Acer MXM Models and Cards

This thread is very useful but does anyone have any definitive guide on how to upgrade a video card as an amateur? I'm not aware of what tools I need or how to affix it. Thanks.

Also does it require paste, what would you say is the best type to buy.

 

This should give you an idea The Acer Guy Blog Archive Morris’ Aspire 5920 GPU Swap/upgrade

 

Attach blue LEDs to the card, they make the card run cooler and gives you more gigahertz.

But seriously, you could probably get some thick paste like IC Diamond and try to cure it while holding it down with something and it should stay after it's done curing.

 

I'll be trying a GT240M MXM 512mb DDR3 type A in an Acer 5935 tomorrow.

 

I know there are some adhesive cooling paste's available but I'm afraid I cannot undo that. Do you have any experience with that?

BTW I ordered a second heatsink just to be safe I have a good one for the 9700.

 

As you all probably noticed in this thread, I was wondering if it was worth upgrading my 5920g with an ati hd 4650 because I wasn't sure if my t7300 2ghz core2duo would be a bottleneck for games like Assassins creed2. Someone already had answered me in this thread that my cpu would be sufficient for this game (page 69-70) and I just tried the game and can hereby confirm that this is true.
I installed AC2 today, just to see how my laptop would handle it before I would upgrade it with a newer gpu and cpu, and as it turns out, the game looks stunning even with most things put on lower settings.

Just thought i'd post this to assure the people who wanted to upgrade their gpu, that the cpu is still good enough. If things work out, i'll also let you know how cod modern warfare 2 will run within a few weeks. I'm not sure if I will upgrade my laptop if mw2 will run smooth, but if I will upgrade I will definitly post a comparison here about the performance difference in mw2 and ac2 since these are the most popular games atm.

 

Even with t6400 or t5800 you can play a decent game as long as you have the GPU power to go along with it.

 

The 5935G has 240m drivers listed in its driver page so I hope this card works, which I will hopefully get tomorrow.

 

http://gpuz.techpowerup.com/10/06/23/k4.png

5935G GT240M upgrade success.

 

Might be off topic but I will ask anyway
When I ran Everest ultimate, under motherboard (Aspire 5520G with 9650m gt installed) description it gave me information about 7000m integrated GPU which is disabled/not in use...
Is there any way to enable it so I could use it when not playing games to reduce heat and power consumption when on battery?

 

That sounds like a bios modding job Arminator. If their is a integrated one for sure.

 

Since it is Phoenix I could send modding request on one of the topics?

 

All you can do is ask really. Try it http://forum.notebookreview.com/acer/480992-acer-laptop-phoenix-bios-bios-mod-request.html

 

This might be something for people who are still searching for a MXM II v2.1 version of the Mobility Radeon HD 4650 with GDDR3. Looks pretty legit to me. Price for the card should be 124 dollar or 100 euro.

 

Yeah I found that while ego, but how to bye something on this site in Taiwan??I have no idea.

 

I'm going to be trying the 250M from mxm-upgrade.com in my 5935g should have it by next weekend.

 

Hi TehSuigi, I'm just wondering does MXMI and MXMII differ only in size or does the connectors matter too? I have an Acer Aspire 4720G with a discrete graphic card 8400M G (more like OMG after reading reviews aboout the G84 and G86 inherent problems). As most reviews on the net the max life expectancy of this card is about two years unfortunately for me its about two years now when I both this laptop and the graphics card just died on me. Fortunately I can still use my laptop, despite that the card is no longer detected by windows and my computer is now running at 800x600 res with 16 colors. I'm planning to buy a new graphics card and of course Nvidia is out of the list. I'm planning to get an Ati based graphics card but I'm not sure if it will work on my Aspire 4720G. They say that if it does not come from acer the card is likely not to be detected by the board since the bios is locked on using 8400m g... is this true?
I really need your advice on this before I buy the graphics card.
Thanks in advance

 

Hi Devr2k, and welcome to the forums!
MXM-I and MXM-II do indeed only differ in size; the connectors are the same, as are the mounting holes. Just make sure you aren't getting an MXM-A card by accident.

The problem with MXM upgrades is that it's largely an unexplored field. These upgrades aren't supported by Acer, and we only know if the cards work if they were in another configuration of the notebook or if some intrepid soul took the leap and installed one anyway.

I honestly doubt Acer would have clamped down the BIOS to the 8400M G for the 4720G when the previous model 4710G and similar models 4520G and 4920G all have had successful upgrades.
Just don't go for anything expensive - in your case, a Radeon HD 3650 DDR2 would be just fine.

