Video Quality Upgrades

rationalthinking · 12-12-2006, 09:45 AM

I'm looking for a way to upgrade or improve my video quality in my laptop. I do some gaming. But, mostly just multitasking and internet. I watch a lot of online videos.

System:
Dell Inspiron 1300
CPU: Intel Pentium Mobile @ 1.73GHZ
RAM: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM @ 533MHZ
HDD: 40GB @ 5400RPM
Video: Integrated Intel Media Accelerator 900 Graphics

Games:
City of Villains
Sims 2
Sim City 4
Madden 2006

I took apart my broken Dell Inspiron 6000 with an Intel Pentium M, Centrino @ 1.73GHZ. Would this be a better processor to use?

Please help me out on quick ways to improve and upgrade my laptop for higher video quality.

**The_Other_One** · 12-12-2006, 12:15 PM

If I'm not mistaken, those two processors are the same. Centrino refers more to a set of chips rather than the processor itself.

There's really not much you could do for video quality on a laptop. You don't have a dedicated video card, and that's not exactly an upgradeable laptop.

rationalthinking · 12-12-2006, 05:07 PM

so there is NOTHING that I can do at all to upgrade?

**The_Other_One** · 12-12-2006, 09:56 PM

For a laptop, not really. A better processor and more RAM would slightly help, but game quality and performance relies more on the GPU than anything else. That's how I was able to play Need For Speed Most Wanted on a Pentium III 733MHz

rationalthinking · 12-13-2006, 04:34 AM

Ok.... thanks, i wanted to upgrade it to 2GB anyway. but for the price to do that I can sell it on eBay and use the potential 2GB money towards a much better rig.

Can you upgrade a video card into a laptop?

Motoxrdude · 12-13-2006, 04:46 AM

Yes, but they have to have a video card already in them so that there is a PCI/AGP/PCI-E slot where the old video card was plugged into. If not, then there isn't a agp/pci/pci-e slot.

**The_Other_One** · 12-13-2006, 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Motoxrdude

Yes, but they have to have a video card already in them so that there is a PCI/AGP/PCI-E slot where the old video card was plugged into. If not, then there isn't a agp/pci/pci-e slot.

We're talking about a laptop here...

Motoxrdude · 12-13-2006, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Other_One

We're talking about a laptop here...

What made you think I wasn't talking about a laptop?

**The_Other_One** · 12-13-2006, 05:48 AM

Your previous post. Laptops don't have your typical desktop slots in them. You cant just throw any 'ol graphics card in a laptop. Most of them don't even have removable cards, it's all integrated into the chipset.

Motoxrdude · 12-13-2006, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Other_One

Your previous post. Laptops don't have your typical desktop slots in them. You cant just throw any 'ol graphics card in a laptop. Most of them don't even have removable cards, it's all integrated into the chipset.

Read my post again. I said that if a laptop already has a video card, then you can upgrade it, but if not, then you can't.

12-12-2006, 09:45 AM	#1 (permalink)
rationalthinking Silver Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Thibodaux, La Age: 22 Posts: 187	Video Quality Upgrades I'm looking for a way to upgrade or improve my video quality in my laptop. I do some gaming. But, mostly just multitasking and internet. I watch a lot of online videos. System: Dell Inspiron 1300 CPU: Intel Pentium Mobile @ 1.73GHZ RAM: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM @ 533MHZ HDD: 40GB @ 5400RPM Video: Integrated Intel Media Accelerator 900 Graphics Games: City of Villains Sims 2 Sim City 4 Madden 2006 I took apart my broken Dell Inspiron 6000 with an Intel Pentium M, Centrino @ 1.73GHZ. Would this be a better processor to use? Please help me out on quick ways to improve and upgrade my laptop for higher video quality.

12-12-2006, 12:15 PM	#2 (permalink)
The_Other_One Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lexington, NC Age: 23 Posts: 12,362	If I'm not mistaken, those two processors are the same. Centrino refers more to a set of chips rather than the processor itself. There's really not much you could do for video quality on a laptop. You don't have a dedicated video card, and that's not exactly an upgradeable laptop. __________________ Desktop * Athlon X2 4200 \| 2G RAM \| 160G HD \| 7600GT Laptop1 * C2D T5550 \| 3G RAM \| 120G HD \| Intel x3100 Laptop2 * C2D T5250 \| 2G RAM \| 160G HD \| Intel x3100

12-12-2006, 09:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
The_Other_One Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lexington, NC Age: 23 Posts: 12,362	For a laptop, not really. A better processor and more RAM would slightly help, but game quality and performance relies more on the GPU than anything else. That's how I was able to play Need For Speed Most Wanted on a Pentium III 733MHz __________________ Desktop * Athlon X2 4200 \| 2G RAM \| 160G HD \| 7600GT Laptop1 * C2D T5550 \| 3G RAM \| 120G HD \| Intel x3100 Laptop2 * C2D T5250 \| 2G RAM \| 160G HD \| Intel x3100

12-13-2006, 04:46 AM	#6 (permalink)
Motoxrdude Diamond Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Nor Cal Age: 17 Posts: 5,970	Yes, but they have to have a video card already in them so that there is a PCI/AGP/PCI-E slot where the old video card was plugged into. If not, then there isn't a agp/pci/pci-e slot. __________________ RIP Mom 9/17/55-02/22/08.

12-13-2006, 05:48 AM	#9 (permalink)
The_Other_One Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lexington, NC Age: 23 Posts: 12,362	Your previous post. Laptops don't have your typical desktop slots in them. You cant just throw any 'ol graphics card in a laptop. Most of them don't even have removable cards, it's all integrated into the chipset. __________________ Desktop * Athlon X2 4200 \| 2G RAM \| 160G HD \| 7600GT Laptop1 * C2D T5550 \| 3G RAM \| 120G HD \| Intel x3100 Laptop2 * C2D T5250 \| 2G RAM \| 160G HD \| Intel x3100

12-12-2006, 05:07 PM	#3 (permalink)
rationalthinking Silver Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Thibodaux, La Age: 22 Posts: 187	so there is NOTHING that I can do at all to upgrade?

12-13-2006, 04:34 AM	#5 (permalink)
rationalthinking Silver Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Thibodaux, La Age: 22 Posts: 187	Ok.... thanks, i wanted to upgrade it to 2GB anyway. but for the price to do that I can sell it on eBay and use the potential 2GB money towards a much better rig. Can you upgrade a video card into a laptop?

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