M17x-R2 + 6970M

[Michael]

^^ yeah right

[mw86]

Sure Stam your not gonna get an itch for an R3 or M18x... what happens if theres no dual 6970M R2? Joking anyway... as fast as that could be dual 5870M isn't anything to laugh at either way.

[StamatisX]

The biggest turn off for me is the screen (WLED vs RGB LED) plus I am allergic to 1080p... still my current configuration is more than capable to handle anything out there so I most likely will skip this generation of laptops.

[mw86]

I love the RGB 1200P its pleasing to the eyes you could say.

[daveh98]

Another consideration about jumping from 5870 CF to a whole new system is the fact that most games "should" play (from what people tell me) until the next consoles arrive. When new consoles arrive, it won't matter if it's 5870 CF or 485 SLI as consoles arrive and compete with the best of desktop performance. Sure the videocards in the desktops may have more "raw" power but the visual difference is negligible. When I got my 360, COD2 and Tomb Raider looked damn near identical to my Alienware FX 55 CPU, and dual 6800 ULTRAs.

Therefore how can video cards in a Laptop from 2011 compete with the best of what desktops offer in 2013. This was a major consideration for jumping on a $2000.00 R2 from the outlet with maxed specs (920xm, CF 5870, RGB). It should play the games I want to play at good settings for a few years which nets a good ROI for me. The reality is that PC gaming is becoming consolized. I attribute most of this to the majority of gamers going online VIA live and PSN. Now PC developers can target a bigger audience, spend less time optimizing codes to work on a variety of platforms and just rush average games and patch the updates....while milking the console players "points" for new outfits. It's kinda sad because I reflect back to 2003-2005 and vividly remember my jaw hitting the floor with Far Cry, HL2, Doom3, Oblivion and FEAR. There was just NOTHING CLOSE to what was offered on consoles. Now PC gamers are left with going to beyond3d to count pixels and brag about resolution and AA differences.

However I do agree that the 6970 should have been what the 5870 was. It reminds me when I bought the m15x R1 the day it was released and it toppled SLI 8700 GTs. That system ran strong for 3 years and I jumped on the R2 as my 8800GTX died.

At the end of the day, these philosophical ponderings are considered "good problems" to be facing IMO. Just to be in a position to afford a gaming laptop in a depressed economy makes me appreciate how far I have come in this world.

[Huuy]

Yeah I got my R2 on the outlet as well, they had a nice 20% off, it was either an R2 or an R3. And of course, I had to get the R2.

New consoles shouldn't be out until 2013-204 anyway, and even by then they are always a couple of years behind PCs. I mean the new consoles could have a GPU equivalent to the 6970M.

[Brian]

Another consideration about jumping from 5870 CF to a whole new system is the fact that most games "should" play (from what people tell me) until the next consoles arrive. When new consoles arrive, it won't matter if it's 5870 CF or 485 SLI as consoles arrive and compete with the best of desktop performance. Sure the videocards in the desktops may have more "raw" power but the visual difference is negligible. When I got my 360, COD2 and Tomb Raider looked damn near identical to my Alienware FX 55 CPU, and dual 6800 ULTRAs.

Therefore how can video cards in a Laptop from 2011 compete with the best of what desktops offer in 2013. This was a major consideration for jumping on a $2000.00 R2 from the outlet with maxed specs (920xm, CF 5870, RGB). It should play the games I want to play at good settings for a few years which nets a good ROI for me. The reality is that PC gaming is becoming consolized. I attribute most of this to the majority of gamers going online VIA live and PSN. Now PC developers can target a bigger audience, spend less time optimizing codes to work on a variety of platforms and just rush average games and patch the updates....while milking the console players "points" for new outfits. It's kinda sad because I reflect back to 2003-2005 and vividly remember my jaw hitting the floor with Far Cry, HL2, Doom3, Oblivion and FEAR. There was just NOTHING CLOSE to what was offered on consoles. Now PC gamers are left with going to beyond3d to count pixels and brag about resolution and AA differences.

However I do agree that the 6970 should have been what the 5870 was. It reminds me when I bought the m15x R1 the day it was released and it toppled SLI 8700 GTs. That system ran strong for 3 years and I jumped on the R2 as my 8800GTX died.

At the end of the day, these philosophical ponderings are considered "good problems" to be facing IMO. Just to be in a position to afford a gaming laptop in a depressed economy makes me appreciate how far I have come in this world.

Yeah I got my R2 on the outlet as well, they had a nice 20% off, it was either an R2 or an R3. And of course, I had to get the R2.

