Laptops and gaming

Guys,

Can graphic card of a laptop ever be upgraded? e.g. : removed and new one added


i have geforce go 6100 on my laptop...its not a good gaming card and i have just bought the laptop so i was wondering.


Specs: HP compaq presario F577AU, 120 GB SATA, 1 GB DDR2 RAM, AMD turion 64x2 1.8 ghz, nvidia geforce go 6100 integrated graphics with 288 MB dedicated

 

Nope, it is integrated into the system board.

 

so it means i am stranded...crap...so only option is to change the laptop or maybe buy xbox 360?

 

If you want a laptop with a better graphics solution, you will unfortunately need a different unit.

BTW, all current consumer-line Compaqs have integrated gpus. You will need to move to the HP Pavilion line for more powerful discrete options (and even then, they still are not user-replaceable).

 

i get it....laptops are not gamer friendly...well i have just entereded the gaming world...anyway...thanks man

 

honestly bro, use the laptop for everything else but gaming and do yourself a favor and get an Xbox 360, you won't regret it.

 

Well, you need to look into a laptop that has a decent dedicated video card. Even though many are not upgradeable, some are quite capable for playing games on the go. This doesn't require spending $2000+ on a XPS, Alienware, ect.

 

If you are a casual gamer and don't mind having the graphics of a game at middle to high instead of high all the time then you can look at getting a HP DV9500t. Even though it has the 8600m GS instead of GT it is still very capable of playing current games at a little lower resolution and at middle to high graphics. For another laptop with a better graphics card and the same features that the DV9500t offers you will be spending a lot more money. You could go with the Dell laptops because they have the 8600m GT, but I'm just not a Dell fan and they are a little more expensive. I bought the laptop so I can play games on the go, because I am planning on building myself a gaming desktop soon so I can play games at full graphics at home, and then still play the games I love while I'm on the go.

 

Laptops are good for gaming if you have a decent gfx card. go check out alienware, cyberpowerpc or check out the HP envision just mentioned or check out the Dell Inspirons if you are hooked on getting a laptop for gaming. otherwise go with a xbox 360 or you can even check out some cheaper desktops and always upgrade along the way. i dunno..whatever you decide to do good luck.

 

Gaming on a laptop is over rated. Why?
Unless you have a big desk area for your laptop, and a standard mouse, you'll probably end up on a desktop machine. I've got a DV6500T and only game on it every once in a while. The DV6500T or DV9500T will do everything you need, and play all games that are out right now. If you wanna play Crysis, then build a new desktop tower or buy the Xbox 360 like you said.

 

Robvia,

People want a gaming laptop so that when they can game when they are on the move. I travel a lot and I like to be able to bring my laptop and game when I have free time, and you can't do that with a desktop. I agree with you gaming for the most part should be done with a desktop because you can upgrade them very easily and in general they are better for gaming (distribution of heat, customizable, pricing, etc). I think that for the most part people want laptops that can handle the games they play because they are a hell of a lot easier to transport than a desktop.

 

I find gaming on laptops cumbersome. I can't imagine any way of doing any real gaming on a laptop without sacrificing mobility. For me, I need an external mouse and a joystick at the very least. Others might need a larger monitor, speakers, keyboard, etc... Once you sacrifice mobility, it's like your turning your laptop into a desktop; plugged in and stationary on a desk.

I have found that it's cheaper and more practical to get a non-gaming laptop with integrated graphics AND build a high-end gaming desktop than it is to get just a high-end gaming laptop, not to mention that desktops are upgradeable and have a longer life expectancy.

The only reason I would choose a gaming laptop is if I didn't have the space for a desktop or for some other reason couldn't have two systems. Otherwise, they are more of a luxury than they are a practical solution.

 

If you're looking into a gaming laptop NEVER get an alienware. Never. They are far too expensive when some clevos and compaqs are the exact same model for significantly less money.

 

You can put a dedicated 8400 GS into the 6500z

Krista

 

Thats why I went with the HP DV9500t. It has the 8600m GS, which is good enough to play games on, it has a ton of features (webcam, fingerprint, mic, hdmi output, etc) has a 17" screen with HD, a powerful enough processor, big enough keyboard, it has full support for vista 64-bit for those that want it, and it comes at a reasonable price. The only real thing you need with it is a headset and a mouse. In the end it all comes down to personal preference. For me, its worth it because I have the money and I wanted a laptop that I could travel with and play games on when I wanted to, and I will be building a gaming desktop.

