[Guide] Installing AMD Radeon Mobility 6970 / 6990 in your M17x R2 (Single GPU and CrossfireX)

Yes I'm upgrading to a single 6990m. I'll try .ROM. Would make sense why it wasn't working.

No I didn't run it in windows. Don't think it was possible at this point. I'm re-formating my usb as the guide states and will try again. All I need is to have the atiflash .exe on the usb? Or is there some other step I'll need to be aware of?

 

@weinstein888 I wouldn't worry about what HWinfo says if it shows the temps. Plenty of bugs when it comes to programs like that,

 

The USB has to be made bootable. Here is the guide I use

 

Right right. That's what I'm re-doing right now. Then putting the 6990m.ROM and the atiflash.exe on it?

 

correct. Thats all you need. Then just flash it with atiflash -p 0 6990m.rom. I've never used a cd command. just make sure you use the new atiflash version.

 

yeah cd just stands for change directory (assuming I read aarpcards update correctly) to get to where the file is located.

If I mis-understood then just ignore me

CONGRATS Weinstein. Those C-clips are a huge pain...that's the hardest part of this entire procedure if
you ask me.

 

So did you get everything 100% working? Are you going to undervolt the cards to .96 like DR65SE? How's the heat / performance?

I'm going to the tech's office Monday @ 2:30 to install the cards. I just want everything to go well

ULPS? What exactly does that mean? Is this something I'll need to know so I can verify the cards are working after they're installed?

 

You're only going to have to worry about if it you plan on overclocking in the windows environment. If you do you have to make sure ULPS is disabled or you'll get BSOD's.

 

Ok. So the card is installed and the drivers are working now. I do thank everyone for that. But now I have two noticable problems.

#1. During boot up or anywhere on the screen that is black there is what looks like red lines ((Maybe numbers?)) running up the screen. It looks like the matrix but, in red? I know that sounds weird but, that's the best way I can destribe it. I took a screen capture in paint with nothing but black.



#2. Whenever I type in the browser certain parts of the page I'm on disappear when I hit a key and come right back.

I just downloaded the latest catalyst control center 11.11. Is this my card itself or maybe it's not fully installed to the connector?

 

Nope, not overclocking. Also, should I worry about:

These are the cards I ordered--http://www.ebay.ca/itm/ATI-Mobility-Radeon-HD-6990m-GPU-MXM-3-0-Type-B-/120799717971?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item1c20396a53#ht_3642wt_1392

Should I be worried?

Edit: For all the pasting and pads I'm using Arctic Cooling MX-4 High Performance Non-Conductive THermal Compound and Fujipoly Premium System Builder Thermal Pad 1/4 Sheet. (1 .5 sheet and 1 1 sheet)

I bought this stuff back in May for the repasting of my machine and up until recently (CPU is getting hot) it had worked really well. The tech used a bunch of the .5 sheet and didn't touch the 1 sheet of thermal pads. Not sure what the measurement is. MM? CM? Anyway, I just want to make sure that stuff is good for the install of the 6990s. Should I use the .5 thermal pads like I did with the 5870's or the 1.0's?

 

No lol. I ordered my cards from that vendor and they worked flawlessly. Make sure to ask for 8 VGA screws as well. They'll probably include them just like they included the pads, but better safe than sorry. I just did this upgrade and it really looks much more intimidating than it is. This is my first experience with really working inside of a computer and it seems to have gone quite smoothly ^_^

 

They're sending the screws / crossfire cable and paste. Should I use the pads they send or my own?

 

I used .5mm pads on the memory and their 1.0mm pads on the small components along the top. I also used my own paste. I highly recommend Arctic Cooling MX-4. I spread it with a business card. Worked like a charm.

 

@Intense : Nope don't have to worry about the issues since you'll be using the Clevo bios from DR650..so won't have any of those issues.

 

What do you think about that, Greywolf?

Weinstein did you paste / pad the exact same spots that your previous cards were in? Did you uninstall the video drivers prior to replacing cards?

