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.

    Alternative Heatsinks for Alienware 17 r1 for a 980m

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by Faadi786, Jul 7, 2015.

  1. Faadi786

    Faadi786 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    23
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Hey folks. My journey on understanding how to get a 980m work in an alienware 17 r1 has been a very tough task. Random shutdowns, Random bluescreens, Total teardowns to get the gpu recognized again by the bios, not being able to make a uefi usb, not being able to flash the vbios, etc. Whatever I could have done wrong I did. Well Finally as of yesterday I modded the vbios on my 980m to an unlocked one.

    Currently using driver 353.06 from eurocom. Since its basically download and install no modifying anything. I am on windows 8.1 now. I tried like crazy to get windows 7 to work. Using the card with the old vbios let it run in windows 7 but oddly when I flashed with an unlocked vbios windows 7 would stall. Maybe the new vbios needed a fully uefi environment...I dunno.

    Ok so here is my dilemma. The card gets pretty damn hot and throttles since I'm using a 75 watt heatsink. I understand the correct dell part for a 100 watt heatsink used on the alienware 17 is yp26v. They are selling for crazy high prices and dell parts doesn't seem to have any more of them.
    is it possible to use a 100watt gpu heatsink from a m17x r3 or r4 in my alienware 17?

    if anyone has tried this or knows of working alternatives please do chime in. thank you

    As a secondary question what would you guys use on the 980m? gelid gc-extreme or coolaboratory liquid ultra?
     
    Faadi786, Jul 7, 2015
    #1
  2. ted2033

    ted2033 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Do you mean AW 17 2013 version?
     
    ted2033, Jul 7, 2015
    #2
  3. Faadi786

    Faadi786 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    23
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    6
    yes im referring to the AW 17 2013 aka AW17 R1 now since there is now a r2.
     
    Faadi786, Jul 7, 2015
    #3
  4. MahmoudDewy

    MahmoudDewy Gaming Laptops Master Race!

    Reputations:
    474
    Messages:
    1,654
    Likes Received:
    744
    Trophy Points:
    131
    Why are you getting it from DELL, Eurocom sells them brand new for 86$ and needless to mention that when you sell your heatsink this will bring the cost down even more

    If you are a brave soul you can go to a shop that can make you an additional copper pipe and weld it to the heatsink you.

    On some German site a guy runs his processor using 4 pipes heatsink, he simply welded 2 pipes on his CPU heatsink.

    EDIT: Found you the link http://alienware-forum.de/index.php/Thread/7254-AW-17-R1-CPU-Heatsink-Pipe-Mod/
     
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2015
    MahmoudDewy, Jul 7, 2015
    #4
    Ashtrix likes this.
  5. ted2033

    ted2033 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    6
    That is really amazing!!!!!!!
     
    ted2033, Jul 7, 2015
    #5
  6. MahmoudDewy

    MahmoudDewy Gaming Laptops Master Race!

    Reputations:
    474
    Messages:
    1,654
    Likes Received:
    744
    Trophy Points:
    131
    The guy runs the CPU @4.1 GHz and it remains below 80c :D
     
    MahmoudDewy, Jul 7, 2015
    #6
  7. ted2033

    ted2033 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Without fan mod? So cooling limitation is still on the heatsink. :eek:
     
    ted2033, Jul 7, 2015
    #7
  8. MahmoudDewy

    MahmoudDewy Gaming Laptops Master Race!

    Reputations:
    474
    Messages:
    1,654
    Likes Received:
    744
    Trophy Points:
    131
    Actually I believe right now he is limited by the whimpy fan ... With a better fan maybe the M17x-R4 the impact will even be much better ... I am planning on doing this mod when I have some free time
     
    MahmoudDewy, Jul 7, 2015
    #8
  9. ted2033

    ted2033 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    6
    With default fan and heatsink, can 4910mq run without throttling (with better thermal paste like MX-4 ) ? I also want to add pipes but I really don't know how to weld. :(
     
    ted2033, Jul 7, 2015
    #9
  10. MahmoudDewy

    MahmoudDewy Gaming Laptops Master Race!

