GPU-Xpander 5 for Laptops

GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 [2.5Gbps] can enable you to add slots to your watt- and slot-limited laptop computer so you don't have to buy a new computer to replace it. Cubix GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 is a laptop or notebook computer expansion enclosure that connects to your computer using an ExpressCard adapter and a cable. GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 provides four PCIe Gen 2 x16 slots that support two double-wide or four single-wide adapters such multi-function / multi-port cards, including audio, FireWire, Gbit Ethernet and USB 2.0. GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 provides its own power supply and cooling. With GPU-Xpander Desktop 2, you can plug in the ExpressCard to your notebook computer, use the cable to connect to GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 and add power full graphics as long as your other notebook computer BIOS supports external, multiple graphics controllers with video ports.

GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 is an economical way to enhance the Input/Output (I/O) power of your laptop computer. GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 is a hardware-only solution that expands the I/O capability of your laptop or notebook computer by adding slots, power and cooling. Each GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 adds two or four PCI Express (PCIe) slots to your computer. Add high-powered graphics or GPUs for mathematical high-performance computing (HPC) to your existing computer with GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 as long as your notebook computer BIOS supports external, multiple graphics controllers with video ports. Unfortunately, Apple MacBook Pro, even with an ExpressCard port, does not support external, multiple GPUs with video ports.

Overview
Do you need to add high-end graphics and audio as well as other adapters such as FireWire to notebook computers? Now you can add those features. Many computers lack the power and cooling capacity to allow expansion. Cubix GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 can be just the ticket. Unfortunately, Apple MacBook Pro, even with an ExpressCard port, does not support external, multiple GPUs with video ports.

If your notebook computer supports external, multiple graphics controllers, add two to four NVIDIA® Quadro® FX 1800 / 3800 /4800 /5800, Quadro 4000 / 5000 / 6000, GeForce® GTX 465 / 470 / 480 Fermi, Tesla C1060 / C2050 / C2070 graphics or other controllers to a notebook computer that has an ExpressCard socket using GPU-Xpander Desktop 2. Contact Cubix to determine if your notebook computer will support connection to external GPUs with video ports.

GPU-Xpander for Laptops

Save Time and Money
Just because you need to add or upgrade to high-end, 3D graphics or math-intensive, HPC processors or other adapters in operators' notebook computers doesn't mean you have to go to all the weeks of effort and meetings to obtain approval and all the considerable expense, not to mention all the work of installing and configuring new computers. Contact Cubix to determine if you can use GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 instead. Rather than starting from scratch, keep your substantial investment in your current computer hardware and add or upgrade with the most powerful graphics controllers or HPC processor cards on the market -- at considerably less than the cost of replacing computer hardware.

Cubix can help determine if you can connect each notebook computer to external GPUs with video ports. The operators have the same operating system configuration, the same desktop and the familiar applications but now they also have the fastest graphics controllers or HPC- and CUDA-capable cores available. Screaming-fast, 3D graphics, HPC capability or FireWire at a reasonable price and with only minutes of effort per operator desktop -- what an investment!

Minimal Impact on Operators' Desktop Space and Configuration
Your operators are busy, and they have neither the time nor the inclination to learn how to use efficiently a new computer, a new operating system, a new desktop screen configuration, or for that matter, a new use of desktop space. They want to keep working -- without interruption or changes to their routines. With GPU-Xpander Desktop 2, you could make it happen. Cubix can help you determine if your notbook computers will support external GPUs. You need GPU-Xpander 5 if the software you intend to use runs in your computer but runs too slowly. GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 is a hardware-only solution: no software required. GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 provides its own power supply and cooling; it requires no power from the host computer.

 Features

  • Two to four PCIe x16 expansion slots (x1 electrical) in each GPU-Xpander Desktop 2
  • Two to four powerful graphics controllers, including but not limited to:
    • NVIDIA® Quadro® FX 1800 / 3800 / 4800 / 5800
    • Quadro 4000 / 5000 / 6000
    • GeForce® GTX 470 / 480 / 580
    • Tesla C2050 / C2070 / C2075
  • An independent power supply to meet any expansion requirement
  • Each x1 cable and connector provide a 1,500 mating cycle duty cycle


Benefits

  • Add two to four PCIe x16 GPUs to a laptop computer with an ExpressCard socket
  • Add two to four GPUs to a laptop computer with an ExpressCard socket regardless of power supply limitations
  • Avoid having to specify, purchase, install and configure new computers
  • No power or cooling needed from the host laptop computer; GPU-Xpander provides its own power and cooling
  • Zero or minimal impact on operators'laptop screen configuration
  • Minimal impact on operators' desktop space


Don't let your computer's lack of 'watts and slots' hold you back. Get your graphics or HPC processing on with GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 for each operator's laptop computer. It can give your operators the graphics or HPC, CUDA-capable performance they demand at a reasonable cost with little or no interruption to routine or workflow. Unfortunately, Apple MacBook Pro, even with an ExpressCard port, does not support external, multiple GPUs with video ports.

