Upgrading M15x CPU and GPU

I am thinking of buying a M15x (love the case and lights) but I do not have a large enough budget for the 8800GTX at the moment and would like to upgrade to this in the future. I have look over the next and these forums for a couple of hours and it seems as though it is possible. Anyone else thinking of doing this and IS it possible? I know that upgrading the CPU will be reliability easy (I have changed them before in over laptops but I have not seen the 8800GTX for sale on the net anywhere. Any advice or thoughts?

 

I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a video card on the net that would fit the form factor and the requirements for the GPU Cooler in the system without it being custom tailored for the system.

CPU there's a good likelihood, especially if you get one of the low-end chips and upgrade to... say the T9500 later.

just about everyone has replaced RAM in their systems, so that's O.K. too.

 

You could also just send it back to Alienware pay for the upgrade and have them install it for you...

 

what is your budget?

to keep costs down, i suggest waiting for the fully customizable configuration options which may be in the near future.

b/c of their website screw up, i was able to order my config w/ 1 gig ram, 2.2 ghz merom chip 160gig hd and 1440x900 screen for $2200.

I suggest the lowest requirement options available for everything EXCEPT the 8800gtx. go w/ the lowest level cpu, HD (160 gig), ram, etc. and see if that works for you.

Also, Visa covers warranty for a year after the manufacturers warranty expires, so you may want to do that rather than the $300 extended warranty.

 

if you do plan on upgrading to 8800 in the future i recommend you save up until you have the budget to buy the 8800. if u plan on upgrading i think you still have to pay the full amount of the 8800 and shipping. It would also take away some time you could be using your m15x. basically i would just save up so i dont have to pay an extra 30 dollars for shipping and waiting 2 weeks for the laptop to come back.

the only place i can think of buying the 8800 is ebay but then again as Mystik said the 8600's heatsink is probably different than the 8800's so u cant really buy it from ebay.

 

just remember that upgrading your CPU or your GPU yourself will void your warranty.

 

I have decided to opt of paying the extra and getting a 8800 GTX straight off and the T9300 and 200 gig 7200 HDD, the extra money is worth not having to upgrading later. Could get more for my money if I buy another make but I love the look of this laptop plus I want a 15in screen. Now just have to wait for my refund off Dell on a XPS 1530 (The 1680x1000 screen was rubbish).

Just hope I don't need to use alienware customer services or have a problem with my case cracking!

Now I just have to wait a month to get new laptop, can't wait!!!!!!

 

Dichdude... Me too had a M1530 and sent it back because of the screen! That was really the only "real" problem with the laptop (besides the vastly talked "shocks" and tingling, headphone jacks with hissing, etc...)! So, I got a FULL refund (including transport charges) and they treated me like a proper client (At some point I had 2 laptops at home, because I asked them not to have to send my 1st laptop back before I received the replacement). With the M15X you'll be lucky if they will give you a full refund and, don't even think about transport expenses being covered by them... Receiving and sending it to them will come out of your pocket! Great costumer service... at least you get a flash alien head!

When I sent the M1530 back, the only thing I had in my mind was the M15x... Well, you should think carefully about it! The problems it has with the 8800 GTX are really worrying (more than a grainy screen), since it downclocks a lot... So, the real big reason for this laptop to exist... having the most powerful laptop GPU in the world (or so they say)... it's actually a fraud and false publicity! The GPU downclocks constantly and the only thing they do to try and "silence" and ease the oppinion of people, is to come up with fake solutions, solutions full of nothing! "What the hell we are going to do!? ... hmmmm... just turn the fans up to make more noise! It goes well with the flashy lights!"
Word of advise... Wait for a bit longer to see what happens with the GPU and whether they are really going to work on solving this issue! Don't get deceived by the looks, publicity or what you might have read in flashy neon lights! Look for what users are saying... and it's quite obvious! There WASN'T any solution for a real and severe GPU problem!

 

First off thinks for your words of advice....Noted .

The problems with the 8800 was part of the reason I wanted to buy this unit with a lover GPU and then upgrade ot at a later date once the problems had been ironed out (as well as cost).

I was looking at the Novatech X80r pro unit (uk) but even though you get more bang for you buck it is a 17in laptop and as I need to transport this unit around I wanted a 15in (even though I know the alienware unit is a BIG 15in).

Alienware being bought out by Dell was also a concern as the customer support I have been given on my 1530 was shocking to say to the least and I was lied to on a daily basis (which is why I went ballistic on the phone to them in the end and they offerd to collect the unit and give me a FULL refund). The one thing I don't understand is why no review I have seen on this unit warns about the 1680 x 1000 Samsung screen problems (I'm pointing a finger at you notebook review!!!!) as I am sure Dell would stop using the screen if they did!

On a last note I thought the new Bios stopped the over heating problems and am I the only person who is not buying this computer not to try and run Crysis on High Detail, it can't, neither can many PC's from what I gather.

I will not be able to order an Alienware unit for about a week so it still gives me time to read more through these froums and weigh up the pros and cons about my purchase, so please everyone that has recieved there M15x laptop keep posting (good and bad) and keep me informed of what they think.

Thanks,

Dichdude

 

Dichdude... Just one last opinion! If you are not buying this laptop for gaming... I think you would be much better of with other laptops! But... that's just me!
One thing for sure, in terms of design and conception (appart from all the lights and flashy things that do not do much), the M1530 is a winner and it looks great! Right now, I will wait a couple of weeks more and if they don't solve the issue with the GPU I will get a M1530 again, with the 1440x900.

 

Micls,

I am just sening back a Dell M1530 for having a poor screen, so I don't think I will be getting another one of those (I have heard some of the 1440x900 screens are rubbish as well!)

Although I did not intend to be using any laptop I was going to purchase for gaming after looking at the speeds you can now get in laptops I will buy just a laptop instead of buying a gaming PC as well.

Now if the M1530 had a LCD backlit screen I might think of getting another one (if they do before I get my refund back I will have a hard choise to make).
I wish you luck in whatever laptop you buy and still can't belive that the ammount of money either of us are spending and it seems to come down to a lottery if you get a good unit or bad......

 

This is more of an issue for large manufactures which use more than one supplier for the parts. In this regard AW is safe because they tend to stick to one supplier for each part so all the screens should be the same quality (in terms of brightness etc). At dell I know some time ago they were using LG and Phillips for LCD suppliers and everyone that was getting a LG was amazed at the screen quality and everyone with Phillips were... WTF? .