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Maxxender

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Posts posted by Maxxender

  1. There are many places that talk about the idea of using the 2013 Alienware 18 screen panel or screen assembly on the previous m18x r1 & r2.

    What I would like to find out, definitively, is could this panel be transplanted into the older generation which honestly isn't the best quality.

    Alienware 18 has a PLS based screen made by Samsung, which will have all around a better picture as compared to most TN based panels (especially the one found in the m18x).

    What needs to be discovered:

    - Alienware 18 screen connector (after this has been answered we can continue to the next set of questions)

    Is it LVDS 40 pin? Something else?

    Next up:

    - Alienware 18 screen assembly dimensions and construction

    Is it possible to just use the entire 18 screen assembly?

    **PICTURES!

    **MEASUREMENTS!

    This should just about cover what we would need to then allow me, or someone else, to proceed with actual testing.

    Everyone's help would greatly be appreciated!

  2. Hi Max, really appreciate for your post. I have a question. With the cut, is 75w and 100w heatsink identical?

    The two heatsinks are not the same, the metal heatsink for the voltage and ram are different with different heights on certain raised parts to better fit the chip layout of the 100watt style cards.

    You can still make it work though, just requires thicker heat pads in certain places. That's how mine is, never goes above 80C with an overclock.

  3. [ATTACH=CONFIG]7327[/ATTACH]

    Yep, too right 675mx kills the 580m/675m heat wise too! ill post some screens of vantage if ppl need to see performance of 675mx in sli in Alienware M18X R2, It's got me beat why Dell don't get rid of the 675m altogether and just replace it with 675mx, anyway looks like a 780m is coming my way for testing lol can't wait. The PR guy is a bit scared to release it in my hot little hands in case of a LEAK. (me leak, of course so!)

    Anyway Maxxender (picture added for your reference see my card type and bios to compare) did you try resetting your bios to defaults and try using the igpx switching, as mine is working no problems even on the new drivers 314.22 with the unlocked A10 bios. (need to personally thank svl7 for his continued hard work) Thank You!

    Strange, do you think drivers could have anything to do with it? GPU-z crashes if OpenCL is scanned, unlike in yours.

  4. All cards in the M18X are seen as NVIDIA GTX regardless of model in the Bios.

    Switching to integrated graphics is done in the bios or on the fly with a Reboot required.

    My 675MX's are running in SLI MODE just fine with no problems, Only thing is you need to orginally modifiy the Nvidia inf file to install the driver apart from that all is well.

    Glad to know they work fine in SLI! Can't beat $390 for 85% of a 680m, ha.

    Yeah, I can't switch to integrated anymore. Not detected in bios and the fn+I/D and reboot doesn't switch over after reboot just stays on the dedicated.

    @equalize87

    Mythlogic, more on that in the thread I made in Alienware M18x main.

  5. The short:

    675mx is compatible with the m18x r2, however:

    1. You need to use dell 680m backplate, or clevo backplate with clevo screws.

    2. If you are coming from a 660m you need to buy a 100w Nvidia heatsink, or alter your 75w 660m heatsink [see below].

    3. Custom Inf drivers from LaptopVideo2Go is needed, 314.22 works great!

    4. P0 only attainable with AC power (seems to be a normal thing)

    5. You lose ability to switch to integrated GFX, not detected anymore.

    These are my conclusions, if you guys know any fixes let me know!

    The long:

    Made the jump to buy a 675mx for my m18x r2 without find any proof that it can be done.

    I chose to go with a 675mx because for the performance-to-price ratio to upgrade you just can't beat it. (if you prefer Nvidia like I do)

    The good people at Mythlogic only charge ~$390 for a 675mx (as compared to 500 on ebay lol)

    [75watt 660m heatsink modification]

    Before I tore my laptop apart I had been told by Alienware that there was only one kind of Nvidia heatsink for the m18x, this is not the case as it seems.

    For the 660m Dell made a different heatsink labeled "75w", it appears to use the same amount of copper and surface area but is molded slightly different to properly touch certain

    parts of the card (power regs, voltage stuff, ect.). Along with that the area for the core to touch the heatsink is smaller and was designed for a lower resting GPU core

    , so it required some tinkering to get it to work.

