Lee James Wood

Changing gpu would worth it!

Why would you need it to change GPU ? You mean changing SG to PEG ? (Can't that be done in a normal bios? Or automatically)

I had an unlocked bios for a long time, I can't think of much if anything it did for me to even have it/use it. Most the menu's were redundant versions of the menu's and then some stuff you'd never change anyways.

I also get great prices on 970M if anyone needs. Lets me know.

so, wait, Optimus would allow an m18x-r1 to use a 980M GTX ? Just no SLI , obviously.... that not a bad idea..SLI takes up alot of power.

best cpu 3940xm. pretend the 880M is a 580m/680m/780m and get the mod desktop driver from NBR or a driver from the one selling you the card or edit the .inf file to accept the driver. as for the heatsinks, its pretty much the same as i mentioned

Oh sorry for the late reply. I had the machine o my lap with the battery (CMOS) at my finger tip, and kept draining it and unplugging it, and trying to start the machine in every combo I could think of. With battery without, with cmos, without, by holding the power button for 2 minutes, by not doing it.. it would atrt but be totally dead.. as in not posting, but obvious power started and then dies..

but a few days later some how, it just started.

Its been awhile, im sorry I didn't remember. I made sure to subscribe to feeds, so i get notified when someone quotes me not, by email.

I will ask a third time, anyone have any experience using the 880m gtx in a m18x-r2 laptop ? With or without mod vBios? does it run at stock clocks better then 780m GTX ?

Any experience using m18x-r2 and a 880m GTX , anyone ? Will it wokr, can I expect it to work better at stock clocks, thena 780m GTX at stock clocks. With or without a vbios mod. ANYONE have any experience here, doing this yet ?

Question : If I have both a 780m , and a 880m to use in my m18x-r2 (Not SLI, single card in the 18'' laptop..) Should I use the 880m ? or is the 780m's still performing better at stock ?

Is anyone having any issues running stock clocks for the 880m gtx ON AN M18X-R2 ? With or Without mod vbios.

I am using the 780 now, and its great. I could be using a 680m SLI but, with my CPU OC'd I get better performance with a single card at stock and cpu at 4.5Ghz

I do not mind if I have to use a different vbios, I tried one for the 780, worked great for awhile. Burnt one card, still have a spare (which I'm using). I just want to know if it will work 100%..... and if at stock its better performing then 780m stock.. or does the 880m's throttle all the time on an m18x-r2 ?

Thread has been stickied.

good work. Didn't know upgrade monkey was on T|I haha.

It seems the recovery method does not work on Alienware systems. Not sure why that is, but it has not been successful for anyone that tried it that I am aware of.

But, it appears there are now multiple examples of Alienware owner that are able to fix their systems that fail to POST by swapping in a different CPU temporarily as described in the opening post.

Oddly, I was waiting for tech to come over and replace motherboard, and I kept playing with the computer over the weekend, hitting the power button and such over and over.. whatever, 2 days later, the system POSTed again, from being bricked.

I didn't in the end have anything replaced, DELL suggested keeping what I have as is, instead.

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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.

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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...

There MIGHT be an issue using this on the latest/ newest alienware refreshes from this year. If anyone has tried it, please tell us your experience (on this years models), please.

bump. still now word. Also, where is the bios chip itself on the mobo ? And anything think using some thermalconductive paint to hold a new on be okay ? shouldn't have more then like >100 Ohms resistance... probably single digits too...

An eeprom flashed with the modified bios. Send me a PM with your location and so I can check shipping costs and tell you a total.

sent awhile ago, but haven't heard back from you. Any news? Did you get my paypal ?

we all love you guys for making the unblocked vbios. Any way to make an unlcoiked AW 18 bsystem bios so we can fix the worngs of Alienware, i.e their limited current settings for the XM cpu..?

Yes, I can send you a chip with an unlocked BIOS.

Flashing per software won't work at the moment. I don't have a system to test it myself and most people don't seem to be eager to test anything.

anyone have any comments after using the 780m vbios on an alienware 18 ? Do the fans work like normal, any issues at all , or does it only unlock potential but otherwise keep all settings the same? Any information would be welcome, thanks

A08 here https://dl.dropbox.com/u/45543900/M18R2A08WIN64.exe

is this the version from DELL strictly or a modified bios, from one of the other downloads on other pages in this forum ?

I ask, because in the information supplied by one of the more prominant members of the forum sv or something, mentioned issues with going from an unmodded bios to a modded bios if using a07-8 version, specifically meaning, choose ahead of time what you are gonna use, mod/unmodded, (if that counts as a TL/DR).

think it might break if I try it, since Im using a modded version of an earlier bios, can anyone confirm this or not ?

im sure there are others on this fourm, interested in this awnser, if any of you have had any experience with it, going back and forth and such.

anyways, good work, i downloaded this file, just reluctant to use it as of yet, without learning abit more from some possible testing/details.

whats the difference between the a07 and a08 version of the bios anyways, for the m18x-r2.

I read somewhere it was one option or something difference, but nothing specified afaik/read.

thanks for your time and reply, just curious if we should even bother with the a07 (which I was going to try before a08, mind you).

.

NOTE: It will take a while until the unlocked version is ready on the server, T|I users can grab the attached files in the meantime.

if you are logged in, your a TI member , no ? I still don't see it, or any attachments, i dont know why either.. sorry. someone PM or something if im being an idiot, i would really like tp test this bios out, considering I have windows 8 now, and this has some functionaility for it AND the unlocked options (which Im using, from an early bios)- James

I disagree, he would be better served with the kingston set.

1600 hyperX won't be noticeable, 1866 CL11 might be a little upgrade. I would just stay as you are.

you would be faster, as the bak refresh time is faster with the kingston at cas 9

if you want some manual timings that would work, for the kingston that are better then cas 9, im gerat with memory timings, and can give you a very general guideline, and few rules of thumb to follow. I run mine at cas 8 no issues, and with 16GB I get a throughput of like 28000mb/s to like 33000mb/s

but, I also bought cheap RAM, from kingston, loaded it in anouther laptop before hand, played aorund with its timings via a spdtable editor and created my own profile on it.

I just traded for a M18x R2. Right now it has generic 1600(CL11). Would I notice a difference if i went with Kingston HyperX 1600(CL9) or 1866(CL11)?

whats the 11.5 orom thing you speak of ?

Unlocked A07 with 11.5 orom worked for me no issues.

well thank you,

im simply looking to play with vpro , so i can learn it, because it could be usefull for our custumer... only way i learn is by using something

normaly in bios there would be an option called Intel AMT .. if you see it around tell me

seriously, there are sooo many options, i would love to actually be able to understand half of them.

Im no newb to pc's either, nor overclocking them, building, repairing, doing the usual small bits of IT or administrative networking - but theres so many things ive never even heard of in there.

can we get someone to post what they can translate that most of us have no clue of.

yeah, i unlocked the additional raid options too, that was useful.