Asus G50VT Upgrades, Please Help!

Hi everyone, I am new to the forums but I have been using tips that I've seen here for quite some time. I am currently using an Asus G50VT. I haven't changed a single piece of hardware since I bought it last month.

So here's the deal, a few months ago I decided that I was going to buy a gaming laptop so that I could run a few games at high res. Originally it was just to run StarCraft II on ultra and whatnot but I've recently started to broaden my horizons and use it for games like L4D2, Oblivion, and Fallout 3. However, I've noticed that when I play games like Fallout, I can't run them on the highest settings like I'd hoped for. I would eventually like to play very demanding games like Mass Effect 2, New Vegas, and The Old Republic when it finally comes out.

My question to you is this: What do I need to upgrade in order to run these games at their highest level? And I also need to know how much it would cost and how to go about upgrading these things.

Please keep in mind that I have never disassembled a laptop or replaced any sort of notebook hardware.

Thank you all in advance!

 

You might be want to list the exact specifications of your G50VT.
Graphics card wise I believe the G50VT uses an asus specific reverse mxm II 2.1 connector. The best card ever produced for this socket that ought to work is the GTX 260M. A decent step up from your probable 9800M GS.

You can probably also jam more ram in too which would help a bit. What CPU do you have? Depending on whether or not it is soldered to the motherboard of not that would be upgradeable too.

These 3 components are what will boost performance in games..

Also I wish to add that even in top spec some games will be beyond the G50VT when played with max settings and resolution as even the fastest laptops out there struggle with some titles.

 

You can upgrade to a 260m from a G51 or G60 ONLY (a G71/G72 version WILL NOT FIT). You lose fan control and HDMI audio but it does work well for games. See below.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus-gaming-notebook-forum/446885-asus-g50-260m-swap-procedure.html

The CPU isn't soldered to the motherboard and you can upgrade it to one of a few good options. Both threads are a good read.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...vx-rx05-cpu-upgrade-question.html#post7029357
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus-gaming-notebook-forum/550790-g51vx-new-cpu-again.html

As King of Interns said this is a higher-end laptop from yesteryear, you'll find most games are playable on medium settings now at least.

Hope this helps! Welcome to NBR!

 

I upgraded my G50VT to the highest components (see my sig) and although the cost almost makes replacement a better option, it does extend the life a bit. The 260m is a fairly powerful card, but it's still pretty old. The games you've listed are not particularly demanding though and should run fine even with your stock hardware if you overclock the CPU and GPU you have. See the threads on those topics for more info (use forum index and find that model).

 

Hey out of curiosity what X9100 did you upgrade to? SLGE7 or SLB48?

 

Mine is an SLG, aren't the SLBs OEM parts that you normally only get through original laptop manufacturer (were I mean, past tense)? I'm pretty sure I was only seeing the SLG chips on eBay when I was shopping.

EDIT: BTW, if you read the posts that dtd00d linked, you'll notice that the G50 chassis runs a bit toasty with the x9100 and the 260m. The only way to hit speeds like I'm running is by upgrading your fan to a g60 one (also a great time to rig a fan controller as you'll find your fan goes 100% constantly after installing the 260m). I also run mine with an external cooler and I manage to stay in the high 70s/low 80s even with GPU, GPU and RAM all OC'd.

Once again though, not worth the effort unless you get the upgrades really cheap. I just put all that e into my G50 a couple months ago and it's only about on par with the K53TA I just bought for $450. For games that support DX11 the K53 destroys the G50VT, only in DX9 games does it still hold it's own.