Asus G53JW-3DE CPU Upgrade & More, Questions on Upgrade

Foxtrotz

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May 18, 2014
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Hello All!

It is a somewhat hobby of mine to upgrade, disassemble, and completely understand all of my computers and electronics. I severely modified my Asus G50VT-X5 Laptop (Including updated PC Chip, Video Card, Custom Heat-Sink, Hard Drive, among many other things.

Now it is time for my next project. I have gathered as much information as I could on my own regarding this laptop and wish to max out as much as possible. Before I go ahead and set forth with this fantastic undertaking and customization one of a kind upgrade, I would gladly appreciate any and all comments, first hand experiences, and knowhow of all you viewing this post!

As stated, I own an Asus G53-JW-3DE (3D) Laptop, specs are as followed:
(*Newegg Link at Bottom "1")

1.) Core i7 740QM (1.73GHz) (Overclock to: 2.933GHz)
(*Intel Link at Bottom "2A")
I would like to upgrade the Chip to the i7 940XM
(*Intel Link at Bottom "2B")

2.) 6GB DDR3 1033 MHz (Maximum Ram slots thought to be 3, now finding conflicting evidence that there are actually 4. Also, the max that the machine could be upgraded to when first launched was thought to be 8GB. Now, I am finding out that 16GB is recognizable, and some websites say that even up to 32GB is feasible. The way I understand it is an i5 Windows architect will only recognize 8GB, whereas Windows 7 Ultimate, 8, 8.1 64 bit architecture or Linux will recognize 32GB. I do not need 32GB, however, 16GB would be nice. I just need to find out how much RAM slots are in my machine before ordering them.
(*C-net Link at Bottom "3")

3. NVidia GeForce 460M 1.5GB. Happy with it, however, I would love to upgrade it to max out settings on the newer games. I did accomplish upgrading the graphics card on a different Asus G50VT-X5 laptop complete with custom heat-sink and fan. I am at a loss as to what video card would fit in this machine, hovering around 2GB)
(*Notebook Review Previous Thread Link at Bottom "4")

4. 15.6" 1366x768 120HTZ LCD Screen, 3D shutter glasses included.

If you have actually taken the time to read my full post, I am very grateful. I am looking for any and all computer savvy people with input, experience, know how, maybe you've already done this yourself or you know exactly what you are doing. I am not the type of person that is just wasting your time with nonsense questions. I have done this before many times over and this is my hobby, to build towers and upgrade laptops. The more challenging the better, just to replace the screen on this computer is around 50 or more tiny screws, it is a very difficult computer to work on.

I am going to upgrade and modify this laptop and have already proceeded to collect all necessary components and software. Your opinion and advice is extremely valuable to me. I learn something new each time I take apart the same computer, something I miss, you may know. Again, I appreciate any and all responses.

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THE MAIN UPGRADES AND QUESTIONS FOR THE ASUS G53JW-3DE LAPTOP:

What questions and answers am I looking for?

1. With a clean installation of Windows 7 Ultimate or 8 x64 bit architecture, will the unit handle an i7 940XM Chip, if not what about a 920XM? If I am not mistaken, the chipset is the same and it is not the newer sandy bridge. I am not concerned with heat, I have made and will be making a custom heat sink for the unit.

2. Obviously booting with one RAM stick in first, will the computer handle 16GB of Ram. Can anyone confirm that there are 4 Ram Slots?

3. My screen has 3 vertical off color lines, apparently from the LCD Ribbon Cord, I need to repair the screen and found that it is quite cheap, surprisingly for a 3D monitor, only $95.00. Is it possible to upgrade the LCD screen? I highly doubt it, this would coincide with updating the GPU as well, which leads me into the next question. Is there a GPU that will fit in this model that is 2GB or higher that would handle the same resolution, or possibly higher (1080P 120HTZ) There are some models with this, however, I don't know if the GPU would fit. I was extremely lucky to find an upgrade for the last Asus that fit perfectly. Again, I am not concerned for heat issues, I have made custom heat sinks in the past with the latest thermal heat paste and never had a problem.

4. Left side of the unit (esc key side), closest to the touchpad, the USB 2.0 does not work. It will work if in pull up on it with a device plugged in and hold it with tape, however, usually these are soldered to the motherboard. Is it possible to risk a soldering job? I suppose I will see the severity and damage when I fully open the computer up, most likely I will send the computer to a specialist for this since soldering is not my expertise.

THAT’S IT!

I will film this Modification Job in its entirety with my Go-Pro Hero 3+ in 4K and will post it online and YouTube and gladly will include anyone’s ideas, thoughts, etc. with a link here as a token of my appreciation and how thankful I am that people will help a fellow computer nerd. I wish I had done it with the Asus G50VT, it was very fascinating and extremely fun, and yes, very time consuming.

I thank you all again for reading this post in its entirety. Taking on a project like this is extremely fascinating and fun to me, and I enjoy anyone and everyone’s insight and knowledge on the subject. You really don't see Laptop Customization and once you get the hang of it, truly it is a lot of fun. Towers are extremely fun as well, I guess it is just the allure that most people do not upgrade laptops because of the size, but it sure is satisfying.

Cited Links:
1. NewEgg G53JW-3DE Laptop Specifications:
ASUS G Series G53JW-3DE NoteBook Intel Core i7 740QM (1.73GHz) 6GB Memory 750GB HDD NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M 15.6" Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit - Newegg.com
2A. Intel i7 740QM
CPU-Upgrade: Intel Core i7-740QM CPU
2B. Intel i7 940XM
CPU-Upgrade: Intel Core i7-940XM CPU
3. C-Net G53JW-3DE Laptop Specifications:
ASUS G53JW 3DE Specs - CNET
4. NoteBookReview Forum, My Asus G50VT-X5 Modification Post:
ASUS G50VT-X5 BestBuy Ed. ModIfication Almost Complete 9800M GS to 260M Video Card Inquiry

Mason Selectronics Inc.
 
Solution
I did not read all of your post...sorry. But You may find it worth while to just get another laptop as the i7 940XM is really not much better than the i7 740Qm...Yeah it is about 400Mhz faster but on that older intel architecture the difference in modern applications is slightly marginal. Yeah i7 940Xm is unlocked but the heat at higher frequencies will be to much for the laptops cooling design to Dissipate . Also Some Asus Laptops are really annoying to take apart and put back together....I know that is not what your asking so I am sorry I could not help

Vitric9

Distinguished
I did not read all of your post...sorry. But You may find it worth while to just get another laptop as the i7 940XM is really not much better than the i7 740Qm...Yeah it is about 400Mhz faster but on that older intel architecture the difference in modern applications is slightly marginal. Yeah i7 940Xm is unlocked but the heat at higher frequencies will be to much for the laptops cooling design to Dissipate . Also Some Asus Laptops are really annoying to take apart and put back together....I know that is not what your asking so I am sorry I could not help
 
Solution

Foxtrotz

Reputable
May 18, 2014
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4,510
Just to note, I do this more as a hobby& fun then for actual performance gain. I actually am completing this project as we speak and it is coming along quite nicely. Almost done building the custom heat sink, parts are on their way or I already have them, and just doing a little more research before purchasing the finished products.
Thank you all for your consideration, for performance I agree a new laptop would far surpass what I would normally have paid for this kind of upgrade, I have access to spare parts because my father owns a computer repair shop, so all the parts I use are at a discounted price.

Thanks again all