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

Grounding the ID cable on the 330 watt adapter does not have the same result as 2 x 240 watt adapter. You will still not be able to charge your battery and you will lose your brightness controls.

The 'theory' behind it is that grounding the ID cable tells the PSU to remain at full output, however that does not make any sense to me in the slightest. All we know is that it does appear to work in some manner, so my suggestion would be to give that a shot next. If it does not work you can always tape up the cord with black insulation tape and none's the wiser

Yeah I don't see a BIOS update coming out either

 

What does the ID cable do exactly?

I edited my last post. I did run 3DMark11 with 330w adapter and cards undervolted. That was my first run I posted. Never drew over 227 watts.

What really surprises me is how much more watts my laptop drew from the 240 adapter while playing BF3. It was in the 260's on several occasions. It was consistently over 240 for most of the playing time.

Edit: Also is there a way to run 3DMark11 so that I can see my temps during the test?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...mperatures-game-benchmark-screen-display.html

 

Got the PSU last night and that more than doubled the FPS on everything -- be interesting to see what happens with the 6990's when they get here. Thanks for the information Greywolf!

 

Hey PWn3R

Great news!!! Can't wait to hear how the 6990 install goes!

Congrats!!!

 

The ID cable controls how much power is given to laptop depending on laptops demand. It also gives electrical signals to check if that psu is ok to use with battery/laptop. Laptop PSU's have a low output state and a high like the 330 its low is a limit of 240 but in order to access rest it sends a electrical signal to laptop thru ID cable to check if its ok to do so.

 

Thanks for the info. +1 when I can rep you again. Once I have some time, I'll cut the adapter and ground the ID cable.

Edit: Forgot to thank DR for the link. +1 to you as well.

 

That's not really how it works. The ID cable doesn't carry any data from the computer to the PSU. The ID cable only tells the computer which PSU is attached.

 

If you cut the ID cable of the 240 psu and plug it to the R2 you wont be able to use 240 watts because laptop will crash at around 150-180 watts maybe less.

 

I think my 3rd 6990m is on the way out, games crash to a tan colored vertically striped screen within about 30 seconds of play.
A hard-restart results in flashing caps and scroll lock leds. sometimes it will post but fail to load windows (just black screen) sometimes it boots up fine.
Temps all below 60C, voltage is stock, no overclock and clean re-installed drivers (ccc 12.2)

 

What PSU are you using?
Because my first 240 psu literally melted in the inside (unmodded). Good thing i stopped using soon enough and decided to open it up to check why the brick was so hot.

 

Sounds familiar. Hey if it makes you feel any better, I just bent the crossfire connector pins on my second card. So much so that they cannot be fixed. What's irritating is not that I bent the pins and totally screwed my Xfire config, but that video card companies can't make a connector that is easy to plug in resistant to idiots like me. Back to single card life for awhile. Maybe I'll buy a couple of 7970s and play Russian Roulette again.

 

oh man guys...sorry to hear about all the problems.

 

I agree...

No it doesn't. Both myself, Aarpcard and Kenny are running 480 watt setups with the 240 watt ID cable.

I never have throttling or crashing and I overclock both my GPU's and also my CPU. Unless I push it really really hard, think 330watt plus..

The problem with your theory is that I cannot find any data to support it. If you could provide me with a link or the information that has led you to your conclusion, I would happily read it! If I am wrong so be it! I happily want to learn and expand my knowledge.

However, I believe that the ID cable is solely an ID cable, so that the laptop can recognise the type of PSU plugged in. Basically a fail safe so the laptop can't just use any old adapter which could cause damage....It does not tell the PSU how much power to supply, as the laptop just draws what it requires as in all power supply set ups.

The amount of power that a PSU supplies depends on the load (current). As the laptop requires more power, the amount of current being drawn increases. This equates to watts as P= V x I, with Volts being fixed (relatively...) and current being the increasing or decreasing factor. This being a very simple explanation...

Therefore, often when measuring the voltage output of an adapter, you need to make sure it is under load to do so. The adapter does not need to be 'told' to know how much power to make available

 

Well I caused my own problem by pulling the crossfire cable out at an angle. Once I realized what I did and that I couldn't bend the pins back into place on the card, I raged. I remember seeing green. Then I woke up hours later with most of my clothes ripped to shreds.

The card no longer exists. But I'm better now.

Good thing I bought that 330 watt adapter. LOL.

 

Did you really destroy the card? Could have been sold and used as a single card RIP GPU.

 

The thing with your 440watt adapter is that you guys are funneling the watts from both 240's with ID cables being connected. Now if you didnt have the id cable from either of the psu's connected to anything you wont be able to pull 440 your laptop will crash at around 300 watts.

 

True, the adapters are sharing the load.

I don't think anyone has pulled 480 watts, and it would be advisable not to.

