knows, with USB 3 maybe someone will make an external card off that (still would be slow).
Couldnt be much different than the ViDock using the Express card.
 
I built this, get desktop GTX 460 while at home and want to game, and 8 hrs of cool and quiet battery while on the road with the T420:

GTX 460 eGPU
 
sprtnbsblplya said:
I built this, get desktop GTX 460 while at home and want to game, and 8 hrs of cool and quiet battery while on the road with the T420:

GTX 460 eGPU
Click to expand...

I thought about doing this just because it looks pretty fun to do! But I dont think my laptop will do it, since my card slot is PcCard...
 
So I looked into this some more, looks like I could take out my wifi and hook up a gfx card to this, intriguing...
 
yowen said:
So I looked into this some more, looks like I could take out my wifi and hook up a gfx card to this, intriguing...
Click to expand...
I believe the PCIe lanes have some limitations for it to work in x2 mode. There is a much longer thread in the video card forum about that adapter and what configuration works in PCIe x2 (or higher) mode.

There are typically 8 lanes in the PCH/south bridge for various devices, often connected to audio chips, faster Ethernet, mini PCIe slots, the ExpressCard slot, etc. Those 8 lanes can often be configured as 2 x4, 8 x1 or a mixture in-between. If the mini PCIe slot isn't in the right configuration with the ExpressCard slot, it can't work with the adapter used for the external video card to get x2 mode. The PCIe lanes used have to be on the correct boundary and adjacently numbered (i.e. lane 0 + lane 1 = good, lane 3 + lane 4 = not good, lane 0 + lane 4 = not good).

My laptop is good in that way. It has 3 mini PCIe slots so the chances are better than having just one mini PCIe slot. pic: http://images.anandtech.com/galleries/433/dell-studio-xps16-disassemble-01-bottom-open.jpg
 
Even in PCIe x1 mode, an eGPU offers outstanding performance.
I run mine in x1 mode and can run BC2 in 1680x1050 with everything on high and get good performance. Not bad for a business configured T420 and eGPU.
SC2 also runs in 1680x1050 with everything on high except for shadows set to med.

Removing the wifi card to attain an eGPU is functional, but definitely not an elegant solution.
 
sprtnbsblplya said:
Even in PCIe x1 mode, an eGPU offers outstanding performance.
I run mine in x1 mode and can run BC2 in 1680x1050 with everything on high and get good performance. Not bad for a business configured T420 and eGPU.
SC2 also runs in 1680x1050 with everything on high except for shadows set to med.

Removing the wifi card to attain an eGPU is functional, but definitely not an elegant solution.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have a USB wifi, but still, I'll have to look if I can do this in a way that everything still looks good, the minute I read about this I caught a bug and I cant get rid of it till I have either satisfied myself its not worth it or till I have actually installed something like this.
 
Is there a quick way to tell if laptops have expresscard slots? I'm trying to pick one out from newegg / tigerdirect etc, but there's no mention of express card slots on any listings.

I've done research and found some "lists" of laptops with expresscard but the lists are either cryptic, out of date, and don't make sense - or the model is prohibitively expensive... i.e. might as well buy a gaming laptop.

This setup would be perfect for me and i'm ready to make it happen just having zero luck finding a suitable laptop.
Ideally it would be a laptop with corners cut to reduce cost for everything except maybe the processor / ram... the rest wouldn't matter much for me because most of my heavy work will be done at home with external keyboard / mouse / monitors.

Anyway, if anybody knows an easy way to look for candidate laptops online i'd love to know.
 
I gave up. This appears to be one of those ideas that looks great on paper but doesn't translate well into reality. Found one laptop locally but quite lackluster specs and over $900. It's still feasible if you bought a laptop a couple years ago with a pci-e port, but not if you don't already have one. Interesting concept but not worthwhile until laptop manufacturers give us access to faster (4-16x) pci-e connections again.
 
I am pretty sure that my graphics card (hd6970) weighs more than my current laptop (11" macbook air)...

Imagine if they could jam a 6970 into a macbook air sized laptop... fap fap fap.
 
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