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Dell M70 GPU upgrade Help

post #1 of 10
10/7/06 at 9:01pm
Thread Starter 
hey guys,

i just got a good deal on an m70 lappy and was considering upgrading the graphics to a 7800gtx with a 150w power brick to run it, i do know the 7800gtx runs in the lappy (with the quadro heatsink) what i was wondering was , if the heavier power brick is used will the 7800gtx be able to run without under clocking/volting it to make it stable . also...if so will heat become an issue on the gpu.....

another qustion, is it worth me getting a 6800 go ultra to replace the quadro 1400 as the quadro overclocks realy well and im not sure about performance gains from swapping, i only play games on the laptop so no need for cad performance from the gpu...

(o.c. it gets 57000 aquamarks and 21000 3dmark 2001 without optimising settings etc)

all help appreciated...p.s if you know someone selling a 7800gtx go point them my way please!

Regards

Gordy!
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post #2 of 10
10/13/06 at 11:20am
Thread Starter 

Dell m70 uprade help!

come on guys, there must be someone whose tried a 150w psu and the 7800gtx @ stock speeds.....

any links to someone who has done it would be appreciated....

(p.s. i have seen the underclocked/undervolted one)

cheers Again...

Gordy!
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post #3 of 10
10/20/06 at 11:38am
Thread Starter 

6800 go ultra!

well lads, looks like the 6800 ultra doesnt work even with the latest bios and a 150w power brick.

looks like the only one is the 7800gtx then....

need to find one at a good price now
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post #4 of 10
10/20/06 at 4:43pm
7800GTX is still a pricey option. Also note that since the 7800GTX is a 45w card you MUST declock the card to run it reliably if you run a search you can read the experience of a previous users endevour into this path.
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post #5 of 10
10/20/06 at 9:53pm
I figure i'll chime in here since I might be doing a mod like it (if I can find the 7800GTX in the future)

Heat is the most important concern. Some individuals were able to mod the quadro heatsink with copper shims and such to improve the core contact with the heatsink. Ram temperature doesn't seem to be as important, because the ram was able to be even overclocked (to 1150mhz) in some instances. For most people the magic number at which instability and most likely a reboot would occur was 90C.

A bios voltage mod is necissary to achieve stability, and using the 130W adapter from the M170 doesn't work because the M70 and D810 won't even detect it. Some have reported that changing the voltage in the bios didn't make a significant difference but there is an article on laptoplogic that has tests that prove otherwise.

Also, some people were never able to achieve stability. The system would basically only be playable for about 5 minutes until it reached the 90C and rebooted, and everything they tried (atleast most of the above, and maybe more) could not fix the problem. Just do a search for 7800gtx in this 15" forum to see the threads with this stuff I mentioned, as this is the only 15" machine that is able to take a 7800gtx in existance!
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post #6 of 10
10/21/06 at 12:13am
Thread Starter 

7800gtx

thanks for that.....well i have a pa-15 (150w) psu that works no problems with the laptop as i have been using it to make sure it works with it so power wont be an issue. as far as heats concerned i was sure that that would be an issue, im surprised the 6800 ultra i have didnt work (no post but lights on in the laptop ) but i didnt have the heavier psu when i tried it. has anyone got a 6800 ultra running in an m70??

cheers

Gordy!
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post #7 of 10
10/21/06 at 1:26am
When you decide to sell I believe that Quadro will fit in my M20 let me know.
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post #8 of 10
10/21/06 at 4:54am
Thread Starter 

quadro

no probz mate, will do!
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post #9 of 10
10/21/06 at 6:38pm
Hmmm. A 6800 Ultra should definitely be working. I would suggest double-checking the connections. Post #78 in this thread mentions the 6800 Ultra working in a D810, which is the same mobo as the M70.

http://www.notebookforums.com/thread125265-1.html

That would be a nice upgrade from the 1400go, but still not a match for the 7800gtx. I remember back in July dell was selling the 7800gtx on their website as an upgrade kit for M170 for around $440. Maybe spare parts still has a few and would be willing to part with them?
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post #10 of 10
10/21/06 at 6:54pm
Thread Starter 

6800 ultra

hey man,

thanks for that, the only thing i can think is that the d810 bios is configured slightly different from the m70 and may have the 6800ultra in its graphics compatibilty list....

i could always flash the d810 bios and try it, i have removed and refitted the card 3 times to no avail....

cheers for the help.

Gordy!
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