Will the E-Port Plus laptop docking station allow me to use three viewports/monitors *without* USB?

Question

I have a Dell Latitude E6400, for which I purchased the following docking station:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002L9D320/

The back has two DVI inputs and one VGA input. I already have two monitors hooked up to it using DVI, but it appears I can only use one of my monitors in place of the laptop's viewport rather than in conjunction with it.

Quick and dirty research points to the use of a USB display adapter, but I don't want to use that since I hear those use the computer's CPU to render the display and I can't sacrifice any more CPU than I already am.

Edit: I should have clarified better that what I want to do is use my laptop screen in addition to the two monitors plugged into it. Thus, there will be three total viewports.

Answer 1

Nope, this will not work with three monitors. I have an E6400 with the Dell docking station and it will not let me use more than two (including the built-in display). It's limited by the on board graphics controller per Dell Enterprise support. I have had this question asked a few times by users in my office with E6400's who would just like to use two monitors and the built-in display.

Answer 2

The Dell E-Port Plus II (Model No. PRO2x) will allow 3 monitors to connect. The laptop screen would have to be closed, and in windows, the power option to "do nothing when lid is closed" needs to be set.

volla.

Windows will see 4 monitors, however display to 3 max.

Answer 3

I have a Dell Precision M4700 docked on an E-port plus. There I have connected 2 DVI screens and 1 VGA screen. So, together with the Laptop display 4 screens in total.

It sometimes happens when I un-dock and re-dock the settings are "lost" and I have to reconfigure. Other that that it works great. I am now looking into using USB for the next screen :-)

Answer 4

It can be done by using one DVI, one DisplayPort and VGA port of the E/Port Plus docking station (or the HDMI, DisplayPort, and VGA ports without the docking station), provided your graphics card can handle it.

I have a Dell M6600 with an AMD FirePro M8900 graphics card. I used to have one Dell U3011 30" monitor in the middle, flanked by two Dell 1907FP monitors in portrait, with the lid of my M6600 closed. It worked beautifully.

Then, my U3011 cracked during an office move. When I tried to use three 1907FP monitors (DVI, DVI, VGA), I got no joy. I cannot run three displays at a time (laptop screen or not) without utilizing a DisplayPort. I need another monitor that has a DisplayPort jack. I tried using a passive DisplayPort male to DVI female adapter in tandem with a dual-link DVI cable, but still no luck. Perhaps an active adapter would work?

Update: April 30, 2013: My active DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adapter came in the male and it works perfectly. I now have all three Dell 1907FP monitors working at the same time (DVI, DisplayPort to DVI, VGA). The adapter I'm using is the Accell Ultra AV (model number B087B-007B) because the AMD website listed it as a suggested adapter for this purpose. Amazon for about $85. Expensive, but less expensive than a new monitor.