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ASUS laptop question

post #1 of 14
9/17/06 at 1:55pm
Thread Starter 
Hi

Im looking for a good laptop with following specifications
Any of you guys who know about Asus barebones and Ensembles let me know if is there any matching my criteria.

I prefer barebone-whitebook

Screen 14' - 15.4', 15.4' preferable

Chipset 945pm

Upgradeable PCI-X video card (ATI X1600, nVidia Go7600 or better, MXM compatible preferable) 128MB-512MB NOT SHARED

CPU upgradeable doesnt matter
HD upgradeable doesnt matter
RAM upgradeable doesnt matter

USB2.0
Firewire 1394
Express Card Slot


thanks in advance
Also if anyone knows other brands that meet those criterias is fine

thanks
thanos
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post #2 of 14
9/17/06 at 3:34pm
For 14" screen:
W3J(x1600 with 256MB video memory)
A8jm(Go 7600 with 512MB video memory)

For 15.4" screen:
Z96J/S96J(x1600 with 256MB video memory)
F3JM(Go 7600 with 512MB video memroy)

According to Asus's technicial support, they mentioned that the video card cannot be upgradable without testing fully, we don't guarantee about this issue.
Cheers
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post #3 of 14
9/17/06 at 3:43pm
Goodluck finding an easy upgradable GPU notebook, as they, not only exist in small quantities, they are also very limited. It's not just 'plug and play', as the GPU has been thoroughly examined and tested so it will work with the notebook, considering the heat, space, ventulation and other factors.
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post #4 of 14
9/17/06 at 11:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by coriolis
Goodluck finding an easy upgradable GPU notebook, as they, not only exist in small quantities, they are also very limited. It's not just 'plug and play', as the GPU has been thoroughly examined and tested so it will work with the notebook, considering the heat, space, ventulation and other factors.
Your one requirement is VERY limiting. I don't believe Asus has any notebooks that meet it. Sorry.
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post #5 of 14
9/18/06 at 8:19am
Technically, the Z81sp was MXM compatiable, never released another GPU to actually replace it though
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post #6 of 14
9/18/06 at 4:28pm
Z81sp is used for Pentium 4 CPU, P4 laptop seem to be discontinued. We cannot find out another models in different brand and model when Core Due or Core 2 Duo models are very common in the market.
Cheers
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post #7 of 14
9/18/06 at 8:48pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Djembe
Your one requirement is VERY limiting. I don't believe Asus has any notebooks that meet it. Sorry.

Thanks for your reply but which one is very limited?



First, I like to thanks everybody for thier replies to my question.
I make my own desktop PCs for more than 10 years now and fixing-repairing old laptops for the last 3 years.
I was thinking to buy a barebone laptop with the latest chipset to date and configure it the way i like and of course having the pleasure of building of my own.
I found a couple of interesting laptops that, at least, having upgreadable video card (like dell's 9300, XPS, 6000D, e1505 etc) in very reasonable price range, aren't barebones, but at least they have the option to choose two different video cards.

I was asking for ASUS cause of the build quality (as most people here said) but I never had one on my hands.

One very interesting ASUS Laptop is the Z96j / S96j barebone.
Everything is fine with it ecxept that the video card is integrated on the motherboard.

Another interesting Laptop will be A8Js when it will became available, but this is Ensemble Laptop (correct?) means limited configuration. The strange think is that it has Video upgrade option since has a daughter board video card, which nobody knows if it is MXM, and also there are no other choise than the go 7700 so far. And like Coriolis said above Z81sp had that option but they never release any other video card, which is more likely to happen to A8Js also.

I 'm not blame anyone or anything here, i just realize how far behind in stylization is Laptop industry as far PCI-X and video card concerned. At least they use industry standards on memory, CPU and some others componets.

Just few thoughts
thanks
thanos
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post #8 of 14
9/18/06 at 9:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by laptom
Thanks for your reply but which one is very limited?
the upgreadable video card. the Asus barebones/Ensemble notebooks does not have such option.
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post #9 of 14
9/18/06 at 9:08pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by GenTechPC
the upgreadable video card. the Asus barebones/Ensemble notebooks does not have such option.


thanks for your reply, but what the use to have a PCI-X card for (A8Js for example)? Just to make it cost more?

thanos
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post #10 of 14
9/18/06 at 9:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by laptom
thanks for your reply, but what the use to have a PCI-X card for (A8Js for example)? Just to make it cost more?

thanos

the mobile version which the Intel 945 chipset supports it, that doesn't mean the size and slots are the same as it's on desktop PCs.
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post #11 of 14
9/18/06 at 9:27pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by GenTechPC
the mobile version which the Intel 945 chipset supports it, that doesn't mean the size and slots are the same as it's on desktop PCs.

Of course i know, but why ASUS has put a daughter board video card on A8Js for example (and do not integrate it on the motherboard like S96j) if does not intend to offer other optional card?
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post #12 of 14
9/18/06 at 9:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by laptom
Of course i know, but why ASUS has put a daughter board video card on A8Js for example (and do not integrate it on the motherboard like S96j) if does not intend to offer other optional card?
They did that for some models and I believe it's for RMA purpose. on slim notebooks, by change to diffrent video card also required the redesign of the the MB due to power consumption.
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post #13 of 14
9/19/06 at 1:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by laptom
thanks for your reply, but what the use to have a PCI-X card for (A8Js for example)? Just to make it cost more?

thanos
PCI Express allows for faster connection speeds between the video card and the chipset. It has nothing to do with upgradeability.

The upgradeablility designs are called MXM (by Nvidia) and AXIOM (by ATI). Asus has decided that they will not support these in their notebooks, probably because it would cost them more to provide the upgradeable parts and they do not consider it worth the money.
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post #14 of 14
9/19/06 at 2:48am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Djembe
PCI Express allows for faster connection speeds between the video card and the chipset. It has nothing to do with upgradeability.

The upgradeablility designs are called MXM (by Nvidia) and AXIOM (by ATI). Asus has decided that they will not support these in their notebooks, probably because it would cost them more to provide the upgradeable parts and they do not consider it worth the money.


Thanks for your reply, but upgradeability and MXM or AXIOM are not neceserally go together (Dell does that without being MXM nor AXIOM).

PCI-X are also video cards that are integrated on the motherboard (like the X1600 on a S/Z96j for example, even if it doesn't have a real PCI-X slot).

But even if Asus (and most of the Laptop's manufacturers and Re-manufacturers) decide not to go with MXM or AXIOM, they implement their own design video cards with PCI-X slot like the one in A8Js for example

http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/...howtopic=10987

Also

http://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_35500.html

Dell make their own designs on Inspirons 6000D, 9200,9300, XPS, 1505, 1705 etc. They are not MXM or AXIOM but they offer a PCI-X slot and some option to the end user to choose/upgrade.

In other words does not need to be MXM or whatever to be upgradeable, as long as ASUS offer another more or less powerfull video card now or in the future like Dell does for years.

As ken said they may did it for RMA purposes and they have to redesign the motherboard to accomodate the higher power consumption of the more powerfull card.

Correct and its easy to do it since they already paid more money on the motherboard for the PCI-X slot and the daughter video card board.

Again i dont blame ASUS for not offer/provide video upgrades but IMO is stupid to be in the OASIS in the middle of the desert and cant drink water.
I hope it makes sense.

thanos
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