MXM Graphics Cards are removable graphics cards that are designed for gaming laptops or notebooks, All-in-one PCs, mobile workstations, embedded systems and small form factor PCs. MXM or Mobile PCI Express Module is a standard developed by MXM-SIG for MXM GPUs or graphics cards. The main motive to develop MXM Socket is to provide an easy way to upgrade graphics cards on laptops, all-in-one PC (AIO PC) and other mobile systems. Not much information is there on the MXM graphics cards and MXM standard, so here in this post I am going tell you all about the MXM graphics module and clear all your doubts on it.
Note: Not all laptops with discrete graphics cards have MXM modules because in most of the laptops discrete graphics card is non-removable and is soldered permanently to the motherboard.
Must Read: List of Best Laptop Graphics Cards from Nvidia & AMD
Where to Find MXM Graphics Cards?
You cannot buy MXM Graphics Cards just like regular graphics cards because they are not available to retailers or hardware vendors. MXM graphics cards are only sold in bulk to the manufacturer who makes laptops or other mobile or porttable computers. However, you can find MXM graphics cards on some of the online shopping sites like ebay and amazon. The MXM graphics cards on these online ecommerce sites are ripped or pulled out from other laptops for sale. You can find some MXM graphics cards online on the link given below.
MXM Types / Specifications
Here are the various generations, specifications and types of MXM graphics cards.
MXM (First Generation)
1st generation MXM graphics modules and thermal solutions are backward compatible. All the first generation graphics card modules come with 230 pins but MXM Type III may come with 232 pins also.
| MXM Type | Width | Length | Max. Power | Max. GPU Size |
| MXM-I | 70mm | 68mm | 18W | 35 mm² |
| MXM-II | 73mm | 78mm | 35W | 35 mm² |
| MXM-III (HE) | 82mm | 100mm | 75W | 40 mm² |
| MXM-IV (Depreciated) | 82mm | 117mm |
MXM 3.0 (Second Generation)
2nd generation MXM graphics modules and thermal solutions are also backward compatible.
| MXM Type | Width | Length | Max. Power | GPU Memory Bus |
| MXM-A | 82mm | 70mm | 55W | 64-bit or 128-bit |
| MXM-B | 82mm | 105mm | 200W | 256-bit |
Below you can see the MXM 3.0 Type A and Type B Graphics Cards.
Here width is the length of the MXM connector which is 82mm in the MXM 3.0 cards. Some MXM 3.0 cards PCB can be both wider and longer but the connector length will only be 82mm.
MXM 3.1 revision was released in the year 2012 for added support for PCIe 3.0 bus.
MXM Video Card Compatibility & Upgrade
The compatibility of MXM modules with one another is a bit of concern because first generation MXM modules are not compatible with second generation modules and vice versa. Also MXM graphics cards may differ slightly in the arrangement of GPU, components and mounting holes on the PCB. This can pose problems during mounting of the heat sink on the new MXM graphics card, that you have purchase for your laptop. Also your BIOS should also support the new MXM GPU for your MXM graphics card to work. So before upgrading to a new MXM graphics card for your laptop, you should be aware of the following things:
- New MXM Graphics Card should be of same generation and type
- New MXM card should have the same dimensions of the older card
- Your heat sink should be able to fit the new MXM card properly
- It should be from the same manufacturer if possible
- Your Laptop BIOS should support the new MXM card
- You can use an MXM 3.0 Type A card in a computer or laptop with Type B support, but the reverse is not always possible because of cooling, clearnace and power restriction.
Popular Manufacturers that use MXM Graphics Cards for their Laptops include Clevo, MSI, Alienware, Dell, HP, Acer, Asus, Toshiba, Apple. Not all of them use standard MXM modules as some of them use their own proprietary MXM modules that are not compatible with other standard MXM cards. Below you can see the latest GeForce 10 series MXM video cards that include GeForce GTX 1080, GTX 1070 and GTX 1060.
If your laptop is not MXM compatible but got a Thunderbolt port then you can use eGPU Box to upgrade your laptop graphics for playing latest games and for professional graphics work. This eGPU box lets you to connect a full sized external graphics card (desktop graphics card) to your laptop.
