Dead video = upgrade to gtx 560m?

Ok need some help and im a scrub.
Recently my m15x crashed and gave me video led error with the 2 blinking lights and the middle one stuck on. I broke it.

I don't know how wise this move was but I decided that after it started acting funny and crashing trying to run StarCraft2 and SWTOR I decided I wanted to try and get some more heat of that thing. I got with a guy know that fixes computers and stuff and I was like screw these pads, we're putting copper shims in there. So we replaced the heat pads with copper shims. They made decent contact(I think?) and we used arctic silver to stick it. On the memory as well as the chip.

I continued on my way without using a benchmark or anything to see if it actually worked or not(i know my genius is showing) and then it died about a week later. I'm pretty sure the card is dead.

So now I figure since I probably need a new one anyways I might as well upgrade. It took some searching until I found this place to see if the gtx 560m would work in the m15x. So now I want to try it.

My understanding is that it should work just fine with the right driver installed. I'm not worried about overclocking it just yet, I just want my computer back.

I assume that the copper shims had something to do with this abrupt turn of events, so if anyone could enlighten me on what they think went down with the death of my video that would be great. Another clue: I was playing SC2(after the shim installation) and the screen flicked and I got an error. something about running out of memory and I'm assuming it was talking about the memory on the gpu. eventually I turned off the computer after doing some other stuff on it and then the next morning I went to turn it on to do a demonstration of some software for my work and to my surprise and ensuing panic, it didn't turn on.

Then as far us the upgrade goes, the 560m does work? and I can follow a step by step I found in here on getting the right driver? Any help would be great and the sooner the better. I am unable to do my homework from home right now.

 

There is this thread, yes 560m does indeed work.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m15x/602655-m15x-gtx-560m.html

though from everything I have read the ATI is far superior to the 560m.

6970m SLV is the man to talk with about this, as he's had experience installing it.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...u-need-know-upgrading-problems-solutions.html

hope that helped. Here are system codes from Dell. http://support.dell.com/support/top...c=us&cs=19&docid=122438&doclang=en&l=en&s=dhs

 

The 6970/6990 are far superior performance wise.

The reasons for picking the 560M are that it's cheaper and that it won't need manual fan control.

If one of those are an issue for you (manual fan control was for me), go with the 560M - else go with the 6970/6990.

 

Awesome. Thanks guys. I'll probably go with the 560m for budget reasons and the fan control. Maybe some day I'll man up and figure all that out.

Also, about the copper shims and arctic silver, should I avoid that approach again and just get some heat pads? If so where can I buy some good ones and what thickness is the best for conducting etc.?

 

I used heat pads and MX-4. I don't see why you'd fiddle around with copper shims. It works fine with pads. I prefer MX-4 because it's non conductive.