Alienware 17 970M Install

Please help this member @ripper2804 get his 970M working in his Alienware 17 R1. I'm not sure why he's decided to file paypal claim instead of opting to make a thread and ask for help here. I don't have an Alienware 17, but apparently he is able to install the card and gets the svl7/johnksss boot message, then goes to 8 beeps. I know the card was perfectly fine on my end when I pulled it from the M18x.

 

You can quote his message on his thread about how the card worked fine until he decided to mess with some BIOS settings and that even him switching the GPU to an older one his system would still beep 8 times, making the card working absolutely fine and make the paypal despite worthless for him.

EDIT: nvm it was another guy.

Tell him to check if his system still works with the old card, or if it still beeps for now, making sure that the card is likely not the culprit. We all know how fickle Alienware boards can be.

Usually when the Alienware beeps 8 times, I always had to disassemble everything, let it wait for 1 hour (taking BIOS battery out), assemble everything and then it would start normally again.

 

Its my personal 970M, the one I had in my M15x and worked fine, and I tested it in the M18x before I sold it to @ripper2804

He claims the 780M works fine, and as soon as he installs the 970M, he gets the svl7/johnksss vbios welcome screen flash on display, then proceeds to go into 8 beeps. I've never personally screwed around with UEFI but I know it is a requirement on the Alienware 17

 

UEFI is not a requirement, only if yoiu have the 120HZ or need to install a pascal card.
I think he has to do the following:
- Make sure he has newest unlocked BIOS
- Load optimal settings
- Switch UEFI on (if not already)
- save settings.
- Turn notebook off.
- replace the old card with the GTX 970M
- Take battery out + PSU out, hold powerbutton for 30 seconds (this should reset the EC)
- Put battery and PSU back in, start notebook and now it should stop beeping.

Idk why but AW notebooks (at least the 17 ones) are extremely fickle.

 

I told him to make a post, he didn't do it, I made this for him. Before he received the card I told him he should thorougly read up on what he should do, because it is not straightforward on the Alienware 17. He's quit responding, he's already filed a claim on paypal and escalated it. At this point I'm expect to lose my 970M and 300$ because of user incompetence. I'm glad I'm getting out of this scene.

 

Maybe just show how the card worked fine via benchmarks etc. and this thread as proof that this is user based, or at least as for a return, that way u'll only lose the shipping costs at best. People will also be wary about selling him a GPU, I sure as hell won't.

 

Hi all got the card working after info from Raid.
Sorry for the grief Raid.
Please accept my apology.
Case closed with PP.
Best regards Ripper.

 

Good to hear it is resolved, enjoy. Make sure you are using adequate thermal pads on the mosfets to prevent them from burning out