Jump to content

A few questions before buying a 680M


FireStorm

Recommended Posts

Hi guys,

I'm new to this forum, but I've read as much info as I could. I plan upgrading my M15x to a GTX 680M, as people here seem to say it's the best option for M15x. But there are a few things which are unclear to me, for which I could not find definite information, and I want to be confident in what I'm getting into as it's not a cheap matter. So I apologize in advance if any of my questions is stupid - I did my best to cope with all the info I could find.

So here's my current setup just in case:

  • ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 (1GB)
  • Core i7 620M (2.6GHz)
  • 8GB DDR3 1333MHz
  • SSD drive

And here are my questions:

  1. First things first - am I right assuming the 680M is the best possible (and most future-proof) GPU upgrade for my setup? I was also considering the 7970m, but I don't want to do, err... hammer mods :chuncky: and have fan control issues and the like...
  2. Is there anything to worry about when going from ATI to nVidia on the M15x? Such as...

    1. What X-bracket type is needed? I bet I won't be able to reuse the one from my 5850, so I'll probably have to buy this along with the card.
    2. What thermal pads will I need to buy? 0.5mm?
    3. Any other incompatibility with my current ATI system I need to know about?

    4. Is native fan control working properly on the Clevo/MSI/other non-dell versions?
    5. I've seen 2GB and 4GB versions on ebay, with the 2GB being advertised for Alienware, and 4GB for Clevo. Their price was very close. Will the 4GB version work on the M15x?
    6. Will I have to flash the VBIOS with svl7's mod if I don't plan to overclock it? BTW, @svl7 - thank you for your awesome work and multitude of helpful posts!
    7. Where would you advise me to get the card from? So far I've found nice upgrade kits from updateyourlaptop on ebay, but they don't accept returns, which makes me reluctant... And there's upgrademonkey who have 6 different versions of the 680m... err... WTF? :stung: And MXM-upgrade don't list it at all on their website so I suppose they don't sell it.


      Again, sorry if I'm asking questions which have already been answered, but I'm sure you understand I need peace of mind on this. Any advice is really appreciated from you guys. Thanks!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1. Yes, best possible upgrade imo. Though you might want to consider getting a more powerful CPU as well...

2. Only the backplate... the Clevo backplate is made for a different screw size, but you can simply use the backplate of your 5850m - problem solved. You don't need new pads, you can use your current ones. If you want to get new ones, very soft 1mm or 0.5mm will do.

3. Fans are working perfectly fine with the 680m.

4. Yes, 4GB works fine.

5. You need to flash my vbios anyway, else the core clock will be locked at about 600MHz and never go to full 3d speeds. (Unless they fixed this somehow with the new drivers, but I highly doubt that).

6. Ebay, or from a local Clevo reseller, they usually sell parts.

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@svl7 Hi! Thanks for clarifying things, only good news, that's great! :-D

Yeah I guess the CPU is next in line for a change, maybe on Christmas ;-)

I'll order that and let you know.

One more thing: I guess I should get the 240W PSU also for better stability. Should I get the official Dell one?

Envoyé de mon GT-I9505 en utilisant Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@svl7 Hi again! so I went ahead and bought a Clevo 680M 4GB. Install went fine thanks to your guide ;-)

I downloaded the latest driver from laptopvideo2go (331.65) and the modded inf.

Here's the result:

post-19180-14494996344315_thumb.gif

The seller told me it's a Clevo card, but they "flashed it for alienware", that's why I see the Dell subvendor I suppose...

Now, I've got a problem: I ran the GPU-Z render test, and after a while, I got a graphical glitch: moving vertical lines on the screen. The GPU did not overheat (it was below 60°C).

Could it be a driver problem, or is something wrong with the vbios?

About the vbios: which one is the right one for me?

Clevo 680m - 80.04.29.00.01 'OCedition' revised_01.zip

Clevo 680m - 80.04.33.00.10 'OCedition' revised_01.zip

Clevo 680m - 80.04.67.00.01 'OCedition' revised_01.zip

or perhaps some Dell version after all?

My current VBIOS dump is 88kb. The fils looks like it's similar to Clevo 680m - 80.04.29.00.01 'OCedition' revised_01.zip but I want to be 100% sure.

Oh, and here's the back of the card, in case that matters:

post-19180-1449499634453_thumb.jpg

Thanks for your help, it's greatly appreciated!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Argh! Help! Now, I cannot boot anymore! Damn!

The system just beeps on startup (one long beep and 2 short) and doesn't display anything.

According to this: My Alienware Computer is not showing image and is beeping (No POST Beep Codes Table) | Dell US this would mean a chipset failure...

Maybe you could point me to the right direction @svl7 ...

PS: I don't have the 240W PSU yet, I should receive it shortly but it doesn't look like a PSU problem to me...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1. Yes, best possible upgrade imo.

I'm quoting you so you hopefully see my message... There's not much activity on the M15x forum and I desperately need help.

I've put my old card back in my M15x, and now it boots just fine. So my chipset isn't fried. I really don't know what I can do now, I'm in distress... I'll try putting the 680m back and see how it goes, but I don't have much hope... The PC just refused to boot or go to POST. Is there anything I can do in this situation if it'll still be refusing to boot?

Could all this mess be caused by the driver? o_O The card seemed to work (in low res and all) without the driver, but at least there was something on the screen...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Status update: I've put the 680m back in my M15x.

First boot: The PC boots just fine, but there are graphical glitches since the beginning. I've noticed the BIOS takes longer to boot the first time after every GPU change. I suppose it's the reason why it boots in the first place.

Second boot: It beeps, but the status leds blink ("The video card is preventing the system from completing POST." according to the Dell support article).

Third boot and all subsequent ones: just 3 beeps (1 long, 2 short) and nothing else (chipset failure according to the Dell support page). The leds don't lit up.

I'm still on the 150W PSU. I hope I'll receive the 240W one soon.

Does anyone have a clue about this situation?

Envoyé de mon GT-I9505 en utilisant Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The seller told me it's a Clevo card, but they "flashed it for alienware", that's why I see the Dell subvendor I suppose...

Now, I've got a problem: I ran the GPU-Z render test, and after a while, I got a graphical glitch: moving vertical lines on the screen. The GPU did not overheat (it was below 60°C).

Could it be a driver problem, or is something wrong with the vbios?

Let me guess... the seller was eurocom? They're full of shit, the card comes with a Clevo Vbios, the reason why you see Dell in GPU-Z is because that's the vendor ID of your mobo.

The stock vbios won't allow for full clocks on the M15x, if you get glitches in the GPU-Z render test then the card is most likely defective, that test is a simple render test and puts no stress on the GPU at all. The 150W PSU is not the issue here.

I assume you're using the latest system bios?

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks :)

Anyway, I got a replacement card, which works just fine! yay! The performance improvement is impressive! :D

I didn't flash svl7's vbios yet, I'll do that after I read all the vbios threads. I want to be confident I won't brick the card ;-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.