Upgrading graphics from intel

[carterpa]

Hi, I have a Dell 510m, and when I bought it, i got it with the only possible graphics card which was one of thes Intel Extreme built in ones. But when i looked on dell.com (actually it's dell.co.uk for me) a couple of months later, when purchasing the 510m (i wasn't going to, i was just checking what the price was for a friend), it was possible to buy third party graphics cards ie. nvidia and ATi. I was a bit bummed as I felt "If i'd just waited 3 months". but anyway, nothing doing.... Untill now. I just bought Age of Empires 3, and every time I go onto a sea battle, the computer slows right down. Then if i go to land, it speeds up again. So I'm looking to upgrade my graphics card, but I'm not sure if I can. I've run a program called CPU-Z and this is my motherboard details:

Manufacturer: Dell Inc.

Model: 0H1908

Chipset: Intel | i855GM/GME | Rev: A2

Southbridge: Intel | 82801DB (ICH4-M)

Hope that info helps, cause I want to know if it is possible to upgrade my graphics card?
Cheers

 

[DonNagual]

I just downloaded your owner's manual and had a look

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins510m/en/D78982LRs.pdf

And it looks like you do not have options for upgrading your video card. I'm afraid you are stuck with your integrated graphics.

How much ram to you have? Maxiing out your ram may improve your performance a bit, but Age of Empires3 is a fairly demanding game.

Wish I had some better news for you...

 

[carterpa]

I have 512MB of ram (2 x 256)

That is bad news... but do you know why the latest 510m's are available with third party graphics. (when i say latest i mean the ones before they stopped selling them)

Also, what do you mean by "maxing out" the ram

 

[DonNagual]

According to this site:
http://configurator.memorystock.com/result.asp?mn=Inspiron+510m&modelid=43643

Your computer will accept a maximum of 2Gb ram. That's what I meant by maxing it out, is putting in as much as your system can handle.

Are you sure it is the 510m models that are selling with optional video cards? Can you provide a link? I was not able to find that info for this particular model.

I would also go into your BIOS and look at how much memory your system is dedicating to graphics. According to your manual you can dedicate up to 64mb of memory to graphics.

 

[carterpa]

okay, i'll look into buying some more RAM, i have gone into the BIOS (pressed F2 at POST tests) but can't find anything on graphics. Also, I have upgraded the Virtual Memory (the amount of Hard Drive used by windows as "Memory") to over a Gig. Will that help?

Btw, I can't publish a link, cause Dell have discontinued selling the 510m, but I am 100% sure I saw the option to buy thirp part cards.

 

[vnf4ultra]

I found a very strange possible solution. You could get a cardbus to pci adapter, like this.
http://www.mobl.com/expansion/products/cardbus_expansion/1slot/index.html
and then you could get a pci video card, like a pci fx5500, pci fx5200, pci 9250.

 

[carterpa]

That's really interesting (expensive, but interesting), are you sure it would work with a Dell 510m, I think it would but not sure? also, would i be able to fit a "Inno3D Geforce 7800GTX 256MB Graphic Card" into it. Secondly would a "Inno3D Geforce 7800GTX 256MB Graphic Card" be good graphics. Thirdly, what happens when you plug it in, I mean, you're computer will have two graphics cards inputting into it, will that work and if so, how do you choose which card it should use?

 

[vnf4ultra]

No, not sure it will work, I mean I think it should, but will it, that I don't know.

No a 7800gtx is a pci-express card, that cardbus adapter(you do have a pcmcia[pc card] slot right?) uses pci cards, of which there are much fewer. The best I've seen is this, but it's a us store, so you'd need another store.
http://www.chumbo.com/Info.aspx?id=304966
Be sure it's pci, as nearly all 6200's are pci-express(pci-e).

A 7800gtx would be VERY good graphics, but I really doubt you'll find one in pci, and even if you did, pci would be a terrible bottleneck to the card, as pci is much slower than pci-e.

Thirdly, what happens when you plug it in, I mean, you're computer will have two graphics cards inputting into it, will that work and if so, how do you choose which card it should use?

Not really sure, It might make it a dual display, I guess you maybe then could disable the integrated? You might be able to select which is primary and which is secondary in your video properties.

It might be easier/cheaper to just get a new laptop with like a 7800gtx go, and ebay the laptop you have.

 

[carterpa]

Cheers for that info, you've both been a great help, I suppose if I want good graphics i will have to save up, because it would be way too much hasle to get a new laptop at this stage in my life. Btw, the graphics card's i've been looking at to plug into that MAGMA PCi-to-Cardbus, have been laptop graphics cards. Would a desktop graphics card work in it?

 

[carterpa]

BTW, I know this is an old thread, but I have prrof that 510m's were being sold with third-party graphics cards:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DELL-INSPIRON...6827055669QQcategoryZ3713QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

If you read that, it shows that that has a radeon. This just means that i was right when i said a couple of months after the 510m had been released, they did start manufacturing them with third party graphics cards.

I don't know if this changes your points of view on if i can upgrade my card. I think i might as well just ask dell, but they are a last resort, because of their terrible customer service. Correction, they can't even deem it as any type of customer service its sooo bad.

 

[vnf4ultra]

Yeah, they must have started making some with graphics cards after you got yours. Dell might be able to install a graphics card then, but I wouldn't count on it. A 9000 wouldn't be a terribly big upgrade anyway.