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Hey people i have some nvdia driver problems with my alienware m17r4 gtx 870m !So can you tell me how could i run 375.76!When i try installing it doesnt recognise my gpu! I have disabled my DSE!I cant install any new drivers pls help!!At the moment im with 344.75

Hello everyone, I already have 16GB inside, wanted to know if it worthy to spend over 200 bucks to upgrade my alienware m18x r2 with 32GB 2133MHz Kingston HyperX Impact Black? Best regards and thank you

Hi there, on 21st of October I had to realise that Battlefield1 is not running with my current driver 361.75 . . . after I bought it. Installing the required 372.90 version is not so easy after you upgraded your Alienware M18xR2 with two GTX980M in SLI mode and Dell this old is not supporting you with Win10 anymore, anyone having some Nvidia driver for my needs?? Best regards and thank you

So here is my current setup: Alienware M17X R4 Bios A12 GPU: Nvidia 660M CPU: Intel i7 3630QM HHD - Samsung 840 EVO SSD 250GB and stock Toshiba 500GB Ram - cardboard 8gb OS- Windows 7 I did get the upgraded power supply BTW So I just ordered a 980m and wanted to get some tips on how to install this bad boy. I know I probally have to flash my bios and install some modified drivers but I have no Idea where to start. I am kind of a noob with this. The physical install seems easy I just dont know about the software side. If someone could please help me out on how to install the bios and drivers I would greatly appreciate it.

Officially, the upgrade path for the Alienware M18x-R1 ends with the nVidia GTX 580M but is that really going to stop the Tech|Inferno enthusiast from trying the latest and greatest? Absolutely not! So let’s get started. Parts & Tools Needed Quantity Part Needed (1) or (2) Clevo GTX 680M Kit from RJTech (1) X-Bracket (also included with 680M kit when purchased from RJTech) (1)Screws Screws (Also included with 680M kit from RJTech) (1)680M SLI cable SLI Cable (optional, can be found on eBay or directly from Dell) (1)IC Diamond ICD7 Diamond(recommended) or MX-4 Thermal Paste (1)Thermal pads Aftermarket Thermal Pads (1) ESD Mat + Strap (1) Precision Screwdriver Set (1) Techni-Tool Spudger Clevo GTX 680M Upgrade Kit When you purchase the Clevo GTX 680M Upgrade Kit from places like RJTech or MXM-Upgrade, they usually send a full kit that includes the X-bracket, screws, thermal paste, and Clevo heatsink. For the M18x-R1 or R2, the Clevo heatsink will be useless so you can elect to either resell it on eBay or just toss it in the garbage. A point of importance to keep in mind is that whether you opt to purchase the GTX 680M by itself or as a kit, be sure it comes with the x-bracket and Clevo screws (more information on this below). Typical price for an upgrade kit as of September 2012 is around $750-$850.00 USD. M18x Disassembly The Alienware M18x-R1 is a fairly sophisticated system that requires the user to have a familiarity with taking apart notebooks. Because some of the parts in the M18x are fragile, it is recommended you only attempt this if you feel you have sufficient experience. Refer to the Alienware M18x Service Manual to learn how to take apart the system. View Alienware’s Tear Down videos to see how its done. Installation Installation is pretty straightforward, be sure to use the ESD mat + strap when handling the M18x and GTX 680M so that no damage occurs to the sensitive electronics. Once the M18x has been opened up, remove the existing video cards. Ensure that you are using GTX 560M/580M video card heatsinks for full compatibility with the GTX 680M. You must use the screws (linked in the above table) designed for the Clevo GTX 680M X-Bracket since the Dell screws do not fit. Remove the retention washers from the 560M/580M heatsink in order to remove the original screws. Clean the previous thermal paste from the GPU using isopropyl alcohol and a cotton pad. Alternatively, coffee filter paper also works well. Place the thermal pads on the video card according to the picture below: One problem you may encounter while fitting new pads is that the heatsink does not make full contact with the inductors on the video card. To alleviate this, a thicker aftermarket thermal pad can be used or copper shims + ICD7 such as the photo below: Once the thermal pads and/or shim have been placed, do a test placement with the heatsink to ensure all the thermal pads make contact with the heatsink. An example of proper contact is illustrated in the photos below: After proper pad contact has been determined, place a thin line of thermal paste across the GPU, seat the heatsink and fasten it with the screws. Both the right and left heatsinks require different fitting of the pads so always check for proper contact before installation. Driver .inf Modification The Clevo GTX 680M may require the proper device id to be added to the nvcv.inf file found in the Display.Driver directory. Credit: jhmonroy Instructions Using Notepad, open nvcv.inf from the ‘Display.Driver’ directory (I suggest you copy a backup of file elsewhere) (Using the replace function) Replace all occurrences of DEV_11A0&SUBSYS_51051558 with DEV_11A0&SUBSYS_xxxx1028 (You can replace any GTX 680M Dev ID code you wish) Replace all occurrences of %NVIDIA_DEV.11A0.5105.1558% with %NVIDIA_DEV.11A0.xxxx.1028% <–Dell hardware ID. Replace all occurrences of NVIDIA_DEV.11A0.5105.1558 with NVIDIA_DEV.11A0.xxxx.1028 The latest beta drivers require more extensive modification that go beyond the scope of this article at this time. However, there are modified nVidia beta drivers available at LaptopVideo2Go that have the .inf files already modified for both the desktop and notebook and thus are a simple point and click installation–which is what we recommend. Update 9/13/12: You can grab the latest 306.23 modded drivers from our forum to use with the M18x-R1 and Clevo GTX 680M. Clevo GTX680M Gallery

