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GTX 980m not detected in my laptop MX18R2


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Hello,

I bought a GTX 980m for my alienware MX18R2 which had a SLI of 2 GTX 675m.

So I updated my BIOS A12 version provided by Dell but when I install the GTX 980m, my pc beep 8 times at startup and nothing happens. I do not have access to bios. So I reinstall 1 GTX 675m to find a solution on a forum and here I am.

I understand that it is possible to flash the bios via a bios manufactured by a person who knows how to do it.

I come to ask you if it would be possible to give me a bios for mla motherboard so that the series 900 works.

Here are the info of my laptop:

Operating System
Windows 10 Professional 64-bit
CPU
Intel Core i7 3610QM @ 2.30GHz 39 ° C
Ivy Bridge 22nm Technology
RAM
12.0 GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 798MHz (11-11-11-28)
Motherboard
Alienware M18xR2 (U3E1)
Graphics
Generic PnP Monitor (1920x1080 @ 60Hz)
2047MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M (Dell) 52 ° C
Storage
238GB Samsung SSD 840 Series PRO (SSD) 39 ° C
698GB Western Digital WDC WD7500BPKT-75PK4T0 (SATA) 38 ° C
14GB Kingston DataTraveler 3.0 USB Device (USB)
Optical Drives
PLDS DVD + -RW DL-8A4SH
DiscSoft Virtual SCSI CdRom Device
audio
Sound Blaster Recon3Di


and:

Motherboard
Manufacturer Alienware
Model M18xR2 (U3E1)
version A12
Intel Vendor Chipset
Chipset Model Ivy Bridge
Chipset Revision 09
Southbridge Vendor Intel
Southbridge Model HM77
Southbridge Revision 04
BIOS
Brand Alienware
version A12
Date 13/09/2013
PCI Data
PCI-E x16 slot
Slot Type PCI-E x16
Slot Usage Available
Data lanes x16
Slot Designation J5C1
SME Characteristics, Hot Plug
Slot Number 0
PCI-E slot x1
Slot Type PCI-E x1
Slot Usage Available
Data lanes x1
Slot Designation J6C1
SME Characteristics, Hot Plug
Slot Number 1
PCI-E slot x1
Slot Type PCI-E x1
Slot Usage Available
Data lanes x1
Slot Designation J6C2
SME Characteristics, Hot Plug
Slot Number 2
PCI-E slot x1
Slot Type PCI-E x1
Slot Usage Available
Data lanes x1
Slot Designation J6D2
SME Characteristics, Hot Plug
Slot Number 3
PCI-E slot x1
Slot Type PCI-E x1
Slot Usage Available
Data lanes x1
Slot Designation J7C1
SME Characteristics, Hot Plug
Slot Number 4
PCI-E slot x1
Slot Type PCI-E x1
Slot Usage Available
Data lanes x1
Slot Designation J7D2
SME Characteristics, Hot Plug
Slot Number 5
PCI-E slot x1
Slot Type PCI-E x1
Slot Usage Available
Data lanes x1
Slot Designation J8C1
SME Characteristics, Hot Plug
Slot Number 6
PCI-E x16 slot
Slot Type PCI-E x16
Slot Usage Available
Data lanes x16
Slot Designation J8C2
SME Characteristics, Hot Plug
Slot Number 7

I thank you in advance.

 

Regards

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Hello

You need the modded bios created by svl7

 

The reason you have this issue is that the computer is booting up in legacy mode, it needs to be in UEFI mode. You don't need a modded bios to change it to UEFI. You can do it in the dell bios.

 

Plugin the gtx 675m,

enter bios

In the boot section select UEFI

Shut down the computer and mount the gtx 980m

 

The problem however is you need to reinstall windows again.

 

But if you get the modded bios you can use the gtx 980m in both legacy and UEFI.

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9 minutes ago, Bimbam said:

Hello,

Thank you for your answer !

I will try this immediately :)

Good luck, also I have some tips and tricks for you when you get it to work.

I have owned a M18x with gtx 980m SLI for a long time now, so I have learned some things.

