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    Graphic Card Upgrade

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by joneill143, Feb 17, 2011.

  1. joneill143

    joneill143 Newbie

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    Hello Everyone,

    1st Post. I was hoping I could get a few opinions on whether I "can" upgrade my laptop graphic card & if so what recommendations would you make? Along with that any complications I may find if I do so.

    Current Graphic Card:
    ATI Mobility Radeon X1300

    Laptop:
    Dell Inspiron E1505
    Windows Vista Home Premium
    Processor: Intel Core2 CPU T5500 @1.66Ghz
    Memory Ram: 2GB

    If I've missed something that is relevant, please do say so. I will get back with the required information.

    I've had this laptop for approximately 4 years & was hoping to upgrade the graphic cards for gaming.

    Thanks Ahead!
     
    joneill143, Feb 17, 2011
    #1
  2. bikerboy94

    bikerboy94 Notebook Evangelist

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    no you cant upgrade.
     
    bikerboy94, Feb 17, 2011
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  3. bikerboy94

    bikerboy94 Notebook Evangelist

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    You can,t upgrade the GPU in 99% of laptops. They are built into motherboard even the high end laptops with a dedicated GPU.
     
    bikerboy94, Feb 17, 2011
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  4. moral hazard

    moral hazard Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Well his is not built into the motherboard:
    Documentation

    And I don't agree with 99%.
    Pretty much every clevo/msi/alienware/asus gaming notebook had used mxm GPUs. Also acer put MXM cards in so many of their notebooks. Dell and toshiba have used removable modules in a lot of notebooks too.

    Something for OP to look at for his notebook:
    Mobility Radeon X1300 or X1400 or nVidia GeForce Go 7300, that's what the options for your notebook were.
    Documentation
     
    moral hazard, Feb 17, 2011
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  5. bikerboy94

    bikerboy94 Notebook Evangelist

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    Well maybe not 99% but MOST cannot upgrade GPU. His GPU is Integrated according to the spec you provided.

    NOTE: A removable video card is optional and present only if ordered by the customer. Standard video is integrated on the system board and is not customer removable.

    Which would be the nVidia GeForce Go 7300 option.

    ATI Mobility Radeon X1300 or X1400 is intergrated.
     
    bikerboy94, Feb 17, 2011
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  6. Trottel

    Trottel Notebook Virtuoso

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    On an inspiron it is a sure bet that it is not built into the motherboard and thus not upgradeable.
     
    Trottel, Feb 17, 2011
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  7. JKleiss

    JKleiss Notebook Evangelist

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    The video card on this IS part of the video card cooling assemply, look at the pic in the first link a bit better.

    And no the GPU is discret according to the specifications provided in the second link.
    Please get you facts right before posting.
     
    JKleiss, Feb 17, 2011
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  8. moral hazard

    moral hazard Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    moral hazard, Feb 17, 2011
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  9. moral hazard

    moral hazard Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    When they say integrated they are talking about the IGP which is part of the northbridge (Intel 945 GM).

    Both the X1300 and X1400 are optional upgrades and they are removable.
    Take a look on ebay:
    http://cgi.ebay.com/Dell-E1505-6400...848?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f072c6dc8


    Looking at the notebookcheck comparison, looks like the X1400 is best.
    You will probably be able to get one on ebay for under $60:
    http://cgi.ebay.com/Dell-Inspiron-E...421?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item256158303d

    And then you could sell your old card.
     
    moral hazard, Feb 17, 2011
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  10. bikerboy94

    bikerboy94 Notebook Evangelist

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    I did correct myself. Removable does not mean necessarily men upgradeable.
     
    bikerboy94, Feb 17, 2011
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  11. moral hazard

    moral hazard Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    I don't see any correction...

    True, but we are talking about this specific notebook.
     
    moral hazard, Feb 17, 2011
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  12. bikerboy94

    bikerboy94 Notebook Evangelist

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    Video Card/Thermal-Cooling Assembly

    Dell™ Inspiron™ 6400/E1505 Service Manual

    Removing the Video Card/Thermal-Cooling Assembly

    Replacing the Video Card/Thermal-Cooling Assembly

    **** NOTE: A removable video card is optional and present only if ordered by the customer. Standard video is integrated on the system board and is not customer removable. *******
     
    bikerboy94, Feb 17, 2011
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  13. bikerboy94

    bikerboy94 Notebook Evangelist

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    I edited my post about Video Card/Thermal-Cooling Assembly.
     
    bikerboy94, Feb 17, 2011
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  14. moral hazard

    moral hazard Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Ok, well going back to upgrades, OP you might get away with taking a Go 7900 GS from an E1705. Not sure about power and heatsink problems, just putting it out there as something to look into.
     
    moral hazard, Feb 17, 2011
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  15. bikerboy94

    bikerboy94 Notebook Evangelist

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    bikerboy94, Feb 17, 2011
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  16. Phistachio

    Phistachio A. Scriabin

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    Basically, only gaming laptops have MXM ( removable ) cards?
     
    Phistachio, Feb 17, 2011
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  17. Tsunade_Hime

    Tsunade_Hime such bacon. wow

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    The older Dell followed a proprietary format of MXM and ARE upgradable IF your laptop was original bought with a discreet GPU.

    E1505/E1705 house the 945GM/945PM, but only the Nvidia/ATi ones are upgradable (945PM). The best card is the X1400 over the X1300 and the 7300 Go.

    The E1705 has the 7900GTX, but not recommended due to it being affected by defective Nvidia chips.
     
    Tsunade_Hime, Feb 17, 2011
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  18. joneill143

    joneill143 Newbie

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    Well that was alot more information then I expected.

    If I read everything correctly it appears that I can upgrade the card but the only viable upgrade is an ATIx1400. However according to someone the upgrade is likely minimal so not worth it.

    Looks like I got something to look into then. There's a specific game I want to see if I can play, so I'll be checking the specs of that game versus an ATI1400 to see if that would be possible.

    By the way, Thanks everyone.
     
    joneill143, Feb 20, 2011
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  19. Nick

    Nick Professor Carnista

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    The X1400 performs about 40% faster than the X1300 you have. It costs around $65: Dell E1505 256 MB ATI X1400 Video Card WF148 + HeatSink - eBay (item 370480402779 end time Mar-02-11 09:52:39 PST)

    You could sell your old one on eBay for around $40.
     
    Nick, Feb 20, 2011
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  20. Star Forge

    Star Forge Quaggan's Creed Redux!

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    Yes, only most gaming and high end business mobile workstations use them. OEM's can cut production costs if they built the GPU into the motherboard, over using two vendors to separately provide a motherboard and a GPU. So they can just get a complete motherboard setup from one vendor.

    However given how much gaming laptops and corporate workstations cost, for that kind of money they get, OEM's tends to provide MXM support for those levels of laptops.
     
    Star Forge, Feb 21, 2011
    #20