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[M14x R2] [M17x R4] [M18x R2] - UEFI fast boot / secure boot GPU issues *SOLVED*


svl7

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The more recent AW systems got shipped with this vbios already on the cards, the issue only exists for the systems who got built a while ago, and also only for secure boot and fast boot users.

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  • 1 month later...

I bought a dell 7970m off ebay to use in a MSI 1761. That one is sandybridge with no igpu. With the gpu attached, it seems the notebook is just stuck in a cycle of rebooting every 5 -10 seconds after I turn it on. And I have no display, as it is probably trying to send video signal to igpu.

The sticker on the card says 015.021.000.000.000000 for vbios version, but the card is "used". The x-bracket looks dented, as if someone pried it off and put it back on. Could it be that this card has the win8/UEFI bios? Is there a way I can get this card to work through blindflash?

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Possibly. Try to dump the vbios so that we know which version you currently have.

Turns out the 7970m from ebay was already bricked. I managed to borrow an alienware M17xR4 with same 7970m gpu w/ the latest 015.022 UEFI bios. When I installed the 7970m from ebay into that notebook, the card could not be detected at all, not by ATIFLASH, not in windows, not by ati drivers. It was displaying only through the integrated gpu.

ATIFLASH always reports no adapter found. Did some snooping and previous posts on this forum say this happens when a botched vbios flash is done using ATIWINFLASH, and not ATIFLASH. The x-bracket on the ebay card came dented, so the previous owner pried it off and put it back on. I can conclude the previous owner did alot of tampering, and most likely bricked the card with ATIWINFLASH.

I pulled the working 7970m and put it in my MSI notebook, I had the gpu hanging out because I wanted to leave the alienware heatsink on it, it would not fit otherwise. I tested with 015.022, 015.017, and clevo HM bios, and none of them could display in my MSI. I thought my motherboard was broken then. But on the clevo HM bios, I took off the alienware heatsink and stuck on a small heatsink just on the gpu die, so I can press the mxm card down towards the motherboard to properly seat it (although x-bracket prevents full seating because MSI doesn't use x-bracket). This gave me a working display and windows was booting. So I can confirm the clevo HM bios works with my MSI. But I cannot confirm if the dell 022 or 017 bios work, because I did not properly seat the mxm cards for those tests.

Now I need to return the defective 7970m. Pretty pissed because the dell surplus ebay seller says it worked. He probably tested it and thought it worked, but in actuality the display output was just from the igpu.

TLDR, to sum it up:

-7970m from ebay defective (probably bricked vbios flash using atiwinflash by previous owner and ended up in the hands of dell surplus ebay vendor), vendor didn't really confirm if card worked but claimed it did

-7970m w/ HM bios works in MSI 1761, could not confirm if dell 022 uefi or 017 bios work because of wrong mxm seating for those tests

-original 570m gpu was the sole defective component all along, and it literally burned out when I tested it in another laptop

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  • 2 weeks later...

I get the MXM error whenever i try to disable legacy ROM in BIOS (Alienware M18x R2) in order to enable Secure Boot/Fast Boot options in BIOs. I assume this thread refers to that.

My video cards are 2 x nvidia 680M in SLI. Odd thing is my alienware is only brand new from a Dell reseller but no idea when it was actually shipped by Dell.

I ran Gpu-z and the vbios is 80.04.33.00.32

I'm hopeless at hex values but would the "hacked" version on post #1 be newer than my existing one or should my existing one already contain the "fix"?

Hacked one is Dell GTX 680m - 80.04.5B.00.02.zip

Cheers

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What do you mean with MXM error? Does it say that the GOP driver is missing?

In this case just flash the vbios in the first post, it's just a newer stock version which includes the GOP driver required to make secure boot / fast boot work.

Though to be honest I really see no reason to use secure boot, but of course you can do whatever you want with your system :P

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What do you mean with MXM error? Does it say that the GOP driver is missing?

In this case just flash the vbios in the first post, it's just a newer stock version which includes the GOP driver required to make secure boot / fast boot work.

Though to be honest I really see no reason to use secure boot, but of course you can do whatever you want with your system :P

Yes that is exactly the error.

Thanks for the advice.

cheers

EDIT: UPDATE: Flashing the "fixed" vbios on both 680m video cards has fixed my MXM error and Secure Boot and Fast Boot options now available

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi. I flashed both cards to the new version but when I go to CPU-Z or nvidia inspector says first card(0) has the new firmware but the second(1) still shows the old firmware. I tried to flash them again, during the process both card showed having the new firmware on them already! You know, when it says, it's going from x firmware to the new one, both showed the same.

Any help please?

