My current set up is a laptop that plugs into a Dell D3100 Docking Station, and I have two monitors connected to the docking station via HDMI ports.
I am looking to change my set up by replacing my laptop with a desktop computer.
My questions are:
Question 1:
Will a monitor docking station, and the Dell D3100 docking station in particular, work with a desktop computer? I am almost certain it will work once the correct drivers are installed, but the reason I ask is that I have only ever seen docking stations used in conjunction with laptops and so wondered if there might be something about the hardware or software of laptops that might allow them to work with docking stations that may be lacking on a desktop computer ..... .
Question 2:
Assuming that it is indeed possible to use a docking station in conjunction with a desktop computer as per my query in question 1: Will such a set up lead to a decrease in performance as compared to if I were to plug both monitors directly into my desktop via inbuilt HDMI ports on the computer itself?
That is to say, when using a docking station, all of the video data for the N number of monitors that you might have attached to your docking station is transferred down the single USB cable that connects your desktop computer to the docking station. I am wondering if there would come a point where a single USB cable may not have sufficient bandwidth to carry all of this video data and as such the quality of the video might be less than if you were to do away with the docking station and plug each of your monitors directly into your desktop computer via its inbuild HDMI ports?
I am looking to change my set up by replacing my laptop with a desktop computer.
My questions are:
Question 1:
Will a monitor docking station, and the Dell D3100 docking station in particular, work with a desktop computer? I am almost certain it will work once the correct drivers are installed, but the reason I ask is that I have only ever seen docking stations used in conjunction with laptops and so wondered if there might be something about the hardware or software of laptops that might allow them to work with docking stations that may be lacking on a desktop computer ..... .
Question 2:
Assuming that it is indeed possible to use a docking station in conjunction with a desktop computer as per my query in question 1: Will such a set up lead to a decrease in performance as compared to if I were to plug both monitors directly into my desktop via inbuilt HDMI ports on the computer itself?
That is to say, when using a docking station, all of the video data for the N number of monitors that you might have attached to your docking station is transferred down the single USB cable that connects your desktop computer to the docking station. I am wondering if there would come a point where a single USB cable may not have sufficient bandwidth to carry all of this video data and as such the quality of the video might be less than if you were to do away with the docking station and plug each of your monitors directly into your desktop computer via its inbuild HDMI ports?