[Vaio Z] Replace the Graphic Card...

Please, im searching a way, how to change the graphic card....
How to replace the 9300M GS with a 9600M GT or something that are faster...
There must be a way to speedup the graphic... and we can construct a better cooling design...

I think a faster graphic card, like the 9600M GT, is better for the laptop, because, they have more pixel pipelines and all that...
I think if you underclock the graphic card, it will be much cooler and you can play much better games... in better performance, and much cooler as with the 9300M GS...

So there is the way to underclock the graphic card.... to get it cooler and faster as the 9300...

But can anybody help me, how to replace it?

Thanks very much!

 

I'm beginning to think you should have bought a different laptop altogether...

 

yea, replacing a video card for a laptop is very difficult, and i dont think you can for a sony, this also void your warranty i think

 

There's a Z manual somewhere that someone post it up awhile ago that might help you a little. i just cant remember where

Cheers,
Andrew

 

Here is a MXM Graphic Card, i found in ebay, Nvidia-9600M-GT-DDR3-512MB
It's like the 9300M GS with DDR3 Ram...
There exists some 55nm Graphic Cards, the 9300M GS is 65nm... so the smaller ones like the 9800M GT, are cooler on same clock...
So i think with undeclocking, and Nvidia bios modifying tool "NiBiTor", that all will be no problems...
So we can increase 100% more graphic performance with a cooler graphic card... That is really!

I only need a way to Replace and some Big Photos, from the graphic chip and the mainboard if anyone can do that!

Pls don't leave, i will realize this, i will make the vaio Z, the smallest/fastest laptop you can get on the market...
This Laptop is perfect for games... It have hybrid switch for battery, the fastest cpu T9600 and the best smalles screen i ever seen 1600x900!

So please help me, and let us realize this!
PS: And forget the warranty, i know that...
Cheers

PS: Here are some Cards i found:
Nvidia-9600M-GT-DDR3-512MB
Nvidia-9500M-GS-DDR2-512MB

 

As far as I know, the VGA is integrated, not replaceable, like the CPU.
Also, the notebook uses EFI and a modified NVIDIA driver to work with the stamina switch, so, no matter if you can replace it or not.. because no driver support for it.

 

The Z is so thin that I would be surprised if the graphics card WASN'T soldered onto the board itself.

 

You cant, VGA card is soldered in for Z like most laptops nowadays...

 

hmm this is interesting, does anyone think it possible to add it to a SR?

 

This is true.

 

The drivers aren't the big Problem i think! There are some ways to modify that!...

What if we Desoldering the Card, and Soldering the other one...
And for the rest we can modify the Bios with NiBiTor?

Pls, If anyone can do, pls make some big pictures...
I will try to Desoldering the Graphic Card!

Can anyone do some big pictures?

Cheers!

 

Don't come crying to us when your rather silly idea fails badly and you destroy your rather expensive laptop, because we will just laugh at you. Just leave your graphics card as is OR sell it and get something more suited to what you want.

 

I could replace the graphics card in one of my old laptops as the graphics card was not soldered down. Also, another model in the same series had a graphics card that had more memory on it so i swapped it for that one.

In my search though i discovered that even graphics cards with the same part number e.g Geforce 4XXX were designed to fit the motherboard of the laptops that they were being used for.
It is possible that some of those parts that you are looking at may just be the wrong size.
Here are some pictures of the Z though being taken apart.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=274083

 

i don't see the GPU sitting on a daughtercard so replacing the graphics chip, safely and reliably, is not possible

 

you will destroy your notebook and make it useless if you try to remove the GPU

 

Buy a different laptop, save time and headache. Sell me your Z at half price. Close this thread. Everyone's happy.

 

What happened to the external nVidia graphics cards that you plugged into a cardbus slot? That would, I believe, be the only way to upgrade. If those things are still made, and made for expresscard/34 slots.

 

Only work on external screens and aren't quite as powerful.

