Can you replace the gfx chip in a notebook?

[acegazda]

It seems like all the good notebooks with the good gfx chips are >$2000. I can't spend that much. I want to get like a $1000 notebook and replace the gfx chip is this possible?
How much would it cost?

EDIT: My budget is like $1250 total.

 

[Kaervak]

It depends on the laptop. Some of them you can, but the majority of them you can't. Usually the more expensive ones are upgradeable. Some cheap ones might be upgradeable, but I highly doubt it.

 

[frostedflakes]

Dell usually has some pretty good deals on their laptops, you should be able to find something with a 7900GS or 7900GTX for ~$1250.

 

[Commodus]

I agree with Kaervak, but the short answer is that you simply can't depend on being able to upgrade the graphics in a laptop. The expansion slots are often limited to high-end systems in the first place. Formats are specific to the video chipset companies, too -- get an NVIDIA-based laptop today and you'll be stuck upgrading to the next GeForce Go (if you can find the upgrade card) whether you like it or not.

Realistically, what you should do is get a baseline system at a site that lets you configure them, and then get the best graphics chip you can. Dell's currently selling the E1705 for $1178 if you add a GeForce Go 7900 GS but leave everything else unchanged. If that doesn't sound good enough for you, you may just have to admit it and get a basic laptop and a better desktop.

 

[acegazda]

Alright... thanks guys. I'll check out some of the prebuilt offerings.
Hopefully there's something along the lines of a 7900gs for $1200.

 

[frostedflakes]

Yup I think Commodus has the right idea. Get a prebuilt and have them upgrade all the stuff that is difficult/impossible to upgrade yourself (i.e. graphics card, LCD, etc.). Then later down the road you could always throw more memory, a faster CPU, HDD, etc. in there.

 

[extra]

Yeah, you can't upgrade it in MOST laptops. However, there is an increasing amount of them where you can.

Your best bet for getting a great video card in a cheap laptop is to visit the Dell outlet (www.dell.com/outlet) and watch for exceptional deals.

Keep in mind that the faster chips from older generations will often be faster than mid range stuff from this generation!

EDIT: Just wanted to also say that you will be able to grab a 17" Laptop with a good video card for your $1250 budget but getting a 15" one with a decent video card will limit your options quite a bit more.

There is an Acer with an X1600 ( i think, it might be a 7600 lol) that can be had for around $1000. It is a 15" model.

You could configure some Dells with decent video cards for your budget as well--make SURE to use their coupons!

 

[cheesehead]

Actually, many laptop manufacturers have upgradable video cards, as I recently found out. You may be able to snag a "barebones" laptop on eBay for 250$, add a used HDD, CPU, and RAM from the F/S/T forums, and throw in a very nice video card for well under 1200$.

http://www.mxm-upgrade.com/Table.html

I would personally avoid Dell. Too many headaches. On the other hand, if you don't mind carrying around a massive laptop, it's hard to beat the price to performance ratio.