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How To Upgrade your 9400/E1705 with the 7800 GTX "Photo Guide"

post #1 of 45
3/29/06 at 6:39pm
Thread Starter 
Hi all everyone has been asking for it so here it is!
How to get a 7800GTX in a Dell 9400, (I take no responsibility for damaging your laptop! do it at your own risk!)

Step 1
Remove Screen/palm rest from the laptop.

Step 2
Remove the original video card.

Step 3
Remove right hand screw post for keyboard
Look here




Do this by heating up the bottom of the post with a hot soldering iron, then pull it upwards with a pair of pliers, once the solder has melted.



Step 4
Remove metal from above CPU heatsink area.



The left side needs more removing than the right side, I used some pliers to break off the edges.

Step 5
Loosen the Video fan screws and push to the bottom of the system, no make more room for the heatsink above, re-tighten.



Step 6
Take 7800GTC card, and bend heatsink left and upwards a bit.



Step 7
Carefully place the 7800GTX card into the system, making sure the pci-e connector and screws align up, and maneuver into place the heatsinks into both positions.





As you can see there is one keyboard screw hole missing, am working on this now! but should be ok for now!

System can now be put back together, and tested!

Have also confirmed you do need the XPS 130W power adapter, as the 90W dies what graphics card it at full power.

Hope you all find this helpfull!
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post #2 of 45
3/29/06 at 6:45pm
Very nice job. It's interesting how the northbridge chip has a heatpipe on it now. They just extended the CPU heatpipe over to it..

Did you do the battery and PSU upgrade as well? Also, did you flash it with the XPS bios?

How does it perform?
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post #3 of 45
3/29/06 at 7:54pm
I think in another post he said the 9400 bios recognized it.
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post #4 of 45
3/29/06 at 8:36pm
what's your 3dmark?
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post #5 of 45
3/29/06 at 9:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ikilledkenny2
what's your 3dmark?
Now that we have the same GPU's, how do the 3DMarks differ with the diferent CPU? We should compare it to see which CPU has better gaming!
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post #6 of 45
3/29/06 at 9:21pm
yeah forget 3dmark, compare it in oblivion.
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post #7 of 45
3/29/06 at 9:28pm
Anyone else has tried it?
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post #8 of 45
3/29/06 at 9:47pm
that is awsome! does that give us hope for the next gen graphics cards that may be introduced with the 9400 platform being able to somehow fit in our gen2s. backward compadibility?
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post #9 of 45
3/29/06 at 9:51pm
3dMark .... We are wating ....
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post #10 of 45
3/29/06 at 10:01pm
Very nice work--more than I am willing to do. I hope the system works great for you and others who try this!
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post #11 of 45
3/29/06 at 10:05pm
Mod wanna move this to the Core Duo section?
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post #12 of 45
3/29/06 at 10:17pm
Holy crap. Didn't think it was possible.
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post #13 of 45
3/29/06 at 11:16pm
damn should have bought 9400 not 9300.
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post #14 of 45
3/30/06 at 12:06am
Wow great guide and give us some benchies!
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post #15 of 45
3/30/06 at 12:31am
good job brother
I have a 9300 but I talked 2 of my friends into getting 9400's from the dell outlet store . they both got 7800's in their boxes and were waiting see what could be done with the 9400.

thanks again
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post #16 of 45
3/30/06 at 3:52am
Come on, post some 3dmark scores and screen shots with the actual system information so we know you arent lying!
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post #17 of 45
3/30/06 at 4:31am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ikilledkenny2
what's your 3dmark?
This is the best so far!

Now in the 8000 club on 05



And well on the way to the 5000 club on 06!



Also check out http://www.notebookforums.com/showth...=137450&page=8 for more details of the mod! from post 116
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post #18 of 45
3/30/06 at 4:32am
Very Nice Scores
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post #19 of 45
3/30/06 at 5:41am
Dam this is sweet can beleve that you did it man cool cool know that I know that 7800 Go GTX will work but I am still waiting for the 7900 Go GTX hope it works too thanks for the info good work!
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post #20 of 45
3/30/06 at 7:31am
Ordered my GTX + Power Brick tonight. Hopefully will get it in a few days
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