Also Read: Top AMD and Nvidia Graphics Cards Manufacturers
Advantage of MXM Graphics Module
The main advantage of MXM graphics module is that you can easily upgrade your laptop or other mobile computer graphics card to a higher one for playing latest games or for running professional graphics applications. Also, if your MXM Video Card has gone bad then it can be easily replaced without any soldering and going through too much trouble.
List of MXM Graphics Cards
Here are some of the latest and powerful MXM graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD. These graphics cards include MXM Workstation Graphics Cards and MXM Gaming Graphics Cards.
Nvidia MXM Graphics Cards
- GeForce GTX 1080
- GeForce GTX 1070
- GeForce GTX 1060
- GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
- GeForce GTX 1050
- GeForce GTX 1030
- GeForce GTX 980
- GeForce GTX 980M
- GeForce GTX 970M
- GeForce GTX 960M
- GeForce GTX 950M
- GeForce GTX 940M
- GeForce GTX 930M
- Tesla M6
- Quadro M620 Mobile
- Quadro M1200 Mobile
- Quadro M2200 Mobile
- Quadro P3000 Mobile
- Quadro P4000 Mobile
- Quadro P5000 Mobile
AMD MXM Graphics Cards
- Radeon RX 480
- Radeon R9 M295X
- FirePro W5170M
- FirePro W7170M
- FirePro S4000X
- FirePro S7100X
- Radeon Embedded E9260
- Radeon Embedded E9550
See also:
If you have any queries regarding MXM graphics cards then please leave a comment below, and I will try my best to answer it and clear your doubts.
How to know my bios support another mxm gpu? My laptop is Dell inspiron 1564. It had ati mobility radeon HD 4330 by default. Please reply…….
I think you should ask the manufacturer for this.
can i replay mxm 3.0 III b to mxm III 3.0 a ?
what do you mean by replay?
Sorry I mean *change
I don’t think so.
I can’t help but ask myself this question: Does my laptop’s PSU have enough DC capacity to actually power up the GPU?
Yes it does.
Hello, I am looking into upgrading my graphics card:
– MXM version: 3.0, type A <35W
As you can see it states <35W – do you know any or will I need to go through all the specs one by one to try and find one?
This is for an HP all in one touchscreen PC that I use with a virtual for a bicycle training package called ZWIFT. At the moment the graphics riding on the virtual routes are very "jumpy" and my objective is to try and smooth this out.
thanks in advance
“that I use with a virtual for a bicycle ” = “that I use with a virtual bicycle training…”
I think you should probably look for GeForce GT 540M as it is available as MXM 3.0 Type A card. Others are either higher in power consumption or available as Type B. BTW can you tell me the model of your HP all in one touchscreen PC.
Many thanks so far. It is a HP Touchsmart 600. Intel core i3 m330 2.13ghz / 4gb
NVIDIA GeForce G210 with latest drivers
Running W10
Would more RAM help?
I was given this second hand from a company I used to work with that didn’t use it.
Certainly, For Win 10 I would add another 4GB for smooth working.
Hi, I’m running HP Zbook 15 G3 with Firepro w5170m and wondering if there is faster card out there that would be worth investing in (i.e. not worth slightly faster card for 250€).
From what i found it uses MXM 3.0a standard and I cannot find anything usefull.
Thanks
I don’t think so because faster ones are MXM 3.0 Type B.
And would you recommend going the eGPU way? And if yes what would be your recommendation? Becouse I have a thunderbolt 3 also and would like to play more games than I could now.
If you really want more graphics processing power and want to enjoy latest games on laptop then eGPU is the only solution.
Hi I have an HP Proone 600 G1 AIO P.C. and I recently added the AMD Radeon 7650A MXM graphics card to it I decided to try an Nvidia MXM 3.0A hoping it might work (I like Nvidia better) I have tried hooking it up it fits and the heatsink fits as well but its not booting up I almost certain that the power is right. I’m thinking it is either the drivers not being installed or the Bios…..
Do you have any tips on if this can work and if so what I might need to do to get it going?
Thank you
Adam
Hello, I think the issue is with the BIOS not supporting the Nvidia graphics card. Try updating the BIOS.
Do you know the most powerful MXM-A type GPU?
I currently have a Quadro K4000M 4GB and I was wondering if that is the most powerful mxm-a card or is there a stronger one?
Thanks
I am pretty sure that Quadro K4000M is MXM Type-B, and for Type-B I think the most powerful would be Quadro P5000 MXM.
can i upgrade my zbook 15 to gtx 880m or gtx965m ?!?