:cupcake:

Oh by the way, only windows 8, 8.1 and 10 is working with UEFI.

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Hello,

 

I have win !

 

Thx for your help !

 

Here's what I did:

 

- save all my info on an external hard drive
- remove the drivers from my old graphics card
- remove my 2 GTX 675m
- created a windows 10 bootable usb key in NTFS via the windows utility on the windows site.

 

So I boot on the bios I changed the mode to UEFI and disabling the "load legacy option rom".

 

- turn off the pc
- remove the battery and disconnect the mains

- add the gtx 980m

 

Turn on the pc. This one has boot on the usb key. And the little problem.

My SSD was not the right format. It had to be put in GPT format.

For that, during the installation of windows, at the moment where windows asks you on which partition / hard disk you want to install windows, it is necessary to make:

 

- SHIFT / top arrow / F10

Dos starts and you have to type:

Type "diskpart" and press <Enter>.
Type "list disk" and press <Enter>.
Type "select disk #" and press <Enter>.
(Replace the # with the actual number, for example: select disk 1)
Type "clean" and press <Enter>.
Type "Convert GPT" and press <Enter>.
Enter exit and press <Enter>.

 

Continue your windows installation.

Once finished, launch windows update. Windows update will download the correct drivers for your graphics card.

 

I'm happy to have succeeded !!

 

 

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2 hours ago, Bimbam said:

Hello,

 

I have win !

 

Thx for your help !

 

Here's what I did:

 

- save all my info on an external hard drive
- remove the drivers from my old graphics card
- remove my 2 GTX 675m
- created a windows 10 bootable usb key in NTFS via the windows utility on the windows site.

 

So I boot on the bios I changed the mode to UEFI and disabling the "load legacy option rom".

 

- turn off the pc
- remove the battery and disconnect the mains

- add the gtx 980m

 

Turn on the pc. This one has boot on the usb key. And the little problem.

My SSD was not the right format. It had to be put in GPT format.

For that, during the installation of windows, at the moment where windows asks you on which partition / hard disk you want to install windows, it is necessary to make:

 

- SHIFT / top arrow / F10

Dos starts and you have to type:

Type "diskpart" and press <Enter>.
Type "list disk" and press <Enter>.
Type "select disk #" and press <Enter>.
(Replace the # with the actual number, for example: select disk 1)
Type "clean" and press <Enter>.
Type "Convert GPT" and press <Enter>.
Enter exit and press <Enter>.

 

Continue your windows installation.

Once finished, launch windows update. Windows update will download the correct drivers for your graphics card.

 

I'm happy to have succeeded !!

 

 

Glad I could help, now when you are mentioning all you steps, I remember doing the exact same thing, just been a long time though.

 

Now it is time to get the unlocked bios. Why?

 

You will be able to select a video configuration inside bios:

 

IGFX (integrated graphics)

PEG (discrete graphics)

SW (switchable graphics)

PCI (don't touch causes 8 beeps)

 

The gtx 980m and alot of other card has a throttle problem. The core speed is bouncing up and down like a flee.

 

To solve it you simply select IGFX reboot the computer enter bios again and select PEG. Done!

 

Sometimes the problem comes back but mostly if you shut down the computer uninspected.

 

 

And a bonus is you can boot in legacy mode with gtx 980m and having no beeps.

 

Trust one day you need to switch to legacy and don't remember changing to integrate graphics and you will here 8 beeps and need to take out the gtx 980m again. 

 

Trust me I have been there many times.

 

It is easy to install, take you time don't rush read the instructions a couple of times while you are completing the steps, then nothing will go wrong.

 

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Hi Henrik,

Yes, thanks for your help :)

By cons, what is it that I go back to the way of the previous bios?

I did a test on Furmark and it is true that the graphics card drops quickly from 80 FPS to 20/30 ... then I find that it heats a lot (70/80 degrees).

 

In fact, 5 minutes before you post your first message on my subject, I bought this bios:

 

What do you think of this bios?

 

Thanks again for your help, it's really not my area to play with the bios :)

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11 hours ago, Bimbam said:

Hello,

 

I have win !

