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    Need some help with CPU/GPU upgrade :)

    Discussion in 'Alienware M15x' started by Enkeixpress, Sep 4, 2011.

  1. Enkeixpress

    Enkeixpress Notebook Geek

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    Hey there,

    Well, I'm planning on upgrading either my GPU or CPU on my Alienware M15x & was wondering which would benefit me more in games like Battlefield 3, MW3 & others..? :)

    These are my specs as of right now:

    Alienware M15x Space Black
    i7 740QM
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M 1.5GB
    6GB DDR3-1333
    15.6" 1920x1080 WLED
    7200RPM 500GB Serial HD (SATA)
    DVD-RW Drive

    The 460M GPU is over-clocked to the settings below via EVGA Precision:

    Core Clock: 740Mhz
    Shader Clock: 1480Mhz
    Memory Clock 1500Mhz

    Anyway,

    For the CPU, I want to upgrade to this i7 940XM processor I found on eBay: Click Here

    & for the GPU, I want to upgrade to this 1.5GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 560M which I also found on eBay: Click Here

    Now.. Eventually, I will upgrade both the CPU & GPU.. but at this moment in time.. I'm not made of money lol.. and can only afford one of the two.. so I'd like to know which one would actually help make a big difference in performance when gaming.

    Also, I'm pretty sure I know how to install the processor.. but I have no idea about how to install the GPU as it involves re-pasting & all kinds of stuff like that.. so if anyone has a guide or could offer instructions that I could use later on down the line when I'm actually going to attempt to install the GPU, that'd be great. :)

    Thanks in advance for any help at all :)
     
    Enkeixpress, Sep 4, 2011
    #1
  2. mohamadnizam

    mohamadnizam Notebook Enthusiast

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    go with the amd 6970.. i know im satisfied with it. :)
     
    mohamadnizam, Sep 4, 2011
    #2
  3. Enkeixpress

    Enkeixpress Notebook Geek

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    I would.. but I've always preferred nvidia when it comes to GPUs, no idea why lol.. I can't find anyone selling one of those on eBay anyway..
     
    Enkeixpress, Sep 4, 2011
    #3
  4. Kratzen

    Kratzen Notebook Consultant

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    Kratzen, Sep 4, 2011
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  5. elflegolas

    elflegolas Notebook Consultant

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    don't think upgrading to 560m is a good idea since the performance with 460m is likely same,u will just get few %(under 10) boost since the 560m's clock is higher
    which means you pay for nth
    go for the 6970m and you will have almost 50% performance boost from 460m
    also, 920xm is just the same with 940xm but much more cheaper
     
    elflegolas, Sep 4, 2011
    #5
  6. Dav0415

    Dav0415 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'd go with the 6970 and the 920xm, they are the best option and all that the m15x will handle.

    You can get the 6970 here its the cheapest i've found.

    You can get 920xm engineering samples for about $230 and brand new ones for about $300, just look them up on ebay.
     
    Dav0415, Sep 4, 2011
    #6
  7. The Revelator

    The Revelator Notebook Prophet

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    DP - please delete.
     
    The Revelator, Sep 4, 2011
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  8. The Revelator

    The Revelator Notebook Prophet

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    The Revelator, Sep 4, 2011
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