Changing Laptop GPU cards, MXM etc...

Has anyone tried to add a MXM bracket to a non-MXM mobo (I.E. a Dell proprietary sub-pci-style card slot to a MXM standard "white" slot)?

I've got an XPS (Dell) and a white slot. I'm thinking about seeing what we can do with converting the proprietary slot if at all possible, so that we can upgrade our machines without paying a premium (though voiding our warrantly- oh heavens!)...

 

Go Granny! Let us know.

 

I'm on it. Busting out the hex screwdriver right now.

By the way, we CAN fix our own HD's for data recovery- you just need to keep the HD and tools and your hands inside a clean see-through bag so no lint, dust, beer or dorittos gets on the platters. And do NOT use that bread bag, fool- it's got crumbs in it.


I already voided my battery when I repacked it.
Lets see how the jack fits, shall we?

Dell will be deleting my account if I do it maybe.... LOL!

 

It probably won't work...but good luck.

 

Hmm,a pioneer in MXM evolution .
This should be fun.
*brings out popcorn*

 

Frankenputer. It will be interesting to see a laptop with a GPU tumor sticking out of it.

 

Ok.
I took everything completely apart, measured things, and set up some pictures as well as options and possibilities.

so it comes down to the basics-
1) how much does one know, and
2) how much one is willing to spend in TIME for something ..ummm... INTERESTING.

So it CAN be done, but it is some tricky work. I think within a few mm's of clearance one can put a MXM3 NON-HE plug in an XPS 1710. Yeah. You GOTTA have some crazy glue for a brain or at least a SCHEDULE though, and really be BORED. It comes down to serious tiny pin soldering and some courage.

so I have to get ahold of a MXM2 card and another MXM white-slot. I think the easiest thing would simply be a standard docking-port cable with an adaptor to the new MXM-non-HE slot. As long as the new MXM3 card doesn't have anything that interferes with the stock Dell MXM3-HE built into the mobo, there's no reason to say it can't be done.

NOW the big question is, would it be

3) simpler to just upgrade the freakin mobo, heck, the whole notebook? OR...
4) just do it for the heck of it and because you got crazyglue fro brains?

Well.
I'm still sniffing around so we'll see.


But it CAN be done.


...
While I'm in here, I'm going to post a list of mods that are fairly easy (like upgrading the XPS 1710 keyboard to a full keyboard from the 1720's (no that's not a vintage year, punk)...Thats the easiest one, though it involves some epoxy, drilling, sanding and new paint- and maybe an extra 1710/1705/9400/9300 palmrest. Yeah. But that's the easier one

The COOL one is installing 2 new hard drives; one in the battery tray, after you cut that silly useless thing in half (like it does anything except survive you between wall jacks except when you first opened up the beast) and the other HD... well, wait for the pics, and no, you get to keep your optical drives, unless I lost my contacts.

so keep the popcorn warm, hopefully I'll be back when I have time to post the pics. Or if in demand. If not, maybe in 6-9 months when I get around to wanting to void my warranty-WAIT! You can do it ALL without voiding anything (including your trousers, kiddies! Now smoke THAT one!)

*grin*

Yeah
How to upgrade your dell XPS 1710 to a MXM3 standard slot, with a simple PCB plug in from radio shack, and how to add a full keyboard and a 2nd HD.- All in one afternoon!

I don't need to boost my XPS yet- my monster GPU is still smoking everything out there except the top desktop cards (18 months and it is still a monster!) and I'm not missing the HD space yet with the new 1/2TB drives, nor the full keyboard yet... but when I need to go to 9800m GTX, baby, hold on to your milk and cookies!!!

Oh dell is gonna be hating this granny!...*nasty nasties...they wants to keeps it all for themselves, my precious! gifts and gold and new thingssssessss!!!*

.

 

Ok. I was tired.
So it is possible, with medium knowledge of electronics and computer components (meaning you know how to do something like bridge a connector to unlock your cpu, or solder a new power capacitor to your fried mobo) to

1) Add a MXM3 non-HE adapter to your XPS 1710 or 9400 or even probably the 1720, and the M90 despite Dell avoiding this to limit upgrade options to their cheaper lines, to generate more money for their company

2) Add extra HD's inside the 9300-9400, 1705, 1710, and M90 series of Dell notebooks.

3) Add a full keyboard to ANY of the older above versions, with simply an extra palmrest cover and a new 1720 keyboard. Who wouldn't want those lights for night typing, and the numpad built in (all those m90 people's ears will prick up at this).

It is pretty basic stuff, short of rewiring the cut down battery pack and cutting and sanding the case if you add new things- the hardest part is finding a dual-HD cable for the mobo (you can plug a double one in- maybe Sager or from the XPS 1730 parts dept?)...