M17X, How difficult to swap GPUs?

I'm contemplating getting the M17X but want to save money getting the expensive parts such as processor, RAM and HDDs from another website. I want to get two 640GB HDDs from newegg or whereever. Maybe a 7200rpm 500GB and a 640. But the bottom line is how difficult is it to replace the graphics cards if I get the laptop with a single graphics card? What other parts am I going to need and what about software and drivers? I want to replace it with ATI CrossFireX™ – Dual 1GB ATI Radeon™ Mobility HD 4870. I'm I going to run into problems? Thanks for any advice. I'm also planning on dropping the QX9300 Quad into it and possibly the 8GB DD3 1333MHz. Trying to save a few bucks.

Also I was reading a lot about how ATI promised dell GDDR5 cards and changed and gave dell GDD3 cards. What is the final verdict on this? Also where would I be able to pick up these cards for the laptop? I'm assuming the wouldn't work in a desktop and don't want to end up with the wrong cards. Are the Dual 4870s that much better then the dual GTX 280M?

 

It's cheaper to get the GPU upgrade up front versus buying it afterward.
Memory, hard disk and proc can be purchased cheaper third party.

The ATI cards are only better because the driver support up to this point has been better and yes they are GDDR3.

If you do want to replace the GPUs there is a video in here somewhere on how to do it. Just do a search.

 

You should definitely buy the best GPUs from start since its proving awfully expensive to upgrade them later on.

Save some money on the RAM and perhaps hard drives, they are very easy to replace. Also in terms of CPU you can buy a cheaper one to start with and upgrade later on to the qx9300 (OEM or ES).

In relation to the comparison between cards its a pretty difficult question to answer and there are plenty of threads open. It seems that everyone agrees that they deliver similar performance, so I think its a matter of heart and price.

Hope it helps

Oh and btw, they wouldn't work on a desktop and the ATIs are gddr3 (same with nvidia).

 

nah get the 4870 trust me. then if you don't like it.(look in sig)

 

It's borderline impossible to get high end laptop GPUs like that externally, even harder to get the right one for your laptop.

 

Get the ATI's. If you want to get a good processor for use and feel like upgrading in a years time, go for the T9600. 4GB of ram MAX. Get the 160gb hard disk if you can.

 

I am still not sure why everyone is saying the ATI's are superior cards, nothing I have read shows vast difference between the 2 performance wise, ATI outperforms in some instances, geforce in others. It really seems like an even heat from all of my reading... both have pros and cons, but none really outshines the other in overwhelming fashion with the ATI's having DD3 memory...

PS: I am not a fanboy either way, I have had both good and bad experiences with both ATI and Nvidia on my desktop machines over the years. I'll go where the value and performance i am looking for takes me, but nothing about the DDR3 ATI cards makes me want to drop it all and switch over from the 280's or lean one way or the other really And last time I checked, the ATI's were 100 dollars canadian more than the 280's for on par performance? Granted that was a little while back so it may have changed by now.

 

Not switch over like I did but if you were buying new I would say ATI, again because of driver support.