Gateway 8510GZ

Possibly. The DVI port and the increased memory on the x700 would be the two things I'd like to have. With the 17" screen, I'm not hankering for an external monitor as much(I had planned on getting a 20" widescreen if I had purchased a 15.4" laptop as I originally intended). The 64MB of video memory is a bit limiting though. That's why I'm currently looking for a 6800Go(non-ultra) out of a Dell 9300 to slap in my 8510GZ. I should point out...even with my 64MB x700...I can play BF2 at lower resolutions with no issues and decent frame rates.

 

Out of the box I got:

3DMarks03: 1793
3DMarks05: 224

It came with a lot of trial ware that's probably plugging up the system.

Anybody tried an ATI® MOBILITY™ RADEON® X700 graphics, 256MB DDR ???

Will it work in this notebook?

Anybody found a good list of supported hardware?
Cheers,
J.

 

I don't know of anyone who's tried one...but I don't see why it wouldn't work? There shouldn't be any large cooling attachment/heat pipe that we'd have to be concerned about. Provided it's an MXM slot card, I think it would work.

However...I don't know that you'd see that much of an increase in speed in most games. You might be able to turn up some detail and bump the res a little...but not that much. So, I'd only consider it if it was really, really cheap.

Considering 6800Go's were selling for less than $100 on another notebook forum a while back, I'd only buy a 256MB x700 as a replacement if it was $40 or less. Otherwise...I'd just pay a little more and get a 256MB 6800Go(non-ultra).

 

Getting new video card drivers will really pump up this rig. I think that I got around 1800 on 3dmark05 at stock clock speeds. It also seems that this vid card overclocks nicely, so that is an option if your up to it.

Kev.

 

hi all,
does anyone know from where can I find the GeForce 6800 GO online. I want to replace my Ati 64mb x700 on my Gateway 8510 GZ tx

 

I don't believe you can change the video card in your laptop. Gateway customizes each notebook model for voltage draws and other small settings like that and if you put in a new video card it will screw all that up and your notebook will not function. Plus if I'm not mistaken I think the video card is soldered in anyway, so removing it would be very difficult, if not impossible.

Let me know if you are able to do this though, because it would be something I would consider myself.

 

On another thread people told me that they have done it with the ATI x700 128mb and that 6800 also fits the slot. So I guess if they can put the x700 128mb then the 6800 wouldnt be a problem. But you are right that it would be kinda difficult to put it since u need to "dig" deep in the hardware. I saew that when I was upgrading my ram.

 

No...you can replace the video card. It's an MXM slot. There's a thread on just this issue I've been involved in on notebookforums.com. Basically, you can swap in an ATI x700 128MB or a 256MB 6800Go. Not the Ultra version though, as it doesn't appear that the cooling solution will physically fit...but maybe someone can find a way aroudn this.

Some of us are buying them used off Dell 9300 owners, who upgrade to a 7800 or something. You can also find them on Ebay...but more commonly those seem to be 6800Go Ultras.

Getting to the video card isn't that difficult either. There was a link on this site to a review of the 8510GZ which showed pictures of it, and it was quite accessible.

 

Speaking of Best Buy and their "Super duper service plans"....

My 8510GZ laptop has been missing for over two and a half months and best buy has COULD NOT give me a shipping number. Every single time I call they always say they'll call back in 2-3 days with the information as to where or what happened to my laptop. They have NEVER called me back, even after I calling them every single day for over 2 months now...

So I called in to 1888 Best buy AGAIN. The lady calmly informed me that there's nothing they can do, they have no written document of what the maximum "repair" times could be (right, I guess eternity is more like it) and when I asked for a recording of the phone conversation she told me she couldn't do that and hung up on me.

Can someone please help me? I think I somehow need to take them to court. What should I do?!

 

truely messed up. I would try to contact Gateway as BB usually ships the laptop out to Gateway for repair. See if they have any records.

 

You need to write a letter to your state dept. of consumer affairs, and write a letter to:
ACTUAL EXECUTIVE RESPONSE TEAM ADDRESS

Executive Response Team
610 Gateway Drive
P. O. Box 2000
No. Sioux City, SD 57049

Maybe this will help. Please keep on posting your ordeal.

