Graphics Upgrade

Is it possible to improve or upgrade laptop graphics card?

Can I upgrade or somehow improve my laptop's graphic card, Mobility Radeon 7500, to play 3D games like Second Life? I've seen some sites that suggest you can download codes and such to improve performance, but will anything allow me to play 3-D games? Second Life requires ATI Radeon 8500, 9250, or better graphics card.

Public Comments

1. Yes it is.
2. No, it is not. Most laptop computers use an integrated graphics chip that share memory with the ram, it is not possible to upgrade that. Slightly higher end laptops have mobile solutions with a dedicated memory such as the Mobility Radeon X600, X700 and X800 series which all have between 128MB and 256MB of dedicated memory meaning it is not taking anything from the ram. Some higher end laptops have upgradeable graphics cards such as those provided by Alienware but those can only be upgraded by Alienware and you cannot do that yourself. The reason you can't is because laptops have custom form factor cards so that they fit inside the case and since each one is different they are all pretty much custom made to fit the laptop. In some cases they even come with custom drivers so you can't update to the latest driver from ATi or nVidia
3. There is no code that will substitute for hardware performance. Period! Some laptops (few) allow you to update your video card but is extremely expensive to do. Pretty much what you got with your laptop is what you get. Aside from a bigger HD and some more ram, that is pretty much all the upgrading you are going to do unless you want to start hacking away at your mobo. Good luck ! Cheers!
4. wont work
5. Some laptops have an upgradable graphics card, but most do not. Check with your laptop manufacturer. Have you *tried* SL with your laptop? Many graphics cards that are not supported still offer reasonable performance, especially if anything is better than nothing. Also, be sure you have recent ATI drivers.
6. Unlike desktops, laptop video cards are soldered onto the motherboard. Software prevents the game from running unless 3D graphics meet the minimum requirement. Sadly, you can't upgrade your laptop. That's why most gamers short on dough opt for a desktop instead of a very pricy laptop.