DarkSkies

Google Dicota AluCompact. An M18 R1/R2 fist perfectly. A very sturdy case.

Hi I've one question, If i flash my BIOS to (currently A03 unlocked) A03 Unlocked with latest OROM will I have any problems with my RAID 0 config? I want to have TRIM on :/

None, the switch should be seamless. What is your current option rom version? If you didn't have TRIM before, you will have it now. The disks will automatically 'catch up' so to say.

It's certainly possible, but my guess is it will not happen before February or March 2013.

Btw., I wonder if it is possible to unlock all 1536 cores on a 680M using a BIOS flash?

Could be. If that's the case then there will be no reason to invest into 680MX if 7xx series will be just around the corner. I'd bet that 780M is going to be released in the end of June 2013 (as it was with 580m and 680m). Even if the cards are available in January, it would still be a better idea to wait for 780M (especially as both are/will be expensive not less than 680M this June/July).

That version is overvolted and will probably throttle. Hence why I asked for the 900 core with no other changes, I think all these changes to OV and OC and all that just make the Dell card worse. The best bios IMO is the 850 no other changes and several people reported that 900 was stable at stock voltage. It will certainly depend on each persons card but I bet a large majority will be able to run 900 stock voltage and perhaps get no throttling.

Of course, if you have a laptop that can software OC you can try it, just use the 850 no other changes bios and use EVGA Precision to add +50 to the core offset. It should be the same as flashing the bios and would let you test stability, I cannot do that because I am using an M17x R3 which does not do software OC at all on the 680m.

Already tried. With this bios (850, no ov) I can't do that. The problem in this thread is that there is several versions of dell vbios, out of which only some are labeled what's what. I know where you are coming from. A 'dry' 900 may work. Which version is not ov and should allow software oc?

There are Dell 680m - 80.04.33.00.21 - OCedition and Dell 680m - OCeditionNew there. I assume both feat. untouched clocks, should allow software oc and are not ov while the second one should be more flexible/allow more? Is this correct? I will flash the latter tomorrow and try things.

Svl7, can you comment on those two what's been done so things are crystal clear? Thanks.

Yo johnksss, which one have you been using for your oc tests?

The standard 850 does not throttle for me either. The modified 900 oc/ov one does though.

From what I have read, a standard vbios set to 900 is pushing the max boundary of what it will do on stock voltage.

Right, the 900 version is already there. Just found it. What clocks does "Dell 680m - OCeditionNew" feature?

Flashed A03 w/ 11.6.0.1702 over A03 w/ 11.5.x and everything's okay. Thanks svl7.

Thanks. I've just flashed the cards and did a stress test. Everything indeed works fine. The 900 base bios somebody proposed may work great too. I will do a 3dmark 11 test later. Great job svl7.

The result is terrific indeed. Everything stock (2x 680m, 3820qm) scored 10457. The same running '850 regular' without any extra oc goes up to 11261. I did just a single run so an actual result may be a bit higher.

If the 900 base version, if only svl7 will be kind enough to make it, is going to behave in the same way 850 is (no throttles, temps in order, stable), it will be another major win.

It's the standard 850, no OV or OC. Easiest performance improvement I think I've ever done. Card doesn't throttle under load and temps stay cool.

Thanks. I've just flashed the cards and did a stress test. Everything indeed works fine. The 900 base bios somebody proposed may work great too. I will do a 3dmark 11 test later. Great job svl7.

Well I have some good news and some bad news to share.

The good news is that I gave svl7's ROM's a try, and found the 850 base ROM the most effective - all the others either booted with the 680 at stock 719 speeds or would throttle under load. I don't have an unlocked system BIOS, and it seems that is what's holding me back, because if I could tweak the frequencies in software I know I could push it closer to 900 without throttling.

Which version have you been using? Standard 850, 850 ov, or 850 ov oc (there are three). Which worked best for you?

I think the current design line is just fine and I'd like Dell to keep it. It's slick and simple enough to be truly aesthetic and IMO it's the best what AW has come so far over the years. It's not too flashy/childish, yet still deeply matt black and uncommonly interesting enough to stand out and become AW classic, so to say. I am glad AW is after 'clean' display assemblies just with a lit up head and so on. I really don't like things overdone and the skullcap design always seemed so.

The question here would be much more if we want to see more 'varieties' of Alienware hardware. A slim yet still similarly looking ultrabook would be nice for instance, not really for gaming/performance, but for matching looks. I'd buy it.

BTW, those Razers are crap. Their hardware/performance is nowhere near what a gaming machine should offer (especially vs the price they ask for this thing). IMO they are trying to lure customers with over-fancied elements like that touch screen (how is this useful? it isn't at all, it just looks fancy enough for some kids to buy it) and limited number of units offered (to render the thing 'elite' enough). The most attractive thing about Blade is that is both deeply black and thin, but as said, an AW a'la-ultrabook would be much more interesting providing the same.

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I really like them. They're not comparable to other brands, the only thing I'd love to see is more Aluminum in the cases. An aluminum M14x, or a front plate, or something. Maybe someone will come out with a custom M14x case mod for purchase.. Mmmm engraved aluminum *drool*

That would make m14x much heavier, perhaps too heavy for easy portability at this size. What I would rather have them to do is to introduce graphite display assembly. The current plastic one is IMO too flexible.

