M15x-Should/Can I change Video Card

Hello All,

New 15x owner here with a question.

I picked up a used 15x. I am fairly happy with it mainly because I got it so cheap. I am however scared to death after reading through these forums. It is a skullcap and it was built late October so I prey I do not become victim to the hinge failures that I have read about.

The unit is maxed out but it has the 512MB NVIDIA Quadro FX 3600M in it. Is it worth it to change to the NVIDIA® GeForce™ 9800M GT? I want to use this mainly for gaming.
If so, can anyone point me to where I can purchase one as my internet searches are coming up empty.

Thanks

 

gratz on yur unit.

1st: if you say or think you will fall prey, then you only set yourself up for it.
2nd: if for gaming, then i would say get the 9800, or even find an 8800gtx on the market. you could try calling AW and attempt to purchase one, but no garauntees with this approach. try other places as well, craigslist, or even the patheitc ebay place...

 

Try calling Roswell. The phone number is in the signature above.

 

they may offer to help, but doubtfull since he is not the original owner...but anything is worth a try.

 

Thank you all for the quick replys.

I tried Alienware first, this is where I first learned about the wonderful policy of not talking to anyone who isn't the original owner. Kinda silly as I was prepare to spend whatever it cost to change the video card.

I have been on CL, Ebay, NewEgg and others but cannot find the card.

Spending all this time and I don't really even know if the performance gain for gaming would be worth it!!!???!!!

Ahhhhh I am going crazy!!! Sorry but this has been driving me nuts for 2 weeks now.

 

you could always post in the buy/sell area of notebook review as well...

 

Not too sure but apparently some quadro cards have the same architecture as the GeForce cards and are only differentiated by the set of drivers used. Apparently uninstalling the original drivers and instaling normal ones allow you to use it as if it was its "gaming" counterpart.
Just something I remember reading somewhere. Is this true in this case, or in any case for that matter ?

 

Mortis,

That would be fantastic if I could verify and find the drivers.

Do you have a link or starting point for me to begin to research?

 

http://www.pugetsystems.com/part_info.php?part=5656

check them out im looking for links to buy i have seeen them roswell is the people to ask they are nice 1 email was all it took form them to get me the priceing and they told me all the prices etc and which ones were the best(they even said the cheaper ones were btter then the more expensive 7950gtx>8600gt

 

http://www.pugetsystems.com/part_info.php?part=5656
hit them up ask around there are resellers of laptops they may be able to sell you one

sorry about the double post didnt see it

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/EXTREME-NVIDIA-...57003132QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCC_Video_TV_Cards

 

as stated from the site....not sure though if this is just to make you contact them directly vice posting a price...so take it for what it is worth....

 

You guys are awesome.!
I emailed the ebay seller to verify if it fits in the M15x.
Still searching to find out what gaming performance increase I can expect over the Quadro.

I am starting to feel that tingly upgrade excitement!

 

nice i love that feeling youll need the m15x heatsink but whizzo has that i unno if the quadro's will work never heard of any one with that ...why did the person before you have the quadro?

 

The ebay listing states it has a heatsink. Would you be able to take a peek at that listing and tell if it is the correct one? Never thought that upgrading would be so much hassle..

I didn't know the original owner personally but he did mention that he works as a plastics engineer so perhaps that is why he choose the quatro.

As for me...I just want to game!!!!!

 

wait a minute...

Quadro FX 3600M: http://www.itechnews.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/nvidia-quadro-fx-3600m-professional-gpu.jpg

Geforce 8800M-GTX: http://www.pc-erfahrung.de/fileadmin/artikel-vga/geforce-8800m-gtx-gts/geforce-8800M-GTX-chip.jpg

judging, by the pics, it's the same card! there are simply two different VBIOS versions... one for Quadro, one for Geforce. if you're lucky, you might just be able to flash the Quadro with the Geforce VBIOS and then you've got an 8800m-gtx

EDIT: just found that FX3600M = 8800M-GT S (8800M-GTX = FX3700M, and 9800M-GTX = FX3800M i believe). still, that's a very good card...