Hello all. First sorry for my english and my words (i don't know same words) I have problem with my Alienware m18x r2. I cant turn him on with POWER button. I check with "ENDE" and it turn on. That means mobo is working. Now I don't know what can be broke. I think about 4 options: 1. Button on that motherboard 2. motherboard when is that button 3. cable from motherboard to nest/impute/connector/join on main motherboard 4. nest/impute/connector/join on that main motherboard Now my question is that someone know how to make short circuit/close pin on that nest. That why i will know what is broken step by step. It have 6 pins in that nest and I don't know which is for what. I don't want to burn that nest/impute/connector/join Thank you all for you help and answer

how to oc the ram?

is it possible to SLI gtx 680m 2gb with 4gb one?

how does tour laptop keep up with current games

best place apart from ebay for used m1bxr1 parts?

best place apart from ebay for used m1bxr1 parts?

Hi all, while (so far unsuccessfully -- error 43 all the way!) trying to set up my EXP GDC 8.4d egpu I encountered this weird "big" mpcie port on my alienware's mobo - no idea what it is. Does anyone know? I circled it in the attached image - it actually worked when I put the mpcie connector of the egpu in, so it seems to be an additional mpcie port, but it's bigger - if you compare the normal mpcie port further down in the image, it has an additional segment! Could it be the port where the expresscard would be attached? The port is not used on the Alienware M17x R3, which ditched the expresscard slot - the R2 has it. Not getting my hopes up for the egpu part, but I'm curious know. Google knows nothing of a "bigger" mpcie port version. Anyone?

Hello all First sorry for my english and olso if i dont use tu good search option My friend have same problem with Alienware m18x r2 880m sli on Windows 10 Hi instal drives and all card work but problem is with throlling. I give him unlocked bios A10 but there is new problem Hi have no throlling buy now dont work sli option. Hi cant turn it on. If he go back to orginal bios A12 then sli is working but he get throlling back. I see that same people here have 880m sli on m18x r2 but cant find how they do that and have no throlling options. I will be greatful for yours help. If you need same more information then say and i will try to pust here Beast regards Dariusz

