I would like to upgrade... need starting help

I have a Dell Inspiron E1705... I want to upgrade the video card which consequentially can only be done if I upgrade the motherboard due to the integrated graphics card. Well, where do I start? How do I tell what I can upgrade to? Are there combinations that are trial and error for best performance b/w motherbaoard and gpu? I need to start from the basics and work my way up so I know it's a lot, but if somebody(ies) could take the time to explain this out to me and help me work through it I would be very grateful. Thanks.

 

Upgrading the video in a laptop is (in most cases) not possible. There are a few laptops with seperate graphics cards that can be swapped out, but not many. In your case, buying another motherboard doesn't really make sense either. Mainly because you probably won't find one with better or different built-in video than what you have now. Laptops just aren't done that way like desktop PC's are. If you're looking to play games on your laptop, you can upgrade the memoy (your model takes 2gb max) and maybe install a bigger 7200rpm hard drive (even though that won't really increase graphical performance). But that's about it. Generally speaking, laptops are not built for heavy duty gaming like playing FarCry at high settings, or the new game Crysis. There are gaming laptops available, but they aren't cheap.

 

So you are saying that it is NOT possible at all to swap in a new motherboard/gpu combo.? I've read of others with different gpu's, which must mean they have other motherboards, in their 1705s.

 

Well, I'm by no means an Inspiron E1705 expert, but it's been my experience that most (not all) laptop video cards cannot be upgraded. I went to the Dell site to try to find some info, but didn't get far without the service tag number. Before you shell out hard earned dough, be 100% sure that what you're trying to do can be done. Go to the Dell site, have your service tag number handy (it's on a SMALL white sticker on the bottom of the PC), and either look it up or do an online chat with their tech support and get the lowdown....