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Problem: ThinkPad T61 with Advanced Dock and PCI-e graphics

T60/T61 Series
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subterFUSE
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Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:17 am
Location: Winter Park, FL

Problem: ThinkPad T61 with Advanced Dock and PCI-e graphics

#1 Post by subterFUSE » Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:37 am

I have a ThinkPad T61 laptop with the NVidia Quadro NVS 140M internal graphics card. Windows Vista Ultimate.

I purchased the Advanced Docking Station for the ability to add a PCI-e graphics card for multi-monitors. Since Vista requires graphics cards use the same driver, I purchased the NVidia Quadro NVS 440 1x graphics card. (Same manufacturer, same series)

Installed the card and it fits perfectly in the dock. Updated my ThinkPad BIOS to the most recent version. Docked my laptop and turned on, entered BIOS config. Set primary graphics to "PCI-express" and default monitor to "DVI". Saved settings and rebooted.

Laptop fails to boot, however. It shows the BIOS screen on my DVI monitors, then shows the Microsoft Corp. screen with the progress bar. Then the screens go black and the Windows login never displays. Boot process hangs at this point and will not advance. Removed PCI-e card from dock and laptop boots fine.

Tried a different card. ATI FireMV 2400 1x. Card also fits in dock fine. Laptop will not boot, however.

Called Lenovo. Asked them if they know of ANY card that will work with the T61 and the Advanced Dock. They say no. I ask to escalate issue to next level. Service rep calls me and I explain issue. I ask him to please answer a basic question:

"Has anyone at Lenovo seen a T61 laptop work in conjunction with the Advanced Dock and a PCI-e graphics card?"

Answer from Lenovo, I don't know. I will ask engineering.

I still do not have an answer as to which graphics cards, if any, actually work in the Advanced Dock with a T61 laptop.

I understand the problems with Vista, and I am willing to downgrade to Win XP Pro if I can get my monitors working.

I have 4 Samsung SyncMaster 740bx monitors from Digital Tigers.


Does anyone here have the T61 laptop working with a PCI-e graphics card in the Advanced Dock? If so, could you please let me know which card you are using?

Thanks!

Rex_Mason
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Location: Tampa, Florida

#2 Post by Rex_Mason » Fri Dec 07, 2007 8:28 am

subterFUSE,

Matrox has published a PDF detailing how to use two of their multi-monitor graphics cards with the T61 and Advanced Dock. However, the T61 they used had the Intel graphics chip, not Nvidia Quadro. This is evidence that it works with some flavors of T61, so only a partial answer to your question.

The PDF is here

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/media/en ... _Guide.pdf

You may be able to leverage ths info, and some info from Microsoft, to solve your issue as follows
  • 1) Get one of these graphics cards from Matrox. Maybe they will let you buy one with the agreement that it can be returned if you can't get it working in your system.
    2) Force the installation of XPDM video drivers in your Windows Vista sytem for all video devices, as indicated by the microsoft on their website here
One last thing you may want to consider, is you can run 3 external monitors from a T61 with Quadro NVS 140M video by using a Matrox TripleHead2Go. I currently have this running, and the ThinkPad screen also runs at the same time, so 4 simultaneous displays. I have a post in this forum for it if you'd like more info on this solution.
T61 - 2.0 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 100 GB 7200 RPM HDD, Quadro NVS 140M, Vista Ultimate x32, 4965AGN

RonS
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#3 Post by RonS » Fri Dec 07, 2007 2:22 pm

This is why I stuck with the T60p: at least you can get a V5200 card for the Advanced Dock.

subterFUSE, My opinion is that if you want both internal and external displays to operate simultaneously, you're better off setting the BIOS to boot to the internal and then letting the OS bring up the PCI-E card.

Rex_Mason, the Matrox PDF described installing XDDM drivers in Vista, which will disable Aero. I haven't played with this too much, but it seems to me that if you do this, you may as run XP and be done with it. You can freely mix video drivers in XP, but not in Vista (at least not yet).