Well guys...so now we know... What are your thoughts and first initial impressions? Do you foresee the new cooling design being able to cool the 1080 better than DTR's/Clevo's? Are you going to be ditching your current AW to get the new one? Will you be buying a different brand all together? Reason for the switch? Are you willing to pay DTR prices for the new AW if it turns out that way? (AW 1070 pricing is now available) Which screen option will you be opting for? FHD, QHD, or 4K? Do you care for Tobii? How long do you normally keep your laptop? -> Do you normally upgrade every year with the latest refresh? --> If so, is having LGA/MXM really practical for you? Things that I like: "...magnesium alloy for rigidity, copper for better performance and steel...." ".....overclockable DDR4 system memory capable of up to 2667 MHz overclockable DDR4 system memory capable of up to 2667 MHz....." ".... 17" QHD 120Hz display is designed to deliver the smoothest gaming experience with 4ms response time, wide viewing angles, 400 nits of brightness, and NVIDIA G-Sync technology...." "....a thinner design, better ventilation, higher quality sound and external ports organization...." ".... larger and more effective speaker box has been installed, improving audio output for a clearer and more dramatic gaming experience....." "....Avoid excess cables and embrace the “desktop mode” design, where most of your critical connections and ports are in the back and out of the way....." "....We offer the maximum amount of battery power legally allowed with the 99 Whr battery– storing and delivering the most amount of power found in any notebook battery for longer uninterrupted game play....." Don't forget the LED lighting that unlocks the BIOS and makes the AW hover for better ventilation. On another note, this is one step in the right direction...it can breathe I take it... What we know so far (stuff that we actually care about): * New AW17 1080 will be 180W and GDDR5X https://www.twitch.tv/alienware/v/87746534 (Thanks @DeeX for the heads up. Also confirmed from the horses mouth himself, Azor.) @ 4:46:26 …mentions 180W @ 4:49:33 ...worth watching it from here, lol... @ 4:50:10 ...takes a crack at Clevo...I love DTR's, but what he says is true. No heart behind Clevo's design, just a bunch of rebranded, rebrands. * Full on Copper heat sinks and heat pipes. * Back of display is metal. * Bottom of laptop is metal, anodized aluminum. * Laptop is very rigid. Watch them try bending it...it's solid as a rock. Lots of metal. * Keys on the keyboard are guaranteed and rated at 10 Million strokes. * Keys have a longer 2.2mm travel length. * N Key roll over technology. Able to register multiple keystrokes. * 19 Total Macro Keys. More added near the Num pad side on the 17". * The back plate of keyboard is steel enforced, all metal. * Bottom and Side air intakes. * Designed to keep the heat toward the rear and away from the front areas, keyboard / palm rest. ____________________________UPDATE (9/14/16)____________________________ Well guys: Click here Here are some early pricing (out) comparisons. I've been playing around with different configurations to get an idea of what we can expect for the overall pricing. I've noticed that it is a bit more ala carte in a way...well kinda... Note: It's possible that my numbers are off and if it is then I'll update it, but please do go price it yourself if you have a moment... Couple things I've noticed: * There is an option to get a display unit without Tobii. Thank goodness. I wonder if this is true for the up coming QHD panel? * The price for the 4K UHD w/ Frobii is outrageous. +$400?! Sheesh... Hope they offer 4K without Frobii. ____________________________UPDATE (9/23/16)____________________________ www.Alienware.com is now LIVE with pricing of the new machines, but only up to GTX 1070 configurations. --- Early Comparisons of an Alienware 17R4 (GTX 1070) vs Clevo P775DM3 (GTX1070): (Blue = Better / Red = Falls Short / Grey = Equal) ------------------------------------------- Clevo P775DM3 / Fager NP9172-S * i7-6700K * 1080 FHD w/ GSYNC * GTX 1070 * 16GB RAM DDR4 2400MHz * 256GB M.2 SSD * Killer 1535 * 2 Year Warranty …$2,114…NO TAX w/ GTX 1080: $2,502 Options: * 4K UHD w/ GSYNC is +$275 ________________________________ Alienware 17R4: * i7-6820HK * 1080 FHD w/o GSYNC * GTX 1070 * 16GB DDR4 2400MHz * 256GB M.2 SSD + 1TB Paper Weight * Killer 1525 * 2 Year Warranty $2,474 + PLUS TAX $198 (Avg. 8%) = ...$2,672... Options: * 4K UHD w/ Fobii Eye Tracking is +$400 ________________________________ Reality in terms of value to cost ratio: * 6700K (socketed lga) > 6820HK (mobile bga) * GTX 1080 for only $275 more on the DTR. How much more will GTX1080 be on the AW? * 1080FHD has GSYNC on DTR * Can paying $558 More for AW17R4 be justified? ________________________________ Current thoughts at this time and moment: Well to be honest, as for the pricing it doesn't look good if the numbers on the pricing page is anywhere near accurate. There's no way that I can justify paying ~$558 more at this point, however, that can change depending on the GTX 1080 and QHD variant. It's too early to tell. I'd like to also add that the 2 Year Warranty for Dell is "Blue," because it is far superior than Clevo's 2 Year Warranty. This is a fact (at least if you're in the US), so please let's not argue about this. As I've said before, "Do not pay DTR prices for a bga machine." This is just my opinion and everyone is entitled to their own, but please do the math and make a wise decision that best fits you and your needs. Notice that the comparison is between the AW17R4 vs the Clevo P775DM3, which is not the bulky DTR, but the more slimmer and (IMO) cleaner looking one. What are your thoughts?

