Possible to upgrade Studio 15 graphics card?

Hey guys,

I'm planning on buying the Dell Studio 15 for university and a little gaming on the side.

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T5750 (2.00GHz/667Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
Genuine Windows® Vista Home Premium Edition SP1
3GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450
250GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)

Going to cost me $918.

I read that the 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 is a good card, but not specifically a gaming card. I was wondering would it be possible to buy a better graphics card and upgrade it myself, or give it to a computer shop to install it for me...?

If it is possible, what card should I be looking at, and where should I buy it?


Thanks.

 

Probably not. You would be better off getting the xps1530 if you want to game. Get it with the 8600gt.

 

Nope, you won't be able to upgrade it.

 

the studio line uses the ati hybrid gpu technology, so basically it has an integrated graphics card which is much more powerful than a standard integrated card, since its like a dedicated card built onto the motherboard.
its a good idea, since the 3450 is pretty power efficient, and its power is good for most users. However it is not a gaming card, so like nizzy said the xps 1530 is a better choice.
the 3450 is about as powerful as the 8400GS, so its got a relatively high graphics power for an integrated card.

In basics, no the gpu is not upgradeable

K-TRON

 

95% of the time, upgrading a laptop video card is impossible.

 

Dang it!

Ok thanks guys...thought I had it all figured out...back to the drawing board.

 

Sure....This image shows it as an MXM-II slot GPU..!!
Tech Specs

 

...which means?

(sorry I'm slow...and uninformed)

 

The ATI card isn't that bad for most gaming needs. I mean, I can run any source game (HL2/TF2) maxed with no problems, 60fps constant on my studio.

What do you mean by a little gaming? Because the 3450 will run most games at a decent detail level.

EDIT: Also, you can get a much better deal that what you've currently got if you use this link: http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...omm=ecomm2.dell.com&c=us&l=en&cs=19&pg=review

16$ cheaper, better processor + more ram.

 

Compare it with the image of Type II

Which means you should be able to upgrade to a higher MXM-II GPU, but the 64-bit memory bus width might limit performance....

BUT, I know of two guys who upgraded the Acer 7720, from a 8400M GS (64-bit MXM-I) to a 8600M GT 512MB DDR2 (128-bit MXM-II), a while back..!!
But the difference in the motherboard comes into play....But if your notebook has a MXM-II slot, it should support a GPU with a higher memory interface/bus width....

But if you want to play it safe, go with the M1530 as advised by the others....You might void your warranty while upgrading the GPU, and upgrading sounds much better with older laptops that have their warranty expired or are not bought as retail....!!

AND I think ATI Hybrid....whatever, is this..!! And the Studio 15 has an i965PM/GM chipset which comes with the X3100..!! SO switching between IG and DG, and all that stuff....to save battery and reduce heat and what not..

If you are looking for a gaming notebook, the Studio 15 is not for you, else concentrate more on Uni .!!

 

if you are sticking with dell and want to stay in that price range go with the xpsm1530 but you should also look at hp dv5t or even a sager np2096.

 

wrong thread

 

Get the new Studio XPS 16. The 3670 should be good enough for most of your gaming needs...

 

That's a generic picture. Dell doesn't use MXM, so no, you can't upgrade it with a MXM card. In addition to that, I saw someone mentioning that the laptop has hybrid graphics, which in this case means that the Radeon is also soldered on to the mainboard, so it's not even removable.

EDIT: I just realized this was an old thread. Crap.

 

The gpu on the studio 17 it's not sloderd it's glued with epoxy or something like that(don't know anything about studio15)
BTW the graphics aren't hybrid.

 

old thread months ago

 

the only way to get the gpu/ graphics card upgraded is to do it through dell. because the card is actually integrated to the motherboard. i called tech support with the same question and they told me that because of the itegration that replacing the motherboard would cost 400 and change

 

lol....I was uninformed and stupid when I was a newbie. The Studio 15 has the GPU soldered to the mobo. I don't remember seeing a replacement part in the parts list as well.

And try not to bump old threads....

 

This post does not help.