Question regarding updating vid card

hello all...
i have a alienware area51m-7700...the old motherboard died on my back the end of 2005..i had a new clevo board installed (by widowpc) in feb 06...now with all these new games out ive considered upgrading my vid card...i still have the old geforce 6800go installed and now that cards are much cheaper ive been looking into it...

im aware i need to get a new power supply and some sort of black plate(not sure what though)...i also read i need to know which version of motherboard i have installed now but i dont know how to check..i know its a clevo D900t but thats it....

can somebody fill in the blanks for me and tell me how to know which version D900t i have and what else is there to know beofre i purchase anything???

thanx all

 

Welcome to the NBR forums.

You need the later revision to be able to upgrade up to the 7950GTX (which is the final card for the D900T/K chassis.

You can tell the motherboard revision by looking at your power brick (it comes with the new notherboard), the new power brick is a little larger than the original, heres the info on it:
Li Shin International Enterprise Corp.
AC Adapter
Model: 0405B20220
Input: 100-240V~,50-60Hz, 3A
Output: 20V --- 11A

Its looks like this one:

(the one on top of pic)

Hope this helps,
-Gophn

 

thanx 4 the reply..
well i just checked and this is the brick i have...its the same brick that came with the original aw i bought (with old mobo) and i didnt get a new brick when this new one was installed..
also note that my battery doesnt hold charge my battery at all..i have to leave it plugged in all the time (maybe because the mobo was new???)

heres the specs..

Li Shin International Enterprise Corp.
AC Adapter
Model: 0415B20180
Input: 100-240V~,50-60Hz, 2.9A
Output: 20V --- 9.0A

still not sure which mobo i have than since this is the old brick...also note Widowpc did the new mobo install,etc...
also my specs atm are
3.0P4
windows media center 2005
1 gig ram _going to get another 1 gig stick soon) also that instead of 2 512 sticks i just have 1 gig with 3 slots still open so im just gonna get another 1 gig stick..
2 60gig HD raid


thanx again

 

the battery probably is worn down now.. I have been warning people to not leave in the battery if you are going to use AC power all the time, that just overcharges the battery and leaves it useless within a year or two.

In any case, you can get the newest 7950GTX videocard module for this model through a vendor like RJtech (under Acessories section), or eBay for around $400-500. You must make sure to update your BIOS after getting the new card to make sure your system fully recognizes it.

I would like to teach you something about taking care of your high-end system:

Most people do not understand about how to take care of gaming notebooks... because it is probably such a recent thing.

Remember these things to have your notebook be healthy for years:

1) Battery: to maintain the longevity of any rechargeable battery
- you must NEVER overcharge it [especially for long durations of time] by keeping it plugged into AC
- when it reaches 100% you should unplug it and let it discharge to 5-15%, then plug it back to power
- OR you can just charge it to 50%+ and remove the battery and store in cool place.. not the fridge [remember to use it occasionally 3-4 time a year to charge and discharge it].

2.) Heat: to prevent a healthy notebook from overheating
- ALWAYS use the notebook on a hard & flat surface
- RECOMMENDED to be used on a notebook cooler... namely the Zalman ZM-NC1000
- check your fans underneath occasionally (at least once a month) for any dust clogs [clean them out with a flashlight, Q-tips and air cans/compressors]
- ALWAYS monitor the temps (CPU, GPU, HDD, etc..) to watch for fluctuations, which would indicate overheating

By doing these simple things, your entire system will easily last for more than 3 years.

 

thanx 4 the tips..

so its safe to assume i can upgrade my vid card than??
i do have a laptop cooler but it sux..i also use a i-rack that raises it up a bit for air..
i dont play games that much actually...but id like to not outdate my system and keep it for another 2 years...

i guess ill have to get a new brick if i upgrade vid cards anyhow so ill keep ur tips in mind...

is there a way to be sure about my mb???
also whats this "plate" that i read i need as well if i were to upgrade??

 

open the memory panel and look at this:

 

oh...my syas v5.5 but not positive if that was added on after the replaced mobo was installed or if thats the old sticker..gonna have to check again..

but in any case will any upgrade work with v5.5??

 

Gophn
Good tips, that will definitely help the life of ur lappy for a long time
i burned my old one out after 1,and a half to 2 yrs. used it mostly on my belly in bed lol not a hard/flat surface lol always plugged in where ever i went and no cleaning no cooler

i wonder why it dyed?????

not my new one this is going to last me a long time i hope

 

who13,

you need to see which BIOS version you have.

1. Restart the computer.
2. If the Alienware splash screen appears during bootup, press the [Esc] key on the keyboard to switch to the message view.
3. As soon as the POST notification messages appear during bootup, press the [Pause/Break] key on the keyboard. This will pause the system's loading process and will allow you to view all of the notification messages that would normally appear briefly during bootup.
4. Locate the BIOS Revision and KBC/EC Firmware Revision entries as they correspond to the system BIOS and keyboard BIOS versions accordingly (see the image below).