Sony Vaio laptop upgrade? I need part numbers....

[Redzonezzz]

My friend has a Sony Vaio VPCF234FX .

the specs are:
16.4 inch 1080p screen
6gb of ram
i7-2670qm (quad-core, 2.2GHz)
Nvidia Geforce GT 540m

It is in excellent condition, and he wants $300 for it. I am interested, but I fear the GT 540m can't cut it for games such as Rocket league, or Ark Survival Evolved.

I have checked the min specs for the games, and the GT 540m wont make it even on min settings.

What i am interested in is to find the motherboard replacement options, so I can upgrade to something higher and better.

Can anyone help?

 

[Solandri]

I'd pass. Here are game benchmarks for the 540m. It's slightly slower than the Intel integrated graphics in Skylake processors (520), slightly faster than the Broadwell (5500) and Haswell (4400) integrated graphics.

http/www.notebookcheck.net/Computer-Games-on-Laptop-Graphics-Cards.13849.0.html?type=&sort=&deskornote=0&or=0&search=&month=&benchmark_values=&gpubenchmarks=0&professional=0&archive=1&dx=0&multiplegpus=0&showClassDescription=0&itemselect_6157=6157&itemselect_6451=6451&itemselect_2054=2054&itemselect_5941=5941&itemselect_4575=4575&condensed=0&showCount=0&showBars=0&showPercent=0&gameselect%5B%5D=386&gameselect%5B%5D=384&gameselect%5B%5D=381&gameselect%5B%5D=379&gameselect%5B%5D=377&gameselect%5B%5D=375&gameselect%5B%5D=373&gameselect%5B%5D=371&gameselect%5B%5D=368&gameselect%5B%5D=366&gameselect%5B%5D=361&gameselect%5B%5D=359&gameselect%5B%5D=355&gameselect%5B%5D=351&gameselect%5B%5D=346&gameselect%5B%5D=344&gameselect%5B%5D=342&gameselect%5B%5D=332&gameselect%5B%5D=334&gameselect%5B%5D=329&gameselect%5B%5D=293&gameselect%5B%5D=249&gameselect%5B%5D=217&gameselect%5B%5D=214&gameselect%5B%5D=204&gpu_fullname=1&codename=0&architecture=0&pixelshaders=0&vertexshaders=0&corespeed=0&shaderspeed=0&boostspeed=0&memoryspeed=0&memorybus=0&memorytype=0&directx=0&opengl=0&technology=0&daysold=0

There's a budget Acer with a 940m which occasionally goes on sale for less than $500. I'm not crazy about its build quality, but I'd set that as the low end for anyone looking to do any serious gaming on a laptop. Serious gamers mock the 940m, but I used it for a few months and it'll run 2015 games just fine at medium settings and 720p resolution.

https/slickdeals.net/f/8782663-acer-aspire-e-15-laptop-e5-574g-54y2-i5-6200u-15-6-1080p-1tb-hdd-geforce-940m-win-10-479-99-free-shipping?v=1&src=SiteSearch

But really, you should spend a few hundred dollars more and aim for at least a 960m. A couple of those have gone on sale the past few months in the $600-$700 range.

Edit: Upgradable laptop CPUs pretty much disappeared after Haswell. Everything since then is BGA (ball grid array - soldered). Upgradable GPU sockets are even rarer, and are proprietary to the manufacturer. Most of them never bothered supporting them more than a few years.

 

[Redzonezzz]

I'd pass. Here are game benchmarks for the 540m. It's slightly slower than the Intel integrated graphics in Skylake processors (520), slightly faster than the Broadwell (5500) and Haswell (4400) integrated graphics.

hey thanks for your reply! I figured as much, but just wanted to make sure.

How about as a simple browsing and solitaire game computer? for like an older couple who need a simple computer?
maybe facebook and barely any games.

thanks again!
Redzonezzz (on YouTube)

 

[USAFRet]

I'd pass. Here are game benchmarks for the 540m. It's slightly slower than the Intel integrated graphics in Skylake processors (520), slightly faster than the Broadwell (5500) and Haswell (4400) integrated graphics.

hey thanks for your reply! I figured as much, but just wanted to make sure.

How about as a simple browsing and solitaire game computer? for like an older couple who need a simple computer?
maybe facebook and barely any games.

thanks again!
Redzonezzz (on YouTube)

For that use and $300 well used? No.
Just the other day, I helped a friend with a new laptop in that price range.
Dell, touchscreen, i3 CPU, 4GB RAM, Win 10.
$350 new from BestBuy.

 

[Redzonezzz]

For that use and $300 well used? No.
Just the other day, I helped a friend with a new laptop in that price range.
Dell, touchscreen, i3 CPU, 4GB RAM, Win 10.
$350 new from BestBuy.

Ya, but its a i7 quad core, with 6gb ram, and 16inch screen. also its like new, not a scratch on it.
Also he lowers the price to $250
http/cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i7-2670QM-vs-Intel-Core-i3-5005U
Redzonezzz

 

[USAFRet]

For that use and $300 well used? No.
Just the other day, I helped a friend with a new laptop in that price range.
Dell, touchscreen, i3 CPU, 4GB RAM, Win 10.
$350 new from BestBuy.

Ya, but its a i7 quad core, with 6gb ram, and 16inch screen. also its like new, not a scratch on it.
Also he lowers the price to $250
http/cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i7-2670QM-vs-Intel-Core-i3-5005U
Redzonezzz

For your second stated use:

How about as a simple browsing and solitaire game computer? for like an older couple who need a simple computer?
maybe facebook and barely any games.

...There is zero difference between an i7 and an i3.