[How To] Manual Graphics Switching M17x R4 Radeon 7970m

Brief overview:
Those of us familiar with M18x and M17xR3 remember the graphics switching available to us at the time. This system was basically an in-operating system switch that allowed users to switch between the intel GPU and radeon GPU WITHOUT reboot. This feature was removed in M17x R4, since enduro was implemented. I have figured out a way to partially restore this switching to M17x R4 users. This will ONLY work with 13.1 or 13.2 beta. 12.xx causes BSOD and/or performance hits on the radeon side, and anything anything before 12.xx will cause automatic BSOD on this type of switching. This type of switching allows for return of in-OS control of graphics cards, without reboot, and could potentially increase battery life for on the go iGPU users (it did for me!), and can allow you to use the discrete card w/o performance hits. Feel free to compare results with normal enduro switching, or radeon -only setups. I have not compared results. THIS IS NOT THE SAME AS ENDURO. ENDURO TYPE SWITCHING WILL NOT HAPPEN IF YOU ENABLE THIS. This is more or less manual control over your GPU selection.

Requirements:
Catalyst 13.1 or Catalyst 13.2 Beta
Radeon 7970m
Unlocked M17x R4 Bios [Download here: http://www.mediafire.com/?rvp549uckd5ppzu ]
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ ALL OF SVL7's INFO ON UPDATING TO AN UNLOCKED BIOS HERE: http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m17x/1964-[m17x-r4]-unlocked-bios-versions.html
I DO NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY IF YOU BRICK, SO BE CAREFUL!

Procedure:
1. Enter your bios, and head over to advanced (the entry with all the major feature tweaks)
2. Find the video configuration, and enter the submenu
3. Look for PCI configuration, enter submenu
4. Look for PowerXpress Setting, enter it
5. This is where the magic happens: Find and select Full and Fixed dGPU power dynamic scheme (sorry if the last part of the name is wrong, the important part is FIXED AND FULL)
This should be the last setting in that menu
6. Save entries, and exit bios
7. Boot into windows
8. Open Catalyst control center.
9. Open the Power section
10. Select "Switchable Graphics Method"
11. Select "Select graphics processor manually or based on power source"
12. Accept settings, and confirm pop up dialog window prompting you to OK the switch.

13. Congrats! You have manual switching enabled!

If you want to alternate between GPUs, just return under the switchable graphics tab of CCC, and select either power saving GPU (intel) or high performance GPU (radeon)
Reverse these steps if you want to restore original enduro switching.

Good luck to all!


EDIT
I ran 3dmark 11 on ONLY the radeon (PEG in BIOS) and through switchable graphics (Switchted to high performance gpu in CCC) and got the SAME exact score (p6507)
7970m enabled ONLY: http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/5648868
7970m/intel hd 4000 both enabled, ccc switch to high performance GPU: http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/5648871

 

Nice guide!

Would be cool to link to this unlocked M17xR4 bios though!

 

I really want to flash an unlocked BIOS. Sucks that it's so hard with the new AO10 BIOS everybody on techinferno has been bricking their notebooks trying to flash

Anyway, cool write-up, wish this were available as a factory option.

 

This is an amazing guide. Thanks for the share! Where do you get the unlocked m17x R4 BIOS just to add the link to it?

 

Will upload today.

 

Hi Technos,

I am not sure I see the point to use manual graphic switching on the M17xR4. They way Enduro works now is that it runs on the iGPU for the desktop and in low power mode, except for games. And if for some reason I want to run a game in low power mode, I can force it to run on the iGPU. I guess the benefit is that you can choose to run on the iGPU all the time if you want? What are some reasons you would want to do this tweak???

On the other side of the coin, I am getting very similar results to your 3DMark score, with Enduro enabled right now:
AMD Radeon HD 7970M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-3610QM Processor,Alienware M17xR4 score: P6412 3DMarks

Note, that I am running Windows 8, and have a slower CPU than you

Thanks!

Rich S.

 

I think Alienware should supply us with a version of the firmware that uses this method for those of us that don't want to use Enduro with the explicit note that we must use 13.1 or newer graphics drivers.

(P.S. - I'm stuck on what I have because I already update to official A09 so it is all signed and stuff...)

 

Hey mate, any chance you could upload the other parts of SVL7's process (method 2)?
looking specifically for the "Dos version of FPT for flashing and my 'prr tool' ...
Grab the DOS version of fpt for flashing, and my 'prr tool' to circumvent write ... Also the "Download a '[FPT]' labeled version of the unlocked BIOS. " Part.

Any help would be muchly, muchly appreciated, I don't want to spend $5 on this if i don't absolutely have to!

Cheers mate.