Expert Knowledge Required - Updating GPUs?

FZ21Z · Oct 6, 2009

Sorry, the title should read "upgrading"

If my graphics card fails, and I have to send it of to Sony, if it's the actual chip that is at fault, would they just replace the chip, or the whole card, and if it is one or the other, can it be replaced with something else?

Antman · Oct 6, 2009

No way they replace the chip. The labor cost alone is too high, never mind the admin costs.

You will receive at least a duplicate as a replacement, and it is not unheard of to get a next gen replacement.

It is cheaper for me to give a customer a new mobo than it is to solder on a new PS/2 port. Sad but true.

FZ21Z · Oct 6, 2009

Antman said:
You will receive at least a duplicate as a replacement, and it is not unheard of to get a next gen replacement

Let me ask this then, if I came to you, and I said I wanted to upgrade the card in my laptop, and I have £500, would/could you do it, and what card would you replace my 8600 with?

ccatlett1984 · Oct 6, 2009

laptops are a different story, the video card (chip) is usually soldered directly onto the motherboard, there is no way to upgrade the video in most laptops. Some you can, but you will spend almost as much as just buying a new laptop with the better video card in it already.

I just checked, your model does not have a seperate video card, you have no way of upgrading the graphics on this laptop.

Also, could a Mod please move this to the right forum, its not a "chill-out" topic.

Bituser · Oct 6, 2009

Thats why you need an alien ware or something.
I think it would be easier to upgrade the CPU than the GPU.
I think laptops aren't really made to be gaming computers yet.
Which means that in most laptops you can only upgrade the RAM and HDD.

FZ21Z · Oct 6, 2009

ccatlett1984 said:
I just checked, your model does not have a seperate video card, you have no way of upgrading the graphics on this laptop.

So should the chip fail, Sony would replace the MB?

ccatlett1984 said:
Also, could a Mod please move this to the right forum, its not a "chill-out" topic.

It was posted in chill-out because it's not a Windows 7 issue.

FZ21Z · Oct 6, 2009

Fastboy42 said:
I think laptops aren't really made to be gaming computers yet.

I'm not after a gaming machine, but if it is possible to upgrade something on my laptop, then of course I'm going to want to do it.

Antman · Oct 6, 2009

FZ21Z said:
Let me ask this then, if I came to you, and I said I wanted to upgrade the card in my laptop, and I have £500, would/could you do it, and what card would you replace my 8600 with?

The upgrade could be done. I would not do it. I am a businessman and a pragmatist. I would sell you a new platform.

DeaconFrost · Oct 7, 2009

You're best bet is going to be to look for a new laptop. Most laptops don't have a swappable graphics card, as others have mentioned. The good news is, given you have a Sony, you'll be able to buy another brand in time for far less money, and then spend some of the difference in upgraded graphics. At least over here, Sony's are very expensive compared to equally equipped Dells and HPs.

FZ21Z · Oct 7, 2009

DeaconFrost said:
Most laptops don't have a swappable graphics card, as others have mentioned.

It's also been mentioned that it is possible, and this is why asked for experts, because there is conflicting information no matter where I look.

DeaconFrost said:
Sony's are very expensive compared to equally equipped Dells and HPs.

But I would buy neither of those two, and although I do admire Alienware laptops, those too are expensive, and bulky. My Vaio is going nowhere soon, and as there is a possibility that the card could indeed be changed, I'll hold out for now.

DeaconFrost · Oct 7, 2009

In the time it took to write any of those replies, you could have looked up the answer for sure, to see if your graphics card is swappable. 99.9% of the time, it won't be. There shouldn't be any conflicting info. It either has an MXM slot (or whatever it was called) or it doesn't. And if you shut your mind to Dell and HP, you are missing out on two of the best priced, well made brands on the market. Aside from Acer, there's nothing else worth the money.

Antman · Oct 7, 2009

A properly motivated individual can accomplish anything.

Find a vendor for the desired chip. Or, identify a laptop model that contains your desired chip and look for salvaged mobos. You can remove the chip from there. The same person who does that may very well be the person who does the next step.

Find somebody with the skill to re-integrate the chip onto the mobo.

When you tally the final cost, you will know the difference between value and worth.

Perhaps your model was sold with an upgraded vid chip. Look for a salvaged mobo from that series.

Perrybucsdad · Oct 7, 2009

FZ21Z said:
So should the chip fail, Sony would replace the MB?

It has been my experience with HP, and Dell that if it were covered under warranty, yes they would swap the MB out.

FZ21Z · Oct 7, 2009

DeaconFrost said:
It either has an MXM slot (or whatever it was called) or it doesn't.

Yes, I have taken that into account, and if it did, don't you think I would have upgraded already.

Thank you for your replies Antman, it's those kind of responses I was looking for. I could buy an Alienware right now as money isn't the issue here, this laptop is perfect as it stands, but if I can make it better, I'm gonna try. Ideally I would have a rig that I would build from scratch but don't have the space, and I've never been inside a laptop so don't know just how plausible it is to change the card or the processor.

DeaconFrost · Oct 8, 2009

FZ21Z said:
I've never been inside a laptop so don't know just how plausible it is to change the card or the processor.

On a laptop....not very likely. Sometimes, you can upgrade the processor of the same series, but then you'll have to hope the existing cooling is up to par. As a safe bet, 99.9% of all laptops can have the memory upgraded (unless it is maxed out), and the hard drive. That's about it.

FZ21Z · Oct 8, 2009

Ok, I'll give up upgrading my graphics, but how about the processor, could you recommend something?

Antman · Oct 8, 2009

FZ21Z said:
Ok, I'll give up upgrading my graphics, but how about the processor, could you recommend something?

This comes down to the mobo - as hobbled/not hobbled by the vendor.

Examine the range of CPUs the vendor offered with your model. You are likely stuck with that range of selection.

DeaconFrost · Oct 8, 2009

You also should try and find some Sony forums or something like it to see if anyone else has ever upgraded the proc in the same model laptop. At one time, many laptop vendors would actually solder in the chip, but I don't know if they still do this. It seems more likely to me that they cripple the BIOS to only accept the chip that's in it. What also works against you is the return on investment. For what you'd pay for a chip of the same line, your gains for going up 200 mhz or so aren't going to be noticeable, so it might not be worth upgrading.

stormy13 · Oct 8, 2009

It seems more likely to me that they cripple the BIOS to only accept the chip that's in it.

They do that sort of thing with their desktops too.

For what you'd pay for a chip of the same line, your gains for going up 200 mhz or so aren't going to be noticeable, so it won't not be worth upgrading.

Fixed it for you.

Antman · Oct 8, 2009

Sadly, FZ21Z, laptops are not really upgradeable.

Expert Knowledge Required - Updating GPUs?

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