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Wow, I always thought this was a way I'd be able to play starcraft 2 without feeling like I'm reading a flipbook. I tried reading the forum linked in the title, but have a few questions.
How hard was this set up (personall I've built all the computers in our house, but now it seems to be easier than legoes)? How much did it cost overall? Do you think pci-e will be on future laptops, so I could use this in the future? Or do you think the minimalist side of new laptop computing cut out pci-express?
Thanks! Can't wait for the replies! So excited to try this!!!!
HP TouchSmart Tx2 (4 GB RAM) + DIY Vidock PE4H 2.4 @x1 / NVIDIA GTX 260 (896 MB - driver v258.96 WHQL Win7 x64):
A significant boost in raw graphics power + now able to use NVIDIA 3D Vision on ext. 120Hz LCD display!
N.B. The internal ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3200 scores about 1600 in 3DMark06
January 19, 2011 1:29 AM
January 19, 2011 2:51 PM
It's very easy. Insert your graphics card into the PE4H PCI-e slot. Connect external monitor to your graphics card. Connect the PE4H to ATX PSU of sufficient Wattage (cable provided as well as ATX power switch). And finally connect the provided expresscard adapter via the provided cable that fits into the PE4H to your notebook's expresscard slot. Any notebook with the latter will fit the bill.
Download DIY Vidock setup http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/418851-diy-vid... and configure pci.bat for the TX2 (in the CONFIG folder of the bootable USB image) or paste the following (only for TX2; each notebook requires own settings) into it:
______________
echo Performing PCI Reallocation to free up 256MB window..
setpci -s 9:0.0 22.w=e500
setpci -s 0:6.0 24.l=E501E501
setpci -s 9:0.0 1a.w=e510
setpci -s 8:0.0 12.w=e510
setpci -s 0:5.0 20.l=E510E510
setpci -s 0:4.0 20.l=E610E520
setpci -s 1:05.0 26.w=E620
setpci -s 1:05.0 1a.w=E630
setpci -s 0:1.0 20.l=E630E620
setpci -s 0:14.2 10.l=E6400004
setpci -s 0:13.1 10.l=E6405000
setpci -s 0:13.0 10.l=E6406000
setpci -s 0:12.1 10.l=E6407000
setpci -s 0:12.0 10.l=E6408000
setpci -s 0:11.0 24.l=E6409000
setpci -s 0:13.2 10.l=E6409400
setpci -s 0:12.2 10.l=E6409500
setpci -s 0:14.5 10.l=E6440400
___________
Finally, boot with DIY Vidock bootable USB/PCI.bat, then once in Windows insert the PE4H expresscard adaptor into the TX2 and Windows will take care of the rest as in this example:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-envy-hdx/515212-official-hp-hdx-9000-drago...
Price of the PE4H kit is US $90 approx. + you should add price of an ATX PSU (650W or more for the latest cards) = ~US $30 + price of graphics card and ext. monitor.
January 20, 2011 2:08 AM
Thanks for all the info!
I wish I had read your post before I went ahead and ordered everything. I went with the lower power, portable setup: HD5670 + PE4L.
The guides say that it should be pretty close to plug and play, I guess it didn't turn out that way for you as there was some greater configuration with the .bat file? Was it difficult to figure out how to configure (in case those settings don't work out for me)?
I also noticed the 1600 to 3200 increase in 3dmarks06 - I was trying to find what that actually means in ability. Do you play any games (maybe starcraft II) and could tell me the settings you can now play it on?
Once again, thanks a lot for all the help - no one I know is doing something like this, and even few that are on the internet, you are the only person I have seen on the Tx2z!
January 20, 2011 4:12 AM
The above settings should work for you and any TX2 user; they are notebook-model specific for the TX2. Make sure you add
call grub4dos w7
to the end of pci.bat to load Windows 7.
echo Performing PCI Reallocation to free up 256MB window..
setpci -s 9:0.0 22.w=e500
setpci -s 0:6.0 24.l=E501E501
setpci -s 9:0.0 1a.w=e510
setpci -s 8:0.0 12.w=e510
setpci -s 0:5.0 20.l=E510E510
setpci -s 0:4.0 20.l=E610E520
setpci -s 1:05.0 26.w=E620
setpci -s 1:05.0 1a.w=E630
setpci -s 0:1.0 20.l=E630E620
setpci -s 0:14.2 10.l=E6400004
setpci -s 0:13.1 10.l=E6405000
setpci -s 0:13.0 10.l=E6406000
setpci -s 0:12.1 10.l=E6407000
setpci -s 0:12.0 10.l=E6408000
setpci -s 0:11.0 24.l=E6409000
setpci -s 0:13.2 10.l=E6409400
setpci -s 0:12.2 10.l=E6409500
setpci -s 0:14.5 10.l=E6440400
call grub4dos w7
_______
In my case I use it for NVIDIA 3D Vision with a 3D Vision 120Hz LCD monitor and active shutter glasses:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/3d-vision-home-users.html
The near 4K 3DMark06 score is almost 25% of what you normally get with a GTX 260, but that's expected given the bandwidth constraints of a @x1 bus via the PE4H/L. Still a good boost and very usable...
