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    Upgrading video cards

    Discussion in 'Alienware 14 and M14x' started by Punisher_67, May 23, 2012.

  1. Punisher_67

    Punisher_67 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I have had my M14x now for 4 months and like it a lot , I have the 555 3.0GB video card and was wondering if it was possible or even worth it to upgrade to the 650 1.0GB video card .

    Thanks for any input
     
  2. pokemon123

    pokemon123 Notebook Consultant

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    The video card is soldered in the motherboard. It would be very difficult/nearly impossible to do. I think the jump in performance is pretty decent, but not worth the cost of changing the entire motherboard just for the video card. I would just opt to selling the R1 to get the R2.
     
  3. Punisher_67

    Punisher_67 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thanks - thats all I needed to know - I will upgrade maybe in a year or so
     
  4. VV1LLC

    VV1LLC Notebook Geek

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    Is the R2's video card soldered too?
     
  5. katalin_2003

    katalin_2003 NBR Spectre Super Moderator

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    Yes .
     
  6. benny boy

    benny boy Newbie

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    you can purchase external enclosures for graphics cards that can connect to your computer via USB 3.0. I think a company called "Village Instruments" makes them, and supposedly their enclosure allows you to insert a desktop graphics card of your choice into the enclosure. It seemed like a convenient little system, and an affordable way of adding some graphics processing power if your current card just isn't cutting it for you. I don't have any first hand experience with the system though, so I don't know how well it works, just seemed like a good idea.
     
  7. tyler27

    tyler27 Notebook Consultant

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    it sounds great but you will lose a massive amount of performance from the card with usb