# How do i put a new graphics card in a laptop?



## Sharrit

I just bought a  "ATI Radeon 9000 64MB AGP Graphics Card 100433012" for my laptop. I need to know how I can put it into my laptop, im a newbie to this sort of stuff. Can someone post a step by step walkthrough?


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## smitherz

you cant just buy a card for a laptop. you should take it to a specialist


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## Super_Nova

You can't add a graphics card to a laptop. The graphics chipset is integrated to the system board. Laptops don't have AGP or PCI slots like a desktop. SOME have a mini-pci slot but they are usually occupied by a modem, network card or wireless card. or all of the above in one card. I seriously doubt anyone makes a decent graphics upgrade in mini-pci format assuming your laptop even has a mini-pci slot. PCMCIA slots are the same way. if you do happen to find a rare PCMCIA or Mini-PCI graphics card it will be seriously underpowered.


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## smitherz

i wasnt sure of that but i new there was a mini pci slot.anyway you should always take a laptop to a specialist.


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## Praetor

> you should take it to a specialist


And that specialist will tell you:


> you cant just buy a card for a laptop.



Well for the record, here are two video cards for notebooks although its quite apparent that if your computer is compatible you'd already know it http://www.alienware.com/GearShop_Pages/Gear_Shop.aspx?CatId=1188


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## smitherz

as i said take it to a specialist if there are any technical faults


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## Praetor

> as I said take it to a specialist if there are any technical faults


Sure doesnt sound like it:


> you cant just buy a card for a laptop. you should take it to a specialist





> anyway you should always take a laptop to a specialist.


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## Super_Nova

Yeah, looks to me like those cards are made to fit only in alienware laptops. I use to work on laptops, I am somewhat of a specialist   Laptops are terribly proprietary. The only standard parts in the whole thing are the Hard drive, RAM, CD/DVD drives and of course the Mini-PCI and PCMCIA devices.  And even then this is not always the case. I'll be happy when they finally decide on a form factor for laptops so I can build one of my own. Until then I'll just keep stuffing desktop parts and mini-itx motherboards into suitcases and other portable housings  Because of this proprietary nature the LCD cable, which is different on every laptop, connects directly to the system board. Some laptops have a seperate VGA board, some don't. But I assure you it's not interchangeable, it's made to fit the model, and the LCD cable for that model is made to fit it. Older laptops had a PCI slot in thier docking station but this really doesn't help you now.


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## Sharrit

ok, then how can i put it in a desktop ??


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## Super_Nova

Sharrit said:
			
		

> ok, then how can i put it in a desktop ??




Much simpler. First determine if your desktop has an AGP slot. It'll look something like this:






Make sure the system is turned off and unplugged 
take off the blank bracket that's covering the slot, or, if there's already a video card there remove it. Insert the new card, hook your monitor to it, turn on your PC and load the drivers.


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## Greg J.

*Hey!*

Aren't you gonna tell him that he first needs to uninstall the old card's drivers (try device manager), then put in the new card?


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## Super_Nova

nah, not really a problem. It'll just come up all funky lookin.


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