    Reputations:
    474
    Messages:
    1,654
    Likes Received:
    744
    Trophy Points:
    131
    Mine reaches up to 9400 physics on 3DMark11 using stock clocks, stock fan/heatsink with undervolt of -50 mV & Gelid Extreme TIM ... Also, I was getting up to 9300 with Zalman STG-02 TIM

    That processor never throttled and never broke 80c ... But that's running stock, I believe on a heavy OC it will both throttle & heat up significantly
     
    MahmoudDewy, Jul 7, 2015
    #10
  11. ted2033

    ted2033 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Thank you for your information, so it is still possible to upgrade to 4910mq with default cooling system. Now I am using 4700mq, but it seems to be enough in regular gamings. Maybe I should save money for an SSD. :)
     
    ted2033, Jul 7, 2015
    #11
  12. DARCODER

    DARCODER Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    252
    Messages:
    779
    Likes Received:
    232
    Trophy Points:
    56
    About the heatsink, you can use a 100W 3pipes from m17x r3/4, just need to cut a bit to fit it and with GE/ICdiamonds, it will be ok, i did it but i mod it with pads. i think i put a tutorial somwhere :s

    I upgrade from 4700 to 4900 and for gaming, its useless lol, just more heat and OC, keep it like that.. an ssd is much better and load faster games.
    Use the 353.38 nvidia driver its much better in performance for gaming, at least i notice it in gta5
     
    DARCODER, Jul 7, 2015
    #12
    Faadi786 likes this.
  13. MahmoudDewy

    MahmoudDewy Gaming Laptops Master Race!

    Reputations:
    474
    Messages:
    1,654
    Likes Received:
    744
    Trophy Points:
    131
    I would say an SSD would be much much better value for the money upgrade when compared to jumping from 4700 to 4910.

    In the future when the prices drop a bit you should opt for an MX CPU.
     
    MahmoudDewy, Jul 7, 2015
    #13
  14. Eddie12390

    Eddie12390 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    91
    Messages:
    182
    Likes Received:
    7
    Trophy Points:
    31
    Someone needs to make me one of these for my M17x R4 :p
     
    Eddie12390, Jul 7, 2015
    #14
  15. avands

    avands Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    30
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    16
    so, after downloding the driver from here: http://downloads.eurocom.com/support/drivers/upgradeyourlaptop/Alienware/

    there is no need to mod the .inf file??? i bought the 970m and want to install the driver.
     
    avands, Jul 8, 2015
    #15
  16. ted2033

    ted2033 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Yeah, I have ordered an SSD on Amazon today! :)
     
    ted2033, Jul 8, 2015
    #16
    MahmoudDewy likes this.
  17. Faadi786

    Faadi786 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    23
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    6
    if youre downloading the driver from eurocom you don't need to modify the .inf its already been done for you...just make sure you have driver enforcement turned off.

    alternatively brother thegh0sts pointed us in the right direction.
    "get the latest hotfix drivers - http://forum.techinferno.com/nvidia/10382-geforce-hotfix-driver-353-38-a.html
    then get the modded INFs here - http://forum.techinferno.com/nvidia...-driver-support-modded-inf-38.html#post137821"
     
    Faadi786, Jul 9, 2015
    #17
    avands likes this.
  18. thegh0sts

    thegh0sts Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    949
    Messages:
    7,700
    Likes Received:
    2,819
    Trophy Points:
    331
    no, you still need the modded INF files because the driver setup will read your bios config and see that it's not compatible with your laptop so you need to mod the drivers and disable DSE to get it to detect and install.
     
    thegh0sts, Jul 10, 2015
    #18
    avands likes this.
  19. Faadi786

    Faadi786 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    23
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    6
    eurocom has done that step for you in their driver download... so in this particular case .inf mod isn't necessary.
     
    Faadi786, Jul 11, 2015
    #19
  20. Mobius 1

    Mobius 1 Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    3,447
    Messages:
    9,069
    Likes Received:
    6,376
    Trophy Points:
    681
    Mobius 1, Jul 11, 2015
    #20