Hi guys, I was trying to install GTX 980M from MSI laptop in my Alienware, but i still can't install driver for this GPU. Can you help me ? Please look at the Hardware ID and give me a tip what should i do to install it. Thanks Hardware ID of GTX980M is PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1617&SUBSYS_05AA1028 ( This is in device manager ). What should i do to make it working, or how should i edit nvdmi.inf to make it working ???

Guessing who will be the first company to include the nVidia Pascal 1080 and AMD Polaris GPU's inside their Laptops: 1- 2- 3- 4-

Hello ive seen a few people asking about heat and i thought i would chime in and say a few ways to keep down the heat! there are a few ways you go about this with out opening the computer, for those who arent to sure about taking a screwdriver to their laptop it may help you. in saying that, if your fans are dirty then this will not help you at all. I TAKE NO RESPOSIBILITY TO ANY DAMAGE HARDWARE! ANY CHANGES YOU MAKE ARE AT YOUR OWN RISK! INCREASING THE FAN SPEED to control your fans use this http://www.hwinfo.com/download64.html this is a free program that alot of people use on various computers. it work on alienwares well but im yet to test ROG and MSI with it. its pretty simple to use install it and get to this page and click on the sensors button then on the next screen click the small fan icon at the bottom unless you want to manually adjust your fan between each time you play click customer auto and you can edit it from there UNDERCLOCKING download and install NV tools it can manage fan speeds too but its not always 100% in laptops http://www.nvidia.com/object/nvidia-system-tools-6.08-driver.html on the left hand side, under the performance tab, select device settings now just slide it back in small steps until you are comfortable with the temps. remember that if your computer blue screens it DOES NOT mean your computer has been damaged. it is simply a way for the computer to avoid damage. adjust the slider in intervals of about 15mhz to be safe and click apply each time. start on the core clock and finish on the memory. Every now and again it is good to check on your progress to see how far you need to go. (more on this later) MSI after burner is a good one too http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/msi-afterburner-beta-download.html again the fan control is a bit hit and miss with it but it can control your clock speed. ass per the program above keep going untill you hit a STABLE setting you want. TESTING here we will look at the new GPU temps after the tune. MSI Kombustor is a great way to test your heat. http://www.geeks3d.com/20150710/msi-kombustor-v3-5-2-64-bit-v2-6-0-32-bit-download-gpu-stress-test-benchmark/ click on stability and watch the temps. if you see any artefacts stop the test and increase the mhz by 15mhz each fur mark is the one that i use to test the heat of my alienware http://www.ozone3d.net/benchmarks/fur/ aim for about 70-75*C. hope this helps you a bit. PS avoid EVGA's tuning tool on alienware i have heard it can brick your LCD! CLEANING THE FANS Just for the sake of it ill give you a few tips on cleaning your laptops fans out. assuming you already know the basics of using a screwdriver to open a laptop ill cover a few things to help you. REMEMBER, IF YOU REMOVE THE HEATSINK YOU WILL NEED NEW THERMAL PASTE! compressed air is a great way to remove dust and id recommend having a can of it over a compressor. The reason being is that some compressors can fill with a bit of water and can spray it directly into the computer. you can spray the air into the vents and while it wont really "clean" it it may open enough room for air to pass out. i DO NOT recomend this however. after opening up the computer and removing the fan take a paint brush and clean the entire fan, get as much of the dust out as you physically can. you can use toothbrushes too if you dont have anything else. make sure you clean the grill behind the fan too as that is where the dust usually builds up. removing this dust and hair is the most important part of this clean up. now on to thermal paste. remove all the old thermal paste from the heat sink and the CPU with a dry cloth then, use isopropyl alcohol to clean the rest. some people seem to think that more is better but this is completely not true! if you put a large amount of thermal paste on the heatsink you will actuall have hotter temps. this is due to either: A ) the heatsink is not geting enough connectivity to the GPU as the layer of thermal paste is too thick B ) too much of it creates small pockets of air, these air pockets become super hot and that causes more heat on the GPU the correct amount is roughly the size of a pea even that is boarderline too much. Dont spread it around instead place your heat sink over it as even as possible and screw it down in a X pattern for an even spread. really hope this helps you and good luck!