 

Wow its like you're reading my mind . Radeon HD 3650 was my first choice because its cheap... I've just got one concern upon checking Notebookcheck: Notebook Test, Laptop Test und News. . it was listed there that Radeon HD 3650 utilizes 30W while the 8400m G only uses 10W.. I'm not sure with wikipedia but it was indicated there that for MXMI, as of what's my laptop is using, its rated to 18W max and MXMII 25W max... based on this MXMI cards can be placed on MXMII sockets while MXMII cards cant be placed on MXMI sockets or was that info in wikipedia not as reliable as I think?

 

Notebookcheck's wattage numbers can be wonky at times - don't rely on them.

You're right about the compatibility thing - MXM-I cards can go into MXM-II slots, but MXM-II cards can't go into MXM-I slots.
That being said, the 4720G's service guide explicitly states MXM-II in its block diagram, and it looks like the motherboard and chassis has room.
Check the heatsink for the graphics card. Will it cover rows of memory chips on two sides of the GPU core, or just one?

 

hmnn I did see it in the service manual that it's using mxmII but was not sure at first as to the validity of the source since the actual hardware shows that it uses MXMI. Well it seems like that problem is solved since you've also confirmed to it, so its using MXMII slot then ... as for the heat sink.. I think i need to modify it a bit, the upper side was folded such that MXMI will only fit on it ,approximately 1cm shorter as compared to MXMII... if I find a decent digicam I'll try to take a picture of it and post it here ..I just wish it was like the other acer laptops shown in this forum. to get to the video card I need dismantle everythng from LCD, keyboard, to motherboard just to get the grahics card ... anyway thanks again

 

Any possible upgrades for an ATI 4650 1GB GDDR3 card on Aspire 5738ZG?
I believe the slot is MXM 2.1.

 

GTS250M works in the 5935g though I am still trying to get the switchable mode working.

EDIT: This card will not work with dynamic switching. Only bios level switching is available.

The GTS250M from mxm upgrade is a low voltage part (0.9v 3d) Clocked at 450/1080/780.

Runs very cool, got it to 550/1260/975 so far.

 

Meaker, I have never been as envious of you as I am now.
Envy envy envy. Added to the first post.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...-upgrades/496840-gts250m-upgrade-results.html

Thread with some results in it.

Compared to the 4570 it's very fast

 

Also the 250M I got is MXM-A.

 

You can add the 4937G to the un-upgradeable list. The G105M is soldered onto the motherboard.

Trying to see if my friend will sell me his old Acer TravelMate. That has a MXM-II slot, IIRC. Either that or an MXM-I.

 

Thanks for checking, Xynder!

 

Meaker: I had no idea it was you

 

Anyone got something on the 5741G, by the way?

 

Hmz getting crazy ideas of transplanting the motherboard from a 5940g or 5942g....

 

Not yet, but since Acer's more recent models have moved away from the MXM standard, I have doubts.

 

You and me both. No MXM on i3,5 or 7's.

Wondering if perhaps the Packard Bell machines are still on MXM. Would make sense. Betting on two horses through two brands.

 

So the 5940g is not mxm either?

 

Don't know. I'm not saying I know they are not MXM, I'm saying that I haven't found any.

 

Hmz meant to post that looking at the FRU it is not.

Seems the 250M is the fastest Acer MXM module atm.

 

Well, in theory you should be able to build something faster in the models with enough room for a Type B card. But cooling would be an issue.

 

Don't know if its been confirmed before, but 9650M GT 1Gb GDDR3 is a definate win on Acer 6935G.
Tried over and over to get it working with standard drivers and custom ones, but kept getting artifacts. Then nVidia brought out a new driver which worked.
Powermiser issues apparently.
Also had to jiggle about with different thickness heat transfer pads and the little square cutout in the heatsink assembly needed making larger and isolating.

 

Neat! Post some screenshots, and I'll toss it into the first post.

 

Ice-Tea - any updates on the GTX280 installed on the 8920G?

 

Hello, fellas.
New to the forums here..

Anyway, i just bought an acer 4820tg Timeline X ( the one with a radeon 5470).
Wanted to buy the one with a 5650 but those aren't here (malaysia) yet.

I plan to upgrade the graphic card into something more powerful. So, does it use the MXM module? Can anyone verify this?

Won't be getting it until next week..

 

I doubt it - the Timeline models are so thin they might not be able to accommodate an MXM card or slot.

 

I guess one have to open it up to confirm this.

 

if it can, i'm quite sure it is an MXM card..

AMD Unveils World?s First Mobile Graphics with Microsoft® DirectX® 11 Gaming Support for Notebook Computers

 

The 5650 series of cards can not actually be had in MXM form factor in the market, as a replacement part etc. So I can only assume that no one is using it in an MXM format and is just soldering it into the board.

 

Hey guys i aint been on for a while because i sold my 7735g but im back now with a 8930g and im gonna pimp it up, any tips??

 

GTX 260, actually. Guy dropped off the radar, don't know why. Overheated a lot and fast. We were in the process of throttling down the card when he stopped replying.

 

I could think of something

 

hehe just what i wanted to here.