Plugable usb hub

[pcpete]

We set up a a Plugagle hub to give a client triple screen support. He has a nice video card in his laptop and uses it to render 3D images in the program Chief Architect. I would think so long as he opens the Chief Architect program on the screen connected directly to his laptop his laptop card would be doing the rendering. If he opens the main window on either of the two other screens the weak video card in the Plugable will be doing the rendering. Here is where it gets confusing. He can put the Chief Architect window across two screens and it still renders. This makes my theory of how things work wrong. Do you have any insight of how this is working?

 

[Markverhyden]

As I understand USB2<whatever>, the bridges themselves just pass the signals, no hard crunching. So I wouldn't expect the chipset to do anything more than passing the data as best it can. In this case if the USB bus can handle the data flow I would expect it to display properly.

 

[fincoder]

set up a a Plugagle hub to give a client triple screen support

Isn't plugable a brand that makes several different hubs and docks? You're going to need to be more specific.

If it's a Thunderbolt 3 dock then it's my understanding that the computer's graphics hardware would be driving all the screens. The dock/hub won't be doing any processing. If it's an ordinary USB graphics device then the computer's CPU will be doing all the graphics processing without any GPU acceleration (for the monitors connected to it).

 

[pcpete]

Isn't plugable a brand that makes several different hubs and docks? You're going to need to be more specific.

Good point. It is usb.

 

[fincoder]

Is it a USB Type-C dock? This relies on Thunderbird 3 support in the computer's USB-C port and uses the computer's graphics hardware.
Is it a USB 3.0 Type-A dock? This is the CPU-driven type.

So still not enough detail...

 

[pcpete]

Is it a USB Type-C dock? This relies on Thunderbird 3 support in the computer's USB-C port and uses the computer's graphics hardware.
Is it a USB 3.0 Type-A dock? This is the CPU-driven type.

So still not enough detail...

I was saying not usb-c but ordinary USB

 

[fincoder]

So any monitor plugged into 'ordinary' USB (USB Type-A) will not use any hardware acceleration, the CPU via the driver software does the graphics processing.

 

[Markverhyden]

From what I know Apple has USB C merged with Thunderbolt. Is that the case with other OEM's?

 

[fincoder]

Yes all OEMs have laptop models with USB-C ports containing Thunderbolt3 support. Some also have power delivery (for charging the laptop via USB-C docks). It's worth noting though that some USB-C ports are simply USB ports, without display or power delivery support.

 

[pcpete]

@Plugable Support