Dell video upgrade

[luken8r]

Hi all,
Feel free to move this if it is in the wrong location.
I am looking to buy a Dell Inspirion 8600 laptop in the near future (this week) and was wondering if the video card is upgradable. The base card it comes with is a GeForce FX Go5200 32MB card. I was thinking about getting this and upgrading the video later down the road if it were at all possible. This is my first notebook and dont really know my way around its guts. What can and cant be upgraded in these things? I called the geniuses at Dell and asked them this question and they said it was "not recommended" which to me means, "yes you can, but we dont tell people how to do it because they will fark stuff up". What is the real deal?

 

[Nohr]

Looks like it's removable, but you have to remove the keyboard and display first to get at it.
Dell? Inspiron? 8500/8600 Service Manual

If you did want to upgrade it in the future I'm not sure where you'd buy a video card for a laptop. I don't know if it's a laptop standard and you could buy it wherever or if you'd have to buy it straight from Dell. So it looks like you could do it but you might want to check on the availibility of compatible future video cards if it's an important feature to you.

 

[johnjkr1]

With dell video upgrades on laptops, things get difficult. Yes, it is possible. But you have to call up the spare parts department and order the right part...and they aren't too helpful about telling you what part to order..having worked there, I can tell you...its a challenge.....just buy the best video card you can right now and skimp on something that is easier to upgrade (ram, hard drive, warranty, etc)

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: johnjkr1
With dell video upgrades on laptops, things get difficult. Yes, it is possible. But you have to call up the spare parts department and order the right part...and they aren't too helpful about telling you what part to order..having worked there, I can tell you...its a challenge.....just buy the best video card you can right now and skimp on something that is easier to upgrade (ram, hard drive, warranty, etc)

you were in spare parts? man i feel bad for you... i can't tell you how many people tech support sent me that i had to xfer to you guys... probably not much money selling screws and hinges.


anyway, some of the guys on dell's forums have been upgrading the video, they probably know the 5 digit alphanumeric part number for the upgrade part.

 

[johnjkr1]

I did tech support for most of my time there, only a short stint in spare parts..but its all in the horrible horrible past