When I turn on the machine with the new cards, should I reinstall throttlestop or whatever to make sure I get accurate readings? It seems like some of the stuff may be finicky. I just want to make sure I have all the files on my computer ready to go to test this thing. The only benching software I have is 3dmark 11. I meet with the tech TOMORROW AT 1:30! . I'm going to sleep with my dog in my guest room (front of the house) tonight so that when the FedEx guy comes to the door (cards say deliver before noon, which likely means early morning) my dog will flip a .

 

I personally only used the .5mm pads on the memory and didn't put pads anywhere else. I know some folks have put pads on the other small components on the top (or bottom) of the cards. For me I didn't notice any significant difference but actual results from other folks may vary.

Hope it all goes well for you tomorrow!

 

Wait, I just realized that I'm going from 2 gigs total to 2 gigs EACH CARD? ?

EDIT: I just went out and got some of those scissors with the little up curve I want to be prepared!

 

Yes, each card has 2Gb but total memory will still be 2Gb.

 

Right. Which also means that 5870s provided a total if 1gb video memory. Which is a common thing people misunderstand.

Intense, that's awesome that things will get done tomorrow. Can't wait to see your feedback on the cards.

 

I got a PM from weinstein saying:

Have you all had similar findings? If so, may be worth updating the front page with.

Also, for when I'm testing this thing tomorrow, I need to know what temps I should see on my cards (undervolted @ .96) so I know whether or not they're working correctly. I'll be using 3dmark 11.

Thanks for your help everyone who's contributed. I just want to get all my ducks in a row before doing this. I just want so badly for everything to go well!

EDIT: I also read somewhere that I should get radeon pro? I don't use that now, do I need it?

Also, this is from the first post:

The PSU is just the power brick that plugs into the wall, right? If they figure out a bios mod then we could just use the m18x brick and wouldn't have to worry about power issues? As long as I don't overclock, I guess there aren't really any power issues for me to worry about anyway, right (assuming I'm undervolted to .96).

Also, I think I'm at a 5% OC on my processor from what they did stock. Is that alright? How do I determine if I have turbo boost or whatever its called on? How much power is the machine ALLOWED to draw before resulting in issues? How can I tell how much power it IS drawing? How big is the M17x r2 power supply? Thanks!

EDIT: It seems, given the pictures of the 6790, that the card maxes around 80 with stock clocks. My 5870s stays in the low 70's. I just want to make sure I know what to expect so I know if its working. If 80 C is the norm max I should be okay with that right? It won't destroy the longevity of my boards and heat the other components? Lol, I know - I'm paranoid. I did, however, order a cooling pad to promote good air flow, as per the recommendation of Greywolf. http://www.amazon.com/CRYO-LX-Alumi...VZS0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322778664&sr=8-1

That will be here Monday, which is fine because I need to make sure that the machine is soundly working and the temps are appropriate before adding another variable.

Sorry for all of the questions! I just want to nail this thing right!

 

To answer a few of your questions...

The PSU is the power brick that plugs into the wall (240W). We are still hoping that a bios modification will come along to allow the M18x power supply to work (currently this is not available). As long as you aren't overclocking your cards you should be ok.

If you go into the bios, you will see where the CPU is overclocked. The default BIOS allows for a 5% overclock. You might want to remove the overclock if you see any problems with the power supply switching off (computer turning off), otherwise I don't think it's a problem.

Although the folks running 6990's could answer this better, I know I keep mine at 5% overclock and my 6970's at stock

Regarding allowed, 240W is the guaranteed level, although the power supplies can go above this. The best way (that I'm aware of) is to purchase a kill-o-watt meter...essentially you plug it into the wall and then plug your laptop in to determine how much wattage it pulls. I believe I bought mine at Frys' electronics for around 20 bucks, although I know Home Depot and other places sell them as well.

