Upgrading the laptop to the next generation.

[Meaker]

It's finally time for the next laptop refresh project.

Specs before I started planning:

17.3" 1440p 120Hz panel
8086K @ 5Ghz
16GB DDR4 SODIMM @ 3000Mhz 14-14-14-37
1TB SM961 SSD
GTX 1080 Mobile MXM SLI
Intel 8260 AC wifi card

Upgrades performed so far:
9900KS - Delidded and fitted. Can currently sustain 4.7Ghz on AVX workloads
Intel AX210 Wifi

Components on the way:

RTX 3070 MXM 8GB 140W TDP
Hybrid cooling heatsinks (30xx series cards have different core mounting spacing and are the outer holes)



Here is the laptop cooling stand I built:

It uses the Aquaero v5 controller with full support for pump control etc so will get a pump, reservoir and radiator all hooked up via it. This will let me automate the liquid cooling setup.

The GPU should arrive in the next week, the heatsink is being fabricated to order so will take a bit longer.

 

[Meaker]

First part has arrived

 

[Rroff]

That is some dedication to keeping it relevant heh.

I gave up on custom desktop replacement laptops - got a bit fed-up of jumping through hoops to upgrade stuff.

 

[Meaker]

I gave up on desktops because I kept wanting to buy bits.

 

[Meaker]

The conversion of the cooling stand is now in progress. Heatsink is on the final leg of its journey.

 

[Jimbo Mahoney]

Wow, very cool dude!

 

[Meaker]

Wow, very cool dude!

Cheers!

I got the right screws so I have the front plate etc all in place:

 

[Minstadave]

I thought mxm had died. How much does a 3070 does a 3070 mxm cost?

 

[Meaker]

They make normal scalped cards seem reasonable sadly at around $1700-1800. I could only get it because I got an insider deal at a much lower cost.

 

[oweneades]

Is the hybrid heat sink one where it combines both the standard heat pipe / vapour chamber design and water cooling into one?

Will be really interesting to see what you can squeeze out of the 3070. Are you still limited in terms of power (140w with dynamic boost)?

 

[Meaker]

Without work on the card I'd still be limited but you can shunt mod these and there is room to expand the VRM.

 

[oweneades]

Without work on the card I'd still be limited but you can shunt mod these and there is room to expand the VRM.

Oooo that sounds really cool

 

[Meaker]

Oooo that sounds really cool

Considering the cooling system was originally designed to cook a pair of 200w 1080 in SLI I think I'll have some room to push the 3070 a bit

 

[Meaker]

So here is the mock up of positions, pump cabling is fixed and ready to go. Waiting on the flow meter but the system is getting there

 

[MiSJAH]

Meaker, who is the OEM for the MXM 3070 that you are installing?

Are you planning to SLI the 3070, is that even possible?

Nice project, good to see people still active in upgrading laptops.

 

[Meaker]

It's a card straight from Clevo sources for me by Sager as their community rep on another forum. It's my own project and I'm not being paid to do it.

No sli connectors and no software support so just a single card. Will make cooling simpler I guess.

I'm glad you are finding it interesting. I'll post more pictures as I progress

 

[Rroff]

The 130/140 watt 3070 mobile are fairly decent GPUs as far as laptops go IMO - comfortable at 1080p, capable at 1440p - not hideously far behind the desktop 3060ti at 1440p though the delta can be bigger at 1080p (laptops tend to be lacking in pure CPU grunt) and 4K (exposes some of the lesser spec vs the desktop cards).

 

[Meaker]

Hopefully my 5Ghz 9900ks will keep up

 

[Meaker]

Heatsink is on and fitted, temps look pretty normal on air..... and i've got a work gathering I have to go to tonight so wont be able to hook up the water cooling. Of course.

I did however get a lovely post card

 

[Meaker]