Studio 17", bunch of noob questions

I'm looking to buy a pre-set low end Studio 17 (with RGBLED screen and 9-cell battery + a few others) and upgrade the CPU and GPU separately. I don't care about a warrantee as I fix 100% of my computer myself. (I'll let it run for a few days to make sure it works before I void my hopes of getting a good replacement - not that it will be much of an issue.)

What kind of discrete graphics cards does Dell use now in the Studio 17" models? MXM? Any idea which MXM it is? Or are they still using proprietary chips?

(Noobie question) Does it matter if it is AMD or NVidia graphics?

Do you think I have any hope of getting a mobile HD4860 aftermarket any time soon? Basically, what kind of GPU will it be upgradeable to?

 

I think you would be better off with a barebone MSI

 

As far as I know, Dell don't use any form of MXM and never have done so you're out of luck in that respect

 

Thanks. I am just starting to think about it and came up with an idea to get a dell first, but you are probably right about the MSI idea.

Yea, I was hoping to avoid dell's proprietary technology, but I guess they still haven't learned in that respect.

 

The Studio 17 only has two graphics options, the integrated Intel graphics, or the ATi Mobility Radeon HD3650, which is soldered to the motherboard. You cannot replace the graphics unless you replace the whole motherboard, and even if you do, those are your only options.

Luckily, the processor is much easier to replace, and you can use pretty much any Intel Socket P Core 2 Duo, depending on which chipset you have.

 

Anyone know if I bought a Studio 17" if I could possibly get a 1735 or am I guaranteed to get a 1737?

 

You're most likely to get a 1737 if you buy new. One sure way to check is to look at your processor option and see what the FSB frequency is. If it's 667MHz or 800MHz, then it's probably a 1735. If it's 1066MHz, then it's definitely a newer Penryn processor, and it will be on the PM45 chipset, meaning it's a 1737.

Another, more certain way to check, is to see the memory frequency. The 1735, since it uses the older PM/GM965 chipset, will have a RAM speed of 667MHz. The 1737 will have RAM at 800MHz because of the newer PM/GM45 chipset.