Replacing Graphics card in MBP

I'mAMac said:

I have been searching for a little while on if it is possible to swap out the discrete graphics card in the latest MBP's. Since they aren't integrated anymore it seems like it would be much easier. I know it is unibody but there has to be some way to open it right? I'm not that familiar with the architecture yet as mine hasn't arrived. Anybody know if it is plausible?

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I was musing about the same thing about a month ago. Unfortunately, I was informed that the discrete GPU on the MBPs is soldered to the motherboard. In particular, I had wanted to replace the 330M with a 360M . . . same arch. but double the number of cores. It seems that this is not possible, but if you discover otherwise, please let me know!

It has been impossible to upgrade either the graphics card or processor since the G3 PowerBooks. No Apple laptop has ever had an upgradable graphics processor. Most laptops don't... if you want to upgrade the graphics in your machine go buy a Mac Pro.

This might be the lowly MacBook, but the MacBook Pros are still 1 logic board for everything.

Basically, upgrading the card means replacing the entire machine.

Even the iMac with a distinct GPU card suffers from inability to replace the card with anything but a card from the same era GPU from Apple's parts catalog -- making it cheaper to swap the machine, if you cannot snag a deal on a parted out wreck.



from kodawarisan, the take apart photos

It is soldered onto the logic board, as is everything else, unless you have mad soldering skills and can write new chipset drivers, I'd forget about it.

BTW, about 99% of laptops out there aren't upgradeable any further than RAM, HD, and expansion slots.

Discrete means separate, but something can be separate while still being adhesed onto the board in a BGA fashion that disallows 99% of the general population to properly replace it.

Not possible.

/thread

I'mAMac said:

I have been searching for a little while on if it is possible to swap out the discrete graphics card in the latest MBP's. Since they aren't integrated anymore it seems like it would be much easier. I know it is unibody but there has to be some way to open it right? I'm not that familiar with the architecture yet as mine hasn't arrived. Anybody know if it is plausible?

Click to expand...

LOL, no it is not possible to crack open the unibody, like an impossible bottle, they build the innards piece by piece.

they are easy to take a part but no you can't replace graphics cards.