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Is my HP Pavilion dv5 Entertainment PC compatible with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire?

Sorry.. Title Wouldn't Fit In The Title Box..

hi, had my laptop a couple of years.. its been through good and bad.. and i'm looking to give it a little something to help it keep up with some of the newer laptops, so does anyone if this is compatible with my laptop.. if it's a case of my laptop not supporting crossfire (no idea if it does or not) then would anyone know the most powerful single graphics card that would work, thanks in advance for your time

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Short answer: the dv5 is very unlikely to support an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 in CrossFire. HP’s Pavilion dv5 service documentation shows the discrete video options are delivered as part of the system board (system-board spare kits include the graphics subsystem), and the maintenance guide lists modest mobile GPUs for that chassis—not a modular MXM-style upgrade path or a factory CrossFire layout for the HD 5870. (manualslib.com)

CrossFire on a notebook isn’t just “add another card.” It needs motherboard/BIOS support, vendor-supplied drivers/profiles and enough power/thermal headroom; laptop OEMs ship systems built for those exact combinations. Swapping in a different mobile GPU in a consumer Pavilion usually means replacing the whole system board (and even then the board/BIOS must support that GPU). That makes a real HD 5870 + CrossFire retrofit impractical for this model. ()

About RAM: the dv5 maintenance guide documents a 4096 MB (4 GB) maximum for the platform, so trying to move to 8 GB will hit a hardware limit on many dv5 SKUs. In addition, 32‑bit Windows editions commonly used on these machines cannot address much over ~3–4 GB anyway, so check both the service manual and the OS edition before buying sticks. If the goal is a faster laptop, max the supported RAM, add an SSD and refresh thermal paste/clean fans first—those give the biggest real-world gains. (manualslib.com)

If a stronger GPU is essential, the practical choices are (a) a system-board replacement only if HP offers a supported board with the GPU you want (usually costly), (b) an external‑GPU DIY route via ExpressCard/mPCIe adapters (complex, often bottlenecked and unreliable), or (c) buying a newer laptop designed with a stronger mobile GPU. The eGPU path exists but requires patience, power supplies and fiddly driver/BIOS workarounds—rarely the smoothest solution. (egpu.io)

Notes: — verify the exact dv5 model/service tag on the bottom and compare it to HP’s parts list before opening the chassis; ’s suggestion to improve RAM/cleanup is correct but check the 4 GB platform limit first. Opening the laptop can void warranty and risks ESD damage—work on a grounded surface or use a shop service.

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Member Avatar for Tidz

i'm guessing no-one really uses this forum anymore..?

Member Avatar for Xlphos

I don't think you will be able to replace the graphics card for your laptop; usually they are chips fitted on the motherboard. Best thing I can suggest is expanding the RAM if possible. You may also consider other performance tweaks like cleaning your registry or defragging your hard drive.

Member Avatar for Tidz

from what i've been told, the ati mobility cards are removable but i've not tried opening it up yet. i think i'll give that a try though, i think if i can afford it i'll try to boost it up to about 8gig of ram, thanks anyway =)

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