PCI-E video cards in laptops

So yeah i just figured out what PCI was and i was wondering...and if i am correct i can put a video card into a express slot of a laptop...so anyways i assume that size of the video card does matter and so how can you tell if you can put a video card in a laptop? and what is the process of putting the video card in the express slot of a laptop?And i was planning on getting a dell but how can i tell if it has an extra express slot?it doesnt really say on the website.

 

ASUS made the XG station, maybe someday it gets released, but is the only way I've heard so far...

The express card is a interface to a pci-express x1 lane, and as so don't have a very high bandwidth(I still doubt that more than a x8 is really needed) so even when the x1 gets lauched I doubt it will have the same performance of a desktop card or an internal card

 

If you mean trying to fit a full sized desktop video card into the PCI express card slot in a laptop, it's impossible - Both for size, heat, and interface.

The Asus XG station suggested above would be the next best thing, as it essentially plugs into the expresscard slot of your laptop - but will probably be bandwidth hungry.

 

so how does alienware achieve SLI in laptops?and does any laptop come with a PCI-E slot?

 

It achieves through mxm, I think, but laptops with this interface are rare

 

okay...mxm?what is that?

 

MXM is a technology for modular graphics cards, for nVidia. For ATi, it's called Axiom. Both are very rare as manufacturers are reluctant to comply with the standards because, unlike barebone PCs, each notebook is designed, shaped and sized differently.

 

ok. laptop video cards are internal. they still have connection interfaces (mxm, pci express, etc)

but you cannot upgrade video cards in laptops. whatever is inside of it when you buy it is there to stay.

with many laptops, you can upgrade the cpu, ram, and hard drive.

but again- the notebook graphics card is not replaceable.

there ARE a few exceptions to replacing graphics cards, with a very few select brand names. however, even with these models, there is no guaruntee of future gpu's conforming to heat/energy/size constraints of the model you are working with, plus stand alone notebook gpu's are VERY hard to find and VERY VERY expensive.

 

More info on mxm here