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Hi there! I need an advice from you guys - I have a Macbook Pro 15" 2.8 GHz Intel Core Duo Mid 2009 with a 256 MB NVIDIA GeForce 9400M* [512 MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT] - My question is: is it possible to upgrade the videocard within one of the NVIDIA cards released after my MBP model. If possible, which one would that be? Thank you all in advance for any help! :)
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There is really no way to upgrade the graphics card unless you replace the whole logic board with a newer one. The graphics cards in Apple's laptops are soldered onto the logic board and therefore can only be removed with special equipment. I would say to just buy a new MacBook Pro and sell the older on to put towards the newer one. There may be ways to put newer logic board in as all the 15" MacBook Pros share the same model number but some one else would have to confirm this. This process would also be fairly expensive as the logic boards can cost upwards of $800.
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Hi Owen, thank you very much for your help and advice. I definetely need to start saving money and getting ready to buy a new MBP. As you mention, I'll use the old one value and make up the difference but it will take a couple of months to get there. This site is awesome and I recommend to all my friends. Thanks to you all! :)
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So, since when is melting solder and resoldering such a big deal? 13 year-old kids with a $50 science kit can do it, why do NO service centers do it? These computers—as fast if not faster than many current models—are out of warranty anyway.
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Not all solders are metal, some are chemical solders that can't be reestablished without proper equipment, and that equipment can't be obtained by 13 year olds.
they soldered it with metal. So it isn't the standard solder we use. Normal ones are use to melt lead, not metal.
Lead IS metal...js
Solder is always a metal of some sort ;-}
It can be a single Elemental Metal or an Alloy of metals. In addition it can also have within it Flux to help in cleaning the surface being soldered. The type of solder being used is also important! Today we mostly use solders that don't have Lead (there now mostly a composite of Tin and other metals). Silver is often added to help in controlling Tin whiskers which occurs when the solder is over heated. In other solders overheating can cause them to crystalize altering their electrical properties (from a conductor to a semi-conductor). The temperature range the solder is able withstand is very important.
Soldering small Surface-Mount Technology (SMT) devices is a skill set on to its own! Some of these devices need very special tools to remove them as well as mounting them. This is beyond most peoples skill set and the equipment is not cheap!
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I know some companies that really change the GPU . My question is where do they buy those new gpu? Or do they get them form a donor logic board?
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Probably too late for Jorge, but a company in CA replaces video cards on these Macs. I’ve used them successfully. I shipped my 2009 17” to them from NY and it was returned relatively quickly working as before. And surprisingly inexpensive.
DT&T Computer Services Inc.
3095 Osgood Ct. Fremont, Ca 94539
support@dttservice.com
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The original poster was asking about UPGRADING his gpu, not replacing it. Yes, you can replace a failed GPU with a new one, but you can only replace it with an exact, like chip — a 9600m for a 9600m in other words.
It's not even a matter of just the right surface mount equipment. The bootrom on the logic board is going to expect a specific model of gpu, else it won't boot. Beyond that, it's not like you're un-soldering an entire card — just the chip. The VRAM, which is GDDR3, is resident on the logic board, The data path on the board between the gpu and the VRAM is only going to support GDDR3. The logic board is going to expect voltages, thermals, everything to be identical to the gpu that came on the board. So no, you can't remove a 9600m and replace it with, say, a 650M GT, or even a 330M. It just won't work.
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