GPU compatible with D901C

Hello there. Both of my Nvidia 9800M GTX graphic cards running in SLI died during the past year. I cannot play games and fullscreen videos lag now, so I want to purchase a new GPU. I found SLI to be quite a hassle (high heat, incompatible with certain games), so I only want a single GPU this time.
However, as my computer knowledge is limited, I am not aware about which GPUs will actually be compatible with my motherboard or even what motherboard I have.
I have also been experiencing some sudden unexpected shutdowns lately, the system simply starts saving and shutting down or suddenly turns off. This happens at random times, more frequently if the system is not plugged into power (but may happen even though the battery is fully or 50% charged). I am monitoring the temperatures of the CPU and HDD and they look reasonable (max 63 degrees centigrade for CPU, 36 for HDD), so I do not think that overheating is the issue. In a previous thread, I was told that there was a major crack in my motherboard. I have been unable to observe this, but I am suspecting that it could be the cause of the sudden shutdowns. I don't want to pay for an expensive new GPU if there is something more serious wrong with my laptop. I have replaced the LCD screen in the system recently, although there were no issues connected to this. I have also disabled both of the GPU units and removed the SLI cable from the computer, so I do not think the GPUs could be the cause.
Therefore, I have a few questions that I would appreciate if you could answer for me:

1) Is there a standard motherboard for all D901C systems, or do I have to open my system to check it?

2) In case there is a standard motherboard, what are the newest Nvidia GPUs compatible with it? I would prefer something that would give me a better performance than the 9800M GTX, while still minimizing the cost. Are there any certain GPUs that happen to be better than other GPUs of similar generation/price?

3) What triggers automatic shutdowns in the D901C system other than overheating?

Sorry if some of these questions have already been posed on these forums, did a Google and forum search but could not find any answers.

 

Hi
I am also in the same boat and just bought an FX 3600 from niffcreature.

For your wants a 280M would be my suggestion.

Clevo D901c

I would think other than heat it could be some driver issues.may be you can take a look at even viewer to see if there was any driver issues.

 

Thanks for the reply. I just did a quick search and a 280M does indeed seem like a good idea. I also managed to find some cheaper GPUs from the Quadro FX series (3700M and 3800M), which seems even better.
Can anyone tell me the difference between the GeForce and Quadro series and whether the GPUs I just mentioned would be compatible with a D901C system?

 

GTX260 m is a G92 with 112sp,55nm.
GTX280 m is a G92 with 128sp,55nm.
FX3700m is a G92 with 128sp,65nm.
9800mGTX is a G92 with 112sp,65nm.
FX3800m is a G92 with 128sp,55nm but only MXM3.0 version.

Performance@default clock:
Dual 9800mGTX >FX3800m > GTX280m>FX3700m>GTX260m>Single 9800mGTX

Don't be fooled by nvidia's naming trick. And 9800mGTX SLI is your highest GPU set without BGA soldering.

 

If SLI config is pricky for you, I suggest you pull out one 9800mGTX as a spare, and overclock the other.

It will crash FX3700m when both of them overclocked because
FX3700m's overclocking ability is quite bad and has slower memory chips(1.25ns or 1.1ns while 9800mGTX has 1.0ns vRam).

 

Very helpful reply, guess it's down to Quadro FX 3800M or GeForce GTX 280M. Found the two cards on eBay, the 280M was approximately 500 USD while the 3800M was only 400 USD. The 100 USD difference is quite significant for me, so if the Quadro card is superior, it is definitely the ideal choice. What I understood from some quick searches was that the GeForce series are designed for gaming while the Quadro series are designed for creating 3D graphics and similar graphical work. I do both, but probably more gaming than the other. From what I read, it seemed that the difference was minimal though and a 3800M would still outperform a 280M in games.
It would still be nice if someone had experience with the difference between the two series (in terms of performance, heat, durability) or knew if they were compatible with my system.

I am planning on saving both of the 9800M GTX GPUs, but as far as I am concerned, both of them are beyond saving and will not work again. I have no intention of overclocking as the life span of my GPUs already seems to be rather short.

 

You can't install FX3800m which is MXM3.0.

D901c has MXM2.1 slot.

And the GTX280m you found is MXM3.0 as well.(The seller wrongly names it as MXM III)
MXM2.1 version GTX280m is very rare and overpriced.

Maybe you can ask some resellers here for GTX260M(MXM2.1 III-HE version).
Under $200 would be a good price.

There are some HP version fx3700m on ebay priced @$250, but they need a clevo vbios flashed to work properly on D901C.

 

The highest Quadro card a D901C can take is a Quadrx FX 3700m.

The highest GeForce card a D901C can take is a GeForce GTX 280m MXM Type III 2.1 variant. Please note that this variant is not capable of doing SLi.

 

Alright, guess it is the Quadro 3700M then. On the eBay auction it says it is compatible with MXM2.1 or HE Type III, so it should work with my system, right? Other than the danger of static electricity and dirt, is there anything I should be aware of when replacing the GPU?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/558702-d900c-d901c-np9262-quadro-3700m-help.html

Check this thread.

 

That does seem slightly worrying, will try to find a GTX 280M if possible - are there any respectable mobile GPU-resellers cheaper than MXM-upgrade that might have this card?

 

You might have good luck just checking the NBR marketplace. It's not dealers there as much as other users looking to sell or part out their old machines. At the very least, you might get a better deal there

NBR Marketplace

 

Thank you for the link, already looked through the marketplace and unfortunately didn't find anything. A friendly member offered to buy me a 280M card directly from Clevo, so I need to choose in between buying the 3700M and flashing it into a 280M or paying 200 USD more and get an actual 280M. This is a lot of money for me, but would be affordable. I read the thread Saltius linked to about issues with flashing a vBios; does anyone else have experience with this (be it with problems or without) or know how difficult the flashing process is?
Also, embarrasingly enough, I found out that the automatic shutdown might indeed just be the power button being pressed (I put on the part over the keyboard that covers the power button a bit misalligned when I took off the keyboard), meaning that the power button might be pressed if pressure is put on a certain area of the laptop. I am still not all positive about this though, so suggestions to things that could cause (especially immediate) shutdowns in a D901C system other than overheating would be nice.

EDIT: I just checked my current BIOS and it is from 24/9-2008. I read in a thread that the Quadro FX 3700M was released on 14/8-2008. Does this mean that my BIOS should recognize the GPU and no flashing will be required? If so, would the difference between the 3700M and 280M be noticeable at all when playing the next generation of high-end games (Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Bioshock: Infinite, etc)?