Upgrading a Soldered Laptop GPU - 3080 Ti Mobile - Part 2

Video Description

Available as blog post: https://techmodlab.com/xmg-apex-15/xmg-apex-15-max-2022/upgrading-a-soldered-laptop-gpu-part-2/ People keep saying "laptop GPUs can't be upgraded", which is true from a customer point of view. But technically those soldered laptop GPUs can be upgraded, with the proper tools and skills. Sure, it is super hard to learn, but as shown in this video, it is NOT impossible. After my previous successful attempt to replace my laptop's GPU with an RTX 3080 Mobile I never really could stop thinking about the missed opportunity to use the biggest GPU of the RTX 30 Ampere generation. The RTX 3080 Ti Mobile. It is not the same GPU as used in the desktop 3080 Ti, but at least it goes another big step in that direction. It is based on the GA103, which was almost never utilized by Nvidia in any of their products. It showed up in one desktop GPU (3060Ti GA103 version), and two mobile GPUs (3080Ti and Quadro A5500) only. I was curious about it's efficiency and performance gains over the RTX 3070 Mobile and especially RTX 3080 Mobile. It is still an upgrade within the same GPU generation, BUT this MIGHT not be the last major upgrade I could try on this laptop. I will keep updating in the future. Generalized info: In this video I replace my RTX 3070 Laptop GPU (8GB) to a RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (16GB). Even an upgrade from the RTX 3060 Laptop GPU would be possible, because Nvidias Ampere generation (RTX 3000) uses the same GPU chip footprint on all laptop models from the 3060 up. Because many people ask: On Ada Lovelace (RTX 4000) it is not as easy unfortunately. You can upgrade from a 4060 to a 4070 Laptop GPU. And from a 4080 to a 4090 Laptop GPU. Nvidia uses two different footprints on the mid and high-end. Turing, aka. RTX 20 is upgradable from the 2060 to 2080 Super Laptop GPU as well, analogue to Ampere, BUT is much more constraint in TGPs, because there was only one TGP (power limit) per GPU, not many ones as seen with Ampere (RTX 30). I have not found a confirmation yet, but I think upgrading from the GTX 1660 Mobile all the way up to a RTX 2080 Super should be possible as well (GPU in between included). --- Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 00:15 - where to buy 01:10 - the new GPU core 01:38 - reballing the GPU 07:25 - receiving laptop 08:35 - removing the old GPU 10:48 - cleaning up the pads 13:31 - solder in new VRAM ICs 15:16 - solder in new GPU (RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU) 16:41 - cleanup & final checks 17:07 - changing straps (to setup new memory) 17:53 - assembly of the laptop 18:13 - first boot & fix 18:29 - actual first boot 18:58 - performance: raytracing 20:13 - performance: rasterization 20:34 - discussing the low-ish performance 22:56 - overclocking (preview) 24:33 - conclusion --- Music by EpidemicSound