Will I be able to buy a second 8800M GTX in say a year or so?

Hey all,
I have googled and searched these forums so I thought I would ask. I am getting a little bit of buyer's remorse after placing my order for a Sager 9262yesterday. I went with this model rather than the 5793 because of the sli option, and I found the E8400 more attractive from a gaming standpoint than the x9000. I configured the 9262 non RAID and not SLI thinking I could always add another 8800m GTX in a year or so and breath new life into my laptop. It would be around $800 cheaper now to go non SLI and I would hope that the 8800M card would be peanuts cost wise in 2 years. However after thinking about it in the back of my mind all day I figured I had better ask...

Given that I am new to laptops and have never upgraded anything in a laptop is it reasonable to assume that the 8800M card will be available in 1-2 years for a lot cheaper than it is now, or do I need to order this right now thinking these cards don't stick on the market very long and I can only add the same card into the machine. (knowing SLI at this point will only add like 10% to the games I am hoping that future driver updates will make this value higher)

Second and last question is, would it also be reasonable to assume that in 1-2 years better single card solutions (9800 whatever) will be available for the 9262 and I could pick that at that time, or I will only be able to add another 8800 GTX (upgradable but only with the same card?)

If anyone can shed some light on this that would be great. I know desktops fairly well but not laptops in terms of upgrading components, declining costto upgrade a particular component over time, availability of an upgrade after a certain amount of time, etc.

Thanks.
Col

 

I think SLI is implemented on a single MXM module. Correct me if I am wrong.

 

Where did you buy it from? I mean I believe XoticPC and PowerNotebooks will sell you a card? Lot of guess work here. Will there be a better single card solution in say a year or two? Likely especially if they don't improve SLI. Will it fit? Who knows? If I were you I would be satisfied the way you bought for the reasons you stated. I would contact the two places I mentioned and ask about the possibility of buying a card in the future. If they say yes then I would keep my eye on the 8800m GTX and buy before production is phased out likely leading to less supply and higher prices.

 

yea, I did buy from Xotic pc and received an email saying it was going into phase 2, or production. I figured there was still a little time to adjust the order, and was essentially getting scared after I thought "how do I even know that these cards will be available in 2 years, and who is to say the price is that much lower..." For that reason I was wondering if I should just take the plunge now and get the second card up front. I tell you what, if there was a nicer cpu available for the 5793 than the X9000 (I know it is good but I am having a hard time passing on the E8400 which is apparently faster (although I can find no testing between the two)) I would get the 5793 and take the sli upgrade issue right out of my mind.
thanks for the responses folks, just wondering if in persons opinions I am not shutting the door on sli by not getting it now..

Coleco

 

I do not see why you could not get another gpu in a year or so.
The graphics cards in the laptops, have an sli bridge. Basically there are 8 pins on each gpu, 8 ping on the left side of the daughterboard gpu, and 8 pins on the right side of the parent gpu. To enable sli, a small bridge is placed over the pins, which connects the two cards.
It would probably be easier and cheaper now to get the second graphics card, but its really up to you. A single 8800mGTX is pretty damn powerful, but if you really are a gaming enthusiast, than go for the second 8800mGTX.

K-TRON

 

Coleco, this is exactly the kind of question Justin or others at Xotic could really help with and one of the reasons to deal with a place like them. Not that any of us are not helpful but why not go to the horse's mouth instead of it's wise observers? And this is exactly the kind of question I think they would be very comfortable and happy to discuss with you. Of course they want to sell you a notebook but they also have a interest in you being as happy as possible with it. Good luck!

Edit: And if I remember correctly Xotic was selling single cards with the promise of upgrade to SLI support in the future a while back because of SLI issues. By that I mean they would sell you the SLI kit (harness?) and card so likely will still be doing.

 

I think it can be done.

 

I appreciate it folks. I will contact them regarding my order but was hoping to have more information before that. I am asking for you all to predict the future which is just too hard to do. Really what I was hoping to do is cost save now a little, and slip in another card to get SLI when my cash flow improves in 1-2 years. I was getting concerned because I started to feel that I was forgetting x, y, and z reasons as to why it would be very hard in the future to do it. But you are correct, I will make the call before it is too late.

Thanks all and have a nice day!
Coleco

 

You will be able the get a second card, but at a much higher cost than now.

 

Eeeeks! Why at a higher cost later?? Is it a supply/demand type of thing? I mean a PS3 should be cheaper 2-3 years after it comes out (maybe a little bit anyway, but not more expensive). Why not the same for laptop components?

Anyway, it is done. I emailed a detailed request to add the second card and update the warranty to 3 years. My wife is going to be hacked, but I just was not getting excited about what I had ordered with one card and the basic warrenty. (cost conscious, smart decision maybe, but exciting and mouth watering no, at least not for me) Now I am psyched with sli coming.

Thank you all so much for your help on this and other threads. I will now be able to focus on other things and wait the arrival of little baby lappy.

Have a nice day.
Coleco

 

coleco, check my laptop in my sig. Trust me, SLI isn't necessary to get awesome perf. Hope it goes well for you though.

 

Because overall demand will be low, as will installable base. Thus it won't be in production for all that long. So suply won't be particularily large. With in that small supply, however, demand will be high. Therfore=high price

 

Thanks everyone, I am content with my decision finally. I guess I should have prefaced all of this by saying that this laptop has to last at least 5 years. We have a lot of expenses and there is no way I will be able to fork out another 3K or so in 3 years time. My last laptop was purchased in 2001, long before you could play a really intensive game on a laptop. so, with this in mind I felt I wanted to take the sli plunge now, thinking it might buy me a little more playability in the 4th and 5th year of the laptops life.. Plus, for one time in my life I would like to buy current technology, and not be behind the 8 ball when the thing arrives like I have done so often in the past. Let me have the best graphic option now and I will be content (until June/July when the newer stuff comes out hehe, the nature of the beast)

Thanks!
Coleco