Can you replace a video graphics card on a laptop?

Hi. I have a gateway laptop. It probably a year old by now. I have a game that I downloaded onto my computer, but when I try to play it, it says my laptop does not have a big enough video card to support the game and it won't play. So to my question, is there a way to do this? And if so...how do i do it? And how much is this gonna cost me? Thanks!|||Sorry, but you're out of luck. Unless you've ordered the laptop with the card you wanted, you can't swap it out.



Unlike Desktop graphics cards, which are limited only by available slots, Laptop graphics cards are hard to find, and even harder to replace.



Laptop GPUs are not cards at all, but GPU chips soldered into the motherboard (which is why the ones with dedicated cards are said to have "discrete graphics" and others have the built-in "integrated graphics" rather than having "cards"), so as are some of the CPUs - meaning you have to melt the metal solder to even take them out. This is the way most laptops today are made. You'll have to be a real expert to be able to swap them successfully - even then success isn't 100%. Manufacturers will not take them back for an upgrade. Furthermore, your laptop motherboard chipset will not allow for you to upgrade to a discrete GPU if you ordered it with the integrated card.



Unless you have a laptop with a separate graphics unit or an MXM slot, you won't be able to upgrade/replace it. Check your manual to see if they allow any upgrades. Few laptops today allow you to do so (the Alienware line being one of the very last)



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The only option you have left is to use an Expresscard-adpated graphics unit, but not yet. Maybe in the near future; right now external graphics through Expresscard is in the process of development/release.



There aren't that many for sale yet, but if you're lucky, you can find an ASUS XG Station for sale somewhere (but it won't be cheap considering its around $300 for the dock alone). You just need to have an Expresscard slot.|||most common laptop use integrated vga card, i mean the vga card chip is embedded into the motherboard to make it slimmer, it's not like pc that you can change and swap vga card.

the best thing to do is contact gateway customer service and ask regarding changing vga card, but it wont be cheap for sure.