Where to get a MXM loop-through card?

KompuKare

KompuKare

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Had this Philips branded (a DSG own-brand since Philips don't do PCs anymore) Averatec 22" All-In-One PC with a bad MXM graphics card (8400GS, thanks Nvidia!) a while back.

At the time I looked into getting a new MXM card but type 1 (MXM-I) are not exactly easy to find (and quite expensive - at the time the only new one I could only find was over £100) and having no other MXM-I card to swap out I wasn't 100% sure it was the card.

Anyway, the machine had a fairly good spec and the parts were all desktop (S775, 3.5" HDD, normal DIMMs etc) so I advices the client that for not much more than replacing that MXM card I could re-build them their PC into a standard case. Since they had a LCD TV to use as a monitor they went for that option. All okay.

But I still have the remnants of the Averatec here and the other day I dropped my test S775 CPU and some RAM in there and did the Nvidia oven trick on the card. Guess what? The card worked! But only for an hour or so :-(

Anyway, I now know that everything aside from the graphics works so I'm left with a few options to try and fix this PC: buy a MXM-I card for it (not Nvidia if possible!) or preferably try and find a MXM-I loop-through card.

The Averatec motherboard has a built-in GMA X4500HD but the LVDS signal does not get sent to the panel without a MXM loop-through card (had to download the MXM spec to find that out after looking everywhere for a jumper or similar).

I've tried ebay in just about every jurisdiction I can think off and tried Google and Google Shopping but have not been able to find anyone selling those elusive loop-through card.

Does anyone know of a stockist anywhere?

Thanks
 
You may want to try these guys: http://www.mxm-upgrade.com

They're pretty knowledgeable about the components and compatibility, so I'd say that they're your best shot to find the loop-through. Unfortunately, I'm kind of expecting that you may have to just source another graphics card, ati if you prefer.
 
Thanks, but I did come across them before (they have good SEO for MXM...) but firstly they don't have any MXM-I in stock and €100-€200 is far too much for a system which at this stage I'm basically trying to fix on a whim (it has a TV card so maybe I'd use it as a 22" TFT TV).

In the meantime, I will keep an eye on ebay. Just a pity nobody has offered a loop-through yet since as far as I'm concerned that would be the better option and even a used loop-through should be ok since they should be hard to break...
 
Have you actually e-mailed them?

They used to have forums where people could buy and sell mxm related parts. It's at least worth a shot, right?
 
14049752 said:
Have you actually e-mailed them?

They used to have forums where people could buy and sell mxm related parts. It's at least worth a shot, right?
Click to expand...

No, will do now. The forum seems to have disappeared (or is VERY well hidden) but I did find their email. You're right, worth a shot. Thanks
 
OMG have this sytem on the bench right now and i am stuck too!! where can i get an MXM 1 card? as client is willng to pay to get it going. have tried some cards of ebay but they dont work, and its been annoying the hell outa me, so good to know WHY it does it

are you saying wth the loopback hing it would work?
 
ITMAN said:
OMG have this sytem on the bench right now and i am stuck too!! where can i get an MXM 1 card? as client is willng to pay to get it going. have tried some cards of ebay but they dont work, and its been annoying the hell outa me, so good to know WHY it does it

are you saying wth the loopback hing it would work?
Click to expand...

A good question. I managed to find the MXM spec (for instance http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBcQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fstashbox.org%2F679919%2FMXM_Electro_Spec.pdf&ei=r2yFTLWWLZKTjAeykZ2OCA&usg=AFQjCNHF3WKgfq-6t1dqQZKzzBoKljHCKw&sig2=Qp3yCkXK5KWtj-_yAyFtsQ

where I came across this quote:
"IGP and MXM
The MXM platform has been designed to co-exist with Integrated Graphics
Processors (IGP). An IGP notebook designed to support MXM graphics modules
can be populated with or without a MXM graphics card. If no MXM graphics
module is present, installation of a loop through card is required to complete circuit paths for LVDS signals and enable panel operation."

However, loop through cards seem to be totally elusive. I guess my only option is to buy a card from ebay but unlike you I am not in any hurry since at this stage the system is just parts I have standing in my 'to do' pile and I don't have a customer waiting on me.

My requirement is also for an MXM-I card although reading the spec, the electrics are the same and this Averatec AiO has plenty of space for the larger cards - just unsure if the BIOS will kick up a fuzz since the MXM spec does call for BIOS support to prevent, for example, overheating MXM-I capable laptops by using a MXM-III card.
 
Hmmm, well I have tried these twop cards and both just show black screen (PC boots)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160467871211

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260591426074

i found that mxm-upgrade site too and emailed them, but no reply

found manufacturer http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCgQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trigem.com%2F&ei=NHOFTOadBdPI4Ab5jbTOBQ&usg=AFQjCNEYdALvXj0NDHmXfz-ROKAkb4euWw

but again, no reply, so guess i need to get the MXM1 card, a loop card, or (and i guess this is what you did) a case, and MB, and repair install

but they would need a screen too, and then, i might as well buy the card off of MXM for £100, but seems steep:confused:
 
ITMAN said:
Hmmm, well I have tried these twop cards and both just show black screen (PC boots)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160467871211

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260591426074

i found that mxm-upgrade site too and emailed them, but no reply

found manufacturer http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCgQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trigem.com%2F&ei=NHOFTOadBdPI4Ab5jbTOBQ&usg=AFQjCNEYdALvXj0NDHmXfz-ROKAkb4euWw

but again, no reply, so guess i need to get the MXM1 card, a loop card, or (and i guess this is what you did) a case, and MB, and repair install

but they would need a screen too, and then, i might as well buy the card off of MXM for £100, but seems steep:confused:
Click to expand...

Yes, in my case they had bought a LCD TV so where going to use that. The parts came to around £150 with a decent case, PSU, CPU fan, PCI Wifi, DVD±RW so more than a MXM card but a better solution in my opinion and (the customer agreed!).

I email mxm-upgrade about MXM-loop card and they replied to me saying they had never heard of them. A bit strange since I know that TriGem / Averatec sell that 22" AiO using just IGP: maybe mxm-upgrade are just more interested in selling expensive MXM card ;-)

Yes prices for MXM cards seem very steep even for pretty basic cards. Also, almost all of the advertised ones are MXM-II. I have searched quite extensively for a MXM loop-through card but never found any. Still think that would be best option since the Intel GMA X4500HD is perfectly fine for this machine. If you come across a source for those please let me know.

So you have tried both those MXM-II cards and neither worked... That's not a good sign. I was tempted to try a MXM-II card too but now won't bother. (I figured since the MXM I & II use the same for 230-pin connector and since the Averatec has lots more space than a typical laptop it might work - maybe it is the MXM BIOS extension which prevents it from working.)
 
Update:

well I bought what was advertised as a MXM-I card from Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270601286284&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:GB:1123

When it finally got here (Taiwan / China) it turned out to be a MXM-II card and had damaged resistors and poor looking solder - maybe "Manufacturer refurbished" means someone with a hot air gun set too high melting resistors?

Needless to say it did not work. I'm currently trying to get them to take it back / refund the card.

In the meantime, I did find a UK based vendor who is advertising a MXM-I but am reluctant to order it until the other have refunded my money...
 
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