The graphics processing accelerator in my laptop is not a compatible device for the game. Can I upgrade the graphics card?
I recently purchased Quake 4, I enjoyed 3D shoot-em-up games when I was a kid and wanted to reclaim some of my youth. After checking the back of the game box, I was positive that my Toshiba PSA70-RX100E was capable of bringing the gaming experience I desired. After many failed attempts to load the game and some online research, I called the software support hotline and was informed that the ATI9000 Mobility Radeon 64MB graphics processing accelerator in my laptop was not a compatible device for the game, despite having a 3.2 GHz core processor and 1.5 GB of DDR RAM. Is there any settings I can change or perhaps a compatible upgrade graphics card I can swap in that will prevent me from feeling like I just held fire to my hard earned $30 CDN ?
If the video card is not compatible for the game you want to play, then changing settings will not help a lot. It still would be the same video card. Toshiba Satellite A70 and A75 laptops have a video chip integrated into the system board; it’s not a separate module. Unfortunately, you cannot upgrade the video card on these models.
By the way, it’s impossible to upgrade the video card on most laptops.
November 26th, 2007 at 8:53 am
is it possible to upgrade the graphics card in a Toshiba Satellite A-135-S4427 model? Because I want to be able to run Oblivion on my Laptop but that is basically inpossible with the piece of crap intel graphics card in it…
Do you think it is possible or is all hope lost in that?
please send me your input to my e-mail because I don’t think ill remember this site
October 12th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Hi,
I’ve got myself a VAIO VGNCR196E, with an Intel 965 chipset…. cant get to play good games (even the 5 year old ones…)
Are there External Video Cards I could get my hands on?
Thanx
September 29th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Thavidu,
Nope, you cannot replace video card on this tablet PC because it’s integrated into the motherboard.
September 29th, 2007 at 9:35 am
I have a toshiba tecra m7, with an intel gma 945.. is this replaceable in anyway?
September 9th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
James,
I believe this is a chip integrated into the motherboard and you will not be able to remove/upgrade the video card.
September 9th, 2007 at 3:50 am
Hello,
I have a sony Vaio VGN-A49GP. It runs on a PCI express board and has an ATI mobility radeon X600 hypermemory (256MB). I am looking to upgrade this card for one which has shader model 3.0 (since mine only has 2.0).
Could you please let me know if my graphics card is able to be removed from my system, so that i can put in a new one?
thanks a lot in advance,
James
September 6th, 2007 at 3:07 am
hi
i have sony vaio fs93g with a graphic card of integrated memory of 128 mb shared memory . i can trun vista areo function in that case , so i want to know can i any how change the setting to make it run or can i change my graphic card with 256 mb
thanx
March 4th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Hi,
I have a Toshiba Satellite 2435, which comes with an NVIDIA GeForce4 420 Go. Is it possible to upgrade the card?
Also, what card would you recommend for [gaming on] this model? I’m thinking 128MB would go well with the 2.4GHz Pentium 4.
Thanks.
February 14th, 2007 at 8:49 am
I’m sorry if I’m not too clear before. What I meant by “increase battery life” is that, if I get more ram, I could spin down the hard drive more often to save battery, because most of the stuff will be in ram for process.
I’m still fighting my self in between 512mb and 1gb sodimm. I don’t use my laptop for anything too serious, I got 2 desktops at home that runs the “serious stuff”. The only reason I’m using my laptop is because it’s portable. I know 1gb would benefit, but it also costs more. I’m trying to get the most out of my laptop before replacing it, I don’t want to throw in any unnecessary money when I could save up for a new system.
February 13th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
Will,
Having more RAM will not increase the battery life but it will make your laptop faster. If you consider upgrading to Vista go with 1GB stick. I’m running Vista Ultimate on my laptop (I’m typing on it right now) and I have 1GB+256MB RAM installed. There are only three active applications Word, FireFox and Notepad but when I check Windows task manager it says that over 40% of my physical memory is already used. Vista likes more memory.
February 12th, 2007 at 5:32 am
Thanks for the fast reply.
I have another questions that I’m not sure if it’s belong here, but here it goes.
I’m thinking about getting my self another stick of ram. Do you recommend a 512mb or 1gb stick? Could having more rams potentially increase the battery life of my laptop? I’m trying very hard to squeeze 2 hours of battery out of my laptop, right now I could get around 1 and half hour.
Also, I might consider to upgrade to Vista in a half year or so, of course with Vista fancy graphic effects turn off. Would a total 1.5gb of ram benefit more from Vista than 1gb of ram?
Thanks in advance.
February 12th, 2007 at 12:42 am
Will,
You cannot force the system to use 128MB of system RAM instead of 64MB either. You are stuck with 64MB.
February 11th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
Hello, I have a Satellite A65 with ATI Mobile7000. I know that I cannot replace the video card. Is there any chance that I could force the system to use 128mb of system ram instead of 64mb it does now? Will that help with video and game programs?
February 9th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
Alyssa,
If the video card is not supported you are out of luck. The video card is integrated into the system board and you cannot remove/replace/upgrade it. The third nerd is right, you have to have a supported video card.
February 9th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Hi,
I have a Gateway 7320GZ laptop, and on the box it came in it says it has “integrated intel extreme 3D video (32MB shared RAM).” I first want to tell you that I have had this computer for 2 years now and I really like it. I am used to it and it never gives me any trouble, compared to the Dell I used to have. Recently I decided that I want to play Guild Wars, and I got the game, and let it download for about 4 hours, and then a message came up saying it detected an unsupported video card. I understand that the video card that’s in my computer isn’t good enough, but 3 separate computer nerds have told me different things I have to do about it. One says I can try to make the shared RAM be dedicated to the video part of the processor, one says I can buy a new video card and have someone just stick it in my computer, and one says there’s no hope and I need to buy a whole new computer with the correct video card. I will be sad if I have to get a new computer because I think I have good luck with this one. I’m hoping that you know who’s right because you sound like you know a lot about specific models of computers. Thank you for your help.