New consoles shouldn't be out until 2013-204 anyway, and even by then they are always a couple of years behind PCs. I mean the new consoles could have a GPU equivalent to the 6970M.

Unfortunately this is true, until the next gen consoles are released, PC games that really push modern desktops or gaming notebooks are far and few inbetween. Battlefield 3 will be one of those rare gems that does it and perhaps some Unreal 3 engine modified game will also. I think Mass Effect 3 will do a good job of taking advantage of modern PCs along with MMO games that tend to be graphically intensive. However, for most games, 5870M xfire will be enough for a long time to go.

[mw86]

Another consideration about jumping from 5870 CF to a whole new system is the fact that most games "should" play (from what people tell me) until the next consoles arrive. When new consoles arrive, it won't matter if it's 5870 CF or 485 SLI as consoles arrive and compete with the best of desktop performance. Sure the videocards in the desktops may have more "raw" power but the visual difference is negligible. When I got my 360, COD2 and Tomb Raider looked damn near identical to my Alienware FX 55 CPU, and dual 6800 ULTRAs.

Therefore how can video cards in a Laptop from 2011 compete with the best of what desktops offer in 2013. This was a major consideration for jumping on a $2000.00 R2 from the outlet with maxed specs (920xm, CF 5870, RGB). It should play the games I want to play at good settings for a few years which nets a good ROI for me. The reality is that PC gaming is becoming consolized. I attribute most of this to the majority of gamers going online VIA live and PSN. Now PC developers can target a bigger audience, spend less time optimizing codes to work on a variety of platforms and just rush average games and patch the updates....while milking the console players "points" for new outfits. It's kinda sad because I reflect back to 2003-2005 and vividly remember my jaw hitting the floor with Far Cry, HL2, Doom3, Oblivion and FEAR. There was just NOTHING CLOSE to what was offered on consoles. Now PC gamers are left with going to beyond3d to count pixels and brag about resolution and AA differences.

However I do agree that the 6970 should have been what the 5870 was. It reminds me when I bought the m15x R1 the day it was released and it toppled SLI 8700 GTs. That system ran strong for 3 years and I jumped on the R2 as my 8800GTX died.

At the end of the day, these philosophical ponderings are considered "good problems" to be facing IMO. Just to be in a position to afford a gaming laptop in a depressed economy makes me appreciate how far I have come in this world.

The order is the games hit PC and Game Consoles at once but all the console users (not biased have some myself) don't get the visual the pc gamers do, just recently compared 1080p Need For Speed Hot Pursuit on PC to 1080P Hot Pursuit on PS3 and the PC had a far better picture!

[daveh98]

That isn't the point I was trying to make though mw86. Sure the picture is better but look at the cost? I mean the 360 came out in 2005 and comparing need for speed or any other port on todays hardware isn't fair. Compare NFS on a 7800GTX (a good GPU in 2005). It wouldn't be close. Optimization, per my original post, is a huge culprit. Even if the next gen consoles have a GPU like a 6970M (which anyone knows it won't) it will still run games much better than a 6970M on a PC. Virtua Fighter 5 runs on an Nvidia 6800 GT. That is still a good looking fighting game. Why? Because the game was specifically designed to run that particular GPU. Consoles GPU's when they debut are roughly equal to the power of the best current desktop counterpart. However since every game is designed to run on the console, the visuals are way more fluid and better. You couldnt run Fight Night Round 3 on a PC with a 7800 GTX.

Again, to my previous post, developers are less interested in pushing PC technology for little ROI. They are now turning to consoles and mostly then porting to PC. You need good GPU's to run some of these ports (GTA IV, Crysis 2, etc). Therefore it really will be pointless in 2 years when the new consoles come out because only then will PC GPU's take the real "next gen." It WASN'T always this way....(Crysis, Far Cry, HL, HL2, Oblivion, FEAR, et al.)

[mw86]

That isn't the point I was trying to make though mw86. Sure the picture is better but look at the cost? I mean the 360 came out in 2005 and comparing need for speed or any other port on todays hardware isn't fair. Compare NFS on a 7800GTX (a good GPU in 2005). It wouldn't be close. Optimization, per my original post, is a huge culprit. Even if the next gen consoles have a GPU like a 6970M (which anyone knows it won't) it will still run games much better than a 6970M on a PC. Virtua Fighter 5 runs on an Nvidia 6800 GT. That is still a good looking fighting game. Why? Because the game was specifically designed to run that particular GPU. Consoles GPU's when they debut are roughly equal to the power of the best current desktop counterpart. However since every game is designed to run on the console, the visuals are way more fluid and better. You couldnt run Fight Night Round 3 on a PC with a 7800 GTX.

