Upgrade graphics adapter on Z60m?

[FacilisDK]

Hi

I've bought an Z60m, and installed Windows 7 on it.
It had 512MB RAM installed but I upgraded it to 2GB.
The CPU wan an Celeron M 1.5Ghz, and I upgraded it to an 2Ghz Pentium M.

All is good and everything works perfectly EXCEPT; no earo glass.
That's because of the Intel 915/910 chipset.

I know that some Z60m's has been delivered with an ATI X600.
The on I've got has nothing besides the Intel one.

Now I ask you all: Is it possible for me to buy this chip and 'put' it into my Z60m?

[ichhabegedroppen]

I would assume that the Z6x range, like almost all Laptops have soldered on graphics adapters. Therefore you cannot upgrade the graphics adapter itself, but you could swap out the motherboard with one that shipped from the factory with the better graphics on it.

Technically, it is possible to remove a graphics adapter, and you could have a different one installed, but you would need to find a company who performs BGA rework, but i doubt they would do a swap like that for insurance reasons. or it might not even be possible if there is any difference in the BGA footprint of the chips.

You could try checking that your video driver is updated and correct, i would have thought that you should be able to run aero, i can on my X61 Tablet. they must be of similar age, but mine is an ultraportable with much less performance.

[FacilisDK]

I would assume that the Z6x range, like almost all Laptops have soldered on graphics adapters. Therefore you cannot upgrade the graphics adapter itself, but you could swap out the motherboard with one that shipped from the factory with the better graphics on it.

I imagined that there might be an empty space on the MB, since some Z60m's where delivered with the Radeon and mine wheren't.

You could try checking that your video driver is updated and correct, i would have thought that you should be able to run aero, i can on my X61 Tablet. they must be of similar age, but mine is an ultraportable with much less performance.

To enable Windows Aero, the GPU must support at least DirectX 9, wich the Intel 915/910 dossent.

Until now, I've found nothing that was soldered in my machine.
Maby I diddn't look close enough :/

[ajkula66]

You'd have to swap the motherboard. A GPU can't be physically added to a planar that wasn't designed to support it.

Good luck.

[Tasurinchi]

Welcome to the forum!!

EXCEPT; no earo glass

Question is, do you really need Aero? Win7 works fine without that. It's mostly eye candy anyway...

[FacilisDK]

Welcome to the forum!!

Thanks

Question is, do you really need Aero? Win7 works fine without that. It's mostly eye candy anyway...

Yes I do need it! Developing XNA games on a Win7 system won't work whithout it.

[FacilisDK]

You'd have to swap the motherboard. A GPU can't be physically added to a planar that wasn't designed to support it.

I fear that that might be true.

I took some pictures:
http://dondata.homepage.dk/WP_000257.jpg
and
http://dondata.homepage.dk/WP_000258.jpg

Its kinda easy to see where the chip ought to be, but perhaps someone here can enlighten me more

[RealBlackStuff]

If you do need it, get a more powerful machine, or get another mobo as suggested above.
They have versions with ATI graphics and 64 or 128MB dedicated VideoRAM.
AFAIK the Z60m is a T43 with SATA mod and widescreen.

PS: please change those pictures into LINKS only, they are WAY beyond forum limits!

[FacilisDK]

If you do need it, get a more powerful machine, or get another mobo as suggested above.
They have versions with ATI graphics and 64 or 128MB dedicated VideoRAM.
AFAIK the Z60m is a T43 with SATA mod and widescreen.

Its just a shame to throw away this laptop.
It really runs great, with just this one exception.

PS: please change those pictures into LINKS only, they are WAY beyond forum limits!

... Done

[Tasurinchi]

Developing XNA games on a Win7

Well, unless you develop non intense graphic games you will indeed need something more powerful than a Z60m. Not that I don't like them, but I think you should go at least with a dual core CPU and dedicated graphics...

[RealBlackStuff]

You would only be replacing the motherboard and keep the rest!

[FacilisDK]

You would only be replacing the motherboard and keep the rest!

Hehe - yes.
I really like this laptop so I will keep it, and keep an eye out for a damaged Z60M.
Any other types of ThinkPads that I can take hardware from, and put into my Z60m?