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User profile for user: Benny11
Benny11 Author
User level: Level 1
100 points

Can I upgrade the video card on my MacBook Pro?

I have a MacBook Pro 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 duo from maybe 2 years ago...

I've already maxed out the RAM to 3 Gig's, as well as replaced the internal drive with something bigger...but I'm trying to tackle some recent games in a bootcamp partition running Vista. Specifically the very power hungry GTA IV!!

Is it possible to upgrade my video card?? I currently have an Radeon X1600.
If so, any suggestions?

2.33 GHz Macbook Pro (Intel core-2 duo), Mac OS X (10.5.8), 3 GB RAM

Posted on Jan 21, 2010 1:42 PM

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User profile for user: a brody
a brody
User level: Level 10
84,049 points

Posted on Jan 21, 2010 1:51 PM

Not really. Not unless you manage to make what's called a "Frankenmac." Then when you get a "Frankenmac", you have to make sure you know what are the minimum operating system, installer discs that match up with said logicboard. You'd need to get a Mac logicboard with a higher end GPU that has the same port fittings as your current MacBook Pro. And then, you'd have to make sure that the logicboard hasn't lost any of the necessary cooling gels, pads, or efficacy of the fan that's on the board from when it was in a previous Mac model. This type of work is not something I'd recommend a novice tackle, and it has a certain amount of risk involved in terms of an overheating machine, or mismatched parts. Usually though, the used and refurbished market for a newer Mac is just as expensive as the part itself for a logicboard*:

http://www.macmaps.com/usedrefurbished.html

- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.
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User profile for user: a brody
a brody
User level: Level 10
84,049 points

Jan 21, 2010 1:51 PM in response to Benny11

Not really. Not unless you manage to make what's called a "Frankenmac." Then when you get a "Frankenmac", you have to make sure you know what are the minimum operating system, installer discs that match up with said logicboard. You'd need to get a Mac logicboard with a higher end GPU that has the same port fittings as your current MacBook Pro. And then, you'd have to make sure that the logicboard hasn't lost any of the necessary cooling gels, pads, or efficacy of the fan that's on the board from when it was in a previous Mac model. This type of work is not something I'd recommend a novice tackle, and it has a certain amount of risk involved in terms of an overheating machine, or mismatched parts. Usually though, the used and refurbished market for a newer Mac is just as expensive as the part itself for a logicboard*:

http://www.macmaps.com/usedrefurbished.html

- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.
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Can I upgrade the video card on my MacBook Pro?

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