The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    8600M GT...Upgradable?

    Discussion in 'Gaming (Software and Graphics Cards)' started by bestbuyer, Jul 18, 2007.

  1. bestbuyer

    bestbuyer Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    7
    Messages:
    148
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    HI! I am buying a new Dell 1720 and I was wondering if the 256MB 8600GT is upgradeable because I'm gonna be using this for around 3 years? :confused:
     
  2. Gophn

    Gophn NBR Resident Assistant

    Reputations:
    4,843
    Messages:
    15,707
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    456
    if you open up the bottom of the notebook to see if the GPU is a module or soldered onto the board, then you will know.

    Less than 1% of notebooks have the ability to upgrade the videocards.

    The new notebooks with confirmed MXM videocards:
    - Clevo D900C (MXM-IV... HE)
    - Clevo M570RU (MXM-IV... HE)
    - Asus C90S (MXM-II)
     
  3. Mark

    Mark Desktop Debugger

    Reputations:
    1,288
    Messages:
    4,172
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    105
    Since it is a Dell, there is a potential that it would be upgradeable. However, the cost of the card may or may not be worth it to you. If you can, I would wait for a couple of months. I would imagine given time, that the 8700/8800 series cards will make it into the 1720. While on the subject, has anyone heard anything official about that?
     
  4. ahl395

    ahl395 Ahlball

    Reputations:
    3,867
    Messages:
    8,218
    Likes Received:
    72
    Trophy Points:
    216
    I'm not sure, i would guess not, but I'd contact dell and ask them. Hope this helped.
     
  5. jujube

    jujube Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    181
    Messages:
    1,072
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Like Imark84 said, you have a chance that it will be but you'll be taking a risk if Dell decides to have an 87/8800 series card but built on a different config internally on the MOBO then you're out of luck
     
  6. bestbuyer

    bestbuyer Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    7
    Messages:
    148
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    um what is MXM?
     
  7. Gophn

    Gophn NBR Resident Assistant

    Reputations:
    4,843
    Messages:
    15,707
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    456
  8. jujube

    jujube Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    181
    Messages:
    1,072
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
  9. hmmmmm

    hmmmmm Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    633
    Messages:
    1,203
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    you won't be able to upgrade to the 8700 or 8800

    both those cards are MXM3

    8600gt is MXM 2

    so EVEN IF dell uses the normal mxm (i think they have their own specialized) and IF its not soldered on, it still won't work cause MXM2 can't provide enough power