 

True in some sense. However, this applies to certain laptops, especially those Dell gaming laptops. Those GPUs are "plugged-in" types but for all the Vaio laptops, no matter what model, the GPUs are all soldered on.

 

I agree. However, the OP can be the guinea pig for this forum by trying it out on his laptop.

 

I have seen the internals of the Z so i knew that the part was soldered down.
What i was getting at by my post that in those circumstances that i mentioned that it is only then will it be really possible to upgrade the GPU without much difficulty and then only if a more powerful form of graphics card exist that will fit your motherboard.


On a slightly different note though i have seen some people upgrade soldered CPU's in their notebooks. Even if the OP did attempt to desolder their GPU like i said though getting one to fit would probably present the biggest issue. Also, changing these BIOS is just so difficult. The OP would probably have not much chance of success of doing that.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=350209

 

How hard is it to replace the CPU? I have the P8600 and was looking at the T9600 (2.8/6MB). Is the CPU also soldered on the Z or is it a ZIF socket?

@

 

Hi ajaffarali if you look at post 13# in this thread the link that i posted you will see that the CPU is socketed and not soldered. If you have questions about the ease of upgrading i suggest that you start up a new thread about that or post in the Z owners thread. I am also not 100% certain where the CPU is located in the Z.

This is the removal guide though. If you study it you should have a good idea about how your laptop is designed internally.
Forum member Firestone uploaded this guide.
http://www.4shared.com/get/80881144...sionid=8B861C93C12B9FF213E68CF4ED85669C.dc113

 

Any BGA component can be desoldered and soldered with right equipment.
But the first thing you should consider is the new GPU chip has to be exactly same pin number and configuration as old GPU. The second is the compatibility between old GPU and System BIOS with new GPU chipset.

 

So if the 9300 have 64Bit interface, the new gpu needs 64bit interface too?
So there is impossible to solder a 9600M GS with 128Bit interface?

I think for the bios, that isn't a hard thing, we can just use the 9300Bios and modify it?...

I don't want to give up with the gpu!
Cheers

 

I understand your urge to upgrade the GPU in your Z, just like many of us. However, I would suggest that if you really want a much more powerful GPU, then obviously, you should look for other laptops.

Touch wood. I'm not cursing you or anything but unless you have tons of money to throw away, I wouldn't suggest that you go ahead with this experiment because in the event that the experiment fails, then.....

Whatever you decide to do, good luck.

 

I haven't tons of money
I have not enough money to buy a other laptop, because is there any other laptop with 13", 1600x900, 4gb ddr3, t9600 c2d, blue ray burner, and a better graphic card as a 9300M GS?

I buyed this laptop in Japan and shipped it, it's the Z90 Gothic Arabesque...

So i haven't seen any better laptop on the marked, and im 19j old, and haven't that money to buy a other laptop, i payed for my version 3000€ with shipping and all that... that was all money, what i have...

Now i only want to upgrade the gpu, and im searching a way.... so i searching help, or peoples, where have much howto, and can give me some tipps and all that...
I would pay 200-300€ to get a new gpu, like the 9600, or better...

So i have this dream, and wouldn't give up, like i haven't give up to save money, to buy this laptop!

So please help!

----------------------------------------------------------------

Because, if i have fixed my grub2 bootmanager, i have triple boot XP,Linux,Vista, i will upload here the Z90 9300M GS Bios, that we have anything here to start....

Thx very much & Cheers

 

I understand, but this really is a "risk" to try this GPU upgrade thingy considering the amount of money you spent on your Vaio Z....

 

I would suggest searching around to find out how many people have successfully upgraded their GPU by replacing just the chip. A notebook with integrated chipsets and the interaction between these chipsets/the bios/drivers/software makes this an all but impossible task.

 

it is impossible to solder that GPU and expect your notebook to work perfectly as if nothing happened at all.

 

It's not going to happen. As many have stated, you can't replace the GPU. So either you learn to be OK with the Z as is, or sell it and get something else with the GPU you want. There is no middle ground here.