Again, to my previous post, developers are less interested in pushing PC technology for little ROI. They are now turning to consoles and mostly then porting to PC. You need good GPU's to run some of these ports (GTA IV, Crysis 2, etc). Therefore it really will be pointless in 2 years when the new consoles come out because only then will PC GPU's take the real "next gen." It WASN'T always this way....(Crysis, Far Cry, HL, HL2, Oblivion, FEAR, et al.)

In that case I agree... it didn't used to be like that and it shouldn't be going in that sort of pattern. The game I was talking about is from 2010 not 2005. But your point hits spot on. I think if they are designing games around consoles since they have no operating system taking all the resources should then be able to do all the modern graphic techniques. They often don't use much AA or AF and it shows. In the end though your absolutely right same game $300+ console and $2000+ PC that is not how things should be.

[AssimilatorX]

Hi!

I tried on 5870M CFX vmod is no go (no boot no post flashing scroll+caps+stdy numlock) only way to fix that if you plug it in another laptop not having problem with a dead vbios and flas hit or (soldering in my way)....

BTW could you say something on power distribution does your sysboard handle it well (any random BSOD) and bit afraid of bios support but i got a 5870 spare cfx cable so cfx is plan for my if is works i rather stick with my r2 for a while just cancelled my r3 orde when i learned is only single...

Edited May 31, 2011 by AssimilatorX
more info request... :D

[mw86]

@AssimilatorX Welcome to T | I AssimilatorX. Pardon me for I do not understand which 5870VMod you did? Nice rig you have there. I see your trying Windows 8 on it. I'm sure one of us can assist you. Can you clarify what vmod on the 5870M Crossfire you attempted. The Original Post is about the newer 6970M being installed in the M17x R2 since it's not sold as an option an some people were hoping to install them. I don't know what you needed to solder. BTW if your getting the three indicator lights blinking... then you there may be something wrong. Dell lists the meanings of those on their manual on the web for the R2. Please elaborate, I'm sure one of us can point you in the right direction. Again welcome to Tech | Inferno AssimilatorX.

[AssimilatorX]

@AssimilatorX Welcome to T | I AssimilatorX. Pardon me for I do not understand which 5870VMod you did? Nice rig you have there. I see your trying Windows 8 on it. I'm sure one of us can assist you. Can you clarify what vmod on the 5870M Crossfire you attempted. The Original Post is about the newer 6970M being installed in the M17x R2 since it's not sold as an option an some people were hoping to install them. I don't know what you needed to solder. BTW if your getting the three indicator lights blinking... then you there may be something wrong. Dell lists the meanings of those on their manual on the web for the R2. Please elaborate, I'm sure one of us can point you in the right direction. Again welcome to Tech | Inferno AssimilatorX.

Sorry! Indeed i tried RBE vmod but, there is no option to regulate voltage except the original 1.05. When i changed the setting manually type 1.1 it did not post anymore systemboard sent me the MXM unit error. I seen some other 5870M vbios have the option (like Asus) but vhen i changed the oem and gpu type to the right which need for m17x-r2 probably because bios incompatibility my laptop behaving strange... Even Asus have Overdrive Enabled why alen does not?

[mw86]

Sorry! Indeed i tried RBE vmod but, there is no option to regulate voltage except the original 1.05. When i changed the setting manually type 1.1 it did not post anymore systemboard sent me the MXM unit error. I seen some other 5870M vbios have the option (like Asus) but vhen i changed the oem and gpu type to the right which need for m17x-r2 probably because bios incompatibility my laptop behaving strange... Even Asus have Overdrive Enabled why alen does not?

Strange RBE allows me to adjust voltage.. only change the 3d clocks... the high setting. If you change some of the others I have ran into instability. You type it in under the 3d max performance profile. When I used rbe I used 1.15v which is the max the the voltage regulator built into the 5870M's. The latest version has a easy overlcock wizard on the clocks tab, skip the 2d and type your 1.1 in where you normally see 1.05. Save your bios for the first card. Open your copy of your second bios original and change that again to 1.1. You now should have a vbios file for you first card... and a specific one for your second card. reflash them and all should be good. You absolutely cannot flash a primary video card vbios onto your secondary card and vice versa. Doing so could brick the cards. The primary card has a unique vbios and so does the secondary... you need to acquire both original vbios files in order to do this. Follow Brian's guide here http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m17x/51-ati-amd-5870m-vbios-flash.html

Let us know if this helps or you need more info!

