Any with knowledge of computers and computer games, please help!

I've just started becoming interested in roll-playing computer games. I've been playing a friends Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and have become severly hooked. My question: I know I need to get a video card for my computer if I have any hope of being able to play that game. But I was wondering how I could convert a viedo card to be used on a lap-top? Is it even possible?

Those of you who know about computer and video cards... please help!

Nope - sorry.

Unles your laptop mfr has a vid card option they would be willing to install - laptops are tricky like that.

That game has steep requirements to be sure - had to upgrade one of the kids pcs to play it. He's running a p4 2.4GHz, 1G DDR ram and needed to jump to a GeForce 6600 to get it to run in a playable way. It still wont run well on any of the other PCs in the house (we have a few frankenstein'd ones) with lesser video cards or weaker specs.

For serious gaming, a desktop is the only way to go.

Heck, my computer won't run oblivion without a bit of a upgrade...which is all the better. I don't need to get addicted to a viedo game right now :neener:

Oblivion is one of the top "hogs" for system requirements. Do you know if your mother board requires AGP or PCI-E cards? Because AGP cards are becoming scarce and very expensive. Rick's ATI brand AGP card just fried this weekend; because it was top of the line when he bought it and because now it's scarce (because all mother boards are going PCI), to replace it with a brand new card would $800 (!!!!!).

Also, the beginning of next year, everything's going to change because of the release of Windows Vista, which will use DirectX 10 (which is not backwards compatible) as well as the new hard-wired copy protection for movie DVD playback.

/steps off geek soap box

Dealcatcher.com and newegg/zipzoomfly are you bestest friends in these endeavors

www.oldblivion.com. that might help you. it was posted on one of the sites i frequent.

If you live in Virginia, you could always have my Diablo Expansion set. ^_^

Actually in more and more laptops you CAN upgrade the video chipset. Mainly Dell, Alienware, Sager, maybe a couple others and not necessarily all models. It is also completely wrong to think that laptops can't handle games as well as desktops but you will pay more for sure. Laptops are available with the latest and greatest GPU's from nvidia and ati that will blow you away. Heck I just built myself a new laptop using an MSI barebones notebook system which uses the nvidia geforce 6600 chipset, not top of the line but will smoke any integrated video and handle most current games if even at less than max settings.

But...aside from my babling you should determine what type of video chipset you have, or post the model of your notebook and it can be looked up. Most value notebooks will be integrated and won't handle the likes of oblivion which as said will use every ounce of power your system has to offer.

My laptop will barely play any anime I have saved on there. My desktop however, runs on an NVidia 7800GTX baby! ......ok, so maybe I went a little overboard in buying a $500 videocard but i just love to play any game and set all the graphics to max. Its so cool.

Having just spent a week at Dell tearing into the XPS\AW systems - there's still a HECK of a lot LESS room for variation including upgrading in laptops - and you will definitely pay a steep premium for the muscle.

While there are laptops that can churn it out they make up a very small segment of the overall laptop market - unfortunately :(

Very true Smulkin. They are becomming more and more customizable and upgradable. You can run sata raid, latest vid chipsets (some upgradable), and ram is slowly pushing the the 2gb limit...although at this point in time there isn't a real need/use for more unless using specialized apps and OS's that can address that much.

Other than that peripherals are really only thing lacking to add in or upgrade. Prices for the likes of laptops I speak of though are out of most of our ranges and still sickeningly expensive. Although I was able to save money putting together my own laptop the same way I would a desktop PC.

MSI 1032 chassis
-nvidia geforce go6600 (128mb)
-DVD DL burner

Hardware I purchased and installed (and is still upgradable):
1.86ghz Pentium M 533mhz bus
2gb A-data pc3200 (400mhz bus)
80gb Hitachi 5k100 5400rpm
Atheros 5006sx based wifi mini pci card (NOT available via US retail)
Soundblaster Audigy2 ZS pcmcia sound card

Link to a review I wrote on this system at http://www.notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=141860
*sorry if its stepping on toes linking to another forum, but a great place for those wanting to educate themselves about the world of mobile computer systems).

Adding the notebook version of the Audigy2 put me just a little over $1100, sure you can get better deals but with less quality components such as integrated video. I wanted to be able to do as much as I can do on my home desktop with it which I can. The only diff is that my home rig uses an sata2 raid0 which wasn't an option in my price range in building notebook system.

Its been years since I've been a Dell certified tech so I haven't kept up with all the systems but the XPS you mentioned is definately a high end system that will cost you a pretty peny like you said. That line is also one of the ones people (who can afford it) are upgrading their video cards in.