Looking To Upgrade My Acer Aspire 6920G

Hello all, I have an acer aspire 6920G which is a fairly good laptop, it can run GTA IV on a relatively low setting. I am looking to upgrade both the processor and the GPU, is it possible to do this? I have looked on some website and people have said they have upgraded theres. If I can upgrade, what can i upgrade too? And how easy is it to do? Thanks.

My current specs:

Acer Aspire 6920G
x32 Windows vista Home premium
Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 (2.0GHZ, 667MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache)
3GB DDR2
250GB HDD
ATI Radeon HD 3650 512MB
16" HD Acer CineCrystal LCD Display



Any help is appriceated, especially if you have modded your aspire 6920G.

 

Hello Jermaine, and welcome to the forums!
There are quite a few people on here who have modded their 6920G, myself among them.

In terms of CPU, your best bet would be to look for a T8100, T8300, T9300, or T9500. All are faster than your current CPU in terms of raw megahertz, and they use a better core design; they run cooler and faster clock-for-clock than the T5xxx and T7xxx series.

Might as well upgrade to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, but wait until prices drop again.

If you're looking to improve your system's overall responsiveness and speed, look into a hard drive upgrade. A big 7200rpm hard drive or Seagate's Momentus XT hybrid drive would work, and be less expensive than a blindingly-fast solid state drive.

The GPU actually can be upgraded! I've made a lengthy post about what other people have done with the 6920G and other Acer models. The ATi Radeon HD 4650 seems to be the current best bet.

You should also consider moving over to Windows 7 at some point.

In terms of ease of upgrade, it actually is pretty simple. All of the upgradeable components are under the main plate on the bottom of the machine. Find yourself the service guide (Google it) and follow it.

 

Thanks man, so it is basically fully modable, how much money am i looking at for getting a good processor, new GPU, HDD and RAM, i want it so it can play gta IV on high quality. Also if i get these new mods, am i going to need a better power supply and fan etc etc etc

 

OK, let me say this right now - upgrading this laptop even to its full extent is probably NOT going to get GTA IV to high quality.
If that's the case, you'll want to consider a whole new laptop, something with more graphics power than even an upgraded 6920G could muster. You'd be looking for at least an ATI Radeon HD 5650, and preferably something like an Nvidia GeForce GTX 260M. Have a gander.

That being said, you wouldn't need a new power supply or fan or anything.

 

Ok, the ram, gpu and hard drive isn very expensive but just to upgrade the processor it costs like £250 for the T9500, and it only adds an extra 1.2GHz, how much of a difference will upgrading my processor make, and is there anyway for me not to spend sooo much on a processor, the price is unbeleivable.

Also what is the difference between x32 and x64, i am at x32 now, if i get a windows 7 x64 will it work, and what will the difference be, will it affect performance?

 

ok iv'e just ordered windows 7 64-bit, i checked online and it said my processor can take 64-bit so that should come soon, i also ordered the ATI radeon hd 4650 1gb, so hopefully that will work well.

 

HOLD IT - did you order the desktop version of the Radeon HD 4650?
I'm sorry if I didn't specify this earlier, but that won't fit.
You'll need to get a Radeon HD 4650 MXM-II card - please review the Acer MXM thread for details.

You're right about the CPU not adding much in terms of gaming power. 2 GHz should be enough.

 

oh dear i bought this one: SAPPHIRE ATI Radeon HD 4650 PCI-E Graphics Card - 1GB at cheap prices | PC World

its the wrong one

where can i buy the MXM-II one? the only ones i have found online cost like £180!!!! why is the desktop one over £100 cheaper!?

 

Because the desktop part is actually meant for end user purchase and use.
MXM upgrades aren't supported by the manufacturer, so we have to go through parts suppliers to get them. As a result, they are really expensive.

Plus, the desktop part doesn't have to fit inside a notebook. That requires a lot of additional work and refinements, which add to the cost of the card.

See why I said you should just get a whole new laptop?

 

i cant find ANYWHERE that sells ths card, its like they dont exist, any ideas? in the UK. they only seem to be selling PCI-E ones, do you think i could request a store to get hold of one, even though it may add to the price there must be somewhere to buy these cards, where does everyone else get there ATI MXM-II cards from?

 

i might just overclock with ati tool

 

ok i did it with some other tool and it F****d up my graphics, but luckily windows sorted it out, so now it's all back to normal, i am too amature for overclocking

 

Jermaine, please refrain from double-posting. Use the EDIT button to add on to your previous post instead.

Most people get their Radeon HD 4650s off AcerParts.com, MXM-Upgrade.com or eBay. Most stores won't stock them since they aren't meant to be sold to the end user.

Overclocking is a tricky business - try to follow some of the guides here on NBR.