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    MXM Graphics Modules ...

    Discussion in 'Gaming (Software and Graphics Cards)' started by boyciejunior, Apr 2, 2008.

  1. boyciejunior

    boyciejunior Notebook Geek

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    Are MXM Gfx modules being phased out? I see hardly any new notebooks sporting them, and to be honest it seems such a good idea as many people complain about not being able to upgrade gfx cards , eg in dells. I thought this would have been widely adopted especially by Nvidia and ATI so that they could produce these modules for shops etc. They seem very rare now and ones like X700 , x1400, x1800XT regularly reach over £100 sterling. Why are they being abadoned... is it a speed issue?

    All Comments Are Welcomed =)
     
    boyciejunior, Apr 2, 2008
    #1
  2. Lithus

    Lithus NBR Janitor

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    What? MXM is as popular as ever (not very).
     
    Lithus, Apr 2, 2008
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  3. JCMS

    JCMS Notebook Prophet

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    Well, they are very popular in high end notebooks.

    The problem is the cooling design imo, we would need an universal one.
     
    JCMS, Apr 2, 2008
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  4. redrazor11

    redrazor11 Formerly waterwizard11

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    If they were as universal as, lets say, batteries. They'd catch on fast. Problem is, not everybody wants to conform their laptop design, because design has a good place in the market. So, its fashon over function for now. An MXM style card would be extremely acceptable, and easily installed, if people would just accept carrying around laptops the size of an astro-physics text book :p
     
    redrazor11, Apr 2, 2008
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  5. TheGreatGrapeApe

    TheGreatGrapeApe Notebook Evangelist

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    Biggest problem is the laptop sellers themselves. They do everything they can to get you to spend that money on another one of their laptops not on upgrading.

    Even if it is a standard MXM1/2/3 slot often you seen ODM/OEMs changing them or the housing slightly so it only fits their solution. Toshiba did that with their MXM boards/screw placement, but left the interface the same. Still means only a Toshiba card for a Toshiba PC, and at the 'Toshiba price' (if they'll even sell it to you) which means you might as well buy a new laptop.

    They love them for the swapability of ever updating production lines, and the quick ability to service them, but they definitely don't want to make it easy for you to keep your laptop longer instead of buying another one filled with bloatware and other useless items (like your 6th 256/512MB memory stick and 3rd copy of Windows).

    Another thing is that many of the IHVs have made the non-MXM replacement parts pin compatible, where the HD2600 can sit in the same socket as the X1600 which could fit in the same socket at the X700 (not usually a socket usually surface mount but same idea). So for the production line, you could keep that old mobo again for this year, and simply update the CPUs and the GPUs in their feeders and the stickers in their respective feeders for the front, and voila 'new laptop' without MXM concerns.
     
    TheGreatGrapeApe, Apr 2, 2008
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