Swapping GPU's for testing between P170HM/EM ?

[Ice-9]

Hi, I have a Clevo P170HM that and GPU has just died, it is an HD6970M v2, I have been looking on ebay unsuccessfully for a replacement but I have found a P170EM with a different problem going for a reasonable price. The P170EM has an AMD 7970m. As they are both Clevo's is it still necessary to flash the Vbios in the 7970m to get it to work in the p170HM and if i do have to flash it will it still work in the 170EM when I put it back in or will I have to flash it again for the EM laptop.

 

Or Vice versa can I test the HD6970M in the P170EM machine to test if it really is the GPU that is faulty ? It all seems a little crazy to me that I have to flash the Vbios on GPU's to put them in a laptop just to get them to work, I suppose that is just so you have to buy the GPU from the laptop maker rather than fit one you can get your hands on easily at a cheaper cost. 

 

Cheers.

[Khenglish]

The P170EM should be able to run the 6970m to see if it works.

 

The P170HM can only run the 7970m if it is the exact v1.2 version. The GPU will also need a proper vBIOS flashed on for HM systems.

Edited February 15, 2017 by Khenglish

[Ice-9]

Thanks Khenglish,

Being able to put the 6970m straight into the P170EM to test will make the diagnosis easy. I'm prety sure the 6970m GPU died as symtoms were two white screen crashes then no display at all, tested both DVI and HDMI outputs on external monitor with no display also.

 

I think my best repair option will be the P170EM. Just need to wait for the P170EM getting delivered now.

[Ice-9]

I'm just wondering if I can get an older NVIDIA Geforce 9300M G98-630-U2 would work in the P170HM ? I don't need a good gaming card in this machine as it is for home music cubase studio so I just need to get it working with basic GFX again. Would the above GPUpossibly work ?

[Khenglish]

Something that old is likely mxm v2.1, which won't even fit into the mxm slot. An older MXM 3 card will probably work, but is not guaranteed. The HM laptops had a lot of GPU compatibility quirks.

[Ice-9]

The good news is that I now have one working laptop and have been able to test some parts to find out what the fault on the P170HM is.

When the ebay P170EM turned up it has a Nvidia 680M v1.1 GPU not the advertised HD7970M GPU. but it is working so I'm happy with that. I fixed the P170EM that had the display problem (flickering screen when lid is touched). That was a cable screen connection issue.

 

Now onto testing the P170HM GPU, I stuck it in the EM and get a picture but it does not go past the first boot screen (F2 setup screen), so i suppose the HD6970M P170HM GPU is working, both the CPU and memory also checked out to be working so I presume that means the P170HM has a motherboard fault.

 

It is great that I have one working machine out of the two and I can sell the remaining working parts of the other to recoup the cost.

 

Thanks for the help.

[Khenglish]

The P170EM does not require a GPU to be installed to have video because of the integrated graphics. You can run the 680m in the P170HM if you flash an older vBIOS.

[Ice-9]

As I am keeping the P170EM for myself I want to keep the 680M in that anyway, I have just flashed the Bios with P17E1712.PM2 and that went perferctly, Splash screen is there and FN+9 is working so I know it all flashed correctly. Thanks for the Bios mod.  I have had a look around on the forum for the premamod bios info for the options available but couldn't find any info. Is there a link to the added specs anywhere ?

One last question ?  I hope !  I now wonder how to totally disable the HD4000 Intel graphics so that I just use the 680M, I thought the option might have been in the bios but I don't see anything there. Nvidia panel doesn't seem to do anything.