I have been playing overwatch like crazy the past 2 weeks on my m17x r4 with 680M. Unfortunately since yesterday i am getting BSODs anytime i try to even access the dedicated 680M GPU. Starting any game or even starting the nvidia control panel and going to the 3D settings which renders the nvidia logo will cause a BSOD. I can't even downlock the GPU, everytime i try in nvidia inspector, it BSODs. I have tried reinstalling the driver, upgrading the driver, downgrading the driver, starting in A/C power both with and without battery, starting in battery only, shutting it down and leaving it for about 12 hours and nothing seems to fix this. Here is the imgur album of my BSODs (getting different numbers each time): http://imgur.com/a/wwRZp . If this is indeed graphics card failure, is there anyway i can get this repaired? I know i'm out of warranty, but does dell do repairs for payment? Unfortunately I'm a student at the near end of my studies and i'm flat broke so buying a new card is out of my budget [Around 200$]. Thanks in advance for any assistance you can offer me!

Dear Members, I just want to create this Topic to list all laptop systems supporting (2X) Desktop GTX 980 SLI, and all information related to them, technical, pricing and reviews. In the same time, it will help me and other respected members to decide which one should we buy. 1- MSI GT80S Titan Skylake, SLI GTX980 Desktop GPU https://www.msi.com/Notebook/GT80S-6QF-TITAN-SLI-29TH-ANNIVERSARY-EDITION.html#hero-overview -------------------------------------------------------------- 2- New Asus ROG GX800 watercooled Gaming-Laptop Regards,

I am new to e-GPU, and am not to sure if my laptop can handle it (sorry if this is in the wrong forum). I currently have an Alienware M15x (Please see the spoiler for a pic, because I know that sometimes people get that one confused with the older model m15 model). It has a Core I7 740QM and an open Express card slot, with the option of removing the WiFi card and run a network cable to my router if needed. Is this able to handle an e-GPU, because I read in another forum (but it was slightly confusing) that it was not able to work. I would just like some clarification on this please.

