Mini-PCI... What can we do with it?

SHG

Junior Member
Dec 19, 2005
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So I was just sitting here, cleaning out the notebook... When all of a sudden, I noticed the mini-PCI port. My laptop has a piece of crap for a video card (onboard 855gm chipset, ugh) which pretty much even struggles with Day of Defeat and Enemy Territory, which is sad for 2.2ghz.

So, I was wondering, are there any mini-PCI video cards? It seems all they make are mini-PCI wifi/modem cards, with one exception:
MSI ATI Rage XL 8MB Mini-PCI Video Card MS-9513

That was the only mini-PCI video card I could find. But with a Rage XL chipset and 8mb of memory, it's not exactly going to be the card of my dreams.


What about PCI-to-Mini-PCI converters? Do they exist? If so, what do you think about using one to convert a fairly recent PCI card to mini-PCI? (Of course, it'd probably have to sit outside of the laptop, but I'm willing to build some sort of housing for it - hurrah for the first external video card).
 

SHG

Junior Member
Dec 19, 2005
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Damn. Well, my lappy doesn't have a mini-AGP slot. Oh well, it's all good. I'm planning on upgrading in the near future anyways. I learned my mistake with this one: don't buy Intel GPUs.
 
Dec 10, 2005
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Originally posted by: SHG
Damn. Well, my lappy doesn't have a mini-AGP slot. Oh well, it's all good. I'm planning on upgrading in the near future anyways. I learned my mistake with this one: don't buy Intel GPUs.

It's not necessarily that. Just don't buy computers with integrated graphics, especially if you want to play games. The integrated graphics are a fine solution if you don't play games, but when it comes to gaming, look for computers with separate graphics chips.
 
Jan 31, 2002
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By and large, laptops don't have upgradeable GPUs. What you buy is what you get, and what you're stuck with until the end of the life.

This time, just select one with the appropriate oomph. :)

- M4H
 

Busithoth

Golden Member
Sep 28, 2003
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Originally posted by: SHG
Damn. Well, my lappy doesn't have a mini-AGP slot. Oh well, it's all good. I'm planning on upgrading in the near future anyways. I learned my mistake with this one: don't buy Intel GPUs.

I've never had a lappy with upgradable video, but I always had a gaming rig in addition to my thinkpad (until my current one, which has just enough graphics power to run DoD:S and Rome: Total War, but not a lot more).

But then, thinkpads aren't known for their graphic features.

I toyed with the idea of picking up a DockII for my older T41 and using a PCI video card, but the cost was prohibitive, and the results wouldn't come close to what I'd really want. The cost of replacement video cards in lappys is pretty high, isn't it?
 

The Linuxator

Banned
Jun 13, 2005
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My integrated graphics on my R50e is very nice (Intel Extreme Graphics 2) it's fully Linux supported and it runs Wolfenstein in Linux pretty good, not bad for a laptop that I bought with absolutely no intention to game of whatsoever.
 

Busithoth

Golden Member
Sep 28, 2003
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Originally posted by: The Linuxator
My integrated graphics on my R50e is very nice (Intel Extreme Graphics 2) it's fully Linux supported and it runs Wolfenstein in Linux pretty good, not bad for a laptop that I bought with absolutely no intention to game of whatsoever.


you know, it's funny, I was going to mention RTCW as a great game to play on integrated, but stopped myself. Quake 3 engine was an amazing achievement in graphics quality/performance.