I don't quite understand your last sentence, can you please explain it clearer?

 

It's simple x.x If you dont have the ID cable connected to anything the wattage on PSU will be nerfd by around half its potential.

 

Ok, can you please explain how this works and why.

I don't think it is that simple and straight forward

 

Oh it's no longer with us. I did contemplate selling it as a single before destroying it. Unfortunately, my anger at my own mistake got the best of me.

I'm going to watch for the benches on the 7970. Or wait for the 680 to come out and see if it will work. Maybe I'll sell the remaining 6990 and get one of those. Not sure if I'll do Crossfire again. Crossfire makes me angry!

 

Wrong. I've cut the ID cable on one of my PSU's. If I plug both PSU's in - both the PSU with the intact ID cable and the PSU with the cut ID cable, I still get equal load sharing. Both PSU's will deliver 170 watts or so (For a total of 340watts) until the breakers in the laptop throw.

After plugging in both PSU's, if I remove the one with the intact ID cable, I am still able to draw 240+ watts from the PSU with the cut ID cable that is still connected to the laptop.

Going by your theory, since the PSU with the cut ID cable was never told by the computer "how much power to deliver" then it would be limited to roughly half of it's potential.

That is simply not happening. What is happening instead is that the PSU with the intact ID cable authenticated to the laptop that a valid PSU was connected. That enables the laptop to draw whatever it feels like drawing. So therefore when I disconnect the PSU with the intact ID cable, the PSU with the cut ID cable is still seen by the computer to be a legit PSU and will be drawn on for the full amount of power the laptop needs.

200 pages or so ago we already confirmed that the ID cable is a 1 time authentication - in fact I think you're the one who confirmed that. All you need to do is connect the ID cable for a second so that the computer can confirm which PSU is connected and you're good to go until you unplug the PSU.

Also going by your theory, if the PSU could limit how much power it could put out, directly shorting the leads on the PSU would result in the PSU cutting back the supplied current (which is very tricky to do) and the supplied power wouldn't go over 150 or whatever watts. As a result, the breaker in the PSU would NOT blow. However, if you try this, the breaker will definitely blow, meaning, that 1000's of watts are being delivered, and the PSU can't dial back the current. Just take a paperclip and touch the leads together. You'll get a nice big spark, will weld the paperclip to the contact, and you'll trip the breaker.

 

Sucks about the card, but I laughed out loud (literally) with your explanation...priceless +1 rep

You know, I had to replace the GPU fan on my secondary GPU and I worried the whole time whether or not once I got it back together if crossfire would still work. Such a traumatic experience from my first time around last year, I still wake up in a cold sweat screaming "Why hath though forsaken me crossfire"

 

LOL. Back at ya. I know, I only removed the GPU's to clean out the fans. But my CF cable got snagged and I had to reseat it. And the whole boot process I was thinking "please be enabled, please be enabled". And then I got the confirmation it was dead and I went nuclear. The connectors and cable are so flimsy. It doesn't help that the heatsink covers up the secondary cable port. The 5870 CF ports were definitely better placed for our laptops.

 

you need to unplug your PSU and cut both of your ID cables then plug to laptop to understand what im talking about . Not 1 then another

 

I have done that as well. The result there is the computer has no idea which PSU is plugged in and as a result limits the power it allows it self to draw.

"Also going by your theory, if the PSU could limit how much power it could put out, directly shorting the leads on the PSU would result in the PSU cutting back the supplied current (which is very tricky to do) and the supplied power wouldn't go over 150 or whatever watts. As a result, the breaker in the PSU would NOT blow. However, if you try this, the breaker will definitely blow, meaning, that 1000's of watts are being delivered, and the PSU can't dial back the current. Just take a paperclip and touch the leads together. You'll get a nice big spark, will weld the paperclip to the contact, and you'll trip the breaker."

^ That is the biggest reason why your theory isn't correct. If the PSU was self regulating like you said, when you short the leads, it would boost it's internal resistance to keep the power draw within reason - or as you say roughly half. Since the breakers trip, we know that well in excess of the rated power is being drawn. P=V^2/R A paperclicp has negligible resistance. The one I used was .001 ohms. So 19.5^2/.001 = 380 Kilowatts. If the psu could regulate the power it output, then it would have boosted it's internal resistance and brought that figure down to prevent the breaker from throwing.

 

So what i did with the 330 but grounding it to another cable in same cord is just weird? But somehow working bypassing the "limit"?

Because i can only Bypass the "limit" if i restart after log in when i plug in PSU to laptop. After that i just need to restart if i have to reconnect psu to laptop. This only works if ID cable is connect to 1 of the other cables if not i log back to a "limited" psu.

OH and all has be without a battery.

 

Hi guys, great thread Interesting to read.

But I have a question, what would you consider a fair price for a second hand r2 with the 6970 crossfire mod successfully made?

