Upgrading a laptop video card
 

Hope this question hasn't been posed before, I DID after all search all threads in this forum:

Bought my laptop 2 months ago and have been mostly happy with it so far. AOPEN 1555G Centrino 1.4GHZ, 1024MB RAM, 60GIG HDD, 15" XGA screen, 8xDVD/CDRW 24x10x24x combo drive and lots of other cool stuff. It's built on the Intel 855GM/ICH4-M Chipset. My only problem is the graphics controller. Intel Extreme Graphics 2. Does the job for the most part, but I am a bit upset that the games that require T&L support can't be played on the machine. This is a documented problem on the intel site, but no solution is given. Doesn't seem like they are planning to change anything either. So a laptop isn't the best way to play games, but hey I'm just that type of guy. Is it possible then perhaps to disable the intel integrated controller and put in a new video card? If this requires stuff like soldering something to my motherboard I'd just as soon pass, but would be nice to finally play Enter the Matrix.

Not really anything you can do here. You could have purchased a laptop with an ATI 9600 that would have played most anything, but you would have been looking at roughly double the price of the one you have now...

Also note that ATI is working on a system that would allow for video upgrades in laptops. ATI has once again paid attention to the needs of the user and stepping up to the plate.

Also keep in mind that companies will be slow to adopt anything that might slow down laptop sales. And the lack of upgradeable drives alot of new laptop purchases. So you will have to shop around and probably pay a premium to get one of these upgradeable units.

If cash really isn't a big deal to you then head over to http://www.voodoopc.com/ They have extremely nice "gaming laptops"

Very few lappys have replaceable vid subsystems. Dell does, I know, as I have one.

Tinfoil- Do all dells have replaceable video cards, or just a particular model that you happen to have?

The new 9600/5600 video cards are the only ones replacable. All others your sol

Oh well, thought I'd try and be sure. Thanks to everyone for their help.