M17X R3 POST error 8 beeps - question about blind flash

Hi everybody,
while installing my oculus rift DK2 on my Alienware M17X R3 with the 6990m I needed to disable the IGP, went to the modded A12 BIOS and set video adapter to ... PCI *doh*

After that it still booted, but without showing anything on the screen. Solution seemed to be a blind flash, so I tried to get a clean modded A12 BIOS on it. I didn't however realize that the USB stick wasn't working for it and no flashing was done, because there never were the 32 beeps with reboot.
After turning off and on again, I got to the POST error with the 8 beeps and have been since. Removing RAM, MXM-GPU, reflashing (with a working USB drive and successful 32 beeps) didn't work either.

Now it seems the board it bricked, but I still have a question: When resetting the CMOS and BIOS, why does the last alienFX-setup I set up manually (keyboard lights etc.) stay in the computer? shouldn't it be wiped or does the alienFX have some sort of flash memory for storing that?

Any comments/help very much appreciated.
cheers
frost

 

As far as I'm concerned, AlienFx are changed from the O.S, it may be possible that the last instruction remains there though.

 

This is true but the cmos does save all color information in its memory. You must of not correctly cleared the cmos.

 

thanks both of you - that was what I was wondering about; if it is stored in the cmos it should go back to an all-lit-up state, but i had disabled the light on the speakers and the alienware-writing below the screen. both stay off, color is the same I set it and I've since made a couple of cmos-resets as well as blind flashes. also