 

Depends on the rest of the specs, and what PSU etc it comes with.

Personally if I were to sell mine today, I wouldn't accept less than $1800. $1950 if you include the modded PSU. About $700 less than an equally performing new M18x.

If my laptop had Dual 6970m's instead of a 6990m + a 6970m, I'd take $120 off.

I honestly think, the laptop is worth more - what with the 16:10 aspect ratio, and aluminum chassis and of course 69XXm series CFX in a 17" form factor. I'd try pushing it at $2200-$2400 or so, and if it didn't sell the minimum I'd accept is that $1800-$1950 (keep in mind the gpu's alone are worth - in my case - $750 and I have the unique ability to have both the i7 920xm overclocked and the gpu's at stock voltage with a hefty OC due to the beefier PSU)

 

Comes with the stock 240w PSU

1 TB HD
The full HD RGB screen
940xm cpu
6970 xfire
8 GB Ram

 

Since the screen is RGB, and the cpu is a 940xm, I'd say ~$1800 would still be the bare minimum I'd sell it for.

less ram, and dual 6970's would make it worth about ~$200 less than mine, but the 940xm and RGB screen (mine is only LCD) brings back that $200.

The 240 watt PSU will probably cut it for stock voltages on the 6970's with a moderate OC on both the cpu and the gpu's.

I am really interested in what others with similar setups on this forum feel their machine is worth though - I really haven't seen any for sale.

 

I'd agree with aarpcard on this as well. I think that 1800+ would be more then reasonable for a machine with all of that included.

With any luck upgrading to 7970's or higher will only prolong the life of the laptop as the 940XM should be more then enough CPU power for a long time.

For me personally the R2 has turned out to be one of the best computer "investments" i've made since building my own desktops years ago. The upgradability is astonishing, the design is first rate, and the LED screen is absolutely beautiful.

 

Thanks to Greywolf and others, I now have the 240W PSU and am rocking dual 6990's in Crossfire. Thanks to everyone for their help!

 

Fantastic news PWn3R

Glad you got it all installed and working well!

Enjoy!!

 

Greywolf, what do you guys typically see for temperatures on your 6990's I fired up Diablo 3 and played for about 20 minutes and mine were sitting at 94C -- I think that's a little warm. I can take it apart again tomorrow and try thermal pasting my ram onto the heatsink as suggested in other posts in this forum and check my thermal paste job on the GPU's as well if you think that is a little hot. -- I've replaced many a CPU in my life, but never a GPU, I am using the suggested Diamond thermal paste, and put approximately a grain of rice sized blob on the die before attaching the heatsink.

 

Hi PWn3r,

I'm using 6970's and while the 6990's do run warmer, I think 94 is a bit hot. My 6970's rarely reach 70C and that's with an ambient temp of 80F. Just played some Diablo 3 myself and I was maxing out right around 70C for a little over an hour of play time.

What size thermal pads did you end up going with? or are you using the stock pads that came with the 5870s? I haven't personally used thermal paste on the ram because it can make quite a mess and I've never seen a reason to do that...although I do know some folks swear by that on the board.

As far as the GPU, I hear Diamond thermal paste can be very thick and difficult to spread, so the grain of rice method may not be getting ample coverage across the die. Again, people's opinnions will vary widely on the best method of applying thermal paste to the GPU. For me, I use OCZ Freeze, and used the spread method. Since both Diamond Thermal paste and OCZ Freeze can be a bit thick, I used a plastic sandwhich bag wrapped around my finger and spread it across the entire GPU die. I tend to spread it a bit thicker on the GPU die then I did on the CPU die and it has worked the best for me.

The other thing is to make sure that you have tightened the heat sync down enough that it is making good contact...I know a few folks here had to file down their heat syncs because they weren't making good contact with the sync and the GPU...just something else to consider.

I know Turbo_talon was the first to do this, and I believe a few others have as well (Douse maybe? it's been awhile since we last discussed this), but check for Turbo_talons' posts and you'll see an example of where he had to do this to get the Heat Sync to sit flush on the GPU die.

Wow, that's a lot..sorry you should be able to get it quite a bit cooler, but may take a little more work to get there. Make sure the thermal pads you are using are at least 1.0mm to start, and apply the paste a tiny bit thicker and try the spread method...see how that goes.

If not, then you might investigate filing down the heat sync a bit...but I'd do that as a last resort (at least for me personally although it shouldn't be a big deal).

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks for the information, I'll probably take it apart again tomorrow and mess with the thermal paste (it did seem a bit thick and I didn't spread it). I used the stock pads from the 5870s (one of them tore a little bit but i pasted it back together -- maybe I should replace that one. I'll post back tomorrow after spreading and making sure it has a good layer of paste. My stock heatsinks both were already perfectly flat, but I suppose I could file it down if I need to. As always, thanks for the help!