    In this picture I used a razor blade to cut out a bigger surface on the copper base of the heatsink.

    post-9229-1449499512171_thumb.jpg

    After that cleaned all the surfaces on the heatsink AND GPU with Articlean multiple times.

    Pictured beside 660m for comparison.

    post-9229-14494995121962_thumb.jpg

    Installed into m18x, applied Liquid Ultra.

    post-9229-14494995122189_thumb.jpg

    Applied heatsink, which allowed to you over tighten the screws because the core rests a good 2mm higher then the 660m so be careful!

    Done!

    Required heatpad thicknesses for use with 75w heatsink.

    VRAM: 2mm

    Square blocks (power regulators?): 1-0.5mm

    Outer edge chips (voltage regulators?): 2mm

    Temps are normal: 50-75C max

    • Thumbs Up 7
  6. I used it recently on my 675mx upgrade with a 75watt 660m heatsink. The m18x's heatsinks are aluminium with copper bases, in other words the part that contacts the core is copper so there's no worry of corrosion.

    Does pretty good job considering I'm not even using the correct heatsink, never gets above 75c. Nothing to write home about but not bad either.

    Pro tip: you only need the tiniest, teenie tiniest drop. I mean tiny, this stuff seems to grow when you spread it out! When you put the heatsink back on it also seems to "vacuum suck" itself to the heatsink, strange stuff.

    Edit: Practically impossible to remove excess, so get it right the first time! :P

    • Thumbs Up 1
  7. Hello fellow m18x r2 owners,

    I just upgraded the laptop to a 675mx and seemingly it isn't fully recognized by the bios, which just sees it as "Nvidia GTX".

    The P0 state isn't recognized by Nvidia Inspector either:

    post-9229-14494995120776_thumb.png

    The card can go into P0 with AC power but stays at P5 when on battery power.

    Also I can't switch to integrated graphics.

    Will a modded bios solve any of this? Thanks

  8. So,

    installed the 6235 and what? ... same damn no Wireless connect possible, no Network available?

    First of all. SVL7 diad a great job!

    The whitelist is gone so the Card is working.

    Unfortunately i had to fix a broken antenna cable, but after that everything is working quiete good.

    I don't give a * about warranty so :-)

    Second thing:

    No I haven't played around with the settings inside the Bios because the eventuallity of having a broken System is way to high for me.

    If there is someone in here you wants to give it a try,

    I think changing the values will end up in an non booting system or you'll a anon working display.

    @n1smo: Send SVL7 a PM he knows how do deal with it.

    Nobody should fix a broken Antenna with Kynar wire :-P if full performance is what you wish for.

    I need to get this baby strapped an replace the black antenna Cable,

    Does anyone of you have an idea yow to do that? - n1smo you actually dissambled your System, right?

    Frost-dc

    Here is a replacement wifi antenna. Amazon.com: Tyco Wifi & Bluetooth Antenna: Everything Else

  9. I'm overclocking with Nvidia Inspector but would like to see being able to overclock with vbios as I think it is a cleaner solution. Let's hope that there is more interest in seeing this happen on this awesome machine. On another note, I tried to flash to v1.05 but got the same error 28 as Frost-dc. :(

    I think that's a Windows 8 related error.

  10. I think you often need to wait some time for the paste to "set in", I'd think its performance should reach the plateau after few days, but most likely not immediately. I don't have that much experience with different compounds but roughly speaking I think it's good to give it some time.

    All depends on the exact thermal paste you used, for instance Arctic Silver 5 has a burn-in period of 200 hours. It is extremely picky on how it is applied and requires you to purify both surfaces before you pretreat them then apply the thinnest layer on the cpu that is able to cover the whole area. But if all criteria are met you get absolutely wonderful results an example my desktop is fully burned in and gets temps 20c-50c at room temp running 4.5Ghz.

  11. Only 2 heatpipes for all the cooling? It must run pretty hot then?

    Tests have shown otherwise, if you get one where Lenovo applied thermal paste correctly (hit or miss as i've read) temps are

    around 40ish idle 75 max underload.

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