How to Upgrade a Laptop Video Card
Laptops are preferred today, as against desktop computers, due to the portability and ease of use that they offer. Laptop technology has been made possible due to miniaturization of every part that exists in a desktop computer, while taking care of heat and ventilation problems. This miniaturization also comes with certain disadvantages. One of them is that, laptop components upgrade is considerably more difficult than upgrades in our old desktop computers.
Opening a laptop and fixing stuff in it or replacing components is quite risky. The miniaturization makes its inside structure to be much more complicated. If you perform the video card up-gradation on your own, firstly, the manufacturer's warranty becomes void and there is a risk of permanently damaging the laptop. That is why, don't attempt the upgradation of your card, unless you are completely confident about pulling it off. You need some basic knowledge of what the insides of a laptop look like and what goes where. If you are not careful, forget upgrading the video card, you will have to upgrade the entire laptop by buying a new one!
Need to Upgrade the Video Card
The video card, other than the RAM, is one of the most upgraded components of a laptop computer. The reason is that most laptops have a graphic card that is not especially designed for 3d gaming applications. Most installed cards are good enough, when it comes to watching movies or playing not-so-graphic - intensive games. However, if you plan to play 3D games on your laptop, then upgradation to a more powerful card is inevitable.
Is it Possible to Upgrade a Laptop Video Card?
Laptop graphic cards can be upgraded but not all laptops have this facility. The miniaturization comes at a price and imposes restrictions as these parts are soldered inside. Moreover, if your laptop has a facility to upgrade video cards, the new ones have to come through the manufacturer as they decide the compatibility issues. So if you have suddenly had the realization that your laptop graphics needs are not satisfied, then call up the laptop manufacturer's service center and ask whether your model has a facility for up-gradation. If it has, you can order the appropriate graphic card from them.
Upgrade Steps
As I said before, a video card upgrade is considerably complicated and a more delicate job than desktop computer up-gradation. Still I will provide a basic outline of the procedure for replacing video cards in any type of laptop.
Make sure that you have the right video card and you have confirmed with the manufacturer about up-gradation issues. Switch off the laptop and be ready with screw drivers. First thing to do is remove the hing covers. You need to go about the whole job delicately and remember what goes where, as you need to put it back again. Most laptops have a plastic hinge cover which need to be pried open and removed from the laptop chassis.
Next part is removing the keyboard by removing the screws under the hinge cover, that holds it in place. Lift it off by unplugging and keep it aside. After that you have to remove the display assembly. That means the removal of the entire screen apparatus, along with cables connected to video and Wi-Fi antenna. Then the optical drive must be removed by depression of a latch situated at the laptop bottom. Remove the optical drive by sliding it out sideways. Then you must remove shell on the upper side, removing screws at laptop bottom.
Then finally you can have access to the video card of the laptop, which must be removed by unscrewing screws. Next, you replace it with the new card and proceed in reverse to put all the components and covers back in place again! That is, go back and retrace all the steps in reverse exactly.
If you have a Dell laptop or a high-end gaming one, the chances are high that up-gradation is indeed possible. Make sure that you confirm with the manufacturer about laptop up-gradation, as otherwise, the only option is to buy a new gaming laptop which has the desired kind of video card.
