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How toconnect a desktop to a laptop LCD?

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Profile: stranger
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I have a desktop workstation with a 8600GTS VGA that has 2 DVI outs and one TV out.  
Switchers from DVI to CRT included.
 
I also have an old laptop with a regular CRT port out and a TV port out from my ATI Rage AGP VGA.
 
Now i am short on bying a new LCD for my workstation, so is there any way i can connect my desktop PC to a laptop LCD? I have many cables, but never done something like that.

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Profile: addict
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Painlessly: no. You will need to get a LCD controller, solder some wires, ... really far from plug-n-play  :P. If you still want to go forth with the idea, you can look at this forum's thread.

Profile: old hand
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Nobody is going to be able to answer that because you did not state what laptop you have.  In addition I have never once seen a laptop with a video input.


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Long live PC-Gaming
Profile: newbie
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well, opposed to what other people have said, I actually have found a solution for this.
What I came up with is a program called Synergy.
http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/
its completely freeware, and works on pretty much all operating systems. What it does it use one mouse and keyboard (from your desktop if you so wish) to control both computers. Its very much like an extended desktop except that you can use the resources of both computers. However it goes over network, so you would have to have your two computers networked together. the best option for this would be to just run them through a router or something, but a cross-over cable between the two computers should work too. If you get stuck on how to set up the program, just google around for some a good tutorial, or look around on their site.
However this is only if your old laptop is still functional and usable. If its still a fairly new laptop, and you don't mind using its processing power for word typing or simple tasks, along side your desktop, then it'll work great.


Message edited by cosmicc on 03-15-2008 at 02:41:20 PM

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"In case you hadn't noticed, I'm an extremely arrogant man. I think all my plans will work."  
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Profile: addict
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That is basically like running a remote desktop from the laptop to the desktop. Would be functional, but don't expect a good reaction delay between the 2. If you only do office work (Word, Excel, Internet Browsing, ...) it might be an option, but you can probably forget any kind of gaming.

Profile: old hand
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Of all the ports you mentioned, none of them have the word IN after them. There is your problem. Aside from something like the remote desktop option mentioned, no you're out of luck.

Profile: stranger
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My laptop is Compaq Armada E700:
 
500 MHz Pentium 3
324 MB SDRAM
ATI Rage 8 MB with a tv out
3COM 100 MB/s card
 
The desktop is:
 
Intel Q6600
4 GB DDR2 RAM
GF 8600GTS  
 
Combining the two PC with in a network won't go.
 
Is there any other solution? Just show me what cables i need and what software to operate this.

Profile: old hand
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You could try maybe removing the laptop's lcd, though I don't reccomend it because then you'd have to rig it, and also, you can mess things up getting them apart and back together.  Not for the faint of heart.  

Profile: old hand
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There aren't cables for what you want to do. All of those are outputs, they don't receive signals.

Long live PC-Gaming
Profile: newbie
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If the two computers can't run soundly on a network together then your only option is to take apart your laptop and wire up the lcd screen to no longer take an input from the laptop's graphics card, and wire it to a vga connector in order to plug it into your 8600GTS.

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There aren't cables for what you want to do. All of those are outputs, they don't receive signals.


exactly. I have never seen a laptop that can take a VGA or other signal input. Mind you that's ignoring $4000 laptops with built-in full feature TV tuners.
you might be able to find some sort of TV tuner that would work in a laptop's expansion card slot, but I highly doubt it, and even if you did, it would cost upwards of $150 if not a lot more.  
 
You're either going to have to spend a lot of money and a long period of time researching, or you're going to have to spend a lot of time researching and then rewire your laptop's LCD, either way, it probably won't work.


---------------
"In case you hadn't noticed, I'm an extremely arrogant man. I think all my plans will work."  
        - Rodney McKay, Stargate Atlantis, "The Eye"

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