Modding your I8500/I8600 for GPU upgrade

[DeaconSix]

Here are some really usefull links posted by ThE NiTz.

Important concept:

Form Factor the "fit"/shape/footprint of your video card unit. The same form factor, will lead to interchangable parts (as far as fit goes. does not neccisarily mean you will not encounter other problems).

A link for taking care of heating problems, when upgrading your video card to the FX 5650/ATI 9600, or aparantly any other card with the same form factor.

http://www.bay-wolf.com/8500videoheat.htm

A tutorial on getting at/removing your video card from teh I8500/I8600

http://www.sglhosting.com/tutorial/8600vid/8600vid.html

dont loose your screws!!!

A nice tutorial on applying/removing thermal paste (arctic silver brand)

http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm

NOTE:

If you open your chassy/expose the internal components, make sure you do a few things first:

1) remove the AC adapter (obivously, but extreamly important)

2) remove your battery

3) with the battery and AC adapter removed, if you depress the power button for roughly 10 seconds, you will ground/remove charge from your mother-board (hedge your bets, dont fry your motherboard)

If you have any other hardware tips for theses systems, post your ideas

-D6

PS

NiTZ do you know if your system BIOS has to be changed, to be able to upgrade to the 5650/9600 ? ie will you have problems upgrading your notebook to a card that was not intended for that series of notebooks?

[DeaconSix]

a large set of Dell Inspiron Mods i found following links from NiTz's above posted links

http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=18160

Here is a map to removing the whole motherboard, should you need/want to do that for your upgrade (ignore the part about buying /installing the alternate chassy, though i agree with the modder that the i8600/i8500 chassy is a bit unsound)

http://spiike.shadowdragon.net/chassis%20stage%20one.htm

here is the directions from Dell on removing your system board (also tells you what screws go where)

http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/ins85...ard.htm#1000473

I know its not video related, but i HATE this most of all about the I8500. It fixes the anoying flexability in the keyboard, and is a super simple mod. A kidergarten student could do it....well a kindergarten student with a precisioin screwdriver set

:)

http://spiike.shadowdragon.net/keyboardfix.htm

this looks like its done on a lattitude, but as far as inside schematics and just breaking down the keyboard, it is almost identical for the I8500/I8600.

( i already had this mod done with duct tape, but am not satisfied with it. i am on my way to the hardware store to try it. ill let you know how significant the change is)

EDIT:

Just finished the keyboard mod, almost identically to the way it is pictured for "aggressive fix". It is amaizing. my keyboard is the BOMB. such an easy mod, too.

D6

[ThE NiTz]

hey D6 nice collection about ur q for the bios i have a feeling that A03 is the bios fix for the 5650 and higher i read that somewhere in dells inspiron gpu forum which as u might have seen is quite full, heres another site http://www.bay-wolf.com it has some more info about dell laptops, nice keyboard fix but ill just stick to dell replacing mine every 2 months :) .

niTz

[ThE NiTz]

Finally i modded my fx card and ran 2 benchs and after finishing them the temp was back down to 65c, will find fastest dx8/9 drvier and re bench for the top score which it already beat the one listed for 03 :( :( :) :P :) :P :)

niTz