Possible mxm motherboard?

[TheinsanegamerN]

hello
i have a gateway nv78 with an integrated graphics card (intel GMA, everyone shudder) and was thinking of getting another laptop to replace it. i found this motherboard online, which seems to have a mxm 3.0 slot on it! can anyone confirm this?

 

[Pyree]

Link not working. Also, are you trying to swap out the mobo on a laptop? Can't do that. They have to be from the exact model or at least from the same series using the same chassis or they don't fit.

 

[niffcreature]

You can do it. I did it. Don't post foolish uninformed answers when you don't know the subject matter please.

It runs with ATI 4870, 4860 gddr5 so you can assume it will work with 5870 and 6970m. I will be testing more cards in the future.

The problem with using Nvidia cards in laptops like these is that the clocks tend to be locked in the vBIOS and system BIOS, meaning the BIOS downclocks the card to power saving mode and currently there isn't a way to edit gf106/gf116 clocks in vBIOS.
Of course there are a few cards which Nibitor supports editing clocks like the gtx 470m I think.

I haven't been able to find the heatsink ANYWHERE, no idea about the part # or what it looks like. So you'll have to build your own somehow.
Remember the mounting holes are the same as MXM 2.1 III/IV/HE, this can help.

Its easiest to test cards on this laptop with the motherboard out, all the components facing up. All you need to have plugged in is the LCD and power button cable attached to the hinge.

I think you can also upgrade the motherboard of a nv73, nv74, nv79 (with CPU downgrade).

And lastly, I got my motherboard for under 150$, under 100$ + shipping from a company on Alibaba.com, best place to go for motherboards (and many laptop graphics cards) period.

Forgot to mention, there is also a different fan that is for the MXM version, the mounting posts of the 2 motherboards are different. Again I don't know what fan this is, it would probably be easier to find though. http/www.skyline-eng.com has some different models of the CPU heatsink.