Help: Looking for a GPU upgrade for my M15x!

Hello everyone.

I currently own a M15x, bought back in November 2010 with a GTX 460.

Recently it has been having some heating issues which result in FPS slowdown in all games. The problem can be solved if I use a laptop fan..however I plan to upgrade my GPU anyway as I plan to stream some games. At the moment if I stream, the FPS drops by quite a bit which makes it difficult to play.

So I am asking for advice on which GPU should i look for? I've been reading the forums and seeing options such as GTX 560, Radeon 6970 and such...which is the most optimal? I plan to play games like SC2: Heart of the Swarm. At the moment its mostly just League of Legends by Riot. Also last question: Where do I buy a gpu and is it difficult to install if I was to do it myself?

Thanks for the help!

btw my CPU is 1st gen i7-740qm (just in case its relevant)

 

Hi Res-

This is all personal opinion and subject to inconsistencies and potential incorrect information. SC2 will benefit from a CPU upgrade before GPU with your setup, the first gen i7's like the 740qm are clocked just way too low! Don't consider the 560m, the performance difference would be throwing out your money compared to the 460. Go for a 6990m which you can find occasionally for prices very near a 560m or go all out for a 7970m, Dell models of course Unfortunately I can't comment about LoL as I've only played it twice. It was unbearable on a e2120 and half decent on a e8400 both desktop cpus.

GPUs can be had on ebay and the NBR market! If in doubt, post here before you buy. Not all GPUs will be compatible and not all same model GPUs are the same. Installation is usually pretty simple unless you wish to shortcut because of certain cards on brackets. Usually its worth the extra 20-30 dollars to buy a X-bracket with your card.

EDIT: Definitely take care of your cooling and heating situation before upgrading your GPU! This is critical. If you're having heat issues with a 460m and throw in a 7970m. You may possibly kill your new investment. that'd be a really sad break so make sure to find out your temp issues and fix first

 

Hey, thanks for the reply!

I'm a total newbie in terms of installing hardware and I would be afraid to make something go wrong inside there. Would it be better to purchase the GPU and give it to a technician to install? Or possibly a friend that is knowledgable.

Anyway, how much would a 6990m or 7970m go for? I tried searching but couldn't find "prices" and I'm afraid of overpaying. Also, what's a X-bracket? I know google exists, just couldn't find a definition of it lol

On a side note, is it possible that the current 460m is causing the heating issues (due to old fan or w/e)? Or could it be something else?

 

A Dell 7970M is roughly $400. Twice the performance of 6970M CFX. I currently have one in the marketplace if you are interested (shameless plug )

As for installing, it's very straight forward. I'm sure when the time comes, we can guide you.

X-bracket is just the GPU backplate.

 

Yah, x-bracket is just the graphic card backplate.

Try hwinfo64 to check your cpu fan speed and you can manually change the fan speed to max 4500rpm. You'll definitely notice if it spins up to max. If the fans not working. Use a can of air and spray it out and try once more. A different gfx card won't fix overheating issues. You definitely want to look into fixing your current heating before upgrading. If the fan is good, try and re paste.

Meant gpu fan speed doh.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

 

Try elevating the laptop's back side a bit if you haven't and see if that helps temps.