M6300 Video card upgrade

I've got a M6300 which is a few years old. I'm looking towards Windows7 and a jump to 64 bit w/ a few upgrades.

Currently running Xp Pro w/ T7500 and 4Gb, 80Gb HD [I know.. it's tiny! ]. My GPU is a Fx1600M.

Plans are to upgrade to 8GB, Win7, 320 [or 500Gb] HD and a Fx3600m.

My questions are:
1- how can I tell which 'form factor' my Fx1600 is? [Is the 15. or 17 simply the screen size?, if so then mine w/ be a 17 as I've got the larger screen??]

2- Will an Fx3600M MXM III fit my system? I've seen comments on Ebay that they will infact NOT fit.. [only fit HP/Compac]

Can anyone clear these two up?

Thanks in Advance..

Jerry

 

I don't quite understand this question. Care to elaborate? Your M6300 is a full 17" WUXGA 1920x1200 screen laptop. I'm not sure if Dell gave options for other screen sizes. Your GPU is able to handle based on the given screen resolution.

Right click, select my properties then under the Settings tab check if you're using 1920x1200.

You can't. It uses a Dell designed, proprietary GPU, and you cannot fit in any MXM card into it. Note the slot design, you can only fit Dell's proprietary FX 3600M GPU in it. It's generally expensive to buy the GPU straight from Dell, you can grab one mint/new condition FX 3600M GPU from eBay.

 

Hey SomeForm.. re the screen size. The bigger question was simply how do I know what form factor I have. According to Nvidia's site http://www.nvidia.com/page/quadrofx_go.html [the table near the bottom] there are two Platform Form factors 15.4 and 17. The Fx3600m is a 17 form factor only... this raises the question of how do I know which one my fx1600 is.. it seem's too coincidental that the form factors are the same numbers as two of the possible screen sizes for various laptops. I realize the 6300 only comes w/ a 17" and got to wondering if since I have a 17" screen... could it be that my form factor is then 17?

I've been watching Ebay and all I'm seeing are these MXM GPU's and this was causing me to wonder if there was more than one type of FX3600M.

The short answer is apparently there is..

Thanks..

 

and about Dell fx 3700m? that model can be found for sale in ebay... but specifications do not include m6300, only m6400...

Can Dell fx 3700m is instaling on m6300 worksatation?

sorry by my english... i´m brasilian...

 

The form factor of the platform (the notebook your card is mounted in, in your case, the M6300) is 17". This is largely irrelevant, though, as you could, given proper engineering, mount just about any card in any platform (whether or not this is practical is a separate question. ) Graphics cards themselves don't generally have form factors, with a few exceptions. Graphics cards built to fit in an MXM socket do, but MXM form factors are not as simple as 15.4" or 17", they are instead something like MXM 2.1 Type II, or MXM 2.1 Type III (people tend to leave off the 2.1). Technically, there is only one "type" of FX3600M, the difference lies in the connector the card is equipped with, and sometimes the PCB that the FX3600M components are mounted on (which is typically related to the connector). What Dell does for their Precision series is mount the video card components (in this case, the FX 3600M) on a PCB board that has a unique, Dell specific connector that will let the card mount only in a M6300 (or maybe a M6400, if it uses the same connector). The reason for MXM is that if everyone built their cards to the MXM standard, you could (fairly) easily swap a card that used the MXM standard and socket with another card using the same socket.

As to whether or not you could mount a Dell FX 3700M into a M6300, if the connector is the same, and (very important!) if the BIOS supports it, then yes, you could. As to whether or not these things are true, I don't know.

 

No you can't. Like most new Dell notebooks, the machines are using a proprietary card and the each of them are using different connector and PCB designs respectively.
Unless if you're using a Dell Inspiron E1705 or a XPS M1710, the cards interchangeable due to the same connector and PCB design. Though slight modifications are required.

M6400 3700M GPU:


M6300 3600M GPU:

 

thanks guys...

and one more question... the fx3600m manufactured by Dell is today out of line... Dell do not sell this card now... and i search on web for this one without sucess...

but is possible install fx 3600m for hp8710w or lenovo w700 ( http://cgi.ebay.com/Nvidia-Quadro-F...emQQptZPCC_Video_TV_Cards?hash=item2a05cd4086) altrougth manufactor diferences?

i ask it for i found one vendor that sell fx3600m for hp or dell... look at it: http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/281422291/nVidia_Quadro_FX3600M_FX_3600M_512M.html

 

Neither any of those cards will work. That is an MXM 3.0 card and will work only for specific notebooks. As mentioned in my above post, Dell uses proprietary PCB (that green coloured board you see on most electronics) on their GPUs and those MXM GPU cards will not work on any Dell due to the connector and design of the MXM card.

I'm afraid the Dell proprietary FX3600M is the highest your M6300 can support.

 

so my unique choise for upgrade is a expansive FX 3600m Dell manufatured... i have chat with dell rigth now... and hey offers this card for US$ 1.499,99... crazy...

 

u might as well get a new laptop for that price... like Asus G73.. it doesn't have a professional card but the GPU is best mobile GPU and better than FX3600M...

 

Hey brothers... i saw that a have a chat with part and thecnical support of dell, and i ask for her abaout compatibility of 3600m for HP laptops... and look for the reply:


Hello Marcos,

I’m sorry somehow we were disconnected. The FX3600M from the HP should work in the Dell M6300 as long as you download the Dell driver for the FX3600M from Support.Dell.com. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to help.

 

i re-reply this (excuse for poor english)

 

i wouldn't trust them...Dell support are quite well known to be wrong on upgradablity and all.. if i were u , i'd listen to the ppl here on NBR.. they have done upgrades so they know it.. Looks like u got no choice but to continue using the M6300 or getting a new laptop.

 

yea... but... i go dispend u$ 350,00 to buy this video card and try upgrade my m6300... if it that fails... i´m try sell this card for a friend that have a HP with mxm type III...

 

Sigh.... Facepalm***

It's like you're trying to cram a Ferrari engine into a mini cooper. The card, you can't just transfer the heatsink from your notebook to your purchased MXM card. The screw positioning and sizes are different, heck, even the connector slots are different. The heatsink, or the "metallic frame" as you call it, won't even cover the MXM card you purchased. It will not work. Dell has not and never, used an MXM GPU slot in their production line. Sorry if I come rowdy but I don't want to repeat myself again.

 

Not quite true, Dell does use MXM for the Alienware line, but yes, they have never used MXM for their business lines to my knowledge, which means that eBay MXM card will not fit in the M6300.

 

Yes, Alienware is an exception. I'm referring to all of main Dell machines alone.

 

i dont have courage of trow 300 dolars in garbage...

i´m sell my m6300 and try buy a g73 or something like that...

 

Good Decision. You won't regret it.