If you can find a video card that uses the same driver between the 140M and 440 chips, you should be good to go. It sounds like, from your post, that those chips, while from the same family, still don't use the exact same driver. You might try LaptopVideo2Go for other driver options, but you're definitely going down a road I haven't gone down with the T61/140M.
Apathy is on the rise, but nobody seems to care.

subterFUSE
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:17 am
Location: Winter Park, FL

#4 Post by subterFUSE » Mon Dec 24, 2007 7:56 am

RonS wrote:This is why I stuck with the T60p: at least you can get a V5200 card for the Advanced Dock.

subterFUSE, My opinion is that if you want both internal and external displays to operate simultaneously, you're better off setting the BIOS to boot to the internal and then letting the OS bring up the PCI-E card.

Rex_Mason, the Matrox PDF described installing XDDM drivers in Vista, which will disable Aero. I haven't played with this too much, but it seems to me that if you do this, you may as run XP and be done with it. You can freely mix video drivers in XP, but not in Vista (at least not yet).

If you can find a video card that uses the same driver between the 140M and 440 chips, you should be good to go. It sounds like, from your post, that those chips, while from the same family, still don't use the exact same driver. You might try LaptopVideo2Go for other driver options, but you're definitely going down a road I haven't gone down with the T61/140M.

You can reference my troubleshooting on this issue here:

http://forums.lenovo.com/lnv/board/mess ... read.id=41


I do not want to use internal and external graphics simultaneously. All I want is to be able to dock and use my four desktop monitors. I tried LaptopVideo2Go months ago, and they don't have a driver that works for the Quadro NVS 140M and 440 simultanously. In fact, nVidia doesn't release the drivers for OEM installed graphics cards in laptops on their own website. You must go through the manufacturer, ie Lenovo in this case.

My conclusion is that the T61 & Advanced Dock does not work with any PCI Express graphics cards.

After I complained to Lenovo, they upated their documentation on the Advanced Dock. You can see that here, and note the updated date on the bottom of the page as 2007-12-12.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-61232

Now the documenation includes graphics card compatibility which shows that the T61 will not work with the one card they suggest. Check out the compatibility matrix, T61 is conspicuously absent.

But this information was not available when I purchased my T61 and Advanced Dock. Lenovo claimed that a standard height, half length card would work. I have tried three different cards now, and none of them will work. I have also tried both Vista and XP Pro, and still no success. I used their false information on the dock to make large purchase decisions. I bought their laptop, dock, four external monitors, and now three different graphics cards. I have spent thousands of dollars and lost countless hours of time troubleshooting. Lenovo tech support has been no help.

I caution anyone considering a Lenovo purchase to avoid the Advanced Dock. It does not perform as it should.

RonS
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#5 Post by RonS » Sat Dec 29, 2007 4:11 am

I've just spent almost two days testing various combinations of graphics cards, two docks, a T60p and a T61p, and Vista/XP. I will be writing a compresentive post about it soon, but here's a spoiler: The ATI V5200 card seems to be the only stable card that works across the two docks I tested, across a T60p and T61p, and, for the T60p at least, works with Vista Ultimate 64-bit with Aero.

I can now run triple 30" displays in native 2560x1600 resolution from a Thinkpad, plus an additional VGA. With my Gateway 30" monitors, that means four 30" monitors in native resolution. Rock solid.

Here is the card you want: http://tinyurl.com/3xhuay

Oops, sorry. I just bought the last one. Here's another, $50 more because it's non-OEM: http://tinyurl.com/2myjsl
Apathy is on the rise, but nobody seems to care.

subterFUSE
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:17 am
Location: Winter Park, FL

#6 Post by subterFUSE » Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:21 pm

I have exhausted all options at this point. Run both Vista and XP. Tried three different graphics cards. Tried two different docks.

Nothing works.

I have now returned the most recent card for a refund. I called Lenovo again to report that my troubleshooting has failed, and to request for a refund on my Advanced Dock. I told them I feel a refund is fair because the dock does not perform the function for which it was designed. Lenovo denied my request for a return.

