XPSSD

i have found the solution! nvidia inspector+evga precision that is. the only combination that allowed me to change memory clock and use full power. it seems that the card is locked in p2 mode for some reason.

what i did: enabling K-boost in Precision, then altering P2 memory clock from 1600 to 2500. now getting +80% performance gain.

perhaps this information can lead someone knowledgable what could be wrong with the card in this machine by default?

By default - GPU clock fluctuate even non overclocked, tried your method - not worked for me

3DMark score really disappointed - only 7416 Fire Strike score NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-4710MQ,Alienware 04WT2G vs 8886 score on Clevo NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-4700MQ,Notebook P15SM , for what we are paid so much money? For this crappy locked BIOS? For this limited productivity?

'All Powerful'? Dell are you serious???

I have the newest 17 with 60hz panel and optimus and windows 7. Do I have to completely reinstall windows 7 to be able to use the 980m or can I simply install it and use my laptop in optimus mode until a workaround or solution is figured out.or should I just wait . I've only used optimus in my laptop for 2 hours the first day I got it and switched to dedicated and never used it again and that was over a year ago.

No needed to reinstall windows 7 for you. Simple plug n play. Just clean old drivers and install new one with modified inf. (if you have 980m right now)

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We have just succeeded getting 980m working on alienware. It's not even been a week since we found the solution.

So for now, you are right. You have to say good bye to either 980m or windows 7.

For future, I hope svl7 can make a change.

I think you make a wrong conclusion because krazycarl have AW17 with 60Hz display (Optimus enabled)

@TBoneSan - You can only install win8 (and up) with sli 980m installed. It is important to understand the principle of work UEFI. May be svl7 can find a way to bypass the launch legacy instead UEFI VBIOS,and will be possible to install win7 with 980m on AW17 3D & AW18

But m17x R3 got certification upto 580m (not 680m or newer).

m17x R4 got certification upto 680m (not older and newer)

I have AW17 3D with 880m - in case 880m - it have 3d certification, when 880m installed 3D worked without problems, but when I install 980m - 3D not work

@TBoneSan - I see your signature - AW m18x. Win7 in your case can't be installed on UEFI.

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@godfafa - Dell will receive sertification for 3D Vision via NVidia drivers

When Dell will official provide gtx980m in their laptops, they will be certified for the 3D Vision - and 3D after driver update will work. You can check it rigth now - you will see: This laptop's panel is not qualified for 3D Vision. So waiting for official release from Dell (for 3D Vision)

I think If someone find the way how to spoof 120Hz display ID to 60 Hz display ID on the boot moment - it will be possible to install and run Win7. But iGPU will be on in this scenario.

Now the choice is - optimus with win7 or -- 120Hz 3D or SLI with win8

On AW17 without 3D not need UEFI . Because it can run win7 on legacy

In our case - we can't run win7 on pure UEFI. Only for AW17 3D with Legacy Mode enabled in Bios and connect external display 60Hz. Boot sequence in Legacy Mode - first Legacy GPU built in CPU, second - BIOS. Boot sequence in Pure UEFI - first UEFI discrete VBIOS, second UEFI BIOS. In AW17 3D and AW18 GPU built in CPU is off.

Cool, thanks for the heads up.

How old is the Clevo. I am wondering if the older Clevos (2011, 2012) work with 980M? Maybe the newer Clevos and Alienware 17 and 18 have a newer UEFI version that supports Windows 7 without Legacy mode?

Based on this information, it may explain why 980M does not work on the M17xR3 and probably will not work on the M18xR1.

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I thought maybe you repeated yourself just to show emphasis.

It was Clevo P151SM1 (unlocked Prema BIOS) with core i7 4700MQ, chipset Intel HM87 (Lynx Point), and GTX770M. No problem with installing and work GTX980M under Legacy mode on Windows7 x64. I tried to install GTX980M in my AW 17 3D (2013) under Legacy Mode on Windows7 x64 - and without success. I think that the problem in the Alienware BIOS because in Clevo (unlocked Prema BIOS) everything worked without problems. Today I will try to install Windows7 x64 under UEFI on AW17 with GTX980M - and of course, I will write here.

Update: on Clevo GTX980M worked with Optimus (no 3D 120Hz screen on this Clevo)

Update 2: The main thing in AW17 3D and AW18 is work without Optimus, and inside BIOS there is something that limits the work in Legacy mode - so this is the reason why we cant run our GTX980M on Windows 7 under Legacy mode.

GTX 980M is working on Clevo with Windows 7.

Will try to install Windows 7 under UEFI on Alienware 17 with GTX980M.

I have gtx980m board version n16E-GX v2.1, vbios 84.04.22.00.10 - didn't work on my Alienware 17 3D

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1ji21zh8v9hi9am/13D7.rom?dl=0

VBIOS link to dropbox

@svl7, As you see a lot of members are very lazy to look& read all messages on this thread, so may be it will be usefull to publish FAQ in first post?

To svl7, Thanks for your hard work!

Due to the fact that on the forum frequently set questions (such as how to reset BIOS, BIOS recovery, etc.) have a suggestion to create the FAQ.

[MENTION=17271]Floare Cosmin[/MENTION], try do this.

@scribbles311, try this link.

[MENTION=9245]Florian Richters[/MENTION], Y580 with preinstalled Windows 8 have BIOS ver 8.00 or 8.01 (Windows 8 license inside this BIOS). Because you have preinstalled BIOS ver 2.06 and possibly Windows 7 you don't have Windows 8 license and in BIOS under " Windows Licence " it called invalid.

[MENTION=17271]Floare Cosmin[/MENTION], you'll need to modifiy the platform file, first line in the 'common flash' section -> change RESSEN to RESSDIS and try again.

[MENTION=9245]Florian Richters[/MENTION], try to flash BIOS ver.8.00 or 8.01 (you can find .bin on this forum). And don't forget to save your original BIOS before flashing .

A lot of people complain about the poor quality of the internal WiFi. Laptop design can significantly affect your wireless performance. Lenovo makes the design error of Wi-Fi cabling and routing it right near the CPU and GPU noise generators. So the right RF cable routing may solve the problem.

Try to disassemble the laptop itself, and unsolder the battery to reset the BIOS as instructed (Turn on, press F2, arrow down, four arrow left and four Enter ). then solder the battery back.