 

Hello guys,

Just wanted to throw a question out there...I have had this laptop since August and enjoy it alot. I just have one comment about the QSI DVD+-RW SDW-082. It normally takes 4-5 hours to burn a data dvd-r. Anyone else have this problem?

Thanks.

 

mine is really slow too, it seems to use 100% of the cpu to read/write any type of media, it can be a real drag..I am talking to gateway about it right now (via there supposrt email system) When i figure it out i will post back here.

 

Thanks for the quick reply...maybe i'll give Gateway a holler also. Strenght in numbers

 

after digin around online i figured out my problem.my problem was that the dvd drive would go into PIO mode which is programmed input output mode, very slow and hard on the cpu as it is constantly using interupts.

To check this go:
1: control panel
2: system
3: hardware
4: device manager
5: ide ata....

look in there for the channel that the dive is conected to, in my comp, its primary ide channel-> advanced settings and it will show which mode it is in.

if tbe seconde one (device 1) shows pio, then goto here and you will be shown how to fix it. Good luck.

Kev.

 

Thanks wobuscus...

Just tried it and works great.

 

I have gad the 8510 GZ for about 6 months. This is my 5th or 6th laptop in 10 years and by for the BEST. I have had Toshiba, HP. Battery life is exceptional (4hrs), low heat, love the LARGE 17" screen, wifi great, plenty of USB ports (4), fast, great DVD + Cd burner, great price and I just love the cool blue lights! I did bring the ram up 1gig.

 

great! we are glad to know that you are very satisfied with it. have you played any games on it?

 

Hi guys,

I am seriously considering buying this laptop as refurbished from tigerdirect.
Is this laptop made of the same materials used by the previous Gateways?
Is it better? Does this one have the hinge cracking problems?
Is the 17" screen too big? I mean too big to be carried around? I would
really like to carry this laptop in my backpack between school and home.
Shall I go for a 15.4"?

 

It's made out of the same materials as the M680 series. No hinge cracking problems that I'm aware of. It's not the same shell as the 15.4" models that had that problem...not even sure it's the same OEM.

The rest of your questions...those are entirely subjective. Is 17" too big? For some, yes, for others, no. Too big to be carried around? Maybe, maybe not. Go for a 15.4"? That's up to you. No one can answer those questions for you. It weighs about 8lbs. That's hefty, but not huge. I don't carry mine daily, just occasionally, and it doesn't bother me. If I was toting it from class to class...it might be a bit much. However...I wanted the larger screen. 15.4" isn't big enough for me and I didn't want a 2nd external LCD to use at home.

You'll need to evaluate this all yourself. I suggest going to some stores and looking at similar sized models to figure out what screen size you want. Try and find some that have similar weights and see if they'll let you hold them(Best Buys and such can unlock a demo for a moment so you can heft it and try it out).

 

Hmm, you are right, but Canada sucks in terms of tech stores.
Especially laptops. And even more if you ask them to unlock something for you.
This may require some time between 15 minutes and 2 hours.
I once saw an HP 17" in Futureshop. Can you believe that? A real 17" in futureshop Canada! But of course it was locked (I guess even soldered).

It seemed like it is too wide. Well staring at a 4:3 pc monitor for years
definitely creates some stereotypes for your receptors. But it didnt look heavy
or huge. It just seemed to have a messed up aspect ratio

 

For what it's worth Burkay, I wrestled between the 8510GZ and MX7515 for a couple of months before finally going with the MX7525. The screen on the 8510 is REALLY a nice feature, and it is not too bulky in my opinion. 4-hour battery life and upgradeable video card had me leaning toward the 8510, but the only unit I could find locally had a dead pixel and was "pre-owned" without being refurbished at BB. The final push for me was when the MX7525 hit the stores at $1,199 NEW vs. $1,149 for the "used" 8510. If you can get a full warranty and aren't worried about not having a 64-bit processor, I think you would otherwise be happy with the 8510.

FYI, the 7525 does get pretty hot on my lap and 2 hour battery life is kind of annoying, but...it flat kicks butt from a performance standpoint! Quick and very responsive to everything I have thrown at it to this point.

Hope I haven't added to your confusion.

 

Hi Matt,

Thanks for the comment. I am already confused about this so believe me
you can't add much to it
Right now I am adding Dell Inspiron 6000 to my options. They have a good
deal right now and I can get one for 1139 CAD before taxes.
wow, it is really difficult to buy a laptop !

