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    External Graphics Cards Available?

    Discussion in 'Gaming (Software and Graphics Cards)' started by Gaming Nincompoop, Jul 2, 2011.

  1. Gaming Nincompoop

    Gaming Nincompoop Newbie

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    I'm in a bit of a pickle right now. I have an Alienware Area-51 and lost my Nvidia 8700 GO video cards. The only video cards available are refurbs, that are unreliable at best. I tried the "oven baking" trick and don't want to buy another card that someone has baked and might be a temp fix. Anyway, I've decided on the external card idea. I have a $4000 boat anchor so if it takes $600 - 750 to get it back up, then so be it.

    I need everyones help on a possible work-a-round. Here are some of the questions I have. . .

    * Which outfit would you suggest...ASUS, ATI, Nvidia, ...?
    and why?
    * Will I have the bad video cards still in the laptop or should I remove them?
    * I will be plugging it in the PCIe port and run a USB cable back to the laptop?
    right?
    * I would like to continue the SLI or Crossfire configuration...
    Which outfits support this?

    If someone has an outfit already, can you give me heads up on issues you've run into? Any info will be appreciated. Thanks.
     
    Gaming Nincompoop, Jul 2, 2011
    #1
  2. Yiddo

    Yiddo Believe, Achieve, Receive

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    Hmmm. Why spend all that money to keep the Area 51 working? wow $4000 did it really cost that much?!

    Flog it on ebay and get yourself an M18x xfire setup.
     
    Yiddo, Jul 2, 2011
    #2
  3. saturnotaku

    saturnotaku Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    More like a $400 boat anchor.

    If you're willing to spend $700 to try and fix this machine (which I'm fairly certain won't work), you can spend a little bit more and buy refurbished M15x or M17x which would absolutely blow the doors off of what you have.
     
    saturnotaku, Jul 2, 2011
    #3
  4. Meaker@Sager

    Meaker@Sager Company Representative

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    Pentium 4 would bottleneck a Radeon 5650 mobile so I don't see much point.

    Spend the $750 on a new lappy.
     
    Meaker@Sager, Jul 2, 2011
    #4
  5. rschauby

    rschauby Superfluously Redundant

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    Cut your losses and sell the thing for $2k!!!
     
    rschauby, Jul 2, 2011
    #5
  6. saturnotaku

    saturnotaku Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    The dead machine would also be worth a little bit as a parts computer. Put it on eBay, advertising it as a non-runner, and he could probably get another $100 or so.
     
    saturnotaku, Jul 2, 2011
    #6
  7. key001

    key001 Notebook Evangelist

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    it might not boot with dead onboard gpus.
     
    key001, Jul 3, 2011
    #7