Upgradable Laptop?

Folks,

Technology always marches onwards. I'm currently using an Asus 1215n laptop. (More of a super notebook...) It's a good machine, but I've got the itch.

I'd like to get a new laptop - NOT a desktop replacement - which is light and small. 12" screen is fine. However, the hangup is that I want something which is EASY to swap hard-drives and video cards.

I would like to use it for some gaming. The current embedded video system in the Asus 1215n (Optimus coupled with nvidia's ION) CTD's w/certain games. The support is non-existant. A replacable video card would at least keep up.

Does anything like this exist?

Thanks,
Ken

i don't know of any 12" laptops with an upgradeable video card... best look forward to 14" and 15" for that.

Even on larger laptops with a swappable video card, the outright cost of a new video card is high enough that you'd be better off buying a new laptop anyway.

While you can find upgradable laptops, there may be caveats that limit your upgrade choices (power, MXM package/cooling design, etc). Only the MXM SLOT itself is standardized, so you will have to do some research before you make a purchase.

Also you will forever be forced to pay double to triple the price for your upgrades (compared to desktop users), as laptop parts carry a steep price premium. And you will forever be behind in performance compared to the desktop.

Also OEMs won't sell you anything directly. You'll have to go through Ebay listings, or deal with the limited selection offered by third parties like MXM Upgrade.

http://www.mxm-upgrade.com/Store_30.html

There are a couple laptops like the Maingear Pulse 11 that have removable video cards. However even then you've got to come up with a new card that actually fits in the chassis and doesn't draw too much power. It also goes without saying that such systems are expensive, have additional weight, and have absolutely miserable battery life.

If you actually want light and small then you should probably wait for wait for the next generation of CPUs and settle for an integrated graphics option. If you want a full powered gaming laptop then you need to look at larger and heavier options.

I was afraid that this is what I'd hear.

Thank you all for sharing your expertise.

Ken