m6805 ati mobility 9600 replacement

[syosoft]

Computer: eMachines M6805 (Stock) - out of warranty.
Problem: Possible fried video card (ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 64mb onboard) as the display is garbled.
Click here for pictures of the display.

About 3 days before the LCD went completely garbled, the LCD was flickering on and off. What leads me to believe it's the video card as it looks horrible even in POST. Also, when I hooked up my external 19" LCD to the laptop, the output was still garbled, and when I take a screenshot on the laptop, save it, and then view it on a working computer, the screenshot is as garbled as the laptops LCD.

I've done some Google searching, found a couple posts about people with similar problems. Only suggestion I've read was someone (or someone's) saying "It's your motherboard, send it in for replacement." Which is all fine and well, except I called eMachines corporate and they want $244 (including shipping both ways) to replace the motherboard. I'm more interested in replacing the video card (if possible) and doing it myself. I've got loads of experience with desktops, but laptops are simply confusing (maybe i've missed a pictorial of a M6805 breakdown somewhere).

I'm also unable to locate someone selling the ATI Mobility 9600 to swap out my old one.

This whole post assumes that the ATI Mobility 9600 can be swapped out with relative ease....lemme know.

Click here for pictures of the display.

[GX1_Man]

Laptops generally do not have replaceable video cards like desktops. I am sure this is the case with eMachines, so you cannot add another. Your ONLY option is to replace the motherboard which contains the graphics chip.

Changing a laptop motherboard is not for the squeamish either. Again, laptops are not like desktops. You can ruin components by just "giving it a go" yourself.  

[syosoft]

Does anyone have a link to an actual tear down of the machine? I'm aware laptops are not like desktops. I'm aware that older style laptops have everything built into the motherboard, however, I seem to recall something about this laptop having "upgradable graphics."

Please reply w/o assumptions and only facts. Thanks.

[syosoft]

Bump

[GX1_Man]

Please reply w/o assumptions and only facts.

Here is the link to your machine, the product manual, and a contact number for technical support.

http://www.emachines.com/support/product_support.html?cat=Notebooks&subcat=M-Series&model=M6805

http://downloads.emachines.com/userguides/M2xxx_M6xxx_notebook_UG_Online_030804_en.pdf

I see nothing about an upgradable/replaceable video card. That, coupled with  the manufacturer recommending an entire motherboard replacement only, indicate this is true. These facts seem to support the assumption I first gave you, in line with industry manufacturing practices and is certainly more relevant than "I seem to recall that it has upgradable graphics". It is a very rare laptop indeed that has this ability.

Good luck.

[Dam1an]

Even those that DO have the "upgradable graphics" have the video cards built into the motherboards.  The only difference is that they have an expansion slot for another video card.  Of course, you can't just go to Best Buy and get one, they, like nearly everything on laptops, are manufacturer specific, so you could only get one from them.  (marketing genuis   )

It's the biggest downfall of laptops is the non-upgradability.  HD, RAM, CD/DVD ROM and if you're lucky, a processer are about all you can really do to a laptop.  The worst is when the AC adapter plug in the back of your computer breaks....  may as well break out the solder and hard-wire that cable in