Advice - Dead video card on Sager NP8150 / Clevo P150HM

Hello, I have owned a Sager NP8150 since December 2011. [Laptop is not under warranty.] Just a couple of days ago, my GPU died . It's a Radeon 6990M. [I'm pretty certain it's dead, I boot up and get vertical lines and only VGA mode.] I'm posting here to ask for advice. I like my laptop and wonder is it worth it right now to upgrade the GPU? Or should I downgrade it and build a desktop for gaming?

I would like to keep 1080P resolution.

Also, where would one go to purchase a laptop GPU?


For reference this is my laptop:

 

You can find GPU's on the marketplace, for varying prices. Look for Clevo branded GPU's otherwise you risk running into a world of trouble due to the cards not communicating with the embedded controller properly.
I'd have sold you a 6970m for cheap but it's a dell
So Clevo 7970m's/680m's Personally I'd keep the laptop, they're very powerful these days with the right components, sleek, portable, everything i like in a PC.
Desktops are these days just for people looking to get a PC on a low budget or for those looking for extreme performance they wouldn't be able to get on a laptop they like (and since dual-gpu laptops are already extremely powerful, matching or beating the strongest single-GPU desktops, not that much point for a desktop these days).

 

What about the Radeon 8xxx cards or the Invidia 7XX. Are the new cards compatiable or do they require a new chipset / motherboard? I've been out of the market, so I'm not sure.

Also, would any sellers, such as xotic PC consider selling a GPU by itself? I saw a few GPU for sale on ebay, but I'm just wondering if I have other options besides ebay.

 

The 8xxx/7xx cards aren't compatible with the HM. Your best bet is going to be a 7970 or 680m. Other than eBay or the Marketplace here, you could also contact your reseller (assuming you bought from one), and see if they can obtain a replacement from Sager for you.

 

The fastest AMD card is the 290X which is the same chip as the 7970M.

 

Thank you for that fact. I think I will upgrade my GPU. I only have one more question before I do. Does anyone know if 680M or 7970M are prone to issues? If so, which one is more likely to last under normal usage? I will not be overclocking and hope to get at least 2-3 years of usage out of it.

[I think I read somewhere that 6990M was prone to dying after 2 years.]

 

I'm in the same boat as you, and from my research the 7970m seems to be much more reliable than the 6990m. I can't say anything about the 680m other than that I've never heard of it being unreliable.

Keep in mind that because you have an HM model you'll need to get whoever sells you the card to flash it, or do it yourself. The guide for this is here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/688656-guide-blind-flashing-amd-7970m-modded-vbios-clevo-p1xxhm-laptops.html

You also may want to get on this problem quickly. My 6990m croaked back in October, but I delayed repairing it since I was hoping the prices were going to drop. Instead, the opposite has occurred on the 7970m: they've become scarce and prices have risen slightly. They do seem to have come down on the 680m slightly, although I haven't been following it too closely since it was quite a bit more than I was hoping to pay.

Other than the NBR marketplace and eBay, Eurocom and RJTech sell cards, although they tend to be a bit more expensive.

 

If I personally had the choice I would go 680M, partly as it's far more overclockable.

 

Good advice thus far. I have asked the few sellers that exist on ebay about their gpus and posted a thread in wtb. Furthermore, I'm wondering, do any resellers, Xotic PC, Malibal, Mythic, Etc... Sell GPUS by themselves? I'd rather pay a higher price for a brand new GPU from a reseller with a reputation than a seller on ebay.

 

By looking at the specs you posted it looks like you got the computer from us. We may be able to order a Video card from Sager for you. Open up a service ticket on our site under the "Contact" section. In the details box tell them what you're looking for and we can do some searching for you.

 

I'd go for a 680m if your budget allows it. I lost count of the dead 6xxx and 7xxx series radeon threads.

 

Resellers almost certainly will not sell a GPU standalone to an end user out of liability concern. While it may seem like an inconvenience to send the unit back for service - especially in a scenario where you're stuck paying for shipping - it is the safest bet.