At max, my system rarely exceeds 240W...in most cases at max draw it's about 237W. Occasionally it'll peak to 245 or 250W but isn't sustained.

I know the 6990's will draw more power, although how much you draw will depend on numerous other items.

aarpcard is probably the best person to address power...also DR650 can probably tell you what is watts read on average gaming vs overclocking.

 

I'm getting great performance with my 5870's, so anything better than this is icing on the cake. Not going to overclock so I'll be fine.

What about radeon pro? do I need it? I read somewhere it unlocks xfire's full potential or something?

Temperatures?

Thanks Mike!

 

@ intense

im running all stock settings on my 6990's with an 820qm, verything turned on and i have not run into power draw issues.

also after about two hours of playing bf3 on ultra settings my cards float at 85c at the hottest/ with a cooling pad

i have not undervolted or overclocked my cards.

im not sure what the difference in temp would be with an undervolt

 

I was told that the undervolt would help with the temps. I'd like to get lower than 85 if possible - that seems a little high.

Also, I just got my cards in the mail and I have a question. On the back of the card is says ATI BLACKCOMB XTX V2.0 2G. On the auction: ATI Mobility Radeon? HD 6990m GPU MXM 3.0 Type B | eBay it says MXM 3.0. Did they send me the wrong cards? Or is v2.0 okay?

 

That's just the version of the card. So should be good (Blackcomb XTX indicates they are 6990's I believe).

But yeah don't worry about the version of the card, isn't related to the MXM number. (MXM I believe just indicates the slot for capability purposes..but someone here might be able to explain it better)

 

Thanks, Mike. I'm going to start up with the tech in T minus 2 hours!! Keep your phone near you and get ready for frantic Andrew!

Also, they sent me a tube of IC Diamond, as well as two little tubes of http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...-apply-thermal-paste-you-gpu.html#post3355363

No clue what those two little tubes are but I googled the numbers on the tag and that post came up. For the repaste, should I use the IC Diamond they sent me or my Mx4?

 

I've heard IC Diamond is the best. How it compares to MX-4? I'm not sure. I used OCZ Freeze and had great results.

 

For getting the OLD paste off, what do you recommend using? Acetone and cue tips?

EDIT: I'm just trying to grab stuff from the house that I may need incase he doesn't have it (not sure how often he repastes machines).

I have nail polish remover here, which is acetone. I also have 70% Isopropyl Alcohol solution. Should I bring either of these?

 

Yeah I'd use the 70% Isopropyl Alcohol. I used 90%, but anything around 70% should be good

 

KK. Leaving in a few. Packing up laptop now. Getting a smoothie, bringing the dog to a buddies and heading over! Thanks everyone and wish me luck.

 

Both will work

 

Good luck!!

 

Good luck!

 

Yeah man, good luck. Make sure you get some benchmarks up with temperatures included. Are you guys able to do 800/1000 overclock running CrossFire, or is that too much for the brick?

 

Graphic cards are doing GREAT. Haven't undervolted yet and 3dmark 11 give me 6300 up from 4200.

My CPU is still running hotter than I'd like. Does Ic7 24 carrot take time to cure or something? I'm worried because the tech used his bare finger to put the paste on the CPU. On the cards, he used a sandwich bag as per the advice of Greywolf. Should that make a difference?

The more I'm using it the lower the temps are getting. I'm worried because I used to get get in the 40's C on my CPU while idle. Now I'm getting in the 50's 60's. Watching throttle stop, it keeps getting lower. Could the diamond be curing? I'm so confused.

I just played a bit of SC2 and I maxed @ 67...that's good, but when I left the shop, 3dmark 11 went to 95!

EDIT: I just undervolted the card and I got the same score. I think I was looking at the wrong card in GPU-Z when I was benching (3dmark 11), but according to this attached file my GPU temps are kick ! I'm not sure what's going on with the CPU, though. Maybe the stuff is curing? I'm still getting up to about 85C max, but it'll be doing the benchmarking and i'll be @ 70 for a while! Also, what SHOULD it be @ idle? I thought it was supposed to be like 40C but I could be wrong. I can't get mine any lower than 55C idle.

