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    lap-top video card up-grade

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by takovr, Feb 5, 2010.

  1. takovr

    takovr Notebook Consultant

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    I have searched all over the internet to try to find a lap-top video card to replace my old card but can't find a store that sells them. Were do you all go
    to buy a lap-top video card replacement ?
     
    takovr, Feb 5, 2010
    #1
  2. Melody

    Melody How's It Made Addict

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    Well first of all, are you certain you can swap your laptop's GPU? Only 1-2% of laptops made have this opportunity and among those, most of them have proprietary connectors i.e. nobody but the laptop's manufacturer uses them.
     
    Melody, Feb 5, 2010
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  3. takovr

    takovr Notebook Consultant

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    Yes, I can swap out my video card up to a 9800gtx 1 gig card.
     
    takovr, Feb 5, 2010
    #3
  4. sgogeta4

    sgogeta4 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Try eBay yet?
     
    sgogeta4, Feb 5, 2010
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  5. K-TRON

    K-TRON Hi, I'm Jimmy Diesel ^_^

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    I wouldnt say 1-2%. That is what the stickies say, but they are wrong.
    A good 30% of the market of all laptops have an upgradeable graphics card

    What laptop do you currently have?

    K-TRON
     
    K-TRON, Feb 5, 2010
    #5
  6. takovr

    takovr Notebook Consultant

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    I have a toshiba with a 2.4 cpu, 4 gigs of ram and a 512 9700gts video card
     
    takovr, Feb 5, 2010
    #6
  7. LaptopNut

    LaptopNut Notebook Virtuoso

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    The problem is those cards will cost almost as much as a new laptop.
     
    LaptopNut, Feb 5, 2010
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  8. BobXX

    BobXX Newbie

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    Toshiba and their odd, entirely proprietary GPU slot...
     
    BobXX, Feb 6, 2010
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  9. Amnesiac

    Amnesiac 404

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    Nope, I have seen a few websites that mention that my A300 uses MXM II, so they are not entirely proprietary.

    As for the OP, you will need to find out what version of MXM the 9700M GT uses and whether it is upgradeable. Chances are, you can upgrade to a 9800M GTX as you mentioned, since some models of the Qosmio X305 came with a 9800M GTX, but I would take it apart before you go and spend a lot of money on something that possibly won't work.
     
    Amnesiac, Feb 6, 2010
    #9
  10. Padmé

    Padmé NBR Super Pink Princess

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    Care to give the model number?
     
    Padmé, Feb 7, 2010
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  11. takovr

    takovr Notebook Consultant

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    here is my model X305-Q711
     
    takovr, Feb 7, 2010
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  12. Padmé

    Padmé NBR Super Pink Princess

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    I don't believe that you can swap out the graphic card on this model, at least not by user standard. There was an old Toshiba model that allowed the GPU replacement, but that was a long time ago.
     
    Padmé, Feb 7, 2010
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  13. dtwn

    dtwn C'thulhu fhtagn

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    Some of the early X305 users took their machines apart and found it to be MXM.
     
    dtwn, Feb 7, 2010
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  14. takovr

    takovr Notebook Consultant

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    Other people that I talked to have the same lap-top as me and they up-graded to a single 9800gtx video card. The problem that I have is were can you buy one? Spare parts warehouse has one but they want a thousand dollars for it, my next option could be sell my lap-top and buy a new one cause that seems to be the cheaper way of the two.
     
    takovr, Feb 7, 2010
    #14
  15. dtwn

    dtwn C'thulhu fhtagn

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    Does Toshiba use standard MXM without any mods at all? If so, there are some Clevo branded 9800M GTX available.
     
    dtwn, Feb 7, 2010
    #15
  16. sean473

    sean473 Notebook Prophet

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    As Far as i know , toshiba uses propetiery MXM... but if u can't find an upgrade GPU , u might as well sell ur old laptop and buy a new one which costs $1000-1500.... like X505...
     
    sean473, Feb 7, 2010
    #16
  17. Amnesiac

    Amnesiac 404

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    Don't give up on this yet Sean. It could be that he may be able to find the 9800M GTX from a higher end model of the X305 and use one of them...
     
