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Video upgrade for laptops?

3

351Cleveland

Golden Member
1. Can laptops have their video upgraded later in life? The guy on the phone at HP said that if they were a mini-pc card, that they could be switched out.

2. If the above IS possible, is the Compaq x1000 set up to do that? I called Compaq, and they couldnt tell me. I was curious to know if one of you guys who had the machine COULd tell me.
 
Can't tell you about the Compaq, but my Dell Inspiron 8200 has a mini-AGP spec, and if I felt like it, I could swap out the Geforce 4 Go. Does Compaq have user forums? That's how I found out the Dell laptops have replaceable graphics cards, and I'd look for Compaq's equivilent.
 
Another follow up question... Are all video cards, the Radeon 9600 in particular avaible in this AGP mini format, and were does one buy one?
 
I called Compaq again. I was told FOR SURE that the video card can be removed and replaced without switching out the whole mainboard. I was also told that, from the information the support guy had, that the connectors to the board were more than likely PROPRIETARY, so even though we can switch out the video card, we are limited to what compaq has. So if they have a 9600 or a 5600 with that connector (which he said looked new to him), we could use it.
 
i wonder if mine could, anyone know? its a compaq presario 2100 series, everything is fast except the video, it has onboard (shared mem) radeon...its not too great...anyone knows? thx 🙂
 
If its a shared memory card, I can say with 99% certanty that you're not swapping that out unless you pry the chip off the the motherboard and graft a new one on...which has a 100% chance of not working 😉
 
Originally posted by: Derango
If its a shared memory card, I can say with 99% certanty that you're not swapping that out unless you pry the chip off the the motherboard and graft a new one on...which has a 100% chance of not working 😉
Click to expand...

just what i was thinking 🙁

bah!!11
 
plz plz let this be true that we can upgrade the card..or else i have to wait wait for the 9600 pro...plz plz

thanks guys who checked this out 🙂
 
Some laptops have GPUs on little add in boards. For example, that's how Dell is able to sell the same laptop with both a Radeon 9000 and Geforce 4 4200. But they're really not user upgradeable. It would be cool, but you can't buy upgrades for these things anywhere, and there's no standard or anything.
 
I dont care if I have to take it to a service center. They evidently will install the part for free (I have to buy the part).

I just care that it is POSSIBLE. That, I think, is the cool part 🙂
 
Originally posted by: JackHawksmoor
Some laptops have GPUs on little add in boards. For example, that's how Dell is able to sell the same laptop with both a Radeon 9000 and Geforce 4 4200. But they're really not user upgradeable. It would be cool, but you can't buy upgrades for these things anywhere, and there's no standard or anything.
Click to expand...

Dell spare parts will sell you the boards, at least for the dell laptops, I'd assume all of the other ones with upgradable boards would sell them to you as well...as long as you know who to call.

and if your board is on an add in card, its definitly not shared memory.
 
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