How do you upgrade a laptop?

[katashy]

Right now, I have a HP multimedia laptop. It's great, but with all these new games coming out, I doubt it can cope.

 

Running new games on my laptop, they lag quite a bit. I don't have the money for a new, gaming laptop or PC, so Im thinking of upgrading.

 

1. What should I upgrade first? Graphics card? CPU? Cooling system?
   
2. Are there any good websites to buy the components from? (That ship to the UK)
   
3. Are there any good tutorials on how to actually upgrade it?
   

 

Thanks!

[Retribution]

Certain laptops aren't upgradeable, and from what I've heard, some parts will be upgradeable, others not. I believe ram and video cards are fairly easy, but I don't think you can upgrade your processor.

[Illiad86]

ah hun, you can't upgrade a laptop's graphics card. The only way you are going to get a new card for it, is if someone ripped one out of an old laptop...I don't think I've ever seen them sold. Plus, they'll cost you a few hundred dollars if you could find one new....and it would have to be from the same laptop I believe, laptops don't have a "form factor" they all meet with, Dell has their own shape, HP, etc.

 

The way they are connected to the display makes it almost impossible not to snap the very tiny cables that run from the card to the LCD screen. Lol people compare it to open heart surgery :P

 

Pretty much, you can upgrade your RAM and the CPU. The internal coolers are not upgradable. I wouldn't upgrade the CPU unless you get an external notebook cooler.

[katashy]

Damn. Och well, I'd better get saving.

[overload1977]

first off YOU can get a better graphics card for your laptop, but only if you laptop was made after 2007 most but not all can be done, ram is a good way to start if you have a 32bit OS system only get 3gigs of ram if you get 4gigs it will be a bit of a waste of time because the 32bit OS system will not use the last 1 gig of ram, but then again if you are getting windows 7 and are upgrading from 32 to 64 bit? get 4 gigs, ok now hard drives mostly all laptops hard drives use 4200 or 5500 rpm speed but you can get better 7200 but you have to see if you have the power to use them , there is also 10000 rpm laptop drives are even "on the horizon." Solid State drives will probably show up first. 10000 rpm drives just need more juice and generate more heat.

 

Cpu`s can be upgraded as well but like i said before not all laptop can be done its luckly you have a hp like me as all of this can be done :) just google hp parts and see what prices you can get :) if i was you only do ram your self and let the professional handel the upgrades ,if you live in the UK don`t take it to PC WORLD........ all there prices are over the top and they take forever to do the upgrades and sometime they kill your laptop off ie they break it.......

[katashy]

So there IS a way? Good, I'll go start looking.

 

Thanks.

[Germandeathkittiez]

I have an Hp Pavilion Entertainment Laptop, runs Oblivion fine and from what I've heard it's pretty upgradeable... the hard drive, ram CPU can all be replaced, but the graphics card I'm not so sure about. But from what others are saying I'd assume so...

If you don't get a dedicated graphics card though, you will not be able to play high-end games at all. Just to note.

[bben46]

You cannot upgrade the graphics card in any HP laptop that I know of. The graphics and sound are both integrated into the main board.

 

RAM, Hard Drive Yes. And MAYBE the CPU. But you must get a cpu from the same family.

[Sinophile]

What should I upgrade first? Graphics card? CPU? Cooling system

The cheapest and easiest upgrade for any laptop would be to the RAM. Generally, only RAM ad hard drives are upgradeable in laptops. If you have some patience and technical expertise, video cards are upgradeable, but this will most likely void your warranty. Heat will be a major issue in laptop gaming. Laptops in general are not meant to be used for more than a couple hours at a time. One way to manage your heat would be to set your laptop atop a pillow, then turn over the pillow every hour or two. Another strategy is to put it in a ziploc bag, and place it in the fridge or freezer for 15 minutes.

 

Are there any good websites to buy the components from? (That ship to the UK)

Tiger Direct and Newegg.

 

Are there any good tutorials on how to actually upgrade it?

 

There are many useful videos on youtube detailing how to upgrade any aspect of a laptop, you may even be able to find a video of your paticular model. You mentioned you had an HP, try searching youtube for something along the lines of," How to upgrade the RAM of an HP laptop".

 

Last, You could try selling or trading your laptop for something more suited to gaming. I myself use An Asus X83V, which is a very economical middle-grade gaming laptop(mind you, I have to play most of the games on medium-low settings, but they do run). There is a forum that is dedicated to selling and technical support of notebooks, although I am not sure if I am allowed to post a link.

[hoshi23]

ram and hdd can be easily upgraded. the first time it took me 30mins. now knowing all the steps i do it in 10.

i would say if you can do your bike you can easily pull this off. should you choose to upgrade the hdd remember to check for details like height.