 

Just take note of what video card is in that Dell. I think they 6000's come with an x300 by default. That's much lower than the x700 in the 8510GZ...by several steps. Gaming would be significantly slower on the x300 and overall less powerful for any other graphical demands.

You should fill out the FAQ in the What Should I Buy forum and get some suggestions there. The Gateway seems to be about $1000US at Tigerdirect. That's a little tight, but not an unreasonable budget, depending on what you want the laptop to do.

 

Ok, another question:

If I buy this 8510gz, as it is refurbished, it will have a warranty of 3 months.
Even during these 3 months it will be a mess for me to send it to gateway for
a fix, since I am in Canada.

So I am wondering what my options are if I wanna fix things myself. I know that I can replace the harddisk, memory modules and even the gpu (I wont
do that unless it is broken, though). I also saw on gateway's website that
you can replace the DVD writer.

What about the screen? Is it possible to buy a new screen? Does gateway
sell them? What if my sound chip dies? keyboard breaks, hinges crack?
Any chances to fix these problems at home by replacing the faulty hardware?

 

You are so lucky that the 8510gz is selling for 1154. I recall getting mine last august for 1600CAD.. that's like over 550 savings ind tax!

for screen repairs you can DIY at http://www.screentekinc.com/index.shtml
for sound chip you can get external SB Aud 2, no repairs though
for Keyboard break you need to ask gateway or also, USB Keyboard.
for hinges crack there's gateway (although its in costly option)

so far the 8510 showed no problems for me in the past 7 months. One reason I choose the 8510 is also due to the amount of componest that can be self services, the laptop has a large panel underneath that once open can let you access most of the stuff that's allowable for a laptop to swap conponents. I think asking for the sound card and hinges is going a bit too far in terms of DIY... how do you fix a onbard soundcard on a desktop?

 

If you're concerned about warranty...then this isn't the option for you. None of those parts are cheap to replace. A screen alone will easily cost you $400-$600. Other components...at least $100.

Frankly...odds are it will be fine...but if it makes you nervous...perhaps consider continuing your search.

 

IS the graphics card on the MX8523 upgradeable too? It also has a 64mb X700.

 

Don't know...haven't seen the inside of it. However...assuming it's just another variant on the M680 series, like the 8510GZ...it'd make sense that they'd keep using the same motherboard layout/config to fit that shell...so probably. Especially since the 8500 series all share one internal view page on Gateway's support site.

Need to get someone who has one to unscrew that big bottom cover and just look. The card is right there.

 

I think it is. It has the same lid on the bottom that covers the GPU, CPU, and RAM. So, if this is right I could get a 6800 Go and replace the X700?

 

If you go to the support page for the computer on gateways website one of the FAQ is on how to install RAM. The last time I checked (I was looking at getting it at one time myself) I believe that it had pictures of the bottom with the cover off.

 

Thanks!


There it is. You can see the GPU and it looks the same as the M680 series. I guess this means it's upgradeable too?

 

Did you read my post? That picture is for the whole 8500 series...but it relates to upgrading the memory and such. It doesn't specify what video configuration is there. I'd assume it's the same...but I'd look at it myself first before saying that with certainty.

Also...if you're gonna buy it with the idea of upgrading it...source an available part first. Those 6800's aren't easily available. I tried to buy one and the one guy who was selling them didn't have any and told me he didn't know if he'd ever get any more.

 

Oh, my bad...

I might upgrade it and I might not. A 64mb X700 is fine more most games though, so I'll be ok if I can't find an upgrade part.

 

You're welcome.

 

Hey its been a while...wondering if some can answer a quick question about this laptop. I cant seem to get the primary and secondary display to switch. or get the secondary display to mirror primary. only extend desktop will work. is there someway around this? many thanks.

*got it to switch but not at eaches native display resolution (ie. 21" is at 1440x900 instead of the 1680x1050)

Still loving this after 11 months and the FPD2185W monitor after 9 months

GWayOwner

 

I am looking to buy a docking station for my laptop - I would like one that fits right into the bottom connector.

Can anybody help..

I need it for the speaker/headphone output - I broke mine (like the idiot I am sometimes)..

Thanks