Can you add a graphics card to a laptop with an integrated card?

Hi guys. I was just wondering if it was possible to add a graphics card to a laptop with integrated graphics? If so, where could you buy a laptop graphics card? Cause newegg says that their graphics cards are "desktop graphic cards". Thanks for reading!

 

It depends on your laptop. 90% of the time (on NBR; 99.9999% of the time elsewhere), it's impossible.

Which laptop are you thinking of?

 

Okay... So does anyone know any laptops that you can do this on? (PS: Thanks for replying jeremy )

 

depends on your laptop, I assume you want a dedicated card for gaming etc and not a USB one for extra displays. if that is the case you can but ONLY for an external monitor. search the forums for DIY Vidock, or google vidock for the commercial product.

laptops from Clevo, some of the older Acer units, some ASUS and Alienwares do suport MXM type video cards and can be upgraded

 

m17x r1, I think Likely some ASUS, but that's all I know.

Basically, any laptop with a nforce chipset (for the IGP) and a MXM slot (for the dedicated GPU).

You might be able to fine a laptop with an Intel or AMD IGP, that also supports a MXM slot, but those laptops normally don't wire the IGP to any outputs (i.e. m17x r2).


BTW, Newegg doesn't sell MXM form factor GPU. Strangely enough, via the spare parts hotline, Dell does...

 

Mmkay... I do want it for gaming. So I HAVE to buy a moniter to have the expansion? Can you buy a USB card for gaming?

 

USB card for gaming = no no (right now).

 

Alright. I dont think I'm buying a M17x cuz then I wouldnt be having this problem in the first place. I'm trying to save some money by doing this cuz I dont wanna buy a 1000 dollar gaming laptop.

Aww. I thought it was worth a try.

What is this then?

Newegg.com - StarTech Professional USB VGA External Dual or Multi Monitor Video Adapter USB2VGAPRO USB to VGA Interface

Oh wait... Does that make it so you can have 2 moniters?

 

That device allows you to add another monitor, through your computer's USB port. It is not an external GPU. The only external GPU options available are if you rig up your own ExpressCard-interface external desktop GPU solution (in which case it only works on an external monitor).

 

Okay. And sorry about the multipost. Didnt know you could fix that. So, unless I buy the vidock moniter OR find a laptop with a MXM drive then its not possible?

 

Not likely going to work. Even if you have the required port, an internal video card is often the most powerful component of the system, and hence requires a lot of cooling. If the laptop wasn't designed for one, it'll just melt. Probably literally.

 

Unless you have access to specialized equipment for modifying electronics or are a wizard with a soldering iron, then no. Each model of notebook, unless the designer chooses to reuse a previous design, is essentially a custom design, apart from a few parts that are intended to be user-replaceable and thus conform to certain standards (memory, hard drive, optical drive). In general, you can only replace what is there, and not add something that wasn't there in the first place. Essentially the only exception is when a model is designed to accept that item, but it isn't included for some reason, such as a notebook that's designed to accept 2 hard drives, but only ships with one; in that situation, you can fairly easily add the missing component.

So, in short, if you're not going with the ViDock option, you'll need to find a notebook that's designed to have both integrated and discrete graphics simultaneously, but for whatever reason ships with only integrated graphics. And even then, you have to be careful, because oftentimes, a manufacturer will actually use 2 separate motherboards, one for integrated graphics only, and one for integrated+discrete/discrete only. In that case, if you get the model with integrated graphics only, the motherboard it comes with won't have the slot you need to add a graphics card, and you'll still be stuck.

 

if the candidate notebook has Intel HD or 4500MHD, then can do a US$155/$220/$280 GT430/GTS450/GTX460 Optimus DIY ViDock. Optimus setup means it can run using only the internal LCD. The 12V/72W GT430 setup is small enough to carry around and game-on-the-go.

 

i strongly suggest you just get a new clevo laptop... they're really not that expensive... not much more than 1300.... and you can upgrade the GPU easily when new come out for 1-2 years...

 

i completly agree with NANDO!.
If you get 5770/5850 gpu on vidock,then you can even eat 5870m performance
But for that you have to be lucky enough to have all pci ports free or have express card slot!