Acer MXM Models and Cards

yeah its a mxm-a, when i upgraded the cpu it took me ages to get this thing open and closed so what im really asking is, is it going to be worth the hastle opening this thing up for or will i not see any gains? thanks

 

The 130M should be a noticeable upgrade assuming their both the same memory. Notebookcheck 3dMark06 scores show a difference of like 40% while some games showed double the fps on low settings. I would rather get a GDDR3 model than the GDDR2 model you mentioned. It should be quite the upgrade but the 4670 should be much better as a MXM-A replacement.

 

hey thanks for the reply! i will upgrade it tommorow, im not to bothered about blistering performance as i can just use my advent for that as it has a ati 4850 gddr3. Its just the 4570 is terible and i need to be able to play wow at decent frames at native res 1600x900 which hopefuly this gt130m will provide, for every thing else i can just use my other laptop.

 

hey guys well i did it, these acer's are very robust as i got silver heat compound all over and this baby still powered up. so he's a pic of my upgraded Acer 7735g which i think from standard is not bad going.

compared to the ati 4570 which gets 27fps at native res on wow 1600x900 on high settings, the gt130m gets 41fps so it was worth the 50 pound but once iv sold the 4570 i wont even of paid that.

im still thinking of a even faster cpu what you think, will i benefit from one?
as you can see it has a long way to go, to get any where near my advent lol

 

I think on your acer laptop you should stick with those for a little mess around with it and see if you need faster lol. Otherwise your cpu is more then up for it so don't see you needing to upgrade that oO. I want your advent lol

 

Can anyone tell me whether MXM-II GPUs made in 40nm process exist at all because I have been googling but I couldnt find anything, GT240M and 330M are MXM-A, and probably radeon 5650?
I am considering upgrading from my mobility radeon 3650, but I'd like something that will produce less or same amount of heat.

 

Think the smallest is a 55nm and unless you change to a weaker card they will make just as much heat or maybe about 5c less.

 

@ Skidac
Mislim da neces naci nesto te vrste na trzistu, bar ne za neku prihvatljivu cijenu...
I don`t think you will find something of that kind on the market since all new cards are mxm-a slot and the 40nm process production started very lately on desktops, not to mention laptops...
My recomendation is to buy 9650m GT which has, by my opinion, excellent price-performance ration (considering prices on ebay)and it is very good upgrade solution for your 3650... It is made in 55nm process, as your 3650 is...
For me, amount of heat produced by 9650m GT is acceptable... I have even managed to overclock cpu by 200 MHz without increasing temp of both cpu and gpu... I am very satisfied with this one...

 

i paid £50 for a gt130 a faster clocked 9650 which will be a nice little boost for you, but if you really wanna see the difference i would go for the 4650 or 4670 they are selling them on ebay and they will boost you very nicely

 

Unless your Acer has a decent cooling system, I wouldn't recommend either of those in MXM-II form factor... The 6930G already has a substantial cooling system and I still hit 83C with a Zalman NC2000 cooler and undervolting.... The 4650 and 4670 output 35 watts compared to your 30 watt 3650. But since you're using the 3650, I'm assuming that you have a MXM-II Type 2 slot. So your choice are:

4670 GDDR3 > 4650 DDR2 = 9600M GT GDDR3 > 9650M GT DDR2 > 9600M GT DDR2 > 9600M GS DDR2

 

Thank you everyone for the tips, that's why I was asking for a card in 40nm because for example mobility radeon 5650 has only tdp of 15W.
Ok, I'll stay with 3650 for now then until I buy a new laptop (probably with 6650 radeon)

@Arminator: lijepo si pogodio da znam hrvatski. XD

 

@ Skidac: Odao te nadimak (Downloader)

@ EchoShade: Nice card performance rating...

 

can you give me information about how did you change registry settings and disabled downclocking gpu clock? i really will be so happy

 

UPDATE:

Download latest beta drivers (257.15) from nvidia`s site and it will work like a charm... They finally MANAGED to fix Powermizer bug...


I found it somewhere googling and saved it for me in notepad... Here are the steps:

Powermizer disable

Okay guys, heres what you need to do:

(You may want to back up your registry first)

1.Open up Regedit and go to \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Video\********\0000\
The *'s will be random numbers. There will be a few of them, pick the one with the most stuff in it.

