How easy has it been, in the past, to upgrade an video card in a Clevo?

***I know that there is no guarantee the new video cards will be upgradeable, this is assuming they are***

In a desktop GPU it’s plug and play. Has it been this easy in the past with a Clevo? I thought I knew this answer was “yes” but now I’m maybe being lead to believe otherwise?

@Donald@HIDevolution

 

It could require a BIOS and/or vBIOS update, but otherwise, going with the assumption that it is upgradeable, that is it.

 

So in the past, no issues with g sync or screens not working, or other complicated issues?

 

No, nothing like that. Again, assuming it has been tested to be upgradeable.

 

Gsync does depend on a whitelist style implementation (the motherboard/gpu/screen panel combo must usually match the whitelist to work) so *may* not be available in future configs

There's also the Great Clevo MXM Board Change of 2016 that meant no prior clevo could upgrade to clevo 10-series cards because of the bigger size, different component location, and added power connector. Some other brand cards have still worked. Nvidia was the origin of the issue so Clevo weren't alone, MSI had to offer a trade in program in the face of lawsuits for advertising their laptops as "upgradeable".

But generally clevo are the most upgradeable and as said above bios/vbios are the most common thing followed by heatsink modifications in some cases

 

Does the bios/vbios update generally remedy the G-Sync issue?

@Donald@HIDevolution

 

When you start with a machine that has G-Sync, everything is whitelisted. If the only thing you are changing is the GPU, then just be sure it is whitelisted before you buy it.

 

You can upgrade most of MXM3.0b based laptops to new GTX 1060 and GTX 1070 cards as long as they are 82x105mm size and your laptop is Optimus based or uses eDP panels. See below few pics of GTX 1070 installed in P377SMA, P370EM3 and P177SMA.