    Amnesiac, Feb 8, 2010
    #17
  18. sean473

    sean473 Notebook Prophet

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    i'm not giving up shadow... its just the fact that the price which he has found so far for the card is just too high so he might as well get a new laptop...
     
    sean473, Feb 8, 2010
    #18
  19. Amnesiac

    Amnesiac 404

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    Yeah, I guess. But if the price to him is justifiable for the performance boost he gets, then it's alright. Although a new notebook would be nice...
     
    Amnesiac, Feb 9, 2010
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  20. sean473

    sean473 Notebook Prophet

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    lol I don't think $1K for GPU upgrade would be justifiable for him so that's why he's looking out for a cheaper price... i'm just suggesting that he buy a new laptop if he can't find the card and needs an upgrade.
     
    sean473, Feb 9, 2010
    #20
  21. Pitabred

    Pitabred Linux geek con rat flail!

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    Even then, it may not be worth it. The cost for the performance increase would not really be worth it unless he can find the card for under maybe $300. A new laptop will have upgrades on most other components as well as the video card. Heck, the new Asus machines are pretty beefy gaming machines, and they're priced around a grand.
     
    Pitabred, Feb 9, 2010
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  22. BobXX

    BobXX Newbie

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    Well, I just know that the X205 and X305 are...
     
    BobXX, Feb 9, 2010
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  23. Amnesiac

    Amnesiac 404

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    Well, he could be incredibly rich, and has no idea what he's spending his money on... ;)

    That sucks then.
     
    Amnesiac, Feb 9, 2010
    #23
  24. moral hazard

    moral hazard Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Why not just get a GPU from ebay, I bet you could find a 9800m GTS < $300.
     
    moral hazard, Feb 9, 2010
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  25. Amnesiac

    Amnesiac 404

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    They are extremely hard to find on Ebay, just about the only ones on there are the 8600M GT, the 3650, and the 9600M GT. :(
     
    Amnesiac, Feb 9, 2010
    #25
  26. moral hazard

    moral hazard Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    moral hazard, Feb 9, 2010
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  27. moral hazard

    moral hazard Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    moral hazard, Feb 10, 2010
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  28. Amnesiac

    Amnesiac 404

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    Amnesiac, Feb 10, 2010
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  29. moral hazard

    moral hazard Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    I don't know why the GTX is at that crazy price. Maybe it's hard to find.
    I would rather have a 4850/4870 than a GTX.
     
    moral hazard, Feb 10, 2010
    #29
  30. dtwn

    dtwn C'thulhu fhtagn

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    Because Nvidia's pricing scheme has the top tier card being substantially more expensive than the 2nd best card for marginal performance increase. Repeated in the GTX 280M/GTX260M as well.
     
    dtwn, Feb 10, 2010
    #30
  31. Overkill319

    Overkill319 Newbie

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    yeah but nvidia does have more technology like physicx and the triple video card option if you have a desktop and the right motherboard and wattage. plus they sell a monitor that can do 3d while ati just has dx11 which really doesnt look much different at all to dx10.
     
    Overkill319, Feb 10, 2010
    #31
  32. Trottel

    Trottel Notebook Virtuoso

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    1-2% probably is correct. Think about all the laptops that run integrated graphics vs discrete graphics, now think about all the laptops with discrete graphics that are soldered to the motherboard, and now think about all those laptops that have removable discrete graphics but have nothing to upgrade to.
     
    Trottel, Feb 10, 2010
    #32
  33. moral hazard

    moral hazard Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    I would say more like 90% if you count the DIY vidock :p
     
    moral hazard, Feb 10, 2010
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  34. sean473

    sean473 Notebook Prophet

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    Aren't all those cards u showed earlier MXM? They won't work as u need propertry Toshiba cards...
     
    sean473, Feb 10, 2010
    #34
  35. Amnesiac

    Amnesiac 404

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    Well, NVIDIA only has 3 way SLI on desktops, so that's a moot point. Anyway, ATI can do quad fire, 4 cards in Crossfire, while NVIDIA can only have 3 in SLI. And I think that once the developers really start to take advantage of DX11, it could end up looking a lot nicer than DX10. And 3D isn't really standard yet anyway.
     
    Amnesiac, Feb 11, 2010
    #35