What GPU does it currently have?
quadro 2100m and what best gpu i can upgrade to
Really can’t say because it can have compatibility issues because of limited cooling capacity (55W) of Zbook 15.
can i upgrade to 5100m ?!
Hello, the thing is you need a second generation MXM-A card that you can match your laptop’s GPU cooling capacity. I think you can upgrade to GTX 965M 4GB DDR5 (MXM-A) and also to NVIDIA NVS 5100M.
Hello. Great article…..
I have a MSI GT70 2PE Dominator Pro with a Geforce GTX880m installed…..
I would like to upgrade, but which newer nvidia cards are compatible?
I would say you can upgrade to GTX 1060 MXM 3.0 Type B. Here is an interesting topic on it https://www.techinferno.com/index.php?/forums/topic/11018-gtx-1060-in-gt70-and-gt72/
I have a HP Elite 8300 all in one desk top.
It has the slot for the optional
AMD Radeon 7650A MXM 2gb graphics card
Unfortunately I cant find the original gpu heatsink/heatpipe/radiator for this
graphics card.
What third party cooling (heatsink and fan) will work for this video card effectively?
Thanks
You need a cooler with TDP of at least 35W that can easily fit in there.
Will this one be adequate?
No, it is for full size desktop graphics cards.
It will fit – I already measured depth length & width
Hello, i was looking all over the internet (all googled results) regarding the GPU replacement of HP Elitebook 8440p.
I would like to know which GPU can be used as upgrade of Nvidia 3100M.
Friend of mine “advice” me to use Nvidia 940M. I’m not sure if its compatible or not,
Also could you please suggest me from where can i buy these cards except the used ones on the classifieds.
Many thanks in advance.
Kind regards,
Ivan
Nvidia 940M is not compatible and I don’t think there is any better card that will work with it.
How do you check that is or not compatible? Could you please share soke knowledge regarding the topic you start?
By identifying the interface, size, TDP / power consumption.
Hello sir.
I have AMD Radeon RX560X 4GB which is MXM-B.
What are my options of upgrading the GPU?
Well, you can upgrade to any MXM-B graphics card having TDP up to 65W. and i don’t there are much options out there because even GTX 1060 MXM has TDP higher than 80 Watts.
I have a hp envy 23se-d494 , can mxm 3.0b work with this setup and if not, is the Nvidia got 630m a good choice for type A?
Not sure about this model, and NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M is a pretty decent choice for MXM Type A.
I have a HP EliteBook 8560w with an old NVIDIA Quadro 1000m on board. What’s the best I can replace this graphics card with?
I would say NVIDIA Quadro M1000M should be a good upgrade over it. You can also look at NVIDIA Quadro M2000M but it has little higher TDP of 55W. (Note: NVIDIA Quadro 1000M has TDP of 45W)
Hello, great info.
I have a dell 7520 with m2200, 55w, can i have a good upgrade opton?
Thanks in advance!
I think you are pretty good with M2200 as I don’t see any viable upgrade for it.
I have a dell 7730 with NVIDIA Quadro P5200.
Do you know where can I get the replacement for NVIDIA Quadro P5200 card?
Thanks in advance.
If it is under warranty then you have to contact your vendor.
It’s already out of warranty sir.
Hello!
I have mini pc asrock vision X420D https://asrock.com/nettop/Intel/VisionX Series (Haswell). My video card have burned out. Can I change video card to nvidia Quadro K2000M https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-DELL-OEM-Nvidia-N14P-Q3-A2-Quadro-K2000M-2GB-DDR5-MXM-3-0-Video-Card-D30WG/183836563130 or similar?
I am not sure because I have some doubts regarding its compatibility.
Good day Akshat.
My name is Konstantin. I have HP Elitebook 8560W with Nvidia Quadro 1000M on board.
Please tell me what most powerful MXM card I can installed into my laptop ?
Also? if for it need modify BIOS where I can see information about it ?
I will be very grateful to you for your answer.
I would say Quadro K1100M. For laptop, you need to search manufacturer’s website for BIOS or ask them via support.
I would say Quadro K1100M. For BIOS, you need to search the manufacturer’s website or ask them via support email or form. Hope this helps!
A lot of thanks to you for you answer.
You are most welcome.