 

you can tell THE TECH GUY ( with smile on your face ) - YOU'RE AN IDIOT, after this being said, you should CUT OFF HE'S FINGER

You should get about 40'C IDLE, but FINGER LICKIN GUY bumped it by 10'C

this is what you should do
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9zgdin8-Ys&feature=related

ICD7 has no cure time

 

Okay, so touching it with his finger DID mess it up? It needs to be repasted and use a bag to spread?

Also, should I try the IC7 Diamond 24 again? or go back to the mx4. That diamond is tough to work with!

 

Yeah, or a credit card. I usually get better results spreading it with a credit card. I can't believe he used his finger! It's good to hear that the cards are working well though.

 

So, i'm going to take it apart myself now! Any advice on remembering where all the screws go? Since the cards are on the heatsyncs, this shouldn't be tough. Should I use the ic7 diamond or the mx4? the diamond is rocking on the gpu's...

 

no ''finger lickin method'' , no ''breakfast bag method'', no ''paid by VISA method''

they call it, and i use it ''THE IC'' method, explained in here
Application


and yes, use the diamond on CPU, its about 5-8'C better than MX-4 (i tested both)

 

So DONT spread it? The GPU chips are doing fine and he spread it on those. Just do a dot in the center?

Also, his arm touched the thermal pads for the GPU a few times when he was leaning over, should I replace those too or are they okay? The performance of the GPU is fine atm.

 

spread method should NOT be used to avoid air bubbles, everybody knows this, but in some cases, lucky luke, it may work. Leave the cards, temps are ok, but repaste cpu bro.

 

If I'm opening it anyway, should I just redo it? What about the fact that his arm touched the pads?

Did you see the card's temps? I'm on my other laptop, i'm going to open this thing up and do it myself! The tech did all the c-clamp stuff and I saw the other stuff so I should be okay. Mike, if you see this, can you let me know when it's too late to call incase I run into muck?

Edit: Also, I don't have a magnetic screwdriver. What's the best way to get the screws out that go deep?

 

Hey Andrew,

I'm up for at least another 3 - 4 hours should you run into any problem (probably later, but for certain another 3 or 4 hours)

Good luck with the tear down...I guess I should have told you to have the guy repaste it when he used his fingers...my bad, sorry about that.

 

There is more to it than just slapping the 5870 heatsinks on the 6990 card. I had an issue with it. And I'll say it again for the 5,000th time. The heatsink sits on the square that surrounds the GPU die. The heatsink also sits on the components above the VRAM chips. Some get lucky, and some don't. I'm guessing that this has to do with some imperfection in the heatsink manufacturing process.

As far as the 'Spreading VS blob in the middle' thing goes, you can find evidence that one or the other is better. You're not supposed to use the 'blob in the middle' method on a bare die, like all of our laptops have. I prefer the spreading method because I know that paste got everywhere.

The technician applying the thermal paste with his finger just wouldn't cause that much of a problem.

 

Could THIS explain my CPU temps?

 

SOB! I just threw up in my mouth (must be the Steel Reserve). You need to redo that, ASAP. This guy works at a computer shop? He should know better.

Redo the CPU and GPU. You've got enough expertise here to do a professional job. Let's get it going!

There might be the issue I spoke of earlier though, you can't fix that without modification.

 

He did the GPU ones too, but for whatever reason those temps are pretty good. If I see the temps go up, I'll have to redo them. The heatsyncs are on perfectly so I'd like to avoid it, but at least for now, my GPU temps are great, right?

Whats your 3dmark 11 score talon?

Also, are you all sure that a pea size dot will even spread? This stuff is so THICK! If you all think manually spreading is bad, i'll dot it!

 

lol...that made me laugh. Wow, I didn't realize he put THAT much paste on the CPU