Dead GPU in m17x R4

Hi. I've recently acquired this laptop from my brother, as he had bought an replacement. The laptop cant get beyond the 8 beeps as the GPU (the original 680m i believe) is dead. I do want to replace the GPU, preferably with something newer, but i find a lot of threads noting different requirements to make it work. It's the 120Hz, 3D model, and i currently have no graphic card available to even get it to bios (as far as i know).
Any more info needed, i'll see what i can find.

So, what's the best upgrade/replacement? What can be done, if i have no way to change bios settings?
Preferably no/minimal modding.

Any suggestions where to start?

 

Best GPU no mods is a 980M, or a standard sized 1070

Best GPU with light mods is a MSI 1070, or with heavy mods 1080

You can't do anything if you can't get the machine to POST

 

I assume the 8 GPU error beeps happen at POST though? - As far as i know, i just cant see it (post or Bios), as i have no working GPU atm.
Of the 980M and 1070, can you perhaps link any cards that will work with no mods? Also, can these be run on, what i assume, is default settings in BIOS? I tend to read people saying you have to have a backup card to change some Bios settings, to make 980m and 10XX series to work?

 

Nobody has ever gotten any form of GTX 1080 to work at full capacity in a legacy Alienware

 

Yep

 

So don't bother mentioning the 1080, its a complete waste of funds

 

I said "with heavy mods" as thats whats required to properly use it. Only issue I see currently is feeding the card extra power, which is basically the only issue aside from heatsinks.
I never said it was a good option, or even viable.

 

Iirc, it should be possible to past POST with the 120 Hz screen, when the graphics card is pulled and the device is plugged to a montitor/TV via HDMI.
Though never tested that myself, but had read that smwhere here.

 

POST is not the problem, nobody has figured out how to make the cards run full speed

 

Was just adressed to the OP regarding to bypass his current state with the 8 beeps, not referring to the 1080
and just iirc.

 

As far as i can read online, the 120Hz version requires an Nvidia card to display anything. Meaning, i need a card that will work the first time i put it in the laptop, and i really aint sure which i can pick from.

 

You mean the internal display, yes!

I'm taking bout an external display on HDMI out

(Online on my mobile atm, so a bit handicapped regarding searching with that tiny screen, will search and post links when I power up my stationary machine by today or tomorrow).

 

I also meant it wont display anything including HDMI out. - I'd be interested if you find anything, and will try to see if i can find something too. ATM when running without the dead graphics card installed, with a HDMI cable to the TV, i still get the usual 8 beeps.

 

Ah ok but I think I remember now, one missing step: you'd first need to pull the LCD cable and then hook it up to HDMI, that should let you pass POST iirc.
The cable sits right under the keyboard.
Don't know your skills, so be careful at all.


Otherwise I'd say pick any cheap 4xxm, 5xxm, 6xxm you can find and you should be set for checking the machine upfront and then think about a real upgrade.

 

So - Just pulling the LCD cable under the keyboard should allow the computer to use the Intel graphics over a HDMI connection?

 

I've pulled the LCD cable. Tried to set it up to the tv again, but got the same 8 beeps. If i try to FN + F6, it very briefly shows on the TV, that it has a 1080p, 60hz connection, but shows nothings besides this and goes back to beeping. Maybe it isn't just the dead (and removed) graphics card?

In regards to finding an old graphics card, i dont find it likely. I know no one to ask, cant find a used one at decent money. I have a 555m card in my old laptop, but i dont assume that can actually fit this one?

 

Cheapest eDP card is likely a old quadro

 

I was in the exact same situation, my 680m had died and i had a brand new gtx 1060 which could not post as i did not have correct settings for it to boot. I had to get a card which was available as a configuration at the time the laptop was in sale and was 3d display compatible. I was definitely not going to buy another expensive gtx 680m so I got a cheap quadro k1000m(equivalent to a gtx 660m, which also a configuration option with the 3d 120hz display)
popped in the quadro, changed settings in the bios, installed the gtx 1060 and it booted right up.
I have made a post of my installation experience in my signature, i hope it helps!

 

You used a half size card to allow yourself into the BIOS?

I may pick up one in the near future if so, thanks for the tip.

 

If you have a 120hz display you can run:

1070:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Nvidia...h=item1a734ca9ab:g:ejsAAOSwmqZcT7jB:rk:5:pf:0

1060:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Nvidia...h=item3b24f993d8:g:6M0AAOSw-iZcSDb7:rk:3:pf:0

980M:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/nVidia-GTX...hbSFzV:rk:21:pf:0&LH_BIN=1&LH_ItemCondition=3

You have to be running UEFI for them though (maybe not for the 980M I don't remember)

 

Any of the 6 series and up Nvidia series will work, as will their quadro varients

 

Aint questioning if they work, but will any of them work without changing settings in Bios first? Since i cant get to bios currently, without a working dedicated graphics card

 

If you had a 3D 120hz panel and 680M in the beginning, the 680M, 780M should work no issue.

If you had UEFI windows 10 then the 980M, 1060, and 1070 will also work. However you will have no know if you had those settings or not.

 

It's the first case. So i will need another card before going for a upgrade.Just gotta find any old Quaddro with mxm 3.0?

 

have you tried pulling the mxm card to see if it will post on integrated graphics?

 

Yes, the 680m is pulled out.

 

Yeah the quadro k1000m was half sized, although I had it in place just long enough to change the settings in bios and change my hdd partition type. After that everything was done on the 1060.
Welcome!

The 120hz models wont post without the gpu. It will give 8 beeps indicating a gpu failure(which is not). The intel gpu cannot drive, rather is bypassed to run the 3d 120hz display.

yup, you will need a working gpu just to boot. integrated graphics dont work here. You will need a temporary card to get into bios and change settings to get 1060 to work. Installing 1060 with incorrect settings will give either a motherboard error beeps or gpu error beeps.

 

Guess I didn't catch that it was the 120hz edp sorry

 

Update. I've managed to get my hands on a K1100M and 1060. I've been to bios to change settings to 1060, installed windows 10 on the PC. Now i want to install the graphic card drivers, however, it fails every time. I have added the modded ID to the files, i have started windows in the setting to not require the video card signature, i have run DDU, but to no avail. It should be noted, that even though i run DDU, it instantly installs the "Microsoft Basic Display Adapter", despite me turning off automatic driver installation in the Control panel and running without any connection. Does anyone have any idea to do now? Or perhaps able to guide me to a way to get proper drivers?

 

You need to disable signature verification

 

Disable driver signature enforcement by booting into safe mode. I believe its option number 7 under list of safe mode variants.

 

Yes, thank you. But that is what i ment by "i have started windows in the setting to not require the video card signature", just forgot the name. So even with Driver Signature Enforcement disabled, it still fails.

 

Using https://laptopvideo2go.com/ i managed to install the driver, but when restarted, it shows 1060 in the display adapter, but also with the warning that the device is stopped. Really not going well here