Laptop graphics card upgrade question.

[NightRaider57]

is it possible to change a graphics card on a laptop, and if so how hard is it.

[Ninjaturtle]

I think laptops have integrated graphics into their motherboards. So would be impossible really.

[Vermicious]

Unless the laptop has a separate graphics card, then that part could be replaced as part of a repair, but they are not designed for upgrading at all. The only thing you can update/upgrade in a laptop are usually just the RAM and Hard Drive.

[Enhshamanlol]

It's very very depented on the motherboard the laptop is using and if you can plug one in. Then there heat as well. It's just best take it to a "pro" laptop repair guy and take it from there

---------- Post added 2013-06-23 at 12:11 AM ----------

Unless the laptop has a separate graphics card, then that part could be replaced as part of a repair, but they are not designed for upgrading at all. The only thing you can update/upgrade in a laptop are usually just the RAM and Hard Drive.

eh you can replace the CPU on some

[NightRaider57]

Unless the laptop has a separate graphics card, then that part could be replaced as part of a repair, but they are not designed for upgrading at all. The only thing you can update/upgrade in a laptop are usually just the RAM and Hard Drive.

yea i didnt think so, i upgraded my ram today, thats y i was wondering

[Iamanerd]

Well the CPU isn't much of a problem but for the most part the GPU are integrated on the Laptop Mobo. So it's pretty much out of the question and it would be pretty costly even if someone could upgrade it for you.

[klaps_05]

1st and foremost never buy a laptop with integrated graphics. If you want to change an integrated graphics card you have to change tons other things so they work together.

Usually high end laptops go with an integrated graphics card + a standalone GPU which you intend to use so its much easier to change/replace/upgrade.

[zebreck]

Klaps is getting "integrated graphics" confused with "integrated onto the mainboard." Integrated graphics is usually used to refer to a GPU integrated directly onto the processor itself. Most modern processors have this, it just comes with. You can't change it without also changing CPUs, since it's physically part of the cpu silicon. You really don't have to worry about this though, because most gaming laptops have discrete GPUs.

Some laptops have "discrete" GPUs which means that outside of the processor itself they've got a separate block of silicon that does nothing but graphics. On the desktop these are cards you slot into PCIe sockets. On a laptop the discrete "card" is generally soldered onto the mainboard or otherwise "integrated" into the motherboard itself.

TLDR: You can't, it's not a card like on a desktop.

[Cyanotical]

TLDR: You can't, it's not a card like on a desktop.

you can, you just need a laptop with an MXM slot

Asus, Sager/Clevo, MSI, Alienware, and all the other gaming and high end laptop brands have them in their high end notebooks

[BicycleMafioso]

Short answer: Maybe
Elaboration: Depends on your notebook; I have a notebook with a socketted C2D and a mobile PCI-E gpu so I could. My new one? Not even checked!