The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    AW 17 Ranger 970m upgrade problems

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by jan05ik, Mar 22, 2017.

  1. jan05ik

    jan05ik Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    21
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Hello. I have bought the 970m from one of the recommended members here (to replace a frustrating 880gtx...) Installed. Had various version of Windows 10 (UEFI/MBR) AHCI/RAID setting etc.
    When windows is installing it detects the card and installs some drivers which ehmm wont work (tried to run 3dMark and it wont start, game like WOW wont use high performance card)
    I have tried to install various versions of Mr Fox modded drivers but no luck (goes pass the hardware detection start installation than fails ~5sec in to it)
    By the device ID it looks like the card is a Clevo one:
    PCI\VEN_10E&DEV_13D8&REV_A1
    Question is how I will get this to install drivers ? Do I have to flash with the Dell AW bios (will that change the hardware ID? doubt it will . Or i am wrong...)
    I have used fresh installation of windows (UEFI) with the drivers that were automatically installed during installation removed using DDU (and disabling DSE - both ways by

    bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy
    and even
    bcdedit.exe /set nointegritychecks on
    And not will not get any drivers to work.
     

    Attached Files:

    • 970m.jpg
      970m.jpg
      File size:
      248.5 KB
      Views:
      147
  2. jan05ik

    jan05ik Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    21
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    UPDATE
    Right I could possibly live with the driver that the Windows is installing as no errors in Device Manager is fine but with them for the love of good I cant force the 970m to handle any 3d activity !
    Tried force it in the panel, adding profiles there to use High Performance but none if it works :(
    I know there is a FN+F5 option but last time I have tried the laptop after reboot did not come back (was before i change to UEFI tho) and all I got was 8 beeps blank screen and only a CMOS reset helped.
    Is there any other way I can force the GFX to be used instead Intel everywhere?
     
  3. MogRules

    MogRules Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,228
    Messages:
    1,649
    Likes Received:
    973
    Trophy Points:
    131
    Are you installing with Device Driver enforcement disabled? You have to restart the computer while holding the shift key ( from clicking restart on the desktop ) and disable it going through the menu, advanced option, startup option or something like that.

    Because your using modified drivers Windows won't take them until you do this.
     
  4. jan05ik

    jan05ik Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    21
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Yes as stated in the 1st point I had.
    End up with flashing the card bios again , doing the changes manually to the drivers as the moded one were not forcing Optimus mode=1 and not using 970m completely. Now running some older version of drivers and all goes well....damn all this tinkering but got there at the end !
     
  5. Narkoleptik

    Narkoleptik Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    19
    Messages:
    132
    Likes Received:
    17
    Trophy Points:
    31
    I'm curious, Did you WANT Optimus running? I've learned to mod the drivers myself and have been doing this with my 970. Haven't seen/had issue aside from making sure Driver Enforcement was off when I mod the drivers. I also have disabled the intel gpu.