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[M17x R2] with AMD 7970M CrossfireX


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  • Founder
Greeting everyone,

I've also hopped on the m7970 bandwagon for my R2. However, I get some serious artifacts/white screens/black screens. This is an unmodified Dell card. should i try flashing svl7 vbios first, or go strait to a replacement?

To add to svl7's inquiries: what driver version are you using?

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Thanks for the warm welcome!

I#m on the A09 bios. Others have been able to use bioses as old as A07 so I havent gone to the unlocked A10 yet. I'm also just using the standard SVGA driver from microsoft in windows 7 and windows 8. However, I can see all of these artifacts in the dual boot screen as well so this is well beyond driver related.

If I try to boot up without a backplate (I was using a 6990 clevo backplate), I get less artifacts by far. Still, the entire screen is very white and the computer will only run for about 2 min before crashing.

Edit: Just a small update. I swapped back plates and now I have a back plate on with still the same white-out effect. I have to believe it is either a connection problem in the MXM bracket or I have something shorted out on the card. Unless something in the port is bent, I doubt it is MXM as it sits very well in the system.

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Thanks for the warm welcome!

I#m on the A09 bios. Others have been able to use bioses as old as A07 so I havent gone to the unlocked A10 yet. I'm also just using the standard SVGA driver from microsoft in windows 7 and windows 8. However, I can see all of these artifacts in the dual boot screen as well so this is well beyond driver related.

If I try to boot up without a backplate (I was using a 6990 clevo backplate), I get less artifacts by far. Still, the entire screen is very white and the computer will only run for about 2 min before crashing.

Edit: Just a small update. I swapped back plates and now I have a back plate on with still the same white-out effect. I have to believe it is either a connection problem in the MXM bracket or I have something shorted out on the card. Unless something in the port is bent, I doubt it is MXM as it sits very well in the system.

were you able to check the temps at all?

also i remember the 6xxx series dell had issues with the r2, but the clevo's worked fine... but nothing this serious.

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I have an interesting update to my m7970 adventure with my R2. As a last resort I tried applying various VBIOS I’ve been finding along the web. The first VBIOS I applied was for an over volted Dell bios (1.075 volts). This resulted in a black screen on boot, so I needed to blind flash it back. Then I tried flingins Eurocom VBIOS. I was surprised to see that it had the same version number and checksum as my original bios! After flashing I still had the same white-out problem as before. I guess this means I’ve had a Clevo card the whole time. Still, long story short I could not find a bios that would work. So I think I have to send the card back to RMA or find another way to get a new card.

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  • Founder
I have an interesting update to my m7970 adventure with my R2. As a last resort I tried applying various VBIOS I’ve been finding along the web. The first VBIOS I applied was for an over volted Dell bios (1.075 volts). This resulted in a black screen on boot, so I needed to blind flash it back. Then I tried flingins Eurocom VBIOS. I was surprised to see that it had the same version number and checksum as my original bios! After flashing I still had the same white-out problem as before. I guess this means I’ve had a Clevo card the whole time. Still, long story short I could not find a bios that would work. So I think I have to send the card back to RMA or find another way to get a new card.

Sorry to hear but yes, that does sound like a defective card. Do you have another card you can test in your system to rule out any other possibilities? If so, give it a try and if that one works fine, send this one back for RMA. Where did you get it from?

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  • 2 weeks later...

I wanted to update everyone on my status. Given the problems I was having, and given that there was a large set of cards not immediately working with the R2, I really wanted to be sure it was a defective card.

I wish I had the time to explain the step by step process, but in the end I got it working in my R2 via a custom vbois that was floating around this forum and notebookreview. The story is that the 7970m was causing black screens in the R2 LCD because, I believe, the refresh rate was set too high by default. I have a hunch that somehow the RGBLED was interpreted as a 3D 120mhz screen. Thus it burnt out a portion of the LED and created the whitescreen effect I was having. After testing this theory with a brand new LED I then moved on to the new vbios and together I get crisp RGB color again. :) I just wish I didn't have to lose a screen to gain this interesting knowledge.

The bad news is that now I need to disassemble the LCD assembly to swap panels. And I hear it is a pain in the but. So if anyone can give me an assist with a link to another thread or video on how to do this, I would be appreciative.

And let this be a lesson to everyone: If a new video card doesn't post or gives a black screen, don't force it or it may damage your screen.

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  • 1 month later...
hi svl7 i flash my 7970m card with bad vbios and now my m15x unable to boot i just able to see black screen. can you help me to fix this my 7970m vbios? how much does it cost? thank you

you need to do a flash blind. Your screen is black but you're still able to type commands. So shake your head and remember the steps you've done before ;)

copy a working vbios.rom on your usb drive from a different computer.

Stick in your usb drive to the M15x, boot from it and type the atiflash commands. After approx 15-20secs reboot. Hopefully your screen lights up again.

Good luck!

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  • 4 weeks later...
3DMark11 with the 12.11 drivers

[ATTACH=CONFIG]5281[/ATTACH]

Epic StamatisX nice clocks but better yet nice score for those clocks. Almost little difference from 680m to 7970m now in benches.

Paranoid Galaxy S3 on Tapatalk 2

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I wanted to update everyone on my status. Given the problems I was having, and given that there was a large set of cards not immediately working with the R2, I really wanted to be sure it was a defective card.

I wish I had the time to explain the step by step process, but in the end I got it working in my R2 via a custom vbois that was floating around this forum and notebookreview. The story is that the 7970m was causing black screens in the R2 LCD because, I believe, the refresh rate was set too high by default. I have a hunch that somehow the RGBLED was interpreted as a 3D 120mhz screen. Thus it burnt out a portion of the LED and created the whitescreen effect I was having. After testing this theory with a brand new LED I then moved on to the new vbios and together I get crisp RGB color again. :) I just wish I didn't have to lose a screen to gain this interesting knowledge.

The bad news is that now I need to disassemble the LCD assembly to swap panels. And I hear it is a pain in the but. So if anyone can give me an assist with a link to another thread or video on how to do this, I would be appreciative.

And let this be a lesson to everyone: If a new video card doesn't post or gives a black screen, don't force it or it may damage your screen.

i didn't read this forum before, but i think i just burned my monitor like you described. lol, what version of the vbios should i flash it to ?

View image: PB020254

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Which card and vbios are you using?

Hi SLV7

i am using stock one, card is from eurocom, and it is eurocom version ( because they have dell versions as well) , this was one of the first 7970m's shipped from eurocom.

vbios is here, i don't know the version, i am at work now.

And another.. 7970m in M17x R2..Installation with photos

I would be grateful if @rsgeiger would post the VBIOS that he is using here, i could flash my card and see the results.

I am still under warranty so maybe there is a way to RMA my RGB monitor if it is really burned, but in case not, i have new spare one.

really SAD I AM :(

Vbios please guyz :)

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  • 1 month later...

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