Question about Upgrading Dedicated Graphics Card

Hello everyone,

I'm making a separate post from choosing best ASUS laptop.(and Desktop)

I was wondering on can I choose any dedicated Graphics to replace the one that is going into my new laptop or are there other specifications that I don't know about from here?

I know that you can't replace graphics from an integrated graphics card because it's connected to the motherboard. However, for replacing dedicated graphics, are there any restrictions I should be aware of?

Also, if someone has a link that can explain this further, I would be appreciate it.

I never had a dedicated graphics laptop and want to make sure I'm starting off the right foot here.

Thanks

 

99.9% of laptop GPUs are soldered to the motherboard and cannot be upgraded. Only select Clevo and the Alienware Area 51M can be, and the parts to do so are extremely expensive.

 

At this point, it might make more sense to invest in a BGA reballing station if you want to do upgrades... Everything is soldered these days, CPU, GPU, RAM... Sad times.

 

Nearly all hope is lost as nearly all laptops now have completely soldered together parts, it’s a problem. However, there are a few models out there that might meet the requirements you are looking for.

Clevo, and MSI makes some good modular laptops that allow both the CPU and GPU to be replaced and Dell makes a workstation model called Precision as well as Alienware which allow you to upgrade and swap graphic cards. HP even makes a laptop with MXM slot, the ZBook. There may be others, but those are the only ones I can think of right now and it’s plenty to give you a jump start on research.

You want newer laptops with MXM sockets. The MXM or mobile pci express port has had a few version changes over the years, but most newer MXM cards are compatible. However, you also need to consider the actual size of the card. Some laptops might have the right slot, but some will be larger than the standard 82x105mm mxm card size and will not fit the laptop you want to install it in.

 

The newer Precisions and ZBooks have soldered processors. And finding an MXM graphics card is becoming extremely hard, there's just no supply. To make matters worse, some companies use a custom PCB format for their MXM slotted cards.

Honestly, with Thunderbolt 3 being common, it makes way more sense to get an eGPU enclosure, then you can use desktop cards (much cheaper than MXM) on any machine.

I'm thinking of getting some enclosure+card and building a custom, smaller and thinner case.