2.Create the 4 Powermizer keys (Edit -> New -> DWORD (32-bit) value):
PerfLevelSrc
PowerMizerEnable
PowermizerLevel
PowermizerLevelAC

3.Change the values (double click on them) to:
PerfLevelSrc 3322
PowerMizerEnable 0
PowermizerLevel 1
PowermizerLevelAC 1

4.Reboot and Powermizer will be disabled!

Or you can check it on link below:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/261929-disable-powermizer-tested.html

And it works fine for me and the driver is stable... I have also tried Dox optimized driver but when I ran Sandra sysoft tests, VGA driver crashed so I installed this one from Nvidia`s site and it works flawlessly...

 

Hi to all
I am new here, and i have one question,
I found to buy an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 MXM Type A
My laptop is an Acer Aspire 5920g, will it fit??
Thanks in advance.

 

As you could see on the first page, 5920G has MXM II slot so it will be incompatible... Try looking for 4650 MXM II type, it is available...

 

Hello, I have Acer Aspire 5530g with HD3470 Hybrid X2 and I m going to replace that vga card with Geforce 9600M GT ddr3 no : VG.9PG06.006.

I think that there are no contraindications to that operation.
I compared 5530g to other acer laptop- 6530g and they have the same chipset M780 and same graphics 3650 and 3470X2, and same cpu- the only diffrence is screen resolution - 6530g has full hd. According to the data on the first page 6530g is compatibile with : Aspire 6530G - MXM-II, HD 3470, HD 3650, HD 4570, HD 4650, 9300M GS, 9600M GS, 9600M GT.

Do You know / think that 9600m gt will be ok with my laptop ? I m just fed up with stuttering and low resolution in modern warfare 2 and need a cheap upgrade ;].....

 

@ cadder
Since you have Hybrid I would advise you to buy Ati card so you could still use hybrid crossfire and you would have more power with it... Check for 4570 or 3650 they are very cheap on ebay... Much cheaper than 9600m gt and with hybrid crossfire you would have same performance...

 

@ arminator
I am able to buy 9600m gt ddr3 in my country for about 60Euro so It is the most cost-effective solution. - Hd3650 and 4570 will have worse performance even with hybrid crossfire [ and im not sure if i may use hybrid crossfire on windows xp which im using right now].

edit: btw. i dont want to use crossfire because it causes stuttering

 

If 9600M gt is that cheap and with ddr3, then you take it... It is very good bargain...

 

Cadder, I'd be cautious about doing the upgrade.
Just because your 5530G shares a chipset with the 6530G doesn't mean it shares a BIOS, and the different BIOS can muck around with compatibility.
Plus, I don't think the 6530G has Hybrid CrossFire.

It might still work, but I can't guarantee that it will. You're going into uncharted territory, and I wish you the best of luck.

 

according to those specs 6530g has [same as 5530g] Two default Gpus hd3650 and 3470 x2 hybrid http://www.acer.ua/acer/wr-resource/1026649860/upload/E0Entity3/1/as6530G%20spec.pdf

 

Then I stand corrected. Thanks for the info, cadder!
Still doesn't change my opinion that this is a risky venture.
For example, the 5920G and 6920G both have the PM965 chipset, but the 6920G can accept the GeForce 9600M GT and the 5920G can't.

 

every gpu re-placement in notebook is a risky venture ;]. Gpu installation and whole dissasembly of notebook is ... a bit dangerous in comparison to the same operation on PC. I just have to try because it's really unhealthy to play for example call of duty with resolution 720x480 on 24 inch screen

I have already ordered 9600m... I ll share news with You as soon as I have my gpu sucessfully[or not] installed on my laptop.

Btw our whole problem with replacing gpus may dissappear soon :
MSI Graphics Upgrade Solution seeks an ExpressCard slot to call home -- Engadget

 

The "problem" already has - Acer's dropped the MXM platform on its latest models.

 

I can't say I like those new express card solutions. The bandwidth gets killed and the psu on those don't allow for any significant cards to be put inside those. I thought about that but the price to performance ratio of whatever they're offering on ATI now is pretty insignificant when I compare it to the 4670 I have now.

 

ok just completed gpu replacement, unfortunately during the installation of drivers for 9600m an error occurs - ... nvidia gpu is not detected

Could you tell me how can i perform bios update to 6530g bios ?

