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red_alert102
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August 2nd, 2005 16:00
inspiron video card upgrade
Ok, I now that you can upgrade your video card, but I do not know exactly where to buy one.
Does anyone have any sugguestions about where I can purchase an ati 9800 mobility?
Does anyone have any sugguestions about where I can purchase an ati 9800 mobility?
red_alert102
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Posted August 2nd, 2005 16:00
i do have the 9100, guess I should have mentioned that. Are there any resources that help with actually installing the part? I do have experience with computer parts, but I would be more comfortable with some sort of picture as to what I should be looking at.- I upgraded my Inspiron 9100 from the ATI 9700 video card to the ATI 9800 myself. Warning: If you've never had your hands inside the guts of a laptop computer, it's absolutely positively imperative that you use the Dell Inspiron 9100 Online User Guide to make the change:Go to the Video Card link for the specifics, but you'll also have to kind of jump around the Guide since there are different sections of instructions for doing a bunch of things things like removing the hinge brackets, the display release latch, etc. that you have to do first in order to get down to the video card.All I can say is that it was well worth the effort. I LOVE the 9800, and it plays all the latest games, including Battlefield 2, flawlessly.Of course, your mileage may vary.Hope this is helpful.
AS far as I know, the Inspiron 9100 and Inspiron XPS were the first Dell notebooks specifically designed so that the video cards could be upgraded by Dell. The intent was to have the owner purchase the upgraded card through Dell, and Dell would then have a contracted tech support person come and make the exchange. I chose to do the installation myself, as I didn't want ANYONE else to get their grubby hands inside my notebook.
It was a tedious task at the least to swap out the card. The hinge covers had to be taken off, the LCD had to be removed, the keyboard and wrist rest had to be removed also. Not to mention the heat sync and heat dissipation system that had to be carefully removed and reused. Many tiny wiring connections had to be taken apart, and then re connected the same way. There were quite a few posts to the forums around that time from people who couldn't get it all back together correctly because of the complexity of component tabs that had to be interleaved just right. Whew!
Anyway, the video cards are DELL ATI OEM designs specific to the 9100 and XPS. I don't believe that the 8500, 8600, etc. have OEM upgrade cards designed specifically to fit inside those laptops. Alien Computers makes/made laptops that could have the vid card upgraded, but having seen first hand the amount of engineering it takes to make that happen in the Dell, I don't think many will follow. And I don't think Dell makes notebooks that can be vid card upgraded anymore. Way too expensive to have all those contracted tech folks running around the country spending hours swapping out a a $300 card. They's rather just sell a new and better laptop.
Yes the video card on the XPS and 9100 is a little harder to replace then the newer dell laptops cards but in my opinion anyone who is a little handy can make the change with no problem just use the Dell instructions as for all the little wires and all there is only one way for them to plug in.Just take your time and remember a credit card works better and wont leave scratches or marks on your plastic skins as where a screwdriver will.
Good Luck and best wishes
Inspiron XPS Gen 2
770 (2.13 GHz/2MB Cache/533 MHz Fsb
6800 ultra
2 GIG's Ram
17 "(1920 x1200) WUXGA Display ( Samsung )
OS Windows XP Pro sp2
Logitech MX 1000 Cordless Mouse
Nostromo n52 Game pad
ejn63
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Posted August 2nd, 2005 16:00
About the only place you'll find it:
Dell Spare Parts 1-800-449-3355 ext 7269937