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    Upgrading my graphics card

    Discussion in 'Alienware M15x' started by krish_puri, Jan 17, 2014.

  1. krish_puri

    krish_puri Newbie

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    Hi,

    I have an Alienware M15x with the following specs:
    Intel i7 Q820 Processor
    16 GB RAM
    nVidia GTX 260M Graphics Card
    Full HD Display
    250 GB SSD

    I was planning on upgrading my graphics card to an AMD 6970m and offered $250 for this one on eBay - Dell Alienware M17x R3 M18x AMD Radeon 6970M 2GB Video Graphics Card V9XKH | eBay

    The actual price was $339 but the seller accepted my $250 offer. Now, I would just like to know if this is the correct card for my laptop and if I am getting it at a fair price. Also, is there anything else I should know before proceeding with the upgrade? Would it be easier if I buy a 7970m instead?

    Thanks in advance for your help!
     
    krish_puri, Jan 17, 2014
    #1
    reborn2003 likes this.
  2. flingin

    flingin M17x R2 Mafia

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    6970m is a old card and overpriced, people who are selling those cards for such a price count on somebody clueless to buy it.

    Please get 7970m instead, or nVidia GTX 770 will also fit.

    Always go for newest tech available if you can.

    EDIT:

    You also bought a card with a heatsink for M18x , you should buy THE CARD ONLY ! - you spend money on something you will not use in other words bro !
     
    flingin, Jan 17, 2014
    #2
  3. fatboyslimerr

    fatboyslimerr Alienware M15x Fanatic

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    That is a savagely bad deal. 6970m is not worth even $150. It runs very hot and has half the performance of a 7970M. Definitely advisable to get a 7970M or gtx 770m or gtx 680m.
     
    fatboyslimerr, Jan 17, 2014
    #3
  4. krish_puri

    krish_puri Newbie

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    Thanks for the replies guys!

    Can you please tell me what I should expect to pay for a 7970m and where I can buy it from? All the 7970m's that I found on eBay were well above the $400 price-mark.
     
    krish_puri, Jan 17, 2014
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    reborn2003 likes this.
  5. Alienware-L_Porras

    Alienware-L_Porras Company Representative

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    They are about that price, eBay is usually a great place. We can also offer you one, just call 1-800-WWW-DELL.
     
    Alienware-L_Porras, Jan 17, 2014
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  6. krish_puri

    krish_puri Newbie

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    I found a few manufacturer refurbished 770m's on eBay for about $350 and just wanted to know if they were a good deal. Also, will there be any issues using that card and will it be a simple plug and play swap?
     
    krish_puri, Jan 17, 2014
    #6
  7. J.Dre

    J.Dre Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    You can get 680M's for about $450. If you're considering a 7970M for $400, I'd definitely say the 680M is worth the extra $50. The 680M is probably the best mobile GPU we've seen in a long time.
     
    J.Dre, Jan 17, 2014
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  8. krish_puri

    krish_puri Newbie

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    krish_puri, Jan 17, 2014
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  9. King of Interns

    King of Interns Simply a laptop enthusiast

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    Really they cost that much. I would have thought the 7970M goes for about $250 now on the NBR forums.

    edit| wow just checking NBR marketplace. Prices are sky high indeed! I remember I sold my old 6970M for $200 2 years ago! The advice here is sound. The 6970M although not a bad card is showing it's age and will struggle in DX11 and 1080p in modern games.
     
    King of Interns, Jan 20, 2014
    #9
  10. mrigankp

    mrigankp Notebook Geek

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    Hi everyone, Sorry to post on a dead thread but I figured it was better than starting a new one. Since I have updated to 8.1, I've been facing issues with the touchpad and brightness control (brightness issue resolved!).

    My touchpad has suddenly stopped working. I have reinstalled Synaptics Drivers and also tried the uninstall method via Device Manager to no avail. I read that I will need to check some settings in the command centre. When I went into the command centre, I got a weird error when I clicked on Alien Touch (image attached).

    Can any of you please take a look and let me know how I can get the touchpad to work again? Thanks!

    Touchpad error.jpg

    EDIT - Wrong thread. Sorry!! Please delete post.
     
    mrigankp, Feb 15, 2014
    #10
  11. simonmpoulton

    simonmpoulton Notebook Deity

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    Maybe try uninstalling all the alienware software and then reloading it from Dells site? You may however have to accept that the m15x is simply incompatible with 8.1 if reinstalling doesnt help.
     
    simonmpoulton, Feb 15, 2014
    #11
    mrigankp likes this.