Mobile PCI Express Module (MXM)

[k0409964]

Can some one explain what a Mobile PCI Express Module (MXM) is and its use?
Thanks

 

[borat_sagdiyev]

A Mobile PCI Express Module (MXM) is an interconnect standard for GPUs in laptops using PCI Express. It was created by nVidia and several laptop manufacturers. The goal was to create a non-proprietary socket, so one could easily upgrade the graphics processor in a laptop, instead of getting a whole new system.

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[k0409964]

cool, so presumably that means I could upgrade my GPU?

 

[BigLu]

prolly, yea

 

[joxley1990]

Yeah, definetly if you have a MXM, wish I had one..

 

[alvino]

It's basically a GPU and its memory on this small square shaped PCB board. On one side, it has the PCI-Express interface. If your notebook supports MXM, you can swap and upgrade GPU's as they come out. I think nVIDIA even came out or is coming out with a SLI MXM solution for notebooks. Basically the motherboard of the laptop has two PCI-E slots for TWO MXM GPU's that you can upgrade. There was also this graphics card that MSI had a prototype of at CeBIT 2006 where it's this PCB with two MXM PCI-E slots, but the PCB itself is in the shape of a normal graphics card and plugs into a PCI-E slot.

Here's a great site about MXM:
http://www.mxm-upgrade.com/

 

[borat_sagdiyev]

i wonder how it does without a heatsink and fan

 

[alvino]

There's usually a heatpipe attatched to it inside the notebook. Then it's connected a heatsink with radiator type fins which then has a coaxial fan blowing the hot air out.

 

[k0409964]

well i've got a mxm module on my laptop and it has a small fan on it, and i think there is a very small heatsink as well, i took the bottom off my laptop and had a look. allso i dont know if any of you guys know about HDR in HL loast coast but with it switched on it slows my machine down to like 3fps is that heavy of an effect?

 

[alvino]

HDR uses quite a bit of your systems resources. Whenever I looked down at the beach where you start Lost Coast from, it lags like a bitch.