 

whizzo what do you do ? you always have time to find the littlest stuff but if you could do that you could always give the money you were going to spend to us

any way ill lokk see what i can find


dont hold me to it i didnt say it these guys are pretty funny

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/254754-33-flash-quadro-8800

 

he doesn't need the heatsink, mate... seeing how the cards have the same physical layout, the heatsink he already has will work fine.

 

ok cool i have no knoledge but i had to throw it out so he could look and from what i have read the quadro is the same card basiclly in a wheel chair lol change the setting in riva and install driver and whoof

 

Whoaaaaa that's a lot of info coming real quick!!!!

When you say change the settings in "riva" please explain,
Do I get the drivers from NVidia's site?
whoof sounds like poof, If flashing the vbios doesn't work, Can I simply flash it back to the original?

Thanks again, and sorry if my questions seem simplistic to you all, I am trying...

 

the link i sent you it goes through the proces in it read it and it will tell you .... i have never done it but im pretty sure you can whizzo maybe a better expert on it then me i just find ways and usually you mess up the bios theres no going back. in riva tuner you change how the computer sees it and then install the driver and it install the 9800 driver and acesses it like that

poof is played out its whoof now


wait whizzo the thread i sent is for a 3700 to a 8800 ..is that gonna make a difference?

 

for flashing the BIOS? shouldn't, no... of course, you'll need the 8800m-gtS BIOS.

 

Ok, I am going to read through the thread. I hopefully will be able to give you all my results by the same time tomorrow.

Last question before I go through with this...

For gaming, will flashing to a 8800m GTS give me increased performance than leaving it as a Quadro?

 

probably, yes. but don't expect wildly better results.

 

Cool. Not that it feels like it is suffering atm. I am only playing AOC on it currently. But everytime I do, my mind won't stop nagging me about what it would be like if it had the gaming gpu instead of the 3d/cad one! I am odd like that. I still may just wait to see what that ebay seller says about compatiblity of the GTX for sale rather then flashing it to the GTS

And on a side note, all day while you guys have been helping me out, I am looking at other systems to have a better gaming laptop! I was gonna make an offer on that sweet Whitebook that E-Wrecked has for sale...but now see that he prob has a buyer

hehe I have a sickness I tell ya!

Thanks again and I will post the outcome as soon as there is one.

 

well im pretty sure E hasnt sold it yet make a offer wont hurt and he has a awsome laptop


i dont think you have to flash it at all i could be wrong but just change the adresss in riva tuner like it said on there then when the driver installs it thinks its a 9800 gt (which it really is minus the throttleing )

 

Ha ! So I was kind of right, you need to flash the cards BIOs and not use different drivers.

If you manage this TRICH911, youll just have saved yourself a some cash. The GTS shouldnt be more than 5-10 % slower than the GTX

 

Ok, Here is what I have decided to do. I have been in contact with the seller of the card on ebay which is a 8800gtx. I am going to just buy that instead of flashing my current cards bios.

One of the main reasons I decided this is even if I successfully flash my Quadro card, I will only be able to get gtS, not gtX. Mortis mentions that the gtS is 5-10% slower than the gtX. So even if all goes well, I will still have that little nag in the back of my head wondering about gtX performance. I really feel as if I need to have the best for gaming

So now I need to start searching the proper install and loading drivers.

I again thank you all and for reassuring me that this will be my first stop in my new found hobby

 

whooooo congratx man. i hope the transition goes well ... sell that quadro or tinker with it and flash it ...ethier way ... but if you sell it youll get some nice money for it. not many busneiss people on here so the forum wont get much buttt ebay might.

if you want the best welllllll the core i7 laptop will be FTW

 

flash it and sell it as 8800M-GTS, more valuable that way.