NP8150 - Buy w/ 460 now... able to upgrade to 485m later?

My work laptop is due to be replaced, and I'm trying to get my boss to approve a $1500 budget for my next laptop. I'm eyeing the NP8150.

Can I get it w/ the 460m now and upgrade to the 485m down the road? If so, is this a "user" swap or does it have to be sent in to a service center?

Last question, if the upgrade to the 485m is possible, would it require a new AC adapter/power "brick" or any other component upgrades/purchases?

Cheers,

Trey

Edit: OOPS! I was on page 117 of the NP8150 thread and my question was asked and answered on page 119... missed it by THAT much !

 

Yes, it is possible, and you won't need another AC adapter as the 8150 already comes with a PSU enough to handle the 485m.

 

Also be aware that currently the 485m is selling for $700-800 on its own. (The upgrade is $500, but still). It's always better to upgrade at the time of purchase for CPU's/GPU's/Screen since they tend to be more expensive to add yourself (RAM/HDD/ODD and some other components go the other way though and are cheaper yourself).

Granted you never know how a future card like say, an imaginary 580m might do in comparison. It's a trade off really, patience and power.

 

Well, if you're getting it bought for you and there's a firm budget, I would take whatever you can get. Is there a way for you to pay the difference beyond the initial budget for the 485m upgrade?

 

You can upgrade down the road but as others mentioned, it's gonna cost you more. Also, depending on the reseller, doing the swap yourself may or may not void the warranty. Sending it to a service center would add extra costs on its own.

Thanks

 

Thx for the replies.

Wow, that is a premium price for upgrading to the 485m later ($700)... heck even at purchase time it's $495 extra over the 460m.

Maybe my boss will let me sell off my current work laptop and two work desktops to cover the spread between the two gpu's... doesn't hurt to ask!

 

If you can wait a little bit, the 6970M might be coming out for it, and you'll be able to get it for around 1500 for the excellent GPU. Not sure if those are coming soon or at all though...

 

I was sort of in the same boat, and I decided to stick with the 460m with the plan to upgrade later. I'm hoping to upgrade maybe in 2 years. How much do you think a stand alone 485m will cost later down the road? Also, is it possible that other cards might fit into the system as an upgrade later on?

 

A GTX 280M is still about ~$550 even though a FX3700 can be purchased for ~$200 if you're lucky enough to be able to vBios flash it for a 280M. So, it's a bit of a toss up, but if you want a 485M down the road, it's still probably gonna be fairly expensive.

 

Does anyone have a benchmark comparison between the GTX 470M and the 6970M their about the same price upgrade from the 460M, ~$200, I'm just wondering if the wait is worth the 6970M or buying now just the 470M, note only available on the P170HM.

 

Here are benchmarks for AMD 6970 (with 2720QM) Test Eurocom Racer Gaming-Notebook (2720QM / HD 6970M) - Notebookcheck.com Tests

This is the GTX 470 (but paired with a 2630QM) Review Deviltech Fragbook DTX (Clevo P170HM) Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

Overall, it looks like the 6970M is closer in power to the GTX 485 much more than the GTX 470.

 

Ok, thanks, I figured that the 6970M was much closer to the 485M I just haven't seen any benchmarks, or at least haven't looked in the right areas I guess.

 

Bear in mind that the 6970m benchmarks are based on engineering samples which may not be a true reflection of the actual retail card upon release. However the buzz is that comparable performance can be had from the 6970m whilst paying less of a price premium than the top-end 485m.