graphic card upgrade for EliteBook 840 G1

[nettaBenSinai]

A few months ago I bought an almost-new EliteBook 840 G1, and I bought it mainly for playing games... however-I later found out that my video card, which is a Intel(R) Graphics Family is very... basic.

I know nearly nothing at all about video cards, but even I can tell that 64MB of graphic memory is nearly nothing at all. I desperatly need help.

I want to upgrade it... is it possible at all? how can I find a video card for laptop which is compatible with my budget (150$ at most)? 

specs: 

8GB RAM (7.97 GB system + 32 MB video)

intel core i5-4300U CPU @ 1.90GHz

windows 7

thanks in advance

[Huffer]

There is no video "card" in the laptop that can be removed and replaced. On your model both the processor and video are soldered directly to the motherboard. There is an optional video system with switchable discrete graphics. That is, it has both an Intel "integrated" video chip like yours and then also has a Radeon HD8750M graphics chip and you have to configure that video to run when you are doing something graphically demanding like gaming. Theoretically you could swap in one of the "switchable" graphics motherboards but the problem for you is going to be the fact that the motherboard includes both the video and the processor. That makes the motherboard seriously expensive like $350 and maybe much more. And the labor to install it would be another $150 maybe more. And you would need a different heatsink and fan for the "better" motherboard so I think all in you would be maybe looking at $600 to do the upgrade, which I would advise against. 

Sorry the advice could not have been more positive, but to help other people locate this, please click "Accept as Solution" if it provided "the Answer" for you. 

[nettaBenSinai]

So, that "Radeon HD8750M graphics chip", is it already in the computer? If yes, how do I activate him? If no, where do I get one?

[Huffer]

I try to explain myself. The 840 G1 comes in two versions with two different motherboards. One only has the Intel HD graphics and one has dual or switchable graphics. You apparently have the former although I am not 100% clear on this. If you do not have switchable graphics the only way to get it is to replace the motherboard at great expense as described above. Do you know where to find the Device Manager in Windows? If so look and see what it says under display adapters.

[Maazb]

So is it possible to upgrade the Radeon HD8750M graphics chip and replace it with a better graphics card with a switchable graphics system ? If so which card is compatible with this laptop ?

[MONKEYWRENCHIT]

I bought the same model for my son, and it has the advanced ADM Radeon graphics card, but when It is disabled, when I install the drivers from the AMD site, and reboot it bluescreens.  I tried downloading the drivers from the HP support site for this card, it bluescreen.

I bought it off Ebay, and the warranty said something about not upgrading any software on it.  Has anyone else had this problem?  My kid just wants to play some videogames... I tried disabling the intel video card, didnt help.

He was playing fallout 3 on it last week, but now he cant play anything without that AMD video card working.

[nerdgirlrj]

I have a question too, I bought this same 840 G1 laptop refurbished and I dont know what is the graphic card version of then: the version switchable or the version not switchable.

I'm looking right now in the device management in windows and there are two graphic cards: intel and amd (both enabled).

So I tried to install both drivers and it worked. But, my laptop works with theses two cards and i want to do make sure that both cards will work at same time, or in switch mode, or manually (choose which of then I want) and i dont know where i can find these configurations, on BIOS or in windows to change it or not, to install all drivers or just one driver.

In the bios there is a option:
Hydrib Graphics Enhanced Display Feature. (checked).
Smart Card Reader Power Setting (if present)
(powered on if card is present).

And this:
Video memory size:
32 MB, 64, 128, 256 or 512MB (checked 32MB).
So which option i have to choose?

And I'm using a ssd on AHCI, if i change that to hdd i have to change too to RAID? I don't know the difference between then.

Thanks!

[RangerZ]

I am interested in what progress you may have made on this.  Thanks