January 20, 2011 5:19 AM
Also nando4, http://forum.notebookreview.com/member.php?u=217051 the owner and moderator of the DIY Vidock Experiences NBR forum thread, is sending this note:
3dmark06 will do better with ATI cards on a TX2. There's two HD5770 DIY ViDock implementations which get > 7.8k 3dmark06 with a RM75-2.2. See http://tiny.cc/DIYViDock
January 21, 2011 2:16 PM
Got all the parts in and put everything together. But when I put the adapter in my computer will not boot, and beep 4 times. So I downloaded the vidock setup and booted into that but I don't know how to change the pci.bat you were referring to earlier? I was able to install the drivers to the Videocard and windows did recognize it. A little confused now. How do I edit the boot file or the pci.bat?
Thanks!
Ram
January 21, 2011 3:19 PM
I have a little more information.
1. It doesn't recognize that something is attached in vidock setup.
2. I do not see it in device manager though at one point windows recognized it and installed some drivers and asked to restart.
3. The Videocard is on and working.
4. Whenever I try to boot with it hotplugged = four beeps andthen no boot. I was able to put the code into the pci.bat but that isn't the only code there.
Let me know if there are any screenshots or diagnostics that would help out. Sorry for all the trouble, thanks a ton!
Ram
January 21, 2011 3:22 PM
updated: January 21, 2011 3:25 PM
Rammm said: Got all the parts in and put everything together. But when I put the adapter in my computer will not boot, and beep 4 times. So I downloaded the vidock setup and booted into that but I don't know how to change the pci.bat you were referring to earlier? I was able to install the drivers to the Videocard and windows did recognize it. A little confused now. How do I edit the boot file or the pci.bat? Thanks! Ram
pci.bat can be found in the CONFIG folder on the bootable setup USB that you have created. Edit it in Windows Notepad or similar to paste above code (and nothing else should be in pci.bat when you save it except the code I posted on this page ending with 'call grub4dos w7'), then next time you boot choose the default DIY Vidock boot option. This will call your new pci.bat which will then automatically continue to load Windows 7 to Desktop. Do not insert the expresscard adapter until after Windows has loaded to Desktop; do not boot or restart the machine with the PE4H expresscard inserted!
To remove the DIY Vidock while Windows is running, first eject the device via Windows as you would do for a USB drive.
January 21, 2011 3:38 PM
Ahhh that makes more sense. Ok, after that it recognizes it but only as a "standard VGA graphics adapter". Should I install the ati drivers after that? Or should I restart, unplug, wait for desktop, hotplug again? Thanks for walking me through this, still no image on external monitor.
January 21, 2011 3:49 PM
Rammm said: Ahhh that makes more sense. Ok, after that it recognizes it but only as a "standard VGA graphics adapter". Should I install the ati drivers after that? Or should I restart, unplug, wait for desktop, hotplug again? Thanks for walking me through this, still no image on external monitor.Install the card's specific latest drivers then.
January 21, 2011 3:57 PM
Hmmm does that mean that's what I should do?
Well I tried it, but it still comes up as standard VGA adapter with an !
And doesn't come up as anything except video controller, and then it's location is PCI bus 2, dev 0, function 0...aaaaahhh the infamous code 12- cannot find enough resources. But I thought that was the point of the pci.bat? Did I not implement it properly?
January 21, 2011 4:05 PM
Rammm said: Hmmm does that mean that's what I should do? Well I tried it, but it still comes up as standard VGA adapter with an ! And doesn't come up as anything except video controller, and then it's location is PCI bus 2, dev 0, function 0...aaaaahhh the infamous code 12- cannot find enough resources. But I thought that was the point of the pci.bat? Did I not implement it properly?Then you haven't booted through the USB disk/pci.bat if you are getting Code 12!
January 21, 2011 4:14 PM
Ahhhhh I think I understand my problem. Wherever I click to boot through the vidock setup it goes back to the original boot screen to choose win7 or vidock setup. NOT directly to win7. Interesting...