Edit: Nevermind. Doing the windows version fixed the issue.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Dear Svl7,

Hi, I joined the forum today specifically after seeing your posts with regards to this problem faced by nvidia GPU owners..

I hope you can help me out too...cause I have been searching high and low for a solution.

I have an Alienware M17x R4 3D with Nvidia GTX 675m as the the GPU. I am running the latest Bios A11 and have installed UEFI Windows 8 Pro. I can see the Secure Boot Option but its greyed out and disabled.

Also there is a Legacy Cdrom which is enabled. I tried disabling it but I got the " Cant detect the MXM card GOP driver". As you know all 3D systems can only route through the discrete Nvidia GPU.

Though you have mentioned that you are unable to get a modified vbios for this GPU...I would like to request again and seek you help in making this possible...Is there anyway you modify the vbios or know anyone who has a modified vbios since many would have received their system post Windows 8 release.

I will be very grateful if you can help resolve this issue..Infact many are unware and those being made aware are seeking a way to rectify this. I have made similar thread in another forum which I believe you are a member of too!

Hope to hear some positive feedback from your. Thanking you in advance.

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If secure boot is properly implemented then you need to disable the legacy stuff to make it work (besides having an UEFI installation of Windows). However I'm not aware of the existence of a UEFI capable 675m vbios. You would have to ask Dell for this.

Speaking for myself, I wouldn't worry too much. There's nothing to gain from secure boot, it just locks down your powerful system.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 months later...
***

User with any of the M14x R2 / M17x R4 / M18x R2 notebooks with a current BIOS have reported issues when using the Secure Boot / Fast Boot options in combination with the dedicated Nvidia / AMD GPU.("Can't detect MXM card GOP driver" in case of the R4 / M18x R2)

The reason for this is simple - Dell never provided a vbios update which includes the necessary graphic drivers to make those feature work. The only UEFI compliant drivers in the system have been the ones of the Intel HD iGP.

A very big failure on Dell's side if you ask me, especially since this has been reported here and in other forums as well on the dell community site and it was said that people would look into this... absolutely nothing happened.Not that this really surprises me... looking at the latest BIOS releases and also at the behavior regarding release notes for such updates. Seems we need to look for the updates ourselves.

Anyway, Dell actually ships the very latest systems with updated vbios on the dedicated GPUs.

Attached to this post you can find a new vbios for the Nvidia GTX 680m, 660m as well as the AMD 7970m. Both include the required UEFI drivers, and should therefor fix this issue.

Thanks @Zyron for the 680m vbios.

I don't have a version for the 675m so far, so if anyone has an updated vbios for that card, please let me know or post it.

Flashing instructions for Nvidia: http://forum.techinferno.com/general-notebook-discussions/2166-%5Bguide%5D-nvidia-vbios-flashing.html

Flashing instructions for AMD: http://forum.techinferno.com/general-notebook-discussions/1738-%5Bguide%5D-amd-vbios-flashing.html

As for the M14x R2, a new, yet unreleased BIOS (A10) has made it's way to the web. You can find it here: http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m14x/2655-%5Bm14x-r2%5D-a10-bios-fixes-uefi-issues-nvidia-card.html

Check the third post. Also I took a quick look at it and wrote down the most important changes (post #4).

EDIT: M14x R2 BIOS A10 is now officially available on the Dell drivers site.

***

680M secure boot bios

someone asked me to share the file for the bios here, hope no one minded. if so tell me, ill take it down etc...

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  • 1 month later...

Is anyone else completety unable to overclock the GPU with the UEFI bios? On my M17x R4 with 680M the core wouldn't even boost to the stock 758mhz and was stuck at 715 mhz. Setting the clocks through Afterburner had no effect on the core clock but the vram would overclock like normal.

I have reverted to svl7's modded bios that works like a charm.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...
I flashed without problems in Windows 8.1. I enabled legacy boot and everything ok.

I've got the R2 as well with the GTX 675. Even though secure boot can't be enabled, can I still benefit from UEFI fast boot?

is it possible to get UEFI to work if you have a GTX 675m on the m18x r2? Will fastboot work? I don't care about secureboot.

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I've got the R2 as well with the GTX 675. Even though secure boot can't be enabled, can I still benefit from UEFI fast boot?

is it possible to get UEFI to work if you have a GTX 675m on the m18x r2? Will fastboot work? I don't care about secureboot.

Since my M18x R2 has the Intel adapter for the optimus or whatever it's called switching, I was able to get UEFI to work with the Intel adapter. But now the UEFI BIOS settings don't show discrete graphics card installed at all. Bummer :(

does anyone know if it's possible to get the GTX 675m to work with UEFI? Anyone able to create vbios for this card?

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