Can a laptop graphics card be changed?

jruss5678 · Jan 8, 2003, 09:29 AM

I own a Toshiba Satellite 1805 S207, and I need a new graphics card that's OpenGL 1.2 compliant. Can I actually install a new one. If so, any suggestions? Thanks.

orrimarrko · Jan 12, 2003, 01:44 AM

Depends....

The newer Dell Inspiron 8200s and the new Compaq plus alienware laptops can be upgraded with newer cards like the mobility 9000.

Youd have to check Toshiba to see if your laptop can be upgraded or has the ability to be upgraded.

Dell sells the mobility radeon 9000 for $199.... and you can find them on ebay also from $150-$200

Good Luck

~~DriveEuro~~ · Jan 12, 2003, 04:13 AM

What a rip off at that price.....IMO..

orrimarrko · Feb 2, 2003, 02:04 AM

yeah, I agree also to the severe price they charge... But theres no real competiton from anyone else, either manufacturer, or distributer, and its hard to find them for sale individualy without the laptop too. Guess supply and demand win out in this area, because the PC version wouldnt cost more than $80 even for the best ones out there

marceloM · Feb 26, 2003, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by orrimarrko
Depends....
Youd have to check Toshiba to see if your laptop can be upgraded or has the ability to be upgraded.
Good Luck

The only answer from Toshiba will be you can´t upgrade anything

Maybe somebody can help you

brightfire · May 7, 2003, 10:55 AM

atis website makes it sound like all of their part are interchangable, that all of their recent cards can eailiy be replaced - , but i dont know personally... when i bought my laptop i was told it had an 8500 but it really has an 9000 so i assume the manufacturer upgraded their line and forgot to updae their list, i guess... to make a mid production change like this, wouldnt be easy unless the parts were interchangable -

FluffyChicken · May 7, 2003, 01:26 PM

Other Dell's can be upgraded to 4xx0 and8xx0 series all can, Well atleast they can be cahnged anyway. I certainly wouldn't try brightfire's idea as it's not a chip but a whole integrated board that you buy. Even between models (in Dell) they are different, it's not like a PCI/AGP card in a desktop PC

SpydeR · Jun 14, 2003, 03:17 AM

My new laptop is a dell inspiron 5100 with a radeon 7500, can mine be upgraded or not?

FluffyChicken · Jun 18, 2003, 08:26 AM

SpydeR, One way to have a guess is goto the Dell page and see if there are any other Dell Grapics options (say GeForce Go's). It probably can.

I just had a look and given that 'ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 controller with 16MB or 32MB DDR video memory' you can probably change it then (other than looking at the documentation.
The only upgrade will probably be from the 16Mb card to the 32Mb card. But if the Inspiron 5150 has a similar setup and design motherboard you maybe able to upgrade with one of them.

NOTE : This is speculation, I do not know as I haven't looked into it. Hit the Dell Forums or find some enthusiasts that have tried it

~~WyreTheWolf~~ · Jun 18, 2003, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jruss5678
I own a Toshiba Satellite 1805 S207, and I need a new graphics card that's OpenGL 1.2 compliant. Can I actually install a new one. If so, any suggestions? Thanks.

The Graphics "card" isnt a card in your particular laptop, it is part of the motherboard, and therefore can not be upgraded... This is typically true of MOST laptops.

Sorry, but the only way that you will be able to upgrade your graphics... is to get a new laptop, or desktop.

Matth · Jun 19, 2003, 11:46 AM

It seems there IS a rumoured OpenGL compliant driver fro the CyberBlade Ai1

http://www.driverforum.com/graphics/5716.html - the referenced link is dead, though!

Driverguide.com offered this interesting prospect (XP/2000)
http://cdgenp01.csd.toshiba.com/cont...s/s180vid2.exe

But the official XP one also appears to have an OpenGL ICD in it
http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/t...ngdglj.0&ct=DL

There are also several threads in the forum at www.opengl.org - though not much conclusion!

http://www.driverforum.com/graphics/5588.html
Some good info on the next page of that one.

Another suggestion was the video driver for the ACER Travelmate 350

Or try an OpenGL-DirectX wrapper
http://www.altsoftware.com/products/opengl-directx.html

j0j081 · Sep 2, 2003, 12:47 AM

I'm in the process of finding if I'll be able to upgrade my Presario 2135US (IGP 340M) to a Radeon M 9000. I'll let you know how it turns out.

eastcoast · Jul 11, 2008, 02:59 AM

hey ppl..
i have a dell inspiron 1525 and i was jus wondering if my laptop's video(graphic) card is replaceable? could you pls tell me?

BlueMak · Jul 11, 2008, 03:15 AM

holy necro batman!
The dell inspiron 1525's graphics solution can NOT be upgraded. Also If it gets damanged you would probably have to replace the whole motherboard.

Bare in mind that most notebooks/laptops cannot have their graphics solution upgraded, though there are some that can, this Dell isn't one of them.

***temeteus82*** · Jul 11, 2008, 05:46 AM

This was already "dead" thread. Thanks BM for response. Eastcoast if you need more info about the issue at hand start new thread.
Thread is now closed.