any experience upgrading laptops?

[jorhee]

Hello,

I'm considering what my next computer purchase will be and after being burned with needing to buy whole new laptops every 2 or so years in order to be able to make the most of current software (and games), I'm very tempted to just buy a desktop as I can always upgrade key parts instead of having to replace the whole thing. The only problem with that is that I tend to move around quite a bit for work so desktop mobility would be an issue (although not a show stopper).

Now I've recently discovered the PC Specialist Clevo range and I'm amazed just how much you can customize a laptop but before making the big decision to go with an Optimus III in the near future, can anyone share any insights of upgrading a Clevo (or other laptop)? Especially graphics cards, if I went with a Nvidia GT 670M now and in 18 months, I wanted to buy the Nvidia GT 970M*, how likely is that to be possible? Or similar.

Is there any one out there that has put a 2012 graphics card into a 2010/2011 laptop? I hear those kind of people are rumored to exist but I've never actually seen one!!

Thanks,

Jorhee

*Nvidia GT970M only a fantasy to illustrate the point...lol

[steaky360]

Hi Jorhee,

Although I've not upgraded any laptops myself I know PCS will soon be offering an upgrade service for their customers Some info here clicky

If you were thinking about doing it yourself I cant see there being any issues as long as you choose compatible hardware (ie nothing you want to replace is soldered down etc.). There are many people on these forums who've changed bits and pieces on their laptops with no problems too, there is bound to be a wealth of experience once you know what you want to do!

[keynes]

In the link that steaky360 provided -post 8-
GPU upgrades will only be available for the Vortex and SkyFire series - all other models use soldered down GPUs.
We will offer two upgrade choices - one collect and return option and one option just to dispatch the components to you.

[jorhee]

Rubensolo - you're clearly a legend with the amount of useful feedback, advice and rep points you've earned! Great to see your input - I meant the Vortex III, not the optimus. My build so far looks like this;

Chassis & Display
Vortex Series: 15.6" AUO Matte 95% Gamut Widescreen (1920x1080) (£79)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-3820QM (2.70GHz) 8MB
Memory (RAM)
16GB SAMSUNG 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 MEMORY (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 680M - 4.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - Hard Disk
240GB INTEL® 520 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
750GB WD SCORPIO BLACK WD7500BPKT, SATA 3 Gb/s, 16MB CACHE (7200 rpm)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
2nd/3rd HDD HARD DRIVE OPTICAL BAY CADDY
Memory Card Reader
Internal 9 in 1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD: Mini, XC & HC/MS: Pro & Duo)
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND (£9)
Sound Card
Intel 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® ULTIMATE-N 6300 (450Mbps)
USB Options
3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Firewire
1 X 1394a FIREWIRE PORT
Battery
Vortex Series 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (5,200 mAh/76.96WH)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 180W AC Adaptor
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Keyboard Language
INTEGRATED BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 2.0 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
Dead Pixel Guarantee
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs (£19)
Insurance
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days

I know it's a bit overkill but I want something that's future proof for a long time to come (and will be able to max out Total War Rome 2!!!)

steaky360 - Thanks for your input, I saw the upgrade thread and it's one of the reasons I'm considering PCS. Do you know anyone that has actually swapped a 2012 mobile graphics card into a 2010/2011 laptop? It clearly depends on compatibility but while I'm confident there is a wide range of compatibility options for desktop motherboards, I'm not aware of the same range/flexibility with mobile motherboards and cases.

Ruben/steaky - look forward to any further advice and insight you can share.

Jorhee

[NotebookNut]

I have a (2011) NP8170 / P170HM Laptop and recently upgraded to a (2012) GTX680m from a GTX485M. The 680M is not officially supported, the Bios did not recognise it and due to this, the Hardware ID was not assigned correctly so Nvidia Drivers would not install.

However, since the GPU was detected in Windows I modified the Nvidia inf files (learned through trial and error) to allow install and everything has been perfect with huge performance increases everywhere. I now understand exactly what to modify to make almost any other Nvidia Driver work, I posted a quick guide here.

Idle temps of 38-42C and gaming temps of anywhere from 55-70C with more intensive games maxing out at 72-74C. A lot cooler than my GTX 485M's 85C. I have done laptop GPU and CPU upgrades before though.

You might want to take a look at this when considering future upgrade potential. If Sager wanted to, they could provide official support through a Bios but they consider the model as EOL and where not going to do anything to support the 7970M (needed Vbios flash to work). The link has all of those details so you will understand.