The Alienware Graphics Amplifier port uses “raw/unmuxed/filtered” PCI Express Gen3 (Gen2 for the Alienware 13 R1) lanes when connected to the Alienware notebooks, Alpha R2, X51 R3 –that is a direct PCI Express connection to a desktop graphics card. This type of connection is the same that is used on desktop computers –direct PCI Express. In layman's terms it is a specifically designed port only built into certain alienware laptops, it does not operate off of USB or thunderbolt. For more info there is a community FAQ: https://na.alienwarearena.com/forums/thread/83039/technical-support-1/alienware-graphics-amplifier-faq

Thank you for this idea!  I may find a great thunderbolt card and install it and then try to jimmy an external setup like in the article you suggested with everything kind of sitting external but connecting a laptop power supply and a gtx 1060 separately.  Hp did say that if the solution all sat outside the computer after a thunderbolt or usb 3.0 connection, then it would not cause any internal problems if it didn't work, and would not void the warranty in any way.  Any thoughts about using usb 3.0 or thunderbolt 2 instead of 3?  I'm having trouble finding a thunderbolt 3 pci express card for my desktop.  One representative suggested that thunderbolt 2 was 20 gig thruput and would be more than enough for anything, but I'm not sure.  And usb 3 is simply built into my pc, so any solution starting with usb 3.0 is much less expensive and easier for me too.  What do you think?

would you not be better off with a desktop with a proper video card and power supply?

Perhaps, but I can't replace my just purchased desktops purchased by my organization.  I have to somehow work with what I have been given for my students.  And Hp will not exchange or return at this point.

>>  And Hp will not exchange or return at this point.  <<  i doubt that, but you may have to move higher up in their ranks
given that you'll take more expensive units - i see no much reason to decline the change

Thanks, Nobus, even if it were possible, the HP rep told me they would charge a minimum of 30% restocking fee, which would be unacceptable to my superiors, and an amount I would not be able to afford.

I'm concerned about the pcie bus.  Have you used these before?  Do you know of any American companies selling this?  I often have difficulty buying from a public school budget from foreign suppliers.

The whole VR environment is pretty demanding on PCs, and not just for graphics.  You should look at the minimum spec for your package, and compare it to the entire PC you're looking at.  I'd strongly recommend some very thorough real-world performance tests before you commit to any major roll-out.

I found two interesting options with everything built in:  

The Sonnet ECHO-EXP-S, which costs $380 and runs off Thunderbolt 2.  It is rated at 80 Watts.   Any chance this could run any usable VR Graphics card on its own?

http://www.adorama.com/SNTEXPSE2.html?RRref=productPage

Alternatively, there may be running something like this Akito model:  

http://www.adorama.com/aoexpanbox.html

and then trying to plug in an alternative external hard drive sitting outside the thing, which I'm not quite sure how to do, but I think I could buy a standard 400 watt hard drive for maybe $50 or so, and then maybe unplug something and plug the different power supply in, having it sitting next to the thing like an electrician's garage next to my computer...

The other option is the Razer Core, at $499 each, runs off Thunderbolt 3, though I might only be able to install Thunderbolt 2.  Also says it's open source architecture unlike the Dell Alienware, but it is recommended for laptops, and says nothing of desktops.  How good is this solution?  And is it just for Radeon cards, or can I run any card from it?  Thanks so much again!

David

How might I find out about the port speed requirements for these different graphics cards, in case I cannot find a better than Thunderbolt 2, but can meet all the other specs?  Perhaps another, less advanced card, such as a GTX 1060, 970 or a slower Radeon model might have a slightly less fast minimum requirement of port speed to use and still be VR compatible, but then be more reliable with a Thunderbolt 2 connection?  There does not seem like there is any option other than Thunderbolt 2 at this time.  Thanks so much again,

David

According to wikipedia (which of course could be unreliable), "Thunderbolt 2 has max throughput of 20 Gbps. SuperSpeed USB 3.0 has a maximum throughput of 5 Gbps, which makes Thunderbolt 2 up to four times as fast as USB 3.0. Recently, the USB Promoters Association announced the USB 3.1 spec, which allows USB to transfer up to 10 Gbps".  I have USB 3.1 pre-installed on the Z240's, but I can easily install an HP branded Thunderbolt 2 card that says it should max out at 20 gbps.  What do you think?

Thanks!  It seems more possible to find the external gpu and pci bus with more power at this point than the thunderbolt 3 card.  Still looking though.  Right now, my favorite option seems to be trying to build one.  Though my school won't let me buy from a kickstarter, I emailed to find out more about:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thewolfe/the-wolfe-supercharge-your-laptop

and am trying to understand this for possibly building something similar:

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-build-an-external-gpu-for-4k-video-editing-vr-and-gaming/

Thanks again!

Dave

Thank you!!!!!