I concur with Chris about this laptop model, (NOT that Chris needs me to concur)
If I may;
For the Aspire 1690 series of Notebook PC's, the graphics chipset is soldered directly to the motherboard.
There are models of laptops that DO indeed have a separate graphics, or video card. They use the MXM technology.
The Acer Aspire 1691wlmi Notebook PC, may have either the ATI Mobility Radeon X600 GPU, or the ATI Mobility Radeon X700 GPU.
(Graphics Processing Unit, or also known as the graphics chipset)
This is one example of the ATI Mobility Radeon X600 graphics chipset,
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1x-ATI-Mobility-Radeon-X600-216PDAGA23F-BGA-Chipset-/280796092668?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4160c058fc
You are looking at a Top View, as it is mounted on the motherboard.
What you do not see is the method of mounting.
This graphics chipset is mounted to the motherboard, via a BGA surface mount.
Ball Grid Array.
To explain the BGA surface mount;
Compare to an older Intel Pentium 4 desktop processor, that uses a Socket 478 processor socket,
The processor has contact pins on the bottom of it's circuit board. 478 of 'em.
The processor socket has matching socket holes. (478),
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_478With a BGA surface mount there are no contact pins, on the bottom of the graphics chipset, as used on an older Intel Pentium 4 processor. (That uses a Socket 478 processor socket)
There are no socket holes in a processor socket.
No socket on the motherboard.
In place of the contact pins, there are Solder Balls on the bottom of the graphics chipset.
In place of the socket holes in a socket on the motherboard, there are instead Copper Pads.
(The copper pads are also gold plated)
The graphics chipset is set down on the motherboard, with the Solder Balls lining up on the Copper Pads.
Heat is then applied at a specific temperature, and length of time.
This action melts the solder balls, and solders the graphics chipset to the copper pads.
(Thereby also soldering the graphics chipset TO the motherboard)
This example of one maker, of a SMT/BGA Rework Station at work, will help demonstrate the above method,
http://www.ersa.com/art-ir-pl-650-346-1472.htmlScroll the page down, click on the red -
Take a few minutes to view the IR 650 demo video
That's just the mechanical aspects of replacing/upgrading a GPU, using a BGA surface mount.
Now you need to look into what will work.
The motherboard chipset determines what hardware components, can be used on a motherboard.
The motherboard chipset, as used on the Acer Aspire 1690 series of Notebook PC's, uses a Northbridge chip, and a Southbridge chip.
(Chip and Chipset are slang terms for I.C.
Integrated Circuit,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_circuitThe Integrated Circuit, or chipset, that is used for graphics, is the graphics chipset, or G.P.U.,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPU )
The Northbridge chip handles the faster capabilities of a computer.
Handles the Processor, Ram Memory, and High-speed graphics.
A graphics chipset using the PCI bus is NOT high-speed graphics.
(Such as a PCI graphics card inserted into a PCI slot, on a desktop computer motherboard)
Integrated graphics is also Not high-speed graphics.
High-speed graphics uses an AGP bus, or a PCI-Express bus.
The ATI Mobility Radeon X600, and X700 graphics chipset, on the Acer Aspire 1690 series of Notebook PC's, uses a PCI Express x16 bus,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_AMD_graphics_processing_units#Mobility_Radeon_X300.2C_X600.2C_X700.2C_X800_SeriesIF, your Aspire 1690 series Notebook PC, uses an ATI Mobility Radeon X600 graphics chipset, and you wanted to upgrade to an ATI Mobility Radeon X700 graphics chipset, it would not be worth your trouble.
By the time you buy the X700 chipset, have the X600 removed, and X700 installed, it would be cheaper, and wiser to just buy a better laptop.
[ One I bought for work to use on Electronic Technical Manual's, is an Acer Aspire 5552-3691
1) AMD Athlon II X2 P340 (Dual Core) processor
2) 4GB of DDR3 Sdram (SO-DIMM) ram memory at 1066MHz
3) ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 graphics chipset.
Price? $398.00USD.
Not the best by FAR. But MUCH better than what you have presently.
Just food for thought ]
Just thought you would like to know why, it isn't feasible to try to upgrade the graphics chipset.
For additional questions please post in a Comment.
Regards,
joecoolvette
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