Does MXM 3.0 Mean My GPU Will Be Upgradeable?

I am buying the Sager N9280 when it comes out. It will have a MXM 3.0 GPU. Does this mean I can upgrade the 280M when the 300M or 400M series roll out?

If so, where can I buy the Nvidia GPU? I was aware that the industry does not want consumers to buy mobile GPUs seperately as this will take away from laptop sales.

 

MXM 3.0 is the latest mobile module for videocards.... no doubt its the most futureproof for upgrading.

as for purchasing these videocard modules... you will usually have to contact a vendor that sells a notebook support the particular card.

some sites like www.rjtech.com will sell it separately, as well as post it on their site... while most other vendors will not post it on their sites and require you to contact them for a custom order.

 

Yes hopefully, the new GPU's are supposed to use MXM 3.0 so it should mean that the 9280 will be able to house the newer GPU's... But I would never get your hopes up too much, Laptops hardware changes more often then the direction of the wind.... (But I really really hope so, cuz I'm getting the 9280)

 

yes it does ( i made it simple )

 

But nobody is answering the question: say in 2 years the 400M series is out. WHERE will I buy a 400M GPU? I thought Nvidia DOES NOT sell individual GPUs.

THEN, IF NOT, what GOOD is it at all?

 

Through the original laptop seller like Gophn said, you would be able to buy it directly through sager or another reseller

 

i did answer your question... read the response again.

 

many Clevo owners have bought new videocard modules either through their own vendors or another... then change it out themselves.

been like this for years.

... even I am interested in upgrading my own 7800GTX (Clevo module, not MXM ) to a 7950GTX or a Quadro 2500M.

..... but the cost of a new card is pretty pricey, so I probably wont do it since the performance gain is not much.... wish I had an MXM-IV slot.

 

lol I didn't answer that part because Gophn already did, with way better sentence structure then me

 

So you are all saying this: say in 2 years or less the 480M Nvidia GPU is out. I have the ability then to swap out my 280M in the 9820 with the 480M? And I can buy the 480M GPU directly from Sager or another vendor, for around $600 probably?

Is that what I can probably do?

 

I would assume so, but I think they might change the GPU slot in 2 years.... we'll be on the Direct x11 by then and I don't know if it will require a new gpu set or not

 

that is pretty much the idea.... granted that Nvidia does not decide to shift the MXM standard again.

... but they shouldn't for a while since the MXM-III/IV slot lived for about 3 years.

 

Does Sager and other dealers actually sell GPUs? Does anbody know anyone who knows that Sager or others sell the latest GPUs? For example, are they selling the 9800M GTX and the GTX 280M GPUs right now?

 

ughh your reallllly planning for the future

yes they sell the GPU's

eurocom
rjtech
etc

read the clevo guide

 

Yes you have to contact them, I know a few people who install their own notebook cards

 

nessesary but not sufficient.

 

yes they are.

 

outstanding!
I'm really happy, because while I am going to pluck down over 3K for the 9820 (which is gonna be a rockin' laptop) ...I don't want to have to buy a whole new laptop to enjoy the 300M series.

Now, if what I am being told by you all is correct, I can just buy the upcoming 300M GPU from Sager and install in onto the MXM port!

Excellent

 

should be ....although unless nvidia looses their mind and uses mxm4

 

BUT I HAVE TO PUT IN A REBUTTAL HERE:
"Do not, and I repeat (with heavy emphasis), DO NOT, assume that ANY GPU that is not currently in existence (I am specifically referring to any so-called "upcoming GPU") will be at all compatible with, or will otherwise fit into, the NP9280 or any other MXM-equipped notebook, whether a Clevo system or some other ODM/OEM system.

To put it bluntly, the fact that the 9280 has an MXM-compliant motherboard/GPU does not mean you can upgrade the GPU; it merely means that you, the end-user, can swap a burned GPU out for a replacement version of the exact same make and model of GPU."

This was written by Shyster1 today, and was confirmed by another user.

So what is the truth? Is the MXM 3.0 just for replacing the SAME GPU or able to upgrade in the future to NEW GPUs?

 

Wouldn't surprise me if they did though lol

 

well

it will fit but unless the BIOS supports it, it will not work.

to answer your question you can upgrade and replace but only upgrade to what is supported in your BIOS

 

AMAGAD...

MXM 3.0 is just the slot... IF clevo release the 300M's series with the same slot and make it compatible (what was NOT happened with the D900C & GTX280M but was with another model) you can upgrade...

You don't have ANY guarantee about being able to upgrade and thats it.

 

this has always been the argument when a new videocard modular design came out.

when MXM-IV came out with the Clevo D901C (Sager 926x), it only came with the choice of 7950GTX.

then the 8700M GT came out for it.
Nvidia did a slight modification for the 8800M GTX (although those that didnt have the revised motherboards still installed it with no issues).

people started to really shut up when the MXM-IV (2.x) got:
- Quadro 3600M
- 9800M GTS
- 9800M GT (same as 8800M GTX as it turned out)
- 9800M GTX
- Quadro 2700M
- Quadro 3700M
- GTX 260M
- GTX 280M

There you have it, a new slot would definitely have more upgrades... so I would not worry too much about it.

I have been in this high-end notebook gaming world since the beginning when the first 256-bit videocards (Nvidia 6800 and ATI X800) were available for notebooks.
.... thats why I feel confident about these predictions... history just seems to repeat itself.

 

MXM = Confusing Business.
At least Sager/Clevo resellers can provide MXM cards - Acer is much less compliant to our upgrading desires.

 

Sorry, to dig it up again, but I got a few questions:

There was news about a new MXM 3.0 (not MXM III) standard in june/july here.

This standard contains only Type A and B, and is meant to replace any other MXM I,II,III,IV,HE modules. The new modules will also be completely incompatible to any current mainboard having this type of connection.
Did I understand this correctly?

This would mean all Notebooks & Barebones (Clevo etc.) which have a mainboard using MXM modules like 9800m or gtx 260m would also be "outdated" in matters of being upgradeable, because their mainboards are not compatible to the new MXM 3.0 anymore. Is this correct?

Are there GPUs/Notebooks out yet, supporting and using the MXM 3.0 standard?

 

Clevo D900F (Sager NP9280), Clevo M980NU (Sager NP9850), and the M17X are the only available notebooks with this standard.

 

What about the m860tu? There are some models with a 260m GPU. Notebookcheck claims that the 260m is MXM 3.0 Type B.
I thought though the m860tu has a MXM IV board... so how can this work? Or is it typo in NBC?

 

Both the 280 and 260M have 2.1 and 3.0 variants, depending on the notebook. The M86's is a 2.1 board.

 

Oh thx, that cleared it up