Contact Cubix to determine if your notebook computer can support external GPUs with video ports. To purchase GPU-Xpander for use with desktop or rackmount computers, visit the CubixGPU On-line Store.

GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 [2.5Gbps] Technical Specifications

Expansion Slots
4 x PCI Express 2.x x16 slots, x1 electrical
Supports 4 single-wide graphics or other controllers, or 2 double-wide graphics or other controllers

Graphics, Computing or IO Controllers
NVIDIA® Quadro®  FX 1800 / 3800 / 4800 / 5800
Quadro 4000 / 5000 / 6000
Tesla C1060 / C2050 / C2070
GeForce® 470  / 480 / 580
FireWire
USB 2.0 multi-port
Gbps Ethernet

Front Panel
4 LEDs for system reset, cable present, power supply good and power supply on

Rear Panel
Power on/off switch and power input receptacle

Host Adapters
ExpressCard34 with external PCIe x1 18-pin port
Host adapter with external PCIe x1 18-pin port

Host Adapter Cable
External PCI Express x1 cable
Standard 2.000meter (6.560feet)
Optional 1.000meter (3.370feet)
Optional 3.000meter (9.842feet)
1,500 mating cycles maximum per connector

Power
Single-phase, 50/60Hz, auto-ranging, 100-240VAC, 5.5-3.0A

Dimensions
11.000" H x 6.125" W x 15.000" D (27.940cm H x 15.557cm W x 38.100cm D)

Weight
17.600lbs (8.890kg)
25.000lbs (11.340kg) shipping

Warranty
Parts/labor return to manufacturer 1 year
Optional 2 years

Contact Cubix to determine if your notebook comuter can support external GPUs.

GPU-Xpander Dimensions

gpu-xpander5-laptops
25 lb.
GPU-Xpander 5 for Laptops









Support and Troubleshooting

Contact Cubix to determine if your notebook computer supports external GPUs.

Power on/off GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 normally.

  • With GPU-Xpander connected to the host computer and running, shut down the host normally.
  • With GPU-Xpander connected to the host computer and powered down, switch on GPU-Xpander first and the connected host next; both will boot up.

Quickly test that GPU-Xpander works with your notebook or other computer as follows:

  1. Do not install graphics or other controllers until instructed to do so within this procedure.
  2. Switch off AC power from the host computer and the GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 but leave the power cord in each connected.
  3. Install the ExpressCard in the notebook computer's port.
  4. Using a Philips #2 screwdriver, remove the 4 screws holding the GPU-Xpander top cover in place.
  5. Connect the external PCIe cable to the ExpressCard port. Warning: Switch off GPU-Xpander power before connecting to or disconnecting from the adapter in the host computer.
  6. On GPU-Xpander, switch on the AC power switch next to the AC receptacle.
  7. Power up the host computer. The GPU-Xpander also powers on.
  8. Confirm that exterior Link LED and the interior Cable LED (P0) are lit green. The enclosure fan should also be spinning. If not, check the following:
    • Host computer BIOS settings for CPU and PCIe spread spectrum are set to [Disable]. If not, disable, save settings and exit BIOS, which restarts the computer.
    • Confirm that the Cubix adapter is firmly seated in a PCIe slot within the host computer.
    • Confirm that both cable connectors are firmly seated to the adapter connectors.
  9. GPU-Xpander is functioning properly once the Cable Link LED (P0) is flashing green.
  10. Shut down the laptop computer.
  11. Switch off GPU-Xpander.
  12. Loosen the captured screws holding down the GPU-Xpander end brackets.
  13. GPU Auxiliary Power ConnectorsInstall one GPU or identical GPUs in a GPU-Xpander PCIe slot and connect auxiliary power cables if needed. See the image at the right.
  14. Replace the hold-down bracket and tighten the retaining screws.
  15. Connect GPU video port(s), if present, to monitors. This step is especially important for Linux, because X Windows (X) will crash if you have not connected video ports to monitors. If you cannot connect monitors to installed GPU video ports, you can edit the Device section of /etc/X11/xorg.conf to define which GPU X should use as the primary display device. For example:

    Section "Device"
        Identifier     "Device0"
        Driver         "nvidia"
        VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
        BoardName      "GeForce GTX 480"
        BusID          "PCI:8:0:0"
    EndSection

    To determine the BusID for the GPU port you wish to use as the primary display, run the scanpci tool discussed in Step 17.
  16. Power up the laptop computer and GPU-Xpander to confirm that the appropriate slot link LEDs (P1, P5, P7 and/or P9 in the image below) are lit green, which confirms that you have installed the controller(s) correctly in each slot.
  17. Confirm that your operating system (OS) has detected the new controller(s). For instance, in a notebook running Microsoft® Windows®, check Windows Device Manager. Within Windows, you can also run GPU-Z, a utility available for free download here. In a notebook running Linux, run the following:

