Can you upgrade the graphics card on the macbook pro?
Can you buy a new graphics card for the macbook pro and install it yourself? i ask because i know you can't upgrade on the macbook so i was wondering if its the same case with the MBP.
iMac G5,
Mac OS X (10.3.9),
Power PC 1.8 GHz, 512 MB RAM, 160 GB HDD
I don't think so, its all built into the one logic board. So to upgrade the chip you would have to buy a whole new logic boardm which is probably half the cost of a new one. I could be wrong, if I am anyone correct me. I'm just going on previous experience pulling apart my iBook G3 with 32mb vram replacing its logic board after something to do with the display failed, common problem.
There is no available upgrade. However, a MacBook Pro does have an intriguing advantage over the MacBook in that area, because of the Express/34 slot. No one has made it yet for Express/34, but there have been GPU based PCMCIA cards made by Village Tronic. I'd put it by them that you'd like to see one for Express/34 made.
The graphics cards that are in to store are for towers, ie the Mac Pro, which uses PCI Express cards. Most laptops on the market (PCs and Macs) don't have upgradeable video cards, with the exception of a few high end gaming laptops (PCs). Most of the processors and video cards in laptops are soldered directly to the boards to reduce space needed, adding a socket will add a few mm to the height and increase the overall thickness of the portable.
These are very tightly engineered machines. They are very sensitive to the amount of cooling gel. Too much it is an insulator and the machine will overheat, and too little the machine will overheat just because components are such that they heat up a lot. Whether this is the cause for why the graphics card for it is only available as a build to order option in the store or not, is anyone's guess. But whether it is an actual card that separates the GPU, or a different motherboard, is hard to tell unless you were to open it up. If you want to risk damaging your machine thus voiding that part of your warranty, you are welcome to do so and tell us. Otherwise, I'd just get whichever GPU makes best sense for you at the time you get your machine, and not worry about whether it is upgradeable.
The RAM is upgradeable, and Firewire and USB both offer upgrade paths as well. And there are ways of upgrading your hard drive quite easily. So to say they aren't upgradable is a bit of a falacy. The question is how are they upgradable?
ExpressCard is your only real option, but it would (most likely) only be usable with external displays. That's the price you pay for this much power in such a small package - your upgrade options are severely limited.
