DisplayPort
DisplayPort is a digital video connector, available on select ThinkPads
ThinkPads featuring this technology
- L412, L512
- R500
- T400s, T410, T410i, T410s, T410si, T500, T510, T510i
- W500, W510, W520, W700, W700ds, W701, W701ds
- X301
Port Replicators and Docks featuring this technology
- ThinkPad Mini Dock Series 3
- ThinkPad Mini Dock Plus Series 3 - 170W
- ThinkPad Mini Dock Plus Series 3 - 135W
- ThinkPad Mini Dock Plus Series 3 - 90W
- X200 UltraBase
- W700 Mini Dock
- W700 Mini Dock 2.0
DVI Pass-through
Certain ThinkPad models have a DisplayPort connection which offers DVI pass-through.
Check ThinkPad Digital Video Interface (DVI) and DVI Pass-Through for more information, and to see if a specific model and configuration is supported.
Audio Support
There are reports that DisplayPort on some (possibly all) current thinkpads does not support audio. While there are adapters to convert DisplayPort to HDMI, the lack of audio makes it impossible to, for example, watch a DVD or Blu-Ray on an HDTV using the DisplayPort. See this thread for more information
Audio over DisplayPort when used in conjunction with a DisplayPort to HDMI conversion cable is confirmed to work on W500, T410 and T510 both on integrated and discrete graphics options on Windows systems.
T410s
The T410s supports audio pass-through via DisplayPort on recent Linux systems.
With the Intel HD Audio modul selected recent linux kernels detect the DisplayPort audio as a separate output device:
On 2.6.36-rc1 the following devices can be found in /proc/asound/*
Codec: Intel IbexPeak HDMI Device: name="INTEL HDMI 0", type="HDMI", device=3 Device: name="INTEL HDMI 1", type="HDMI", device=7
If you want to pass Audio via DisplayPort you just have to switch to the Intel HDMI audio output device for the application in PulseAudio (didn't test with pure ALSA).
W510
The more recent versions of the W510 with the Quadro FX 880M support audio and video out through DisplayPort. Tested with a DisplayPort to HDMI with Audio converter. Used alsa (no PulseAudio) and mplayer, 2.6.35-ARCH, using mplayer -afm hwdts,hwac3 -ao alsa:noblock:device=hw=1.7 and nvidia driver version 256.53. Had to unmute with alsamixer -c1
Problems
Twinview using Displayport and DVI broken
On my T410 mini-dock series 3, the displayport works unless I try to use it while using the DVI out as well. DVI+VGA works, but nvidia-settings dies horribly. Tried with 195.* and 260* drivers.
I am using a displayport -> DVI adapter (displayport++ allows this).
FIX: Using Nouveau drivers instead of the nvidia binary blob allows my displayport to work in concert with the DVI out of my dock. This allows dual digital external displays. Attempting to activate the laptop monitor as well leads to problems.
ANOTHER FIX: Version 275* from the nvidia website allows me to use Displayport and DVI at the same time as well.
