G73JH: Swapping out the GPU?

Please don't respond with the knee-jerk reaction, "No, you can't swap out mobile GPUs" unless you know the answer to this question FOR SURE, because I know for a fact that some mobile GPUs can be upgraded, since I did it myself a few years back, when I had my Dell e1505...

Okay, can the ATI 5870m inside the G73JH be swapped out with any other mobile GPU on the market (most likely, one of the newer GPUs installed in the G7x model line)?

I realize that for this to work, one of these newer GPUs would have to be pretty much the exact size and shape, and they would probably have to draw the same voltage and put out the same amount of heat, unless the person is willing to upgrade even more components of the laptop, like the power supply, fans, etc... (At which point it would probably approach the point of being more cost-effective to just sell the old G73JH and buy a newer model).

Thanks!

 

Someone tried 6970M but both tentatives finished with the card RMA on idle

 

Well, there is a third attempt with a Dell 6970M that's yet to be declared a failure or not.

 

Cool, sounds good... Anyone got a link to this thread, or let me know where to track the progress of the Dell 6970m?

Thanks!

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus-gaming-notebook-forum/584295-upgrade-g73-jh-6970-a.html Tijo attempt is near the back 20ish pages the most recent which worked before failing.

In response to your original post the heat/power/voltage is not the same they draw different amounts and the 6970 is 75-100watt the 5870 50 watt so it will run hotter. There is still something that is causing the card to die when putting it in the JH and as yet has not been discovered.

 

Okay, yeah I totally understand the power and heat issue... I hope the community figures out a way! Only have about 9 months left on my 2-year accidental and repair warranty, but I doubt Asus is replacing units with the newer G7x line yet; I'm sure they'll still be replacing either the entire G73JH unit or its OEM parts for awhile (as opposed to getting a newer unit/parts as a warranty replacement)...

 

Im just happy sticking with the 5870M to be honest it still performs with the other cards Asus are releasing and this should do me until 2012 when I will think about picking up a new model with 6990's in it once the 7 series is on the market they should be well priced!

XM cpu + an SSD are two upgrades that will make the JH faster and they both come for the same price as a 6970M.

 

Yeah, that's good advice for two non-GPU upgrades. My thing is just a little different than a lot of enthusiasts; when I buy a laptop, I have to try to make it last (and keep it from becoming "obsolete") for at least 3 or 4 years...

I think I squeezed about 5 or 6 years out of my old Dell e1505. But especially with my G73JH, and because it was so expensive, I want to do whatever I can to keep it "viable" for another 3 or 4 years down the line...

And you're right; the 5870m is a good card, and so far I only notice performance issues on max resolution with newer games, especially if I'm trying to use AA and decent shadowing. I guess I'm kinda just planning for the future, trying to figure out what replacements will be viable down the road, and the best way to utilize my warranty before it's up.

Cheers!

 

It is a good card considering it was introduced into the JH in Jan 2010 and it still compretes with the newer Nvidia models.

The 6 series ATI and 5 series Nvidia are going into new levels of power though for instance 100gb/s + Bandwidth so you might as well hold on a bit because soon enough mobile cards will be chasing Desktop cards so your next upgrade should handle things for a good couple of years.

The 920XM and SSD upgrade will prolong its lifespan im deciding on an SSD atm.