I am extremely disappointed with Lenovo customer service. I will NEVER purchase a product from that company again.

subterFUSE
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:17 am
Location: Winter Park, FL

#7 Post by subterFUSE » Wed May 07, 2008 10:56 am

RonS wrote:I've just spent almost two days testing various combinations of graphics cards, two docks, a T60p and a T61p, and Vista/XP. I will be writing a compresentive post about it soon, but here's a spoiler: The ATI V5200 card seems to be the only stable card that works across the two docks I tested, across a T60p and T61p, and, for the T60p at least, works with Vista Ultimate 64-bit with Aero.

I can now run triple 30" displays in native 2560x1600 resolution from a Thinkpad, plus an additional VGA. With my Gateway 30" monitors, that means four 30" monitors in native resolution. Rock solid.

Here is the card you want: http://tinyurl.com/3xhuay

Oops, sorry. I just bought the last one. Here's another, $50 more because it's non-OEM: http://tinyurl.com/2myjsl
ATI card will not work with T61 with nVidia internal graphics under Vista. Vista will not permit dual graphics cards unless they share the same driver. This effectively means they must be the same card, or at least the same manufacturer.

azaveri
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Joined: Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:06 pm
Location: San Jose, CA

T61 Vista advance dock

#8 Post by azaveri » Fri Nov 07, 2008 4:27 am

I also have a Lenovo T61 laptop with the following config:

OS: Vista Ultimate

RAM: 4GB

System Type: 32 bit

Display Adapter: Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset Family (I dont have an Nvidia)

I want to connect 2 external display. I have the advance dock. My question is which graphics card should I buy? I realize that the Maxtor P650 PCIe 128 as mention here (http://www.matrox.com/graphics/media/pd ... _Guide.pdf) should work.

RonS wouldnt this work? It seems Maxtor claims that it would work.

Is there any other better card that I can buy and make it work? Please advice. Also I do not care about Aero.
AZ

crazyfrog
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Location: UK

#9 Post by crazyfrog » Fri Nov 07, 2008 9:23 am

RonS wrote:The ATI V5200 card seems to be the only stable card that works across the two docks I tested, across a T60p and T61p, and, for the T60p at least, works with Vista Ultimate 64-bit with Aero.
Since V5200 is based on ATI's X1600, will ATI Radeon X1600 256Mb PCI-E Graphics Card work with T60/p plus Advanced Dock?

X1600 seems to be much cheaper than V5200. It will be excellent if it works. Any thoughts?

[Edit] I find the answer by myself. ATI X1600 card won't work with the ThinkPad Advanced Dock due to the power consumption requirements of this graphics adapter, 56 watts. The ThinkPad Advanced Dock PCI express supports a maximum of 50 watts only. See here: Limitations.

It seems ATI V5200 is the top card that works with the dock.
Core 2 Duo T7600, 3GB DDR2-667 RAM, Main 7K320 320GB 7200RPM + Ultrabay 320GB 5400RPM, ATI FireGL V5250, 15" IPS UXGA, DVDRW, Bluetooth, Atheros ABGN, NMB Keyboard, Fingerprint, Win7 Pro X86 + Vista 64-bit SP2, Advanced Dock.

azaveri
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:06 pm
Location: San Jose, CA

innovation@lenovo.com

#10 Post by azaveri » Sat Nov 08, 2008 4:55 pm

The rep told me that you can email your request to the email address innovation@lenovo.com to have them come up with a driver for vista T61 and advance dock for at least one Graphics card. I did that, I encourage others to do the same.

-AZ
AZ

azaveri
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:06 pm
Location: San Jose, CA

V5600

#11 Post by azaveri » Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:04 pm

RonS-

When you say the v5200 works fine does it work such that you can use the external monitors and the thinkpad lcd at the same time?

I have an application the requires opengl 2.0 compatibility. I tried the matrox card it works fine with my config, which is t61 intel graphics card, vista and advance dock. I loose the aero. But the problem is supports only opengl 1.5.

So I thought about trying v5200, come to find out that the product is out of stock are every vendor in the market in US atleast.

I have ordered the v5600 to try and see it if works. Any thoughts on if it would work or not? Anybody?

-Apurva
AZ

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