AW17 with 120hz screen

Dunno if it helps but as long as you use the correct port/cable on the MB then you don't need to disable iGPU as it's bypassed. Might have some bearing?

 

Make sure the cables are all seated properly. It can be tricky to seat the cable and then put the monitor back in position, it can easily come off when you swing the monitor back up into position.

I guess it is also possible that you got a DOA monitor? did you get the same monitor ID number as is mentioned earlier in the post?

 

So got back from vacation and the IR emitter was here waiting for me. Installed that and went and borrowed my buddies glasses for the final test to make sure everything works. Had to re-install the Nvidia drivers for the IR emitter to be recognized and installed properly but after that everything went perfect in the set up and seemed to be working well. Have only played some BF3 so far as they said BF4 wasn't fully supported....what a shock from that buggy POS game but 3 looked pretty sweet. I will play around with it some more today, and I ordered a pair of glasses last night now that I know it all works.

Games that I know it works with that I play, BF3, BF4, LoL, and Loadout for sure. I don't have any 3D Blurays but I will probably download some movies and see if I can get those to work. All in all I don't see myself using it every time I game but it was well worth it I think.

I did end up paying a little more for the glasses to buy them through a more local distributor and get them faster then I would have if I had gone through ebay. I have also read of some battery issues so this way if they don't work when I get them I can RMA them immediately.

 

that's great news. You're the first 120hz upgrade that has followed it though to 3D as well !

Most people are happy enough with what the display gives at 120hz (and not keen on 3D having seen it on TV's) they don't bother about it. For me it's about adding to a game's playability as well as eye-candy. Depth perception is a great addition to a 3rd person platformer like Portal. My favorite though is Metro Last Light.

This has alienFX integration as well so....

Lights out. Dolby Headset, 3D on. So absorbing it's scary - literally! If all the lights are out you are in cover, they gradually brighten as you approach light sources. Red glow? You're near a heat source. You don't have to monitor the light HUD. Shame more game devs do not use it .

Didn't like it too much for BF3 as it interfered with gameplay - I'm sure my controller latency was increased . I'm not good at it by any stretch but I usually get to see my assasin, haha

 

It's weird that more people don't follow through with it as most of the hard work is done once the screen is replaced. I did have to rob a screw from the bottom cover for the IR emitter as that is the only one that I could find that would fit, I might give tech support a call and see if I can get a spare one sent to me though.

It definitely adds a lot to the experience IMO. I always planned on continuing on and adding full 3D functionality to it. I don't plan on using it every time I turn on the laptop or anything like that but I really didn't see much point in not going the full route and adding the full package

I am still working on the best way to play back 3D movies that I have downloaded....I found a program called stereoscopic player but it crops it all weird for some reason so I will have to keep looking around and see what I can find. Everyone I have shown it to so far has been blown away, they can't belive how good it looks

 

I am always saying this, glad you 'see' it too .

I use Batman AO to throw some shock and awe at console players. Those slo-mo kils you get when racking up the combos are awsome, you almost feel the hit. Can't wait for the next episode, although it's not looking like this year .

3D movies are never going to be as good due to the limitations of the recording and the 3DTV specification. Designed years ago to keep the bandwidth low but with today's high-speed most people have it's not needed. Basically at 1080i you are watching an image that has 50% resolution and 12FPS to each eye alternating! It's only the TV circuitry filling in all the gaps that it is even watchable.

My machine came with Cyberlink PowerDVD and I believe that is fully compliant, supporting a few different systems...

 

well i have read the whole thread and decided i need my 120hz back, lost it stupidly by selling a perfectly good aw17....

now im going on the same journey...

screen ordered from screenlaptops.com
imitter ordered from ebay

cable is available from ebay so will order one from there i think, i have just called Alienware parts dept here in the UK, to told no chance try ebay.... very nice not what i expect from alienware...

so lets see how it goes, i have used laptopscreens before for a 1080p screen for my aw14 and they where great... not sure when everything will be here but i will post pictures once i start...

thanks for the info.... cant wait to see the smoothness that is 120hz gaming and a bit of 3d thrown in as well

Thanks

Ian

 

Doesn't 120Hz give you guys a headache??

 

No....why would it? Some of the 3D if it isn't done very good I can see causing issues but just using the screen at 120Hz does not seem to be any different then the 60Hz screen.