    root# > XFree86 –scanpci

    Read more about scanpci here.
  18. If all the Cable Link and slot LEDs are lit green but your OS does not detect the GPUs, shut down the OS gracefully, power down GPU-Xpander and remove / replace the GPUs. Make sure that you seat each GPU firmly in its slot and that you connect all auxiliary power connectors properly. Switch on GPU-Xpander and boot up the laptop computer.
  19. GPU-XpanderInstall the appropriate graphics or other controller driver(s) using the vendor’s procedure.
  20. If your notebook computer will not boot with one or multiple GPUs in GPU-Xpander, contact the notebook computer's vendor support and ask if your model's BIOS supports external, multiple GPUs with video ports. If not, and a BIOS update to provide such support is not available, shut down both the notebook and GPU-Xpander. Disconnect the cable from the ExpressCard, install the PCIe x1 host interface controller (HIC) in host computer's PCIe slot and follow the procedure for GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 [5.0Gbps] for tower computers here.
  21. Apple MacBook Pro OS X does not support natively NVIDIA® GPU products. If you want to use a GPU with a MacBook Pro, install NVIDIA Tesla C1060. You can also install GeForce GTX 480 but this disables integrated MacBook Pro video, which means you must connect a display to GTX 480. Download, install and run Boot Camp 3.x, which is free for download (here). With Boot Camp installed, install and run Windows 7 on your MacBook Pro and then install the NVIDIA Tesla C1060 or GeForce GTX 480 driver for Windows 7.
  22. Confirm that the GPU-Xpander Fatal Error LED is not lit amber. If it is, reboot the notebook computer.
  23. Switch off AC power to the host computer and the GPU-Xpander 5. Leave the power cords and the external PCIe cable to the host computer port connected.
  24. Replace the GPU-Xpander top cover as shown in the image at the right and replace the screws holding it in place. Use all of the screws in the bag packed with the GPU-Xpander. Warning: Replace the cover as soon as possible to allow for proper cooling of controllers installed in the unit. Do not run GPU-Xpander without the cover for more than a few minutes.
  25. Power up the computer and the GPU-Xpander Desktop 2.

GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 Interior

The Cable Link LED (P0) inside GPU-Xpander flashes green when connected through an ExpressCard adapter to a notebook computer.

  • The Cable Link LED (P0) inside GPU-Xpander shines green, indicating 5.0Gbps transfer, when connected with the host adapter plugged into a PCI Express 2.x slot.
  • The Cable Link LED (P0) inside GPU-Xpander flashes green, indicating 2.5Gbps transfer, when connected with the host adapter plugged into a PCI Express 1.x slot or with an ExpressCard adapter plugged into a notebook computer's socket.

The Cable Link LED (P0) and the slot LEDs (P5, P1, P9 and/or P7) inside GPU-Xpander light correctly but the operating system (OS) does not detect installed GPUs.

  • Power down the OS, the host computer and GPU-Xpander.
  • Remove and replace the GPUs, making sure to seat the GPUs firmly within each PCIe slot and to seat firmly all of the auxiliary power cables into place.
  • Power up GPU-Xpander and then power up the laptop computer. When the OS boots, it should detect the GPUs now.
  • Some laptop computers, even with an ExpressCard adapter, cannot support external, multiple GPUs due to BIOS limitations. If this is the situation with your notebook or laptop computer, use the procedure for GPU-Xpander Desktop 2 [5.0Gbps] for tower computers here.

The Slot 1, 2, 3 or 4 LEDs (P5, P1, P9 and/or P7) inside GPU-Xpander flash green.

  • Download the latest driver for the graphics controller from the vendor's site.
  • Install the driver.
  • Put a load on the GPUs.
  • The P1, P5, P7 and/or P9 LEDs may light steady green, which indicates the links to slots are each 5.0Gbps and that the GPUs are processing a load; however, if these LEDs continue to flash green, it is because the connection through an ExpressCard adapter is 2.5Gbps. The link is not capable of a full PCIe Gen 2 x1 connection of 5.0Gbps using an ExpressCard adapter.

When connected to an ExpressCard in my notebook computer, the Cable Link LED (P0) inside GPU-Xpander flashes green.

  • ExpressCard supports only 2.5Gpbs transfer.
  • Connect GPU-Xpander to a computer with an adapter in a PCI Express 2.x slot to assure 5.0Gbps transfer to GPU-Xpander.

GPU-Xpander Internal ViewGPU-Xpander is connected to both power and a host computer. Both are powered up, but GPU-Xpander displays no external link LED and the fan is not spinning:

  • Check the internal 10-pin cable connecting the Master Interface Board to the front panel.
  • Make sure pin 1 of the 10-pin cable is connected as shown in the image at the right.

If you have warnings in Windows Device Manager, make sure that the following is true:

  • You have installed the appropriate Intel chipset utility and other drivers for the computer.
  • You have installed other drivers, including third-party graphics drivers, as appropriate.

Before You Contact Cubix
Find the unique serial number (s/n) located on the GPU-Xpander outside cover.  Have this s/n ready when you contact Cubix Customer Service.

Fill out and submit the Contact Cubix form.
Email customerservice@cubix.com
Hours  8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific, Monday through Friday
Closed weekends and holidays
USA or Canada Telephone 800.829.0554
International Telephone +011 1.775.888.1000