Why is it so hard to upgrade the GPU?

This probably sounds stupid to most of you, but why can't you upgrade the GPU? I read around, and I got the impression that upgrading the GPU is a big no-no. Fine. But why?

 

Most of the time, it is because the GPU is soldered directly onto the motherboard. If it isn't that, it is because it is integrated...and no slot is available for a GPU. After that, the GPU parts (if available) are hard to find and there are as many versions of them as there are numbers of different laptops...so forget finding the part. There's MXM (types I, II, III, HE, and possibly IV), AXIOM (also with several types), Dell proprietary, HP proprietary, etc, etc, etc. Even then, if you get the part, it voids the warranty and you get minimal advantages because the upgrade path is extremely limited.

Yeah, I know...it sucks.

 

Manufacturers don't want consumers to be able to upgrade their ntoebooks. Otherwise, people would spen money on a new graphics cards, rather than buying a new notebook everytime they wanted to keep up with graphics technology. Those notebooks that do offer upgradebility, are still subject to conditions. Conditions, such as the thermal output of the replacement card, and the type of form factor it is in.

As night_2004 mentioned, there are also other various reasons, such as the current graphics card being sodered to the motherboard, and the availability of replacement cards. The list goes on, and it becomes clear why its difficult to upgrade graphics cards.

 

So basically, you can't remove them due to the soldering, and if you can remove them, you can only put in certain other ones made only by the manufacturer, which greatly limits you choices.

This isn't a dekstop where all it takes is a screw to remove the gpu and then having like 200 different choices to put in no matter who made them.

 

Well, heres the difference between the two, the size. Every notebook has its own size, with different ports and fans. Pretty much every motherboard for every notebook is different. Because of this, the GPU needs to fit in, not only to fit in within the chassis, but fit in so that it'll be safe to run, no ventilation issues, wiring issues, etc.

Unlike the modular desktops, notebooks don't have it because every one is different, there is no 'default general' motherboard that every company uses.

 

Bloody notebooks.

It used to be the same in EMS - all the oxygen tanks had different size hubs, and the tubing was different in every truck. It was a mess. Eventually someone died because they couldn't hook them up to O2, and after a lawsuit, they standardized the tubing. Kind of sad that it took a lawsuit to change that.

It'll probably take a lawsuit to change the mess notebook makers made with GPU's. Too bad no one's life depends on a notebook

 

Can you put a 8900GTX into a 12" laptop? There are a ton of heat issues with laptops that don't exist on desktops. And people still buy the wrong stuff for their desktops all the time. I think someone has a sig with a pic of a "trimmed" 7800GTX or something. I can't see how you could make a consumer-accessible notebook upgrade system, because it would cost a ton to build that ability in, make the notebook cost more, with very minimal benefit, as most people aren't able to or don't want to deal with it.

 

There are very few notebooks that can be upgraded, a few Dell notebooks and a few boutique notebooks can have their GPUs upgraded. But the choice of GPUs is very limited, and new GPUs usually have to be bought directly from the notebook manafacturer because of the various restrictions involved in upgrading. Even if you can upgrade, there is no point. There is a high chance that something will go wrong in the process.