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    Alienware M17X R4 - 7970M Configuration

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by LeWZ, Sep 24, 2012.

  1. LeWZ

    LeWZ Notebook Consultant

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    Hi guys, I just bought a M17X R4 which came with the RADEON 7970M GPU. Its working ok, but there's something bothering me.

    This is my first AMD GPU (only Nvidia before) and I installed Dell's latest driver then went for AMD's catalyst software with their latest driver too. Don't know if I did something wrong but the first time I try to run a game it will use the integrated intel graphics 4000 instead of the radeon. Then, I have to quit the game, run catalyst control center, and select high perfomance under the energy tab for each application I run. Only then it will use the 7970m, which really annoys me.

    Some games, like Skyrim, won't detect the 7970m and crash to desktop after I run it.

    Sorry for the noob question, but is there any way around this?
     
    LeWZ, Sep 24, 2012
    #1
  2. ratchetnclank

    ratchetnclank Notebook Deity

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    fn + f4 i believe disable integrated graphics.
     
    ratchetnclank, Sep 24, 2012
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  3. Omen123

    Omen123 Notebook Consultant

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    fn + f7..... that just uses the 7970m. There is problems with enduro. So just do fn+f7. Let it restart and then your laptop will only use the 7970m :)
     
    Omen123, Sep 24, 2012
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  4. LeWZ

    LeWZ Notebook Consultant

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    I see, thanks for the fast reply!

    I've been reading some things about this enduro issue and just saw that AMD promised a fix by october. Hope they do it in early october though...
     
    LeWZ, Sep 24, 2012
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  5. Alienware-L_Porras

    Alienware-L_Porras Company Representative

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    Just make sure you have the AMD card running with the Fnf7 and you should be set.
     
    Alienware-L_Porras, Sep 24, 2012
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  6. Dazzo

    Dazzo Newbie

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    How do you check which gfx is being used?
     
    Dazzo, Sep 24, 2012
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  7. Alienware-L_Porras

    Alienware-L_Porras Company Representative

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    Device manager or GPU-Z
     
    Alienware-L_Porras, Sep 24, 2012
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  8. LeWZ

    LeWZ Notebook Consultant

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    I'll make sure to check that out when I arrive at home from work today. Thanks!

    Might as well ask, if you don't mind, about the enduro issue people has been talking about. I heard AMD will release a newer driver correcting that GPU under performance on some games. Do you have any news about it?
     
    LeWZ, Sep 24, 2012
    #8
  9. Alienware-L_Porras

    Alienware-L_Porras Company Representative

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    Enduro is disabled when you use FnF7 to switch manually. We have no ETA for the driver release from them so far.
     
    Alienware-L_Porras, Sep 24, 2012
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  10. LeWZ

    LeWZ Notebook Consultant

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    I see, thanks for info. +rep
     
    LeWZ, Sep 24, 2012
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  11. rabidt

    rabidt Notebook Guru

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    With enduro disabled I can no longer see the Sound Blaster Recon3D card.

    Is there a way that I can do the Fn + F7 so I can continue to always use the HD7970 and the Sound Blaster Recon3D card?
     
    rabidt, Oct 11, 2012
    #11
  12. CheezWiz

    CheezWiz Notebook Guru

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    I would stick with the last drivers from Alienware and wait for them to release the next iteration. I tried installing the last ones from AMD and had system instability after that. So I just reformatted and installed my drivers exactly as shown in the link below and did not use any drivers from Windows update (Creative labs driver will come down if you let it) and all my problems went away including the choppy startup sound issue. Others have benched the latest driver and report minor improvement over the ones from Alienware.

    Alienware M17x R4: Initial Drivers Installation | Dell
     
    CheezWiz, Oct 12, 2012
    #12