 

Thx for your help !

 

Here's what I did:

 

- save all my info on an external hard drive
- remove the drivers from my old graphics card
- remove my 2 GTX 675m
- created a windows 10 bootable usb key in NTFS via the windows utility on the windows site.

 

So I boot on the bios I changed the mode to UEFI and disabling the "load legacy option rom".

 

- turn off the pc
- remove the battery and disconnect the mains

- add the gtx 980m

 

Turn on the pc. This one has boot on the usb key. And the little problem.

My SSD was not the right format. It had to be put in GPT format.

For that, during the installation of windows, at the moment where windows asks you on which partition / hard disk you want to install windows, it is necessary to make:

 

- SHIFT / top arrow / F10

Dos starts and you have to type:

Type "diskpart" and press <Enter>.
Type "list disk" and press <Enter>.
Type "select disk #" and press <Enter>.
(Replace the # with the actual number, for example: select disk 1)
Type "clean" and press <Enter>.
Type "Convert GPT" and press <Enter>.
Enter exit and press <Enter>.

 

Continue your windows installation.

Once finished, launch windows update. Windows update will download the correct drivers for your graphics card.

 

I'm happy to have succeeded !!

 

 

 

4 hours ago, Bimbam said:

Hi Henrik,

Yes, thanks for your help :)

By cons, what is it that I go back to the way of the previous bios?

I did a test on Furmark and it is true that the graphics card drops quickly from 80 FPS to 20/30 ... then I find that it heats a lot (70/80 degrees).

 

In fact, 5 minutes before you post your first message on my subject, I bought this bios:

 

What do you think of this bios?

 

Thanks again for your help, it's really not my area to play with the bios :)

This bios is the best thing that had happened to the alienware.

 

None of the official dell bios will work correctly.

 

Also I will send you my vbios + flashing guide later.

 

(Vbios is the graphics card own bios that controls voltage, clock speeds and many other things.)

 

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Hello,

 

Hello,

You think I can install this bios now after going to UEFI? I am in A12.

The system is stable but the graphics card is down fps on furmark, the games I do not see any decline.

 

 

 

Another question that has nothing to do, I looked at the processor to see if I can change it or what to put.

 

You could know which one would go on my motherboard?

 

thank :)

Edited by Bimbam
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First, yes you can flash the unlocked bios.

BUT to be sure, before you change it switch to the integrated graphics.

If anything goes wrong you can always restore the bios by a blind recovery.

 

Next, if you should upgrade your processor you should choose:

I7 2920xm

I7 2960xm (I have this)

I7 3920xm

I7 3940xm

 

All is overclockable.

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Hi Henrik,

I have not done it yet.

To do it would be better on what? I'm afraid of doing stupid :) I bought 32gb DDR3 in 1600 for my alienware MX18R2 and I will take a second 980M 8gb.

At this level I would be at the maximum capacity of the motherboard.

In the hope that it is good for a little while :)

Edited by Bimbam
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17 minutes ago, Bimbam said:

Hi Henrik,

I have not done it yet.

To do it would be better on what? I'm afraid of doing stupid :) I bought 32gb DDR3 in 1600 for my alienware MX18R2 and I will take a second 980M 8gb.

At this level I would be at the maximum capacity of the motherboard.

In the hope that it is good for a little while :)

To update the bios:

I expect you to have installed alienware OSD (on screen display) and alienware command center. If not you need to do it first.

 

1. Open windows

2. Press FN+F7 (I/D GFX)

3. Follow the on screen instructions.

4. Now you should have disable the gtx 980m and only running on the intel graphics.

5. Download Rufus:

https://rufus.akeo.ie/downloads/rufus-2.18.exe

6. Watch this video from 00:30 to 01:10

 

7. Now you are ready to flash the unlocked bios.

 

I assume you downloaded the unlocked bios and have a .rar folder called m18xr2-SwicksModv2.rar

 

Inside there is a READMEFIRST.txt

Follow the steps and everything will be fine.

 

If you have a question about one of the steps just say so and I help you.

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