UPDATE: Everything works fine- the problem was caused by drivers. First I downloaded drivers for 9600m from nvidia official site and they didnt work. After installing drivers from acer site [ for 6930g] i have an awesome gpu in my laptop if needed i may paste some screenshots

 

Please do post some screens! Just make sure to post thumbnails here with links to the full images on places like Photobucket or ImageShack.
Congrats on the upgrade!

 

For now :



I ll try to post some other pictures later, for example with 3d mark results.

Additionaly:
Finally playing Modern Warfare 2 is a pleasure... [ althoug IW NAT is crazy tonight] I have ~30 fps ( NO MicroStuttering which was present on hd3470X2 @ resolution720x480 with lowest details!!!!) on map Afghan [ a lot of dust, smoke, sand in the air, twice fps in buildings] with 1280x960 resolution , 2x AA and All Testures - High , other effects like shadows etc are off.
For now i can't use Hdmi - im using D-sub port instead, also im looking for latest working drivers for 9600m gt [ i would like to OC gpu a bit [ up to 10 % , dont worry my laptop is cooled by coolermaster stand @ top speed ;] ]
Btw its not shown in CPUid but my processor is Overclocked with setfbs to 2x 2,19 ghz.

 

Strange resolution - 1914x820, but thanks for the pic!

 

@ ceddar

You can download latest drivers from nvidias site version 257.15... It is still beta but it works for me very fine and i have no problems...

 

resolution is strange because i cut the screen ;]

ok, I tested my gpu today... Things are not as good as I said earlier.

my 9600m Gt scored 2999 3dmarks @ 1280x800 resolution [ 2700 @ 1280x1024]
~600 furmark points @ 800x 600 [ about 300 @ 1280x 800] So the perfromance is depending on benchmark 60% in 3d mark and 33% of a normal result @ furmark [ benchmark duration - 60s , max temp 75C]

Gameplay:Modern Warfare 2 - medium quality of textures and 1280@800, other effects turned off - fps 27-75

Gta IV- ~17 fps [ up to 27] @ 800x600 , medium textures , other setting low

Of course lower performance is caused also by weak processor , but IMHO it still should be better - by 25% at least.

Arminator - i cant install nvidia drivers - when I try to install them , an error occurs [ that device is not detected] I installed drivers from acers site.
I think I need to change Gpus BIOS to be able to install other drivers. Do you have any idea how to do that?

 

Easy fix for that is to install them via the device manager or download modded drivers from laptopvideo2go.

 

Good point, hexxor93!
LV2Go's drivers have modified installation files that allow them to be installed on just about any Nvidia system on the planet.

 

I ve dled them already but the same problem occurs. I tried to install through device manager too but it also doesn't work ... However i downloaded another version of 9600m gt drivers from acer's site and it also works ... [ but unfortunatelly their performance is 10% worse than my previous 9600m drivers ] all of that is strange for me


I would like to try install them on windows 7 but now I can find installation dvd

UPDATE:
ok managed to install 197.16 drivers, performance in furmark is now 500 points @ 1280x800 so perfomance in that benchmark rised by 66% :O. now trying 3dmark

Update- 3d marks scores are still around 3000

 

The thing about the acer drivers are they are likely to be out of date or have crap performance but if they are the only ones that install then what more can you do I found that the 195.xx drivers have the best performance ever! (so far at least) hehe give them a shot if you can find them.

 

hey guys some sad news i have to sell one of my laptops and sadly it has to be my acer so can i have some last advice please. obviously i have done the upgrades to it regarding mxm gpu and cpu what do you think it is worth now so i dont get robbed. thanks guys. the wife has spoken :cry:

 

guys do you know some guides for upgrading and tweaking gpu bios and motherboard bios ?

 

Read this guide NVIDIA and ATI BIOS Modding and Flashing Guides - 3D-Chips - Overclocking in terms of the motherboard bios you might need to check the thread called "Acer Laptop with Phoenix BIOS: BIOS MOD Request" Hope that helps

 

Hm, now summer is comming up I was thinking of finaly going to tune up my 5920G. I already know I can stick in an ati hd 4650 (mxm II type, and the cards number must end with 005, not 006 if i'm correct) which would cost €190.