January 21, 2011 4:36 PM
Rammm said: Ahhhhh I think I understand my problem. Wherever I click to boot through the vidock setup it goes back to the original boot screen to choose win7 or vidock setup. NOT directly to win7. Interesting...The correct option is on this blue boot screen. Choose it and it will then load Windows after completing its job.
January 21, 2011 4:57 PM
So this is what I'm doing.
1. Boot into vidock setup
2. Menu based
3. Double check the pci.bat (ok)
4. Click chainload into w7:orig
5. "some pci devices do not have allocated..." hit any key to continue. Any key
6. Takes me back to boot screen where I can pick either win7 or vidock
7. Pick win7
Same code 12. I dunno what to do...
January 21, 2011 5:02 PM
Rammm said: So this is what I'm doing. 1. Boot into vidock setup 2. Menu based 3. Double check the pci.bat (ok) 4. Click chainload into w7:orig 5. "some pci devices do not have allocated..." hit any key to continue. Any key 6. Takes me back to boot screen where I can pick either win7 or vidock 7. Pick win7 Same code 12. I dunno what to do...Why boot each time to diy vidock setup??! In fact you don't need to do this at all if your pci.bat is correct!
January 21, 2011 5:13 PM
So it seems everything is revolving around the pci.bat. Therefore I am going to go at length to make sure I have this set up correctly.
I can double check whether it is fine by mounting the image by going to my C:\diyViDock folder and then going into the folder config to the pci.bat file and clicking edit. Here is what I see:
echo Performing PCI Reallocation to free up 256MB window..
setpci -s 9:0.0 22.w=e500
setpci -s 0:6.0 24.l=E501E501
setpci -s 9:0.0 1a.w=e510
setpci -s 8:0.0 12.w=e510
setpci -s 0:5.0 20.l=E510E510
setpci -s 0:4.0 20.l=E610E520
setpci -s 1:05.0 26.w=E620
setpci -s 1:05.0 1a.w=E630
setpci -s 0:1.0 20.l=E630E620
setpci -s 0:14.2 10.l=E6400004
setpci -s 0:13.1 10.l=E6405000
setpci -s 0:13.0 10.l=E6406000
setpci -s 0:12.1 10.l=E6407000
setpci -s 0:12.0 10.l=E6408000
setpci -s 0:11.0 24.l=E6409000
setpci -s 0:13.2 10.l=E6409400
setpci -s 0:12.2 10.l=E6409500
setpci -s 0:14.5 10.l=E6440400
call grub4dos w7
_________
Now, when I boot up my computer. The videocard is not plugged in and I wait till everything loads on the desktop to plug it in. Or do I have to put my computer in sleep first or something?
Still confused,
Ram
January 22, 2011 1:10 AM
Ok, got it!!!!!
After much hardwork and patience it worked! THanks for all the help. My 3dmarks06 went from 1342 to 5682!! Huge improvement!
But, when I actually play Sc2? Not much of a difference. Dunno what the deal is. Have you noticed an improvement in gaming? THanks for all the help!
Ram
January 22, 2011 4:21 AM
updated: January 22, 2011 8:06 AM
Rammm said: Ok, got it!!!!! After much hardwork and patience it worked! THanks for all the help. My 3dmarks06 went from 1342 to 5682!! Huge improvement! But, when I actually play Sc2? Not much of a difference. Dunno what the deal is. Have you noticed an improvement in gaming? THanks for all the help! Ram
What is your graphics card brand and model? ATI, NVIDIA, and which model #?
edit: just noted above you said it's an ATI HD5670.
Also make sure the sc2 is using the new GPU and external display. It is preferable to disable the TX2 display by selecting the external display as the only display to show the Desktop on (i.e., don't 'Extend' the Desktop to 2).
edit: as I previously said, I use this for 3D Vision media content (using active shutter glasses + USB IR emitter + 120Hz LCD monitor), which is not otherwise possible on this machine without an appropriate NVIDIA DIY Vidock.
January 23, 2011 2:17 PM
Gotcha. Yeah, its kinda weird right now. It may be a PSU issue (even tho I have a 650 watt tied to the 5670 = which on the website can run using a 72watt DC, so I don't think that's it) using up too much power as when I use the expresscard slot, my front USB doesn't work anymore. And i also have a dock that is connected to the power supply... that could be a problem as well when dealing with power.
I also cannot remove the device like a usb, once I use the videocard on the external display, I can't "go back". It really improved my 3dmarks score but beyond that has no application value... yet. I'm sure there is something where my computer is not using that as the main video device. But I'll keep tinkering.
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