So which is the recommended version for Dell 680m? The one in this post there? That "new oc" is not listed in the second 'testing' posting so I am asking to be sure what's what. Thanks for help.

Once again, we can thank pirates and thieves for stuff like abusing SLIC mods to ruin things for the honest majority. And, we can honor Microsoft with a one-finger salute for passing off their draconian Steve Jobs/Apple/Adolph Hitler-like methodology to circumvent piracy as a "Windows 8 Certification" ...as though that is something consumers can place confidence in. Trouble is, there are millions of technology retards that are willing to accept it out of ignorance.

Well... there's also the security aspect of this, but I think that was rather secondary when MS decided to require secure boot. Security is just an excuse for OEMs, UEFI vendors and and also MS to lock out users.

All of this could me somehow accepted (or at least ignored) if only Dell/other OEMs at the same time paid equal attention to actually updating things that are supposed to be updated. M18x still needs working boost on nvidia cards. A BIOS option to set hdd passwords (using ATA commands) so we can finally utilize our SDDs encryption options at the disk/controller level would be quite great too. Naturally, practical updates are of secondary (if any at all) priority. They are after their market strategies and bullshit "just shut up and update, we know what's best for you" attitude (e.g. by not even attacking changelogs to the bios updates). This post is by no means a rant. I can navigate around bullshit and stay on clear waters (or at least just a bit brownish as once cannot escape everything they throw at us). Let's just face it. It is what it is.

Thanks svl7! Logically, there is hence no point to update, what you can always do when there is another update bringing changes this time worth 'locking' yourself out of modified bioses (what changes would this exactly be? that's discussable). Of course dell is paying attention to commercial bullshit issues instead of fixing what truly needs to be fixed there, e.g. finally introducing working boost for nvidia cards.

How safe is going from A03 to anything higher? There's been a decent number of people screwing things up while trying to do that, as it seems judging by the number of posts in the NBR forums with complains about the issue.

What's up with so many people reporting failed attempts at flashing from A03 to something higher (mostly A07)?

Yeap, A08 with 11.6 orom would be a treat.

Orom module version 11.6.0.1624 available here: AHCI/RAID ROM modules for BIOS modding - already extracted - BIOS/BIOS-Modding - Win-Lite Forum. Could be useful for future bios modding.

Any word on what is the reason for new EC?

Using prolimatech pk-1 in M18xR2 and it's already been several weeks. AFAIR right after repasting I got some -5/7*C at heavier load and a few at idle. R2's temps are generally good so to be honest I don't think that repasting matters that much.

What's your laptop, Commy1?

sv7, some people in NBR indeed reported receiving new R2s with A07 bios.

I wish svl7 the best, and a speedy safe return. Great dude.

sv7, bored with bullshit shooters, decided to go for the ultimate battlefield realism. I dig that. Respect.

Sadly, had no time so far for proper PCMark testing, but I will get to it this week. My faith is strong, though. I'd like to think that TRIM is on indeed.

Station-drivers has them ready to download... though not sure if you like this option.

I'd go for it if it wasn't a home made repack.

sorry guys to bring the bad news for R1 users, "RAID0 TRIM Another Look". it seems raid 0 trim will only support for 7 series chipset, and thats from intel. but again intel could be wrong so who knows. and looks like doesnt need 11.5 orom, just have to have 11.0+ orom built in something blah blah.

This isn't a bad reading. Anvil indeed seems to have a (working) "Do TRIM" option which indeed was previously unavailable (software available here). I hastily replicated their 'trim in action' tests using another benchmarking tool and indeed did notice no original performance drop after deleting the files. I will try to use PCMark 7 Pro tomorrow and do what they did step by step.

I will report back.

BTW, they are running RST drivers 11.5.2.1001 while I am still at the 11.5.0.1207 which I downloaded from intel.com before it was pulled. Anybody having the original 11.5.2.1001 package downloaded from intel at hand?

Updated with "Intel® RAID for SATA - v11.5.0.1582" option rom. Have fun

Flashed the unlocked version. Works fine. Orom reports new version and my RAID 0 booted without any issue. Well done \o/

Now let's think of a physical way to check if TRIM truly works under w7. I've just tried WinHex specialist edition and deleted files indeed show zeros, but they did that too before just as well so the test isn't 100% solid. Any ideas and proven hex editors/other tools will be most welcome.

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Nice! Wish it would work for the M18x R1. I wonder if the result would be the same with the 11.5.0.1582 OROM? I suppose the new OROM could simply be incompatible with the HM67 chipset. I don't think Intel intended it.

I think another try wouldn't hurt. Maybe it was the file from station-drivers being some test version or something like that. It wouldn't be the first time they put some untested crap on s-d.

Works fine on R2, great work svl7.

Svl7 is it possible to use this OROM since it is a newer version than the 11.5.0.1347 that you used:

Newer one: 11.5.0.1582 (official version according to intel release notes) posted by DarkSkies earlier: http://206.108.48.66/temp/Eric/P55DA726.zip

That's right, since we are at this, why not to go with the final product? I am looking forward to testing it. Thanks.