But then I got this idea I started to browse the internet about my t7300 2 ghz core 2 duo. The strongest cpu that was released in those series was the t7800 which is clocked to 2.6 ghz. I found one on ebay and it would cost me about €140 including shipping.

I have no idea how to upgrade a cpu but do you guys think I should risk it? The total upgrade would cost me 190 (gpu)+150(cpu)+50 (cost for thermal paste, some copper, shipping costs, etc). For the amount of €400 it might make my laptop good enough for another year or maybe even 2 years. I only plan on playing cod mw2, empire total war and Assassins creed 2. My higher cpu would only benefit the new assassins creed game and the overal speed of my laptop.

Any thoughts? An appropriate cpu upgrade guide (know its off topic but u guys r the upgrade experts) would also be nice The basic idea is that I use this laptop as a desktop replacement gaming system then, and buy a netbook for around 500 € for taking notes in class. Another option might be to just use the total sum (€400 for upgrades and €500 for the netbook) in an alround 13 inch laptop like the asus u30jc which has an nvidia gt310m.

 

Student, I've got both .005 and .006 part numbers for the MXM-II Radeon HD 4650. It's the .003 and .001 that you need to avoid, as they're MXM-A cards.

Upgrading a CPU is more commonplace than the GPU, I can tell you that much. As well, the T7800 isn't the strongest CPU you can use - the first four Penryn CPUs can be plopped into Socket P with a BIOS update at most.
Look for a T8100, T8300, T9300, or T9500 instead. They'll run cooler and be clock-for-clock faster than a comparable T7xxx part.

No idea where to find a guide, but if you can locate the 5920G service manual (Google wink wink), it will have the instructions you need.

 

Well if they run cooler that is a great idea. Atm my cpu and gpu both reach temperatures of 92-94 celcius. I just checked out the t8300 and it costs €220 (2.4ghz is good enough for me).
Do you think the 100 euros extra will be worth the temperature drop? Or will the temperature drop be unnoticable...

 

No clue, but €100 also nets you 400 more MHz and a more modern architecture.
I'm using the T8300 right now, and loving it. Not sure how different the 5920G and 6920G are in cooling, and whether your CPU would be able to reach the same level, but I'm undervolting mine by 0.1375 volts - barely breaks 60 Celsius at full power.

 

here is a nice t9300 cpu pretty good value £110, as for the temp drop i went from a t6400 cpu to a t9550 and the heat difference is very small! save your money get a t9--- cpu and just do what the rest of us do, undervolt if you need it as low as possible either way it will still run cooler than what you are using now nd the increase in speed i think will be quite noticeable.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Intel-Core-2-...aptopMotherboards_CPUs_CA&hash=item3f000a57c7

 

from whre you get the MSI HD4670 ?

 

Hey, thanks for this thread, really informative but I have a question


I've got an Aspire 5920G, but it has an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470 - does this mean it isn't upgradeable?

 

Just cause you have a rare model doesn't mean it doesn't have an MXM slot. The 5920G is known to have a MXM 2.1 Type II slot. Take the 6930G for example. I know it has an MXM slot but I can't find one with a 4650 for sale anywhere. So does that mean the one with a 4650 is un-upgradeable?

Unless you have an MSI EX625, you're probably not going to get one.

 

What EchoShade said - I wasn't aware that the 5920G was sold with the Radeon HD 3470, and the fact that the HD 3470 is an MXM-II card means that you can still upgrade your GPU.

 

Hi, I have some new interesting news about 5530g upgrade with 9600m gddr3

Today i flashed gpu with new bios . Finally i was able to get about 5000 3dmarks
and 985 furmarks [ @ 550 /1375/925]. So perfromance is ok.

Unfortunately there is a small incompatibility- there is an information @ POST about problems with MXM [some kind of incompatibility and lowered performance - it does not causes any problem after flashing gpu but extends booting of laptop and also causes problems with driver installation and hdmi.

Summing up- performance is great but if you want to still use for example hdmi you should definietely get hd3650

 

Ok the HD 4650 works in the 8930g but the problem is the card is actually an mxm 2.1 type II which means it's smaller and the mounting holes for the crews are are placed closer to each other than on a type III. Does anyone know what would be a safe way to go ? I figured I buy a spare GPU cooling unit and try to mod that to fit the 4650. But if anyone has a better idea I'm all ears!