Edit: If you check out here since you have a non-xm cpu and the M17x R2 you are a candidate to update from bios A10 to "the Wiz's" unlocked bios A10 allowing you to have 1-5% baseclock overclock in the bios... just like the 920xm and 940XM cheers hope you enjoy! check out Brian's post about it here.

http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m17x/64-unlocked-alienware-m17x-r2-bios-version-1-released.html

Edited May 31, 2011 by mw86
added juicy info

[AssimilatorX]

Strange RBE allows me to adjust voltage.. only change the 3d clocks... the high setting. If you change some of the others I have ran into instability. You type it in under the 3d max performance profile. When I used rbe I used 1.15v which is the max the the voltage regulator built into the 5870M's. The latest version has a easy overlcock wizard on the clocks tab, skip the 2d and type your 1.1 in where you normally see 1.05. Save your bios for the first card. Open your copy of your second bios original and change that again to 1.1. You now should have a vbios file for you first card... and a specific one for your second card. reflash them and all should be good. You absolutely cannot flash a primary video card vbios onto your secondary card and vice versa. Doing so could brick the cards. The primary card has a unique vbios and so does the secondary... you need to acquire both original vbios files in order to do this. Follow Brian's guide here http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m17x/51-ati-amd-5870m-vbios-flash.html

Let us know if this helps or you need more info!

Edit: If you check out here since you have a non-xm cpu and the M17x R2 you are a candidate to update from bios A10 to "the Wiz's" unlocked bios A10 allowing you to have 1-5% baseclock overclock in the bios... just like the 920xm and 940XM cheers hope you enjoy! check out Brian's post about it here.

http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m17x/64-unlocked-alienware-m17x-r2-bios-version-1-released.html

I am IT technician more than 20 years this is my 4th m17x-r2 and not a beginner sorry...

Both 5870 runing identical bios, there is no slave and master for m17x-r2. My vbios is official dell release just overclocked (moderate) i could go up to 850/1200Mhz is NICE but not worth it.And using Unlocked BIOS

Unlocked Alienware M17x-R2 Bios Released! | Tech|Inferno

and NO thanks! NO Windows based flashing hapening around me thx Stick with DOS flashers....for good reason.

[mw86]

I only use usb based dos flashes myself.. I never suggested software flashing. I meant no disrespect... I didn't think you were a beginner. All I was trying to say is you should have no prob adding voltage from 1.05-1.15 volts... that's all. Brians post on VBIOS flashing shows the dos based method too that's the one everyone uses when using a custom vbios.

"5. At the Command Prompt, type in "atiflash -p 0 dellb0.rom” (without the quotes) to flash the master card. Then after it has been flashed, type, “atiflash –p 1 dellb1.rom” (without the quotes) to flash the secondary/slave card. Once the flash process has completed, you may remove the USB key and reboot" -Brian K.

In Brians post on the VBIOS flashing... you can rename atiflash -p 0 dellb0.rom to atiflash –p 1 dellb1.rom and flash them as if they were the respective cards? I didn't know that... I always took care not mix up my primary and secondary custom vbios files. I thought they had unique code when in secondary slot... due to the fact they don't stay on at all times like the primary does. Thanks I didn't know that.

[AssimilatorX]

Thats why we lucky to have this forums so we cal learn from eachothers (knowledge or mistakes sometimes). thanks the welcome LOL

[GetFound]

Hi AssimilatorX! Where did you get the win 8? I'd PM you but I dont think you can yet.

[mw86]

PM AssimilatorX... he can I was just speaking to him myself. I'm also interested in Windows 8... are you on beta or is it a variation?

[Michael]

Currently the only way to get windows 8 is to torrent it, unless you're a Microsoft OEM partner that is

[AssimilatorX]

Just Ordered a i7 920XM CPU should be with me soon as soon. I have more resource to spare i'll go for 6970M FCX or a single 6970M with a GTX 285M as dedicated PhysX ... I've not decided yet, any opinion on that would help... I know 6970 is a powerhungry beast so cfx would need more power i dont really want burn my systemboard. I may could try replace the power coils and the regulator IC's.

[DanXbix]

omg i didn't think of that 6970m and 285m PhysX i wonder how that would perform

[AssimilatorX]

Just need more ££££, what i had spared now i spent on a cpu LOL... Able to get 6970M from mxm-upgrade for ~ £400 + the GTX 280M from ebay for ~£140 = £540 that a lot. But worth it than ,can say i have a AMD+nvidia Hybrid GFX:36_002: thats cooooool Prehaps after next month... will let you know...