Well I have now banged my head against this wall for a week. Here is the basics of my system, all other parts are standard: Alienware M17xR4 (delivery date May 2012) Intel 3720QM processor w/Intel HD 4000 iGPU AMD 7970m 015.017.000.000.042717 (if I read the right sticker) Samsung 850 Evo SSD msata 1TB (removed other 2 Mechanical HDD's to simplify troubleshooting 8 GB Ram Windows 7 64bit service pack 1 - installed fresh not a factory install, manually installed drivers myself (Winupdate last run in Feb 2016, then ran it on May 17, 2016 with a restore point being created before the windows update started, windows failure May 19, 2016 approx 10pm local time for me) System Bios: A12 Overclocking Notes: No overclocking attempted, ever. All parts are running at system spec settings Driver notes: AMD are Leshcat drivers 15.7 WHQL Unifl. IntelRST 11.x - version required with Dell drivers for Alienware OSD, Respawn, and other related software, all drivers where possible were most current on site or by maker of product, i.e. Intel Management Interface) Trouble started: While I was playing a game a week ago, the computer froze, no mouse movements, alt-f4 would not close the program, no keyboard response. It was typical as this game has issues with the switchable graphics and only sees the Intel HD4000, even though in the AMD CCC I set it Max Perform (main reason for running Leshcast drivers since Dell and AMD had old versions and/or drivers that were having issues or had the CCC lock some programs into one performance category or another and user couldn't change). Inital Action Taken: So when I rebooted nothing showed up. So I did my normal routine, windows recovery environment off Windows 7 Sp1 64bit retail disc. Nothing happened. sfc /scannow wouldn't run, chkdsk with the various / settings found nothing. I thought this was strange never had this issue before. So I figure well lets go into safe mode and find out what is going on. It just went to a blank screen with a mouse cursor I could move but no shortcut keys brought anything but sticky keys up. After spending hours trying different things, I started to get the 0x07b error. So I did something I don't like, system restore. The only restore point I had was just before a Windows Update was done. Now everything started to go wrong. I would find one solution, but it would not work. Possible Mistakes: I deleted the prefetch directory and removed the Panther directory, in hopes of resetting the prefetch setup. Trying to learn how to put back together the Windows Boot Manager/BCD. I can't confirm if the BCD has been configured in the registry or not since I am only able to load the 5 hive keys in the c:\windows\system32\config and the date on the registry backups were almost 2 hours after the problems started, so they have been of little use. No additional restore points, just the one that I already tried and of course that leaves me with nothing. Reading to many forums Some of the Solutions attempted: rename amd drivers and oem file safe mode safe mode w/networking windows system repair x3 sfc /scannow - won't allow rebuilt the bcd, uefi partition correctly labeled adjust entries in reg to remove amd/ati (but made backups before deletion of the keys) removed all drives but the SSD and no usb devices ran Norton Tool (ISO) for scanning for viruses/malware - results clean as a whistle (and that was with SSD + 2 HDD). Other Notes: I have seen about 5 different errors show up in the Windows RE, but they change frequently, I get the Boot Status Indicates that the OS booted Successfully. I even put in an older clone of this computer, it was from around August 2015. It got into Windows normal mode. I looked around in the SSD for some sort of errors, bad files, etc. Then I made the mistake of seeing if I could boot again into Normal mode on this clone. Opps! Now it won't boot. I can off and on get into safe mode on the clone (not the ssd). Finally it went to the black screen with mouse cursor. I gave up and removed it as it obviously wasn't of much use now. The Alienware model physical installation location of the Msata part is not at all easy to get too, as it all but requires a system tear down almost down to just the frame holding the motherboard. When I had access to safe mode/normal (fyi, I do not have either ways to access Windows) I had Samsung Magician 4.7 software check the status of the SSD and no issues. A new issues that started to appear was in the bios of the laptop. It no longer called the discrete graphics AMD 7970m and Intel HD 4000, now calls them ATI gfx and Ivy Bridge, respectively. I eventually got Windows RE command Bootrec /scanos to say there was a windows install. Now it says there isn't, so it sounds like the BCD/UEFI Boot manager/etc is again wrong. Where am I now on this problem: I just don't know what else to do. I want to try and avoid a reinstall as it can take a long time with all the software and *cough* games I install. Didn't bother contacting alienware as it is really Dell support and someone reading a script that tells them to have me reinstall immediately, so pointless. I can use the help at this point. I have way too many websites/forums, etc. bookmarked it could take years to clear all of them. So I feel I have reached that point that this problem is beyond my knowledge or expertise or lack their of. UPDATE: MAY 28, 2016, Sat, 10pm, as noted below I removed the GPU to verify it wasn't the 7970m, while out I think I came across the sticker that shows the bios version of the video card, it was the only sticker that had a proper looking vbios, 015.017.000.000.042717

After months of figuring out why my Alienware M14 R1 has been overheating, I've discovered that it had something to do with the bios. I've tried every compatible BIOS on the Dell website and have failed to solve the problem. Still gets hot even on idle. Except, Dell doesn't have A06 for some reason. Do you guys have a copy of the A06 BIOS? Dell Customer Support is pretty crappy .