 

so today i fitted a 1080p screen into my AW14 and what a delight to behold... looks great... use this for when im hanging out in costa or starbucks.... which is alot....

so tonight's job is to fit a 1080p 120hz 3d screen in my AW17, screen has arrived, cables here so im going to fit it, the emitter will be a few days but i cant wait....

fingers crossed, will post later. end game is to have full 3D screen with glasses...

Thanks alot

Ian

 

Good luck man, fingers crossed for you

 

Just be sure to remember the screw positions, although they are marked so it isn't to bad. There are 3 different lengths in there , also when you go to pry the top bezel off it is deceiving as it can be snapped on really tight so be prepared and if it just does not want to move then take another look for more screws. Also I don't know if you have a bunch of spare screws laying around but the only one I could find to fit the IR emiiter was one of the 2 that hold the bottom panel on :S so I am one short on the bottom panel ATM. I keep meaning to head to a computer shop and see if I can find one that will fit, or just call Alienware and see if they can get me one.

 

Hi guys

Just a quick question, does the big connector on the motherboard go on the same one as the other screen connected to?

Socket marked LVDS?

The plug on the connector has screw holes and there are screw holes on the socket below it marked EDP?



Hopefully once confirmed should be all sorted

Thanks in advance

Ian

 

Nope, you want the other connector , the opposite one that was plugged in with the cable that came in the machine. The connector is specific to the 3D I believe and will also disable your Intel GPU

PS...I didn't put any screws in the connector, I plugged it in and it seemed pretty solid, I wasn't afraid of it going anywhere and the original one wasn't secured at all so I don't know why that one would need to be.

 

Thanks a lot, thought so

 

Something went wrong. Put it back together and black screen and 8 beeps.



Is this the right screen, can someone check for me, I'm now stripping it down again

Dammmmmmm

 

Looks like a 60hz one: NEW DELL INSPIRON 17R N7720 17.3" WUXGA FULL HD LED LCD SCREEN GN36T 0GN36T | eBay

 

Hi mate

I have took it apart 3 times now and checked every connection to make sure it's secure... I'm not sure what to do now.

Should I try the old cable with the new screen just to check it's not the screen?

I will email them and ask to check I have the right screen, I got it from laptopscreens.com

Stuck now, and my last few days with computer has not been the best...

Thanks

Ian

 

If someone can check what screen they recieved, I would be very grateful

Thanks a lot

Ian

 

It should work with the original cable in the original socket. At least that proves out you have a 60hz display but from that part number I'm sure that is the wrong one!

Man your luck sucks, sorry for stating the obvious. I won't be asking you to pick up a lottery ticket for me Haha. Stay cool, you've jumped the hurdles of the drive config and GPU so you're not going to fall at the last fence, just gonna be a little MORE waiting .

 

This one Amazon.com: LTN173HT02-D02 120Hz 3D 17.3" WUXGA FULL HD replacement LCD LED Display Screen: Electronics
Both AW17 & M17xR4 (3D) are Samsung SEC5044.
Same screen, wrong connector Dead M17x R4 After Upgrading to 3D screen from laptopscreen.com



LCD,17.3FHD,WLED,TLF,3D, SEC Alienware 17 Ranger 4632 - GN36T, Dell Spare parts - order and info site

 

Edit: now I'm confused, sorry....

 

Mine had the Dell part number , so it was the same as yours....did you use the screen ID that was found earlier in the thread?

Did it come back on when you put the original back in?

The only thing I can suggest is to make sure the screen was connected properly in the back , as re-installing the screen without unplugging the cable can be tricky.

 

Update time....

A disaster, no other way to put it...

Laptopscreens.com confirmed it's the 120hz 3d that I have. I have now put back the original cable and original screen and now it doesn't even power on at all !!!!!!

I going to strip it down again today and check all the cables are seated properly, but I'm sure they are. I have no idea what has happened but I will check...

I changed my AW14 screen yesterday to a 1080p screen, worked perfectly and took 30mins max, this has been a nightmare on a two week old AW17.

I really wanted a 120hz screen but now I'm not so sure...

Thanks

Ian

 

Man that sucks. I'd try a Mobo power drain - to reset the BIOS. Remove the coin cell, hold the power button down then put it all back and see if it will start.