February 7th, 2007 at 6:39 pm
Joel,
According to specifications your Gateway MX7118 notebook has an ATI Radeon® Xpress 200M graphics card with shared memory. Looks like it’s integrated into the system board and you cannot remove or upgrade it.
February 5th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
Hey,
I have a Gateway MX7118 with a SMD 64 3400, running Windows MCE 2005 and 512mb of ram. The graphics card is a 64mb (128mb shared) ATI Xpress 200m. My question is can it be removed because I believe it’s intergraded but it’s a ATI X300 mobility chipset, which are future proof and can be removed. I can’t find a whole lot of information to come to a conclution myself, so I hope you can help my situation. Thanks.
February 5th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
Hi, i have a Dell Inspiron 1300 with a intergrated video card. The video card has 126mb of memory.
I also have a Dell Desktop with the same video card, jusr that it has 98mb.
On the desktop i can play rakion without anyproblem.
On the laptop i can play it but once the game starts the screen starts breaking into wierd shapes and the game is changed completly. Then i look around a little and it goes back to normal.
The game settings are the same on both computers.
Why can my desktop handle the game, and not my laptop?
January 27th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
I guys Harry Here The question of upgradeing the video for MOST Dells is YES!! (if you can find them)
The newer Dells the 9100 XPS I am using right now, started with 64 nvidia,. and now has 265 ATI mobel radion 9800 chip (card) it is the same “card” design that goes into the D800, 8600, 8500 THese I know of!!! As for upgrading other laptop video The tosh tecra 2100 can, but NONE the Satilites I’ve worked on. Most IBM, HP Compaq and Acer I’ve worked on have the video “built on board, as well Sorry guys, You Think these people would catch on with this idea. I do remember some higher end HP have Bios ram ability, but don’t know wich ones
Harry
January 27th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Hey,
I have a Sony Vaio VGN FS640/W with i guess a integreted
January 26th, 2007 at 10:27 am
I have a Sony Vaio VGN-N130G and was wondering if it was either 1)possible to upgrade the graphics card in the notebook somehow or 2)make my intel gma950 graphics card (with an apparently integrated memory system) allocate a bit more of my ram to the graphics card? Thanks in advance.
January 18th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
i have just had a packard bell laptop for xmas and i want to upgrade the graphics card could i do it ? the graphics card what is in is a – moblie intel(R) 945gm express chipset family
January 12th, 2007 at 1:30 am
I am having a big problem
I picked up a HP DV4000Ea last June and now it doesnt support Windows Vista Aero. And it will never cos the Intel 915 Chip which is integrated with Motheboard doesnt and will never support WDDM. Its XDDM. Intel says its architecture is not suited to running Vista’s Aero feature. Now what do I do??? Cant even sell off my laptop…
Thanks
December 28th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
Rico,
I just went through the Dell Inspiron 9400 specification and it’s not really clear if you can upgrade the video card or not. Here’s what I found.
The first video option that Dell offers for this model is: Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 up to 224MB. Here’s everything is simple. It’s a video card integrated into the motherboard and you cannot remove this video card because it’s a part of the motherboard.
The second and third options are: 256MB ATI MOBILITYTM RADEON® x1400 HyperMemory and 256MB NVIDIA® GeForceTM Go7900 GS. Here it’s a little bit tricky. Sounds like they offer dedicated video cards, but it’s not clear if they install them on the same motherboard (with integrated Intel) and then just disable onboard video card in BIOS or they replace the motherboard too.
Sorry Rico, I don’t work with Dell laptops and cannot give you a straight answer on your questions. Probably you’ll have to call Dell customer service and ask them it it’s possible to upgrade. Please let me know if you find more information regarding this upgrade.
December 28th, 2006 at 2:16 pm
I have a dell inspirion 9400, it only has a media accelerator, can you still install a newer graphics card if the original card is attached to the motherborde?I took it to a shp and they said they cant do it!Does anyone ave an idea?
many thanks
November 13th, 2006 at 10:56 pm
Hey Josh,
I would probably call Dell and ask them if your model has a removable video card and if there is an upgrade for your laptop.
November 12th, 2006 at 5:32 pm
I have a Dell Inspiron XPS laptop with an ATI Mobility Radeon 9800. Do you know if it’s possible to upgrade to a newer video card, either by itself, or by trading out to a compatible motherboard with a newer graphics chip?
September 8th, 2006 at 12:15 pm
ok, thanks anyway
September 8th, 2006 at 11:15 am
Kit,
I’m not really familiar with Equium A60 model; I believe it’s similar to Satellite A60. The video card in this model is integrated into the system board. I just went through specifications for a few different Satellite A60 and A65 models. There are over 10 different motherboards listed for these models. The difference is: amount of onboard memory, presence of 1394 port, IR, etc… but all motherboard have the same ATI Mobility Radeon 7000IGR graphic controller with 64MB shared memory. So, it’s technically possible to install a new motherboard with more futures but the graphic card always would be the same. I guess it would apply to Equium A60 laptop too.
September 8th, 2006 at 10:59 am
Hi
My laptop is an Equium A60, do you know if it is possible to upgrade the motherboard to one with a better graphics card?