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    Geforce GTX 260M problems

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by davidgoerndt, Oct 21, 2011.

  1. davidgoerndt

    davidgoerndt Notebook Enthusiast

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    I have a 17X with the Nvidia Geforce GTX 260M graphics card installed and I'm having problems with the screen flashing then going black which forces me to reboot. Also, sometimes the computer freezes and I need to force a shutdown and reboot. When I disable the card, everything works as it should. I have the latest driver installed. Could the card be dying or is it something else?

    17X with 2.4 Ghz Core 2 duo processor, 8 Gigs RAM, Windows 7 64 bit Home premium
     
    davidgoerndt, Oct 21, 2011
    #1
  2. SlickDude80

    SlickDude80 Notebook Prophet

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    the first thing i would check are your temps. Could be an overheating vid card. When was the last time you cleaned out the vents?
     
    SlickDude80, Oct 21, 2011
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  3. katalin_2003

    katalin_2003 NBR Spectre Super Moderator

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    Do this:
    Reboot and repeatedly press F2 in order to access BIOS menu.
    Navigate to Advanced and down to Graphic Settings
    Here Disable PCIe Gen2.
    Save and exit (F10 and choose Yes) and your problems should be a thing of the past ;)

    Cheers
     
    katalin_2003, Oct 21, 2011
    #3
  4. davidgoerndt

    davidgoerndt Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thanks for the info, i disabled the PCIe Gen2 and, so far, I haven't had the problem come back. Temps on the GPU are running around 40 C.
     
    davidgoerndt, Oct 23, 2011
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  5. Locke~

    Locke~ Newbie

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    Unfortunately, I don't have the "Graphic Settings" option in my Bios under "Advanced". Do I have to update my Bios to a newer version? My Bios is the one you get from the Gateway website, and it's very limited. I've also got the factory drivers installed on my GPU (not sure if that makes a difference to what options are available in the Bios)
     
    Locke~, Mar 12, 2013
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  6. gthirst

    gthirst Notebook Evangelist

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    Gateway? Assuming you mean Dell... Make sure your bios is A07. Drivers won't effect the bios, but you should still find a modded .inf for the latest drivers since it may help or solve some issues. Generally though, the Dell drivers are the most stable, except with newer games.
     
    gthirst, Mar 12, 2013
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  7. Locke~

    Locke~ Newbie

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    Where would I get the A07 Bios? I don't have a Dell laptop, it's a Gateway laptop. I got the Bios from the Gateway website specifically for this model laptop, but I'm not sure if that matters.
     
    Locke~, Mar 12, 2013
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  8. wacdag

    wacdag Notebook Consultant

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    You are in the wrong section, try the Gateway section:

    Gateway Laptop Discussion Forum
     
    wacdag, Mar 13, 2013
    #8