Please tell me you didn't 'play' with the display options in the bios? No need to at all when fitting a 120hz display and you can brick the machine (been there did that!), it's all in the cabling/mobo socket and no special settings required

Does it power up without the GPU in? I'm wondering about using the wrong socket, hope it did not trash the MB

 

Worst case scenario...put it all back the way it was and warranty is your friend. But that does truly suck big time.....Is there any chance that you static shocked something? Try Mickey's suggestions but short of that....it might be dead.

 

Powering on w/ the LVDS connector blew out the motherboard and possibly the screen too, still try a BIOS reset as Micky suggested. OP warning / wrong connectors...

Edit: AW17/18 specific BIOS reset/guide, somewhere?

 

Thanks for the advice guys, tried all of them to no avail. I have called alienware and they are calling back on Monday to arrange a tech visit hopefully to fix it.

Its all back to stock now. For the first time ever I used an antistatic band as I was messing with the motherboard . So if I can get it fixed I don't think i will be bothering with 3d which is a real shame I might try just the screen to get 120hz. Not sure yet a bit scarred at the moment to do anything.

 

Good luck and such a shame you got so far! Understandable to be a little gun-shy right now, but I think you meant scared not scarred, although.... Haha

 

Wow...that's a thing!? I think we should make a big warning about that in this post.....I knew I had to use the other port but obviously it can be a big problem if someone does not know. The other question is did you disconnect the battery and drain the system before you started the install?

 

This stuff can happen to everyone, I've done a lot of ...... so many times, the hard way (stubborn) . The 120Hz screen is far better than stock, totally worth a second try and you will definitely do it right this time. That doesn't sound like me...:

 

I am thinking of messaging a mod and seeing if we can maybe get a thread with all the info for the upgrade/procedure posted at the top since this has been a fairly popular upgrade. I am more then willing to type up a wall of text with part numbers and install procedures.

 

Hi mate

I disconnected the battery but I didn't drain the system

I presuming the motherboard is knackered and I have certainly learnt a lesson

Thanks for all the advice and help, just hope the screens ok

Ian

 

BIOS reset, removing the CMOS battery is useless (NVRAM). Try this before the tech visit http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...-if-one-runs-into-no-post-messed-up-bios.html

 

Hi mate

Really appreciate the help, but would this work for me, I don't even have any power when I press the power button, no sound, no lights nothing

Thanks a lot

Ian

 

Hi mate

I forgot to try taking out the gpu, just one question do I remove the lot, ie fan, heat sink and card. And then try powering it on.

Thanks

Ian

 

Yeah, you don't need to separate or mess with the paste, just remove the fan and you can remove the complete GPU/heatsink unit. Replace the fan as some machines will check for fan rotation before starting up. You MUST be using the original cable, connector and panel. I'm not that hopeful though. Once they don't even power up the MB is usually blown .

I'd really like to know how this happened? If it's just a case of using the wrong socket with a 120hz panel then we sure need a warning here!

Blind Flash is only going to work if it powers up and then does nothing (except a beep code). I did come across a company that replaced the BIOS chips on mobo's but as a brand new machine that's a step too far (IMO) .

 

Thanks mate

I will give it a try when I et home later, nothing to lose, I'm just hoping the 120hz screen I bought is ok.

When I first installed the new screen and cable and powered it up it didn't get to post. It just beeped 8 times then paused and beep another 8 times until I turned it off.

Also even though I posted a picture of the cable in the wrong socket I don't remember powering it up like that. I posted here with the picture and Mogrules replied and I changed it to the correct connector and then rebuilt and powered up.

I did strip it down and rebuilt it 6 times so I could have done to be honest.

I will try removing the 780m and see what happens, I don't hold much hope as I think the MB is dead

Thanks

Ian

 

Yeah I think so too.

I saw the stuff about the EDP/LVDS but I don't know for sure which one is which. It's probably somewhere in this thread...

Looks like time to come up with a service call strategy .

 

Tried taking out the gpu and then powering on and nothing, no power nothing.

Going to see what alienware tech say tomorrow when they call me between 8am and 9am


I will let you know, I'm a bit worried they might know what's caused it!!! Hope they repair it for me

 

We have a new sticky thread for this topic. For those interested in upgrading or asking questions, there is further discussion here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-17-m17x/758711-120hz-3d-screen-upgrade-alienware-17-a.html