Is it possible to upgrade/add a graphics card to a Pavilion dv7-7000 laptop?

[YoureInMySpot]

I've been doing a lot of research lately, to mostly no avail, about whether or not my HP Pavilion dv7-7025dx laptop can have a dedicated GPU added to it, as currently it only has the integrated Intel HD 4000 Mobile graphics card.

Mostly I've come across the unfortunate agreement that most laptops cannot have their graphics cards upgraded/swapped out, since the graphics card is soldered on to the motherboard. However, after talking to an HP "support representative", they said they believed it was possible to add a graphics card, as long as it is compatible with the HM77 45W UMA Motherboard my computer has.

Furthermore, after finding the maitenence and service manual online for my computer ( http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c03221579.pdf ) it says that it could have come with switchable graphics, specifically the Nvidia Geforce 630M or 650M. 

So I am wondering, is it really at all possible to add a dedicated graphics card, either by having switchable graphics or something else? Or am I stuck with the integrated Intel HD graphics? 

If I can upgrade/add a new card, where would I be able to find/buy a compatible one, and would I be able to install it myself or would I need to go to a local computer repair?

My laptop is the HP Pavilion dv7-7025dx Entertainment Notebook.

It has an Intel Core i7- 3610QM CPU @ 2.30 GHz, 8GB memory, 750GB hard drive (5400 rpm).

I am currently running Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit).

Any other specifications can be found here:

 http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/product?cc=us&dlc=en&lang=en&lc=en&product=5263030

[pepe999 · Accepted solution]

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@YoureInMySpot wrote:

I've been doing a lot of research lately, to mostly no avail, about whether or not my HP Pavilion dv7-7025dx laptop can have a dedicated GPU added to it, as currently it only has the integrated Intel HD 4000 Mobile graphics card.

Mostly I've come across the unfortunate agreement that most laptops cannot have their graphics cards upgraded/swapped out, since the graphics card is soldered on to the motherboard. However, after talking to an HP "support representative", they said they believed it was possible to add a graphics card, as long as it is compatible with the HM77 45W UMA Motherboard my computer has.

Furthermore, after finding the maitenence and service manual online for my computer ( http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c03221579.pdf ) it says that it could have come with switchable graphics, specifically the Nvidia Geforce 630M or 650M. 

So I am wondering, is it really at all possible to add a dedicated graphics card, either by having switchable graphics or something else? Or am I stuck with the integrated Intel HD graphics? 

If I can upgrade/add a new card, where would I be able to find/buy a compatible one, and would I be able to install it myself or would I need to go to a local computer repair?

My laptop is the HP Pavilion dv7-7025dx Entertainment Notebook.

@IT has an Intel Core i7- 3610QM CPU @ 2.30 GHz, 8GB memory, 750GB hard drive (5400 rpm).

I am currently running Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit).

Any other specifications can be found here:

 http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/product?cc=us&dlc=en&lang=en&lc=en&product=5263030

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Hi,

You can't add a dedicated graphics card to the system like this. The vga is soldered to the board so no way you can just plug it in like on a desktop. However, you can buy a new motherboard with the dedicated graphics card on it. It also requires a new heat sink. 

Manual: http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c03221579.pdf

You need a 682040-001 board plus 682061-001 heat sink to have a dedicated graphics card on your laptop. Have a look on ebay for the part numbers. 

[YoureInMySpot]

Thanks for the response!

So, if I were to do this, would it be a possible "Do It Yourself" project, or would I also need to take it to a shop to have the parts replaced?

Also, does that mean the graphics card that comes with that motherboard is the best possible one for my laptop, or would it be possible to upgrade that sometime in the future? (I'm wondering if it's worth it to put $200 + into this project if it's a one time upgrade).

Again thanks for the response, I was really confused by the HP "support" that said it was possible to take it to a shop and have them add any "compatible" graphics card in. 

[pepe999]

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@YoureInMySpot wrote:

Thanks for the response!

So, if I were to do this, would it be a possible "Do It Yourself" project, or would I also need to take it to a shop to have the parts replaced?

Also, does that mean the graphics card that comes with that motherboard is the best possible one for my laptop, or would it be possible to upgrade that sometime in the future? (I'm wondering if it's worth it to put $200 + into this project if it's a one time upgrade).

Again thanks for the response, I was really confused by the HP "support" that said it was possible to take it to a shop and have them add any "compatible" graphics card in. 

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Well, if you believe yourself you can do it. There is a how to in the manual with pictures and mostly pretty accurate. The graphics card (nVidia GeForce GT 650M) is the best possible and you can't have a better motherboard for the laptop. There won't be any better ones..

[YoureInMySpot]

Thanks guys for the help.

For anyone else who's interested, so far I've found that the total cost to do this would be around $200 using new parts:

$170 for the motherboard and card:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-OEM-HP-Pavillion-DV7-Intel-NVIDIA-GeForce650M-2G-HM77-Motherboard-685451...

And $30 for the fan and heat sink:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-NEW-HP-Pavilion-DV6-7000-DV7-7000-CPU-Cooling-Fan-Heatsink-682061-0...

I'll be sure to post results if I decide to do this.