So i think it's time to upgrade.

Hi, Ive had my m15x now close to 3 years. It cant play some games on ultra but it does ok with every game ive thrown at it.

Here's my current specs.
Win 7 64 Bit
120GB SSD
i5 CPU M430 @ 2.27Ghz
6GB RAM
Radeon HD5800 Series (I dont have a clue what model number) Could be a 5850 - It has 1gb on it supposedly
Stock PSU


Can anyone give me some tips on what to buy as an upgrade? I feel like my laptop is throttling me somewhere. I know the specs are low but back when i bought it they were decent.

I have a budget of around £500. Maybe more.

Also when i plug my laptop into my TV, it lags slightly when i shut the lid, like it's running 5fps short or it's playing catch up. IS it because the TV is set to 1080p?
Just want to play games smoothly on the TV.

EDIT - I have set the power options correctly

 

best option for gpu is 7970m, which is around 270-300 pounds. best cpu is 920xm for around 180-250 pounds.

 

A GPU upgrade should be your highest priority, 7970 is the best option and for a single GPU laptop I wouldn`t settle for less. The i7 920 would help, but you will really only see the boost with the 7970, and perhaps if you have money left over you can upgrade to the max of 8gb ram. i7 920 + 7970 + 8gb will run everything you throw at it and will rival even the newest 14-15" gaming laptops out today - except in battery life haha

 

Well thats my shopping list sorted - Thanks.
Are they all plugNplay? or do i need to fiddle?

Well i was upgrading my RAM in waves. it started on 2gb then i upped to 4gb, now im on 6gb with a 4gb and a 2gb stick. Ill just get a deal on 2 sticks and ill start sourcing these parts

Battery life, i cant even play games on ym battery even though the power settings are correct i think the output of the PSU slows it down so i can't game on the battery anyway

 

Yes they are plug and play. Although of course you need to install drivers for the 7970M.

Something to consider is to get yourself at least a 240W PSU and disable the middle pin on it thus allowing it to deliver right up to it's limit of around 300W. The PSU won't be able to charge the battery but that is ok as you can keep the old 150W for that purpose. If you don't do this the M15x won't get enough power because the PSU is throttled via the center data pin on the connector which means your gpu will throttle in games.

To remove it simply grab a pair of pliers and yank the pin out of the connector. Make sure the thing is unplugged before doing so.

The technique works with dell 210,230 and 240W adaptors. It also works with the 150W original allowing it to deliver up to about 210W max before cutting out. I will test the dell 330W adaptor soon.

If you are handy with basic electronics and soldering you can solder in a basic on/off switch into the data line of the PSU. This means you can toggle back and forth without destroying the ability of the PSU to charge the battery.

 

When you say pull the pin out, of the charger? I just bought a new one and have my old one around. Which didn't charge the battery but caused severe FPS issues.
Would i just need a bigger charger or an actually unit inside the laptop like a desktop.

 

Actually the mobo supports up o 16GB RAM.
I have it in my system. There's a thread around here somewhere about it.

 

Then again when gaming battery life wouldn't be great on the newest gaming laptops either lol. Besides gaming laptops even now are pretty chunky. Perhaps not the best choice for portability anyways

 

I have seen some success stories with the 7970m, unfortunately it will not be covered by the PC's warranty (if it still has) because it has not been verified for your lappy.