The first place to look for information on your notebook are our "Table" pages, either "pre-3.0", "3.0" or "non-notebook" pages. These contain all the confirmed MXM platforms, even if they have a history of poor compatibility with our and other MXM cards. On top of that, you can navigate to a lot of information on non-MXM platforms if you go to Platforms -> Not MXM and then select your manufacturer.
That said, we have no information on a lot of notebooks. If you are interested in knowing more about your system and you can't find it in any of the above pages, here are a few pointers.
1) Platforms without a dedicated GPU are almost certainly not MXM. A notable exception to this rule are media centers and all-in-one PCs. Even if manufacturers use the same motherboard, they use an equipment variant without connector and the thermal solution lacks provisions to cool the MXM card.
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2) Notebooks that predate the PCI express era are never MXM compatible. In other words, anything that predates nVidia's 6xxx series or ATI's x123's series can not be MXM.
3) If your notebook is advertised as 'modular' or 'upgradeable', this absolutely increases your chances of having a MXM notebook but it's no guarantee. There are a number of manufacturers out there that cooked up their own modular format.
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4) If a more or less identical notebook is sold with different types of GPUs this increases the likelihood of having a MXM notebook. Example: the Amilo Pi series was sold with both x1400 and 7600 GPUs but is identical in any other respect.
5) Google. Seriously. Please have the courtesy to crawl the web a bit before sending us a mail, there's a lot of info out there!
Of course, if all this fails or is simply not conclusive enough to your taste you may have to take more drastic measures:pop the hood!
Most manufacturers will consider your warranty to be void once you open up your notebook! |
When you decide to take a peak, make sure to have a camera on hand. We are always very interested in seeing the inside of a notebook. Keep in mind that knowing that a notebook is not MXM is almost as interesting to us as a confirmation. Furthermore, if you are not sure or would like our opinion on the system we'll be happy to advise.
Most of the time, the insides of a notebook can be easily accessed by removing one or more panels that are secured with a few screws. Doing this requires no skill and is relatively safe. You might get something like this..
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Most of the important stuff is buried under the thermal module - a combination of a heatsink, fan and heatpipes. While the removal of this module is often not very difficult it is important to notice that doing so may require you to apply a fresh layer of thermal paste on some components. Furthermore, to bridge the gap between heatsink and GPU core, many manufacturers use thermal pads. These pads can be damaged if you are not cautious enough. In fact, even handling the heatsink with the utmost care can still degrade it. Please consider this before removing anything!
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A picture such as the one above is actually enough for us to tell you that this is a MXM Type II card. By looking at the available room, it is obvious that there is not enough room to accommodate a Type III card. Removing the copper heatsink reveals more details:
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So, what's next?
Now that you've determined you have a MXM notebook and you are interested in buying an upgrade or replacement card, we think it's time to contact us:
There are a number of options...
1. Buy a card.
If we think your notebook has a good chance to be compatible with one of our cards we will advise you on which one we think is your best option. In case you agree to writing an article on your proceedings, we can offer you a full money back guarantee (as opposed to 10% restocking + shipping).
2. You live in Belgium, do you?
Well, so do we. That means that we can get together and we can throw everything and the kitchen sink at it. As this will include all the cards in our lineup and probably some that are not in the store, this increases the chances of having a successful upgrade. On top of that, we have access to a number of tools most people simply don't know about, not to mention our experience!
We can not be held responsible for any damage to your notebook, not because instructions we give, actions we take or anything else. This includes but is not limited to scratches, malfunctioning, loss of data, OS corruption,... |
So what does this service cost you? Nothing. If you want, you can buy a suitable card at the end of the session... or not. That's it!
3. You live in The Netherlands, the north of France, Luxembourg, the south of the UK or western Germany?
Well, we don't. But we do have decent DHL rates for those regions. So here's the deal: you can send us your notebook, we'll check all the options and then send it back to you, with the card of your choice... or not. You pay for the package you send to us, we pay for the retour.
We can not be held responsible for any damage to your notebook, not because instructions we give, actions we take or anything else. This includes but is not limited to scratches, malfunctioning, loss of data, OS corruption, shipment damage or loss,... |
4. You live in nowhere near us.
There is no economically viable way to send your notebook back and forth but if you insist we are still willing to have you send in the notebook to check your options. Both legs of the shipment will be on your account!