Toshiba Satellite A200-1n2 Hardware Change

[TheGame2500]

I'm wondering if I could replace the graphic card on my notebook without replacing the whole motherboard (if it's integrated in the motherboard then can I replace it at home?), what about the memory, could it be replaced?

 

[frozenlead]

Your GPU is an Intel X3100, and is integrated, not removable, and not upgradable. I doubt there's a motherboard that fits your case which does include a dedicated graphics chipset, but there's really no way to find out. You can expand your memory to 4GB if you wish, but your machine isn't really meant to do any heavy lifting. I wouldn't recommend you putting in anything more than 2GB.

 

[TheGame2500]

So I can't replace my motherboard?? What about upgrading my CPU, this is the problem that is troubling me, you see, I can play Splinter Cell Chaos Theory for a few minutes but my CPU is overheating and I get a bluescreen, no cooler works for this, maybe just to delay the bluescreen.

 

[frozenlead]

If your machine is overheating, I've don't know how you got the idea that upgrading would help. Higher performance parts make more heat.

Are you sure heat is your problem and not a driver?

Looking at Splinter Cell's system requirements, your game is most likely GPU limited. Your CPU is enough to play it, and you've more RAM that required. As I said, the chances of you being able to upgrade your motherboard to one that uses a dedicated card is almost zip. Your chassis probably doesn't accommodate room for the extra heatsinks and pipes that a dedicated GPU demands, not to mention it probably won't even fit.

 

[TheGame2500]

I've got all my drivers up-to-date, i don't think they're the problem. The bluescreen code could help me somehow?

 

[frozenlead]

Yes...you can google it to find what the specific error is. Record your temps during load to see if your machine is overheating. Does the machine do this on any other heavy-load application?

 

[TheGame2500]

I can't read the code, the bluescreen disappears too quick. Hmm, the machine is doing this only on games (call of duty 4, splinter cell, spore etc.), but not other apps. Now I got another one for you, I recently installed Counter-Strike, and before reinstalling my Windows XP, it was working fine, now I got veeeeeery low FPS(max. 50-55), before OS reinstall I got about 100 FPS, what is the problem?? This machine is getting me out of minds because canyourunit says that I can run alot of games, but most of them are getting bluescreen or running slow.