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Is it possible to upgrade PS3 graphics card?

KieuVanQuan
Go to solution Solved by kirashi,
6 minutes ago, KieuVanQuan said:

Can the graphics card be changed/upgraded on PS3? For example an Nvidia card....and will I be able to install the video driver on it?

No, console hardware is usually soldered using BGA. Even on newer hardware that may use MXM modules or other swappable socket components you're limited by the hypervisor, because according to Sony and Microsoft, you don't own the hardware after you purchase it.

Can the graphics card be changed/upgraded on PS3? For example an Nvidia card....and will I be able to install the video driver on it?

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No. I believe PS3 used APU's. The CPU and GPU are on a single chip and they are soldered to the PCB. 

EDIT: This doesn't change the answer of no, but the PS3 uses a separate CPU and GPU, they are both soldered components though. I was thinking of AMD's Jaguar architecture being used on current generation consoles.

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No, there is no modern mainstream console that you can upgrade either CPU or GPU.

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6 minutes ago, KieuVanQuan said:

Can the graphics card be changed/upgraded on PS3? For example an Nvidia card....and will I be able to install the video driver on it?

No, console hardware is usually soldered using BGA. Even on newer hardware that may use MXM modules or other swappable socket components you're limited by the hypervisor, because according to Sony and Microsoft, you don't own the hardware after you purchase it.

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Thanks all.

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25 minutes ago, KieuVanQuan said:

Can the graphics card be changed/upgraded on PS3? For example an Nvidia card....and will I be able to install the video driver on it?

Console hardware is typically proprietary (even if they are based off designs for PC applications) and so is the software they run. So you're never going to find hardware upgrades and drivers. The only exception is storage as consoles that do have storage drives will use the IDE or SATA standards. 

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18 minutes ago, kirashi said:

No, console hardware is usually soldered using BGA. Even on newer hardware that may use MXM modules or other swappable socket components you're limited by the hypervisor, because according to Sony and Microsoft, you don't own the hardware after you purchase it.

Yeah I got you, G. Sure. I'll just believe you.

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On 2018-03-17 at 12:08 AM, SteveGrabowski0 said:

Fuck, I wanted to solder my GTX 970 to my PS3 so I could play Persona 5 at 60 fps.

Just slap it on the side with some duct tape... that would work, right?

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On 3/17/2018 at 12:08 AM, SteveGrabowski0 said:

Fuck, I wanted to solder my GTX 970 to my PS3 so I could play Persona 5 at 60 fps.

That might not even work, even if you could upgrade the GPU.

Most games on consoles have locked fps. even if the run runs at 20fps at time, it might be limited to 30fps.

 

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And that's just a round based JRPG...

If you have 15, 30, 60 or 120fps doesn't change much in terms of gameplay.

OK, 15 might be a bit annoying at times but its not like its a very fast game, quite the contary, its rather slow...

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 3/22/2018 at 3:04 PM, GoodBytes said:

That might not even work, even if you could upgrade the GPU.

Most games on consoles have locked fps. even if the run runs at 20fps at time, it might be limited to 30fps.

 

Then I'll solder another Cell processor onto the board to run them in SLI.

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Especially since the CPU is more of a problem on the PS3.

 

But then again, the software isn't made to accept different hardware...

So even with a CPU that has 2 or three Power PC cores instead of one, you wouldn't see anything...

 

Then again, the 360 was the better console...
Sadly there are some exclusives for the PS3 that are very interesting - but only if you are a fan of japanese RPGs...

 

And since friday I also own a PS3...

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2 hours ago, ki8aras said:

hell naw the ps3 uses an apu(graphics and cpu on a single chip)

No, it does not. Neither did the XBox 360. In later (Slim) Versions, both GPU and CPU were integrated on one Package (possibly one DIE)...

PS4 does.

PS3 uses a custom Cell Chip with Power PC Core and an nVidia GPU.

 

Look at this:

 

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