Upgrading to a GTX 780 graphics card?
SBibb
Posts: 599
I'm planning on upgrading my laptop's graphic card, and I was wondering how many of you use (or have used in the past) a GTX 780m?
I only found one forum topic specifically on the topic of this card, so I was hoping to see if I could find more feedback before deciding on it specifically.
Max I can spend at this point is $300, but I'd prefer to go lower.
Laptop Specs:
Alienware M18xR2
Windows 7
Intel i7-3630QM CPU @ 2.40 GHz
Installed Memory: 32 GB
64 Bit Operating System
Current Card: Intel HD Graphics 4000
Previously this computer also ran a GTX 675m card, which is what I will be replacing, but that card died a about a year ago before I started with Daz. I used that one for Photoshop CS6 with a lot of heavy-duty layering.
I primarily use IRay for rendering in Daz, and my computer currently relys on CPU to render scenes... which does work, but takes a while to render at the detail I prefer.
Are there any problems you know of when using the GTX 780 with the above specs?
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Comments
mobile cards cannot generally be replaced. Even if your laptop can be upgraded the 750M is a terrible card for Iray and is nearing end of life for Iray. Spending $300 on it would be a waster.
I would reccomend upgrading to a GTX 980M 8GB (if you don't mind shipping from china, the Alienware version can be had for $305 on ebay)
The GTX 780M is only a 4GB card, so it will only be good for rendering simple scenes.
Do you know if the GTX 980 can be used with Windows 7? One reason I hadn't been looking at that one was because I didn't think it was particularly compatible with my current operating system after reading about it on other forums. But if it can be used, I'll take a second look at it.
From my research, the card in my laptop should be replaceable. The one I'm currently looking at is closer to $250, but $300 is the max I can spend.
What's the laptop model? Most GPU's are soldered directly to the mainboard in laptops.
It's an Alienware M18xR2.
The Alienware M18xR2 Motherboard includes 2x MXM video card expansion ports.
You can see in the included picture, the video cards go where the black protectors sheets are mounted on the motherboard (MXM slots are on either side of the CPU socket.)
So... Technicaly you could install 2x GTX 980M 8GB cards in the machine. (as long as you have the heatsink and fan for it and the 330w AC adapter)
Good to have the picture with an idea of where the two cards should go.
But while I'd be happy to use something that's more powerful than the GTX 780m, my biggest issue is that most of the sites I'm looking at have said that the GTX 980m isn't supported for Windows 7, which is what my computer runs.
Not supported?
Nvidia says it is.
https://www.nvidia.com/Download/driverResults.aspx/140342/en-us
The most recent GTX 980M driver released on 09May2019 supports Windows 7
Ah, thanks for pointing that out.
Most of the sites I was looking at were older, so if the drivers including Windows 7 were more recent, that might be why everything I found suggested it wasn't supported.
I'll take a second look at that, then.
Before buying a mobile card I'd make sure what that connector is on the Alienware and that it matches what you're buying. Alienware is really Dell and they're famous for propietary stuff.
Since laptops tend to use proprietary drivers, as opposed to the generic drivers used in desktops, that may be the source of the Windows 7 not being supported issue. You need to double check the driver support issue thoroughly prior to pulling the trigger IMO.