Hi Everyone !! This is my very 1st post in the forum so please pardon my ignorance. Screen flashes 3 times, turns on and off before it begins to boot when UEFI fast boot is enabled.This has been driving me crazy,when I boot only from msata, boot time is around 10 seconds or when I connect only 1 hd in caddy and 1 in normal bay, laptop boots fine but when all three connected, ssd, msata, 2 hd 7200rpm, the screen keeps on flashing several times before it boots relatively slow. I think it starts going nuts when I connect samsung ssd combined with normal hd. I ran Microsoft assessment and got few error about BIOS initialization I would appreciate any kind of input .... cheers My setup. Aleinware 18 i7 4900mq Nvidia 780m SLI Windows 10 256gb msata ssd (boot drive) 256gb samsung evo 840(hd 1) 1tb 7200rpm hard drive (hd 2) 750gb wd black 7200rpm (hd 3 in Blu-ray slot) Fast boot enabled, uefi enabled Bios(latest) Ahci Things i have done Removed/updated free fall sensor Uninstalled intel RST Updated bios Updated ssd firmware Swap hd bays turned off fast boot in windows Fresh OS installed Driver updates

Hello again. Well I gave up on saving windows install and working on fresh copy. However with fresh copy, once amd drivers install, system will freeze up at the windows 7 box (I call it that, it glows and glimmers). I then have to go into safe mode, ddu and restart. I have every driver on system up to date. Tried Leshcast 14.4, 14.12, 15.7, 16.2.1, no luck. Upon reading elsewhere I noticed that my system has one of those nvram bios, where taking out battery isn't enough. What has bothered me is that on the first screen of the bios (Main), when you go to entries for Integrated Graphics and Discrete Graphics 1, they use to say Intel Hd 4000 and AMD 7970m, respectively, now just Integrated Graphics Intel Ivy Bridge and Discrete Graphics AMD Gfx. Even if I remove the graphics (amd) card, I can't get the bios (a13) to say Intel HD 4000 (or some combination of those words). I does detect and name the CPU type on the main page. So this is why I am starting to wonder if I have a bad nvram or corrupted data in the nvram (as all of this occured when my SSD install of Win764sp1 froze in game about 3 weeks ago - yes I am a determined type). Now I cannot find a guide that is exactly for the M17xR4. There are guides that say to short out the Cmos Clr location. Others call for the RTCLS to be shorted. Still others say look for a password bridge. Yet still others say move a jumper or pin (which I don't think laptops have because of being moved around). So I guess the question is, how do I get the bios screen main page show Integrated Graphics Intel HD 4000 and the Discrete Graphics 1 to show AMD 7970m (this also is a possible way it was shown, since I haven't seen it since I can't give the exact name it used but close to what I just called it, you will know you have a 4000 and 7970m in your system). As mentioned stuck at A13 bios, they flashed bios during repair to A12, so can't go backwards without major risk). Everything else is being listed with its proper name in the main page (ssd, optical, cpu, etc.). That is when I jumped on the NVRam issue in terms of not truely clearing the bios (with the old fashion way of pulling the cmos battery, laptop main battery and ac adapter, power on once, then go back and replace battery, etc.). Note after rebooting with amd driver in win installed, first attempt at system repair says "bad driver" but second and on just say no reason. I have even disabled the hdmi audio and other audio from Intel in device manager to make sure the AMD driver for audio isn't clashing with intel/Microsoft version. (Intel driver v 10.18.10.3958) Please put me out of my misery over this.