uforoboso

well.. I did swap both cards a few times, I installed/unistalled (physically) the 780 at least 3 times, and it seems clean.. I'll try again but I think the issue must be somewhere else.. thanks a lot, J95. UPDATE: so I did install the 780 physically for the fourth time (that I can remember for sure). did the BIOS thing: PC black screen and alarm sound. reinstalled 660M, all ok. NOW.. just a little question more: what about trying to re-flash the card's VBIOS? may be a last test worth trying, or it is totally useless?

everything works fine if I do the BIOS thing on the 660M.. windows boots, it just appeared on low resolution, but I had the 780M modified drivers installed.. so.. this can only mean the card is f****ed?

I'm back with the 780 AND the integrated HD enabled (only way to boot with 780). The 780 is viewed by windows as basic Microsoft display adapter. Also, in BIOS I can see the card, it appears as Nvidia GTX, under something like "discrete graphic 1", just after the integrated one. So - as per the procedure of the topic - I went on and tried to install the modified nVidia drivers. I'm following the procedure exactly: the only difference, is that I am running on the integrated Intel card, because if I don't, the PC doesn't boot, black screen and alarm sound. So I'm just skipping the line where in BIOS I do disable the Intel HD and set display as PEG. The nVidia driver installed, and (just for once) the 780M correctly appeared in windows Device Manager. I can't run Nvidia Control Panel, though, it won't start. MSI afterburner only sees the Intel HD. Everything is running only on the Intel HD, there is no automatic switch to Nvidia, and since I can't start Nvidia Control Panel, I can't even manually tell him to launch the applications using Nvidia. So.. I rebooted, without any changes. What happens now, is that it boots, windows loads, but I have a black screen, I only see the mouse cursor. I can understand windows is running, because the mouse cursor behaves like if I'm in the login window: when I move it on the screen, it changes to text cursor, if I click return it changes to rotating wheel.. etc. Sometimes the language and wi-fi icons flash. But all is black. So.. I rebooted and entered BIOS, tried disabling the Intel HD, setted screen as PEG. Again: no boot, TUT-TUT-TUT-TUT sound. I've run the BIOS diagnostics tests, everything comes up fine. I'm not sure it tests the Nvidia, though. It definitively tests a "GPU" and tests some VRAM, but it may be Intel's. I've started Windows in safe mode, the Nvidia is OK in Device Manager. Later, I tried both 344.11 and 344.75 drivers, no change - also tried not installing the 3D components. I've read about deleting some of the drivers directories (Driver.Optimus, etc.. but after trying that Windows was not able to boot, had to set IGFX and uninstall all). Still, only way I can use the PC with the 780M is either safe mode, or not having drivers installed, or setting display to use only the integrated card (IGFX). I wonder this might somehow similar to the IDT audio issue that I see troubled many R3 owners?! (except R4 has Sound Blaster, not IDT..) Now I'm back on the 660M. WTF??

yeah, I think so. I did reinstall the 660 and the PC boots. so it's simply not liking the 780 as is. I did buy the card from a guy that sold it to me as "already flashed with a TechInferno VBIOS" but he was using it on a M15. (maybe it needs a different VBIOS?) BTW.. I am scavenging the forums but I can't find where to download the svl7 unlocked VBIOS for the 780M.. anyone can please link that? (I found a guide made by svl7 to do the flash, but no VBIOS there..)

Ehmm.. I need help. I followed EXACTLY the procedure as is in the first topic post, up to: 1) BIOS settings, F2 -> disable the integrated graphics - Second Advanced Menu -> Video Configuration -> disable IGP -> set display to PEG -> F10 reboot. everything was ok. After this line, on rebooting, now the PC won't boot. It goes on, total black screen, and a TUT - TUT - TUT - TUT sound that seems some kind of alarm. Any suggestion? It seems I can't even enter the bios options.

Thanks! Do we ever get bios A13? also, where do I find the new modified driver updates?

thanks J95.. one more question: after the install, how is the driver updated? (I presume no automatic driver updates from Nvidia, right? where do we get the new drivers?) thanks again!!

hey guys, hey J95 I'm going to upgrade (and it's my first attempt ever) my M17X R4 from 660M to 780M.. the laptop has the 240 adapter and 3 pipes heatsink (should be the 100w) the 780M comes from an experienced IT guy that used it on a M15 and he says it's already flashed with a "techinferno VBIOS" so AFAIK it should be a straightforward install, hardware wise (right?) while on software, can you please tell me if I got it right? 1) disable optimus (boot fn+f5) 2) swap card 3) boot and follow the procedure detailed in this thread's first post (updated to the latest nvidia driver set) please let me know if I'm missing something! thanks!

Is all the above (and this also Alienware M17x R3 460M to 780M - Questions/Concerns - Page 4) good for the R4 too?

Hey guys.. I'm upgrading my M17X R4 from a 660M to a 780M.. the GPU should already be flashed with a BIOS "from techinferno" (what the seller told me).. anyone can tell me if there is anything I should do software wise on the laptop before and after the hardware installation? thanks!!