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External Video Card

 We got external audio, why not video?
 
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I'm sick and tired of being stuck with crudy graphics on notebook computers. They may seem fine now, but a few years from now the top of the line graphics in laptops are gonna really blow. And the problem here is that you can't replace most of them like the ones the desktops (unless you get a REALLY expense notebook from alienware).

Someone should create a new standard AGP visible on the outside of notebook that can be used to plug in external video cards. Then people can easily upgrade and enjoy great desktop quality graphics on their notebooks. It wouldn't be that much of a pain, kind of like attaching a slim external hard drive or floppy drive to it. Heck we even got external sound cards from Creative, so why not create an easily installable external video card?

—cardeguy, Feb 29 2004

AGP details http://www.sysopt.c...icles/AGPoverclock/
[Letsbuildafort, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

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       //We got external audio, why not video?//   

       <excerpt taken from provided link>   

       AGP 2x, 4x, and 8x buses all run at 66MHz. They all have theoretical bandwidths of 533, 1066, and 2133MB/s, respectively ... One thing that makes AGP 4x and 8x shine, however, is the lower signal voltage mandated by them -- 1.5v and 0.8v for AGP 4x and 8X, respectively, versus the original 3.3v inherited through AGP's PCI ancestry -- so less current is forced across the AGP bus, meaning less power is consumed for the same amperage.   

       <see link>   

       To my knowledge, external bus applications aren't yet capable of achieving this kind of effeciency. Plus, the AGP port is built directly into the board, thus eliminating latency that can be associated with most modes of off-board data transfer standards we see today. Mounting an AGP port somewhere near the exterior of the laptop would mean having special (expensive) customized motherboards in each unit. Also, have you seen how big the GeForce 5950s and Radion 9800 XT cards are? You'd have some hideous, cancerous looking growth hanging off of your laptop everytime you went to play Doom3, or HL2 or something, just to take it off to carry it arround. I say all-in-all its just cheaper to get a desktop with modest preformance specs, and just slap a really nice video card in it.
—Letsbuildafort, Feb 29 2004
   

       how much more expensive can it be to put an AGP dealy on the back of a laptop, I mean every board that is in a laptop is pretty much custom made. there are no generic boards or standards for building a laptop. and laptops are still easier to carry around to LAN parties than desktops (even with the hideous, cancerous looking growth hanging off of it).
—cardeguy, Feb 29 2004
   

       See, one of the benefits of the AGP, as I said (I think)was that its close to the north bridge and other controlling chipsets. This brings down latency (effectiveness) which in turn translates to a faster port. Relocating it would be THAT big of a deal, but then effectiveness might decrease by the relocation. Laptop manufaturers usually try to keep their motherboards fairly standard for their model types. They're not all custom. They have certain minimum requirements, which they must accomodate, and still remain low-profile. But then again, thats by manufatcurer. I say be prepared to have your pants pulled-down over the price if it were ever to come true. Also, if you're looking for a nice compact LAN party box, custom build one into a briefcase or something. I used to have one like that used specifically for LAN parties.
—Letsbuildafort, Mar 01 2004
   

       I can see that it might be tricky, but it _is_ a good idea. Gets a croissant from me. Maybe it could use some sort of fiber-optic bus to get around speed issues (and to make it more half-baked)?
—richard b, Mar 01 2004
   

       I once had a client that 'installed' his new AGP graphics card in his notebook by wedging it in the space between the LCD panel and the notebook itself.
—Mr Burns, Mar 01 2004
   

       Did you give him the classic "invert and shake to reboot" bit?
—Letsbuildafort, Mar 01 2004
   


 

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