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Alienware M17x R4 (2012/2013) GPU GTX 1060m updgrade problem :(


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Hi!

 

Well, well... Win starts to get sassy with me... I really hope you guys can help me out!

So, I followed the instructions of this post:

 

 

I replaced the display to a 120hz one, reinstalled Win and modded the BIOS settings as stated without upgrading from A12 to newer versions.

Everything worked flawlessly until after I swapped the graphics card from a GTX 680m to a GTX 1060m. (bought from ebay: https://www.ebay.de/itm/GeForce-GTX-1060M-6-GB-DDR5-MXM-3-0-Typ-B-für-Alienware-Clevo-MSI-DELL/313087992075?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 )

Win device manager lists the 1060m as a "Microsoft Basic Display Adapter" (image 1) just as GPU-Z (image 2), but the properties displayed in GPU-Z indicate that it is indeed a GTX 1060m, further confirming it when looking it up in GPU-Z database. (image 3) Even the BIOS detects it as "NVIDIA GFX" as "discrete graphics".

 

Here´s what I did so far:

 

1. DDU

2. Downloading latest Nvidia Driver and trying to install which of course didn´t work.

3. Uninstalling and upgrading through device manager

4. Checking whether the card was fully inserted

5. Win Updates

 

And now I´m out of ideas :(

I´d be grateful for any ideas!

 

Kind regards,

Lars

 

P.S.: I will upload the images soon. The website didn´t let me :/

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  • Bios Modder
On 3/20/2021 at 6:23 PM, GluckFluch said:

I replaced the display to a 120hz one, reinstalled Win and modded the BIOS settings as stated without upgrading from A12 to newer versions.

Everything worked flawlessly until after I swapped the graphics card from a GTX 680m to a GTX 1060m. (bought from ebay: https://www.ebay.de/itm/GeForce-GTX-1060M-6-GB-DDR5-MXM-3-0-Typ-B-für-Alienware-Clevo-MSI-DELL/313087992075?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 )

Win device manager lists the 1060m as a "Microsoft Basic Display Adapter" (image 1) just as GPU-Z (image 2), but the properties displayed in GPU-Z indicate that it is indeed a GTX 1060m, further confirming it when looking it up in GPU-Z database. (image 3) Even the BIOS detects it as "NVIDIA GFX" as "discrete graphics".

Hi!

You need to install modified Nvidia drivers!

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OOOOOOK, this is some crazy stupid, idioctic and laughable sh*t.

As I´ve seen plenty of post of people having the same problem I want to keep this post and tell you how it´s done (for Nvidia cards):

 

1. Download latest driver from Nvidia

2. Use Winrar or 7zip to unzip the driver in a new folder

3. Go to device manager and right-click the "Microsoft Basic Display Driver" and select "Update Driver".

4. Select "Browse my computer for drivers"

5. Select "Let me pick..."

6. Select "Have Disk"

7. Go into the folder with the unzipped driver files, enter the subfolder "Display.Driver" and select "nvaci.inf".

8. Now Windows will present you a whole bunch of driver options to choose from besides the "Microsoft Basic Display Driver" that was the only one available.

9. Search and select the driver dedicated to your graphics card and install.

10. Use DDU in save mode and remove all nvidia drivers to install the modified one!

11. YOU ARE DONE!

4 minutes ago, Klem said:

Hi!

You need to install modified Nvidia drivers!

I tried that using NVCleanstall (instructions from laptopvideo2go), but the nvidia driver setup didn´t detected the graphics card!

Edited by GluckFluch
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  • Bios Modder
4 minutes ago, GluckFluch said:

OOOOOOK, this is some crazy stupid, idioctic and laughable sh*t.

As I´ve seen plenty of post of people having the same problem I want to keep this post and tell you how it´s done (for Nvidia cards):

 

1. Download latest driver from Nvidia

2. Use Winrar or 7zip to unzip the driver in a new folder

3. Go to device manager and right-click the "Microsoft Basic Display Driver" and select "Update Driver".

4. Select "Browse my computer for drivers"

5. Select "Let me pick..."

6. Select "Have Disk"

7. Go into the folder with the unzipped driver files, enter the subfolder "Display.Driver" and select "nvaci.inf".

8. Now Windows will present you a whole bunch of driver options to choose from besides the "Microsoft Basic Display Driver" that was the only one available.

9. Search and select the driver dedicated to your graphics card and install.

10. YOU ARE DONE!

I tried that using NVCleanstall (instructions from laptopvideo2go), but the nvidia driver setup didn´t detected the graphic card!

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/msi-gtx-1070-mxm-successfully-working-on-alienware-m17x-r4-another-socket-victory-against-bga-crap.803637/

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You need to modify the nvdmi inf. This is the Dell one. The big list of Hardware ID's should all end in 1028 which is the Dell code.

A basic description of how to do this is;

1. Download the latest driver from Nvidia

2. Start the Installer and let it fail

3. Do not close the installer but instead go to your C: drive. Find the NVIDIA folder and Copy and paste it in the C: drive. It will auto name itself as NVIDIA - Copy

4. Close the Installer

5. Go to Device Manager - Display Adapters - right click on Microsoft Basic Display Adapter - Properties - Details - Select Hardware ID from the dropdown.

6. Copy and paste the second line onto Notepad. This ID contains your GPU, Laptop Model and Manufacturer ID. For Example 1BA1 (GPU).....055A (Laptop).....1028 (Dell)

7: Open the NVIDIA - Copy folder and go into the Display.Driver folder and find the nvdmi inf

8. Scroll down to the long list of Hardware ID's. Find the last ID that shares your 4 digit GPU ID. (For my 1070 it is 1BA1)

9. Make a spare line below this ID. Copy and Paste this line into the spare line.

10. Change the 4 digit Laptop Model ID in the two spots it is listed to your Laptop Model ID that you pulled from Device Manager. This ID is the first 4 digits of the 8 digit number at the end of the line, before the 4 digit Dell ID (1028). 

11. Scroll almost to the bottom of the inf and find the Strings. Find the last String that shares your GPU ID.

12. Make a line below this and Copy and Paste this line into the empty line. Change the 4 digit laptop code to your code like previously.

13. Save and close the inf and NVIDIA - Copy folder

 

Now you need to restart the laptop and Disable Driver Signature Enforcement before being able to install the driver. If you don't disable this then you cannot install the modded driver. 

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  • 1 year later...

Hello GluckFluch I'm planning to connect the GTX 1070 to the Alienware M17x R4. The information in this thread has been a great learning experience. We look forward to your continued support as the same Alienware M17x R4 user.

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