Also, as far as alienware goes, they are very expensive but they also offer dual video cards with SLI support. I mean I'd never buy one because they are ridiculously expensive, but how many manufactures can say they have dual video cards with SLI support in a laptop. And for those of you who don't know, about a year or so ago Dell bought Alienware.

 

I understand your situation, same thing happened to my girlfriend. She bought a notebook and we tried to install WoW on it and the darn thing had a horrible framerate, we took it back and got another one from BB and it did the same thing, not horrible but a bad framerate.

Finally I just had her build a dv6500t with the dedicated graphics card and it works like a charm.

I was wondering, if you take it back to wherever you purchased it they might let you return it if it's been under 90 days.

I have both the 360 and my notebook and am very happy having both of them.

Good luck.

 

Actually, there are a *few* (keyword: a few) notebooks that *can* have their GPU upgraded. The only one I can name off the top of my head was the old Dell Precision M70... you could put a GeForce 7800 if you knew what your were doing (but you really had to underclock it, though). I know there are other boutique gaming laptops that have upgradeable GPUs, but I can't remember what the were off the top of my head.

If you don't like the fact that you can't upgrade most laptop GPU, then why even bother with an XBOX 360? After all, the graphics capabilities can't be upgraded on a 360 either, and a 360 usually breaks after 1 year *ducks and runs*, whereas a laptop usually lasts at least a few years longer.

Best bet for gaming is a custom-built desktop. Boutique brands are nice, but very, very overpriced. That HP Blackbird look awesome, though.

 

Only on the DV6500Z. The V6500Z doesn't have an open slot for HDMI like its sister has.

 

Of the current generation of notebooks the Asus c90s has a confirmed upgradeable GPU which allows the owner to upgrade to MxM type II cards. The Sager 5791 uses MxM type IV, and is rumored that it may be upgradable in the future. To learn more about GPU upgrade-ability visit www.mxm-upgrade.com

 

I am curious if non FPS game such as Civ4 able to play using GeForce 6150 Go?

 

Im able to play Halflife2 and CS:source on my Geforce GO 7200 on High settings on widescreen with Anti-Aliasing OFF. Averages a steady 45fps and doesnt seem to lag except for some scenes where the FPS would dip down to 25ish.

 

ive got the 7150 nvidia intergrated and it plays older games fine.ive even played fear demo on it at low settings.of course i upped the 64mb in the bios to 128mb.

it does one thing i wanted it to do,and that is play hd movies 720p,but i have a 360 for games.......cant wait for halo 3 lol

 

I've just gone thru this same thing.

I needed graphics power for CAD, but it applies to games as well.

In the end I needed power and portability at a reasonable price as well as good service.
Initially I selected the T61p, but Lenovo gave me such a royal screwing as well as taking 5 months to deliver a defective notebook which they refused to repair - this ended in a dispute with the credit company. Their service is terrible and the quality of the laptop is the worst I have ever seen in 25 years of buying computer(s).

I tried the Sony SZ6, but it just didn't have the muscle needed. Otherwise it was a nice and very portable machine.

I've now got the HP 8510W which seems to be the ideal blend of performance vs portability vs price.
Just got it yesterday, and so far I couldn't be happier. It's a quantum leap forward from that FPOS T61P and the horrid company ethics that Lenovo has.

The 8510w gets a 8309 in 3Dmark05 and that's before I do any tweaking. Not many desktops can match this kind of performance.

My $.02 is to go to Newegg and get the 2ghz HP 8510w for $1850.

 

8309 in 3DMark05?!? That's more than DOUBLE what I got on my nw8440! I got only 3787 3DMarks ("Not obtained with FutureMark Approved drivers." Whatever). Then again, I only had 1GB RAM installed at the time that I ran it. Oh well.

Amazing how much technology evolves in just one year. I'd love an 8510w, but not only do I not have the $$$, but a year from now, it'll be blown away by its replacement!

 

Ah, I guess when we went into customization and it offered it as an option it automatically converted to the DV model. Or heck, maybe we were in that anyway

Still for $751, with the 20% off coupon, we got dual core 1.8ghz, 2 gig mem, 120gig 5400rpm HD, and the 8400GS. I think it's a good deal. Can't wait for them to ship it.

Krista

 

You are lucky you will not have typhoon delays!