 

Anytime!

I'd definitely recommend replacing the thermal pads when you get a chance (will make a difference) and see how the spread goes. Hopefully you won't have to touch the heatsinks.

Good luck!

 

Have you overclocked them? 94C is hot for stock voltage and stock clocks. Is the shader temp significantly hotter than the rest? If that is the case you might have to file your heatsink.

I was suffering from 106.5C on my shader - after filing my heatsinks, that went down about 10C.

It is weird. It would be very very complicated to send an input and an ouput signal on a 1 bit wide bus. That's what you're claiming is happening. There's not enough control circuitry in the PSU to allow for that. Additionally, grounding the cable as I've stated before had no different affect for me versus just cutting it - and I followed your procedure correctly. It all has to do with how the laptop reads the PSU and how the laptop determines how much power it should draw and what it currently is drawing. I'm not quite sure how that works, but if we can figure that out, I think we'll be able to get even more headroom out of the PSU than the current limit of 340 watts I'm experiencing.

This is interesting:

The breakers on my PSU's will trip if I pull much over 340 watts. The individual load is 170 watts so therefore they have no reason - nor ability to trip. Also, the laptop is incapable of sending a prompt down the ID cable telling the PSU's to trip when the load is over 340watts. (I've confirmed this by cutting the ID cable after having authenticated the PSU's and then forcing a 340+ watt load - they still trip)

The only way that can happen is for the laptop to short out the leads on the PSU and thus force them to trip. That's the only way. The laptop is detecting that the power is X amount of watts, and is throwing a SCR or something which shorts the leads on the PSU and trips the breakers. My thinking is that it's a SCR controlled by a thermocouple. If we can locate that device on the MB, then maybe we can bypass it and run the 6990's and extreme edition cpus at FULL kilt and not worry about power at all.

However, that 340 watts is the number around which I had previously thought was the limit of the components inside the laptop. Maybe this is best left alone lol - i think it's too much of a coincidence.

 

My Baby r2(920XM 5870M) was too hot playing diablo 3-113C
So I renew the thermal paste (mx-4) on gpu and tried some on the ram last night and ...Temps went 40C down.from 113 to around 70C in average
Both GPU and MEM.Eventhough i sprayed it thick for long duracy

 

That is interesting. I remember you mentioning it before but I forgot to get back to you.

I think you are correct regarding 340 watts being the limit. If there is that fail safe being used, I would imagine it would be there for a reason.

Besides, I think 340 watts is more than enough to have both the CPU and GPU's fully clocked...

To your knowledge, is a thermocouple something that is commonly used in this situation? Shorting out the PSU seems a little dangerous. I suppose compared to the laptop melting, it is acceptable.

 

So who is going to try the 7970s in the R2? DR650SE did you order them? Based on the benches from the M17X R3, I'm thinking maybe I'll buy 1. Performance seems to be better than XF 6990s even if it is only slightly. Plus no need for additional power concerns.

 

I havn't ordered any. I was going to but then I got an R4 for less than $100 more than the 7970 pair from upgradeyourlaptop. Not that they have been any help. Still don't know when they will ship. They seem useless so I decided not to wait and pounced on a pricing error at AAFES. Lots of the orders were canceled but mine slipped through. Got the system at $800 off dells pricing. thats before taxes and shipping, which I didn't have to pay since AAFES doesn't charge tax and shipping was free R4 is sitting in my dining room still sealed in the box.

Been to busy with doing a paintjob to my R2 spare chassis. Tonight I swap it in Pics to come.

Oh, and you can bet I'll be putting the Dell 7970 in the R2 At least for a few hours to test. Thought I'd rather have a Clevo 7970 since I think a clevo 7970 may not have the same fan issues.

 

Great deal DR650 on the R4!!

I think I'll be waiting around until the 7970s drop significantly in price (if they work), or upgrade to an 18X-R2 / R3 / R4...whatever revision we are at by the time I'm ready to upgrade.

 

Damn that is a good deal. Final price? You could probably throw the 6990 in the R4 and sell it to get your money back. They didn't have these awesome computer deals at the NEX when I was in.

 

Final price was $1,211 total for the config in my sig. Can;t beat it. Though I havn't had much urge to open it with everything else I've been doing.

 

Just curious how the repaste went. I just played two hours of Diablo 3 and neither card went over 63 degrees.

 

Yes I am interested in how it went as well. I have found that D3 does not stress my system at all and the temps are quite low.

BF3 causes temps to sit in high 80's.

PWn3r, how are your temps in BF3? I would be concerned that they would be even higher!

 

guys do you use antiliansing except highest setting when getting those temps? i want to try diablo III not because i like the game but just because i want to test.

 

Cant be 100% but I was fairly certain I had all the in-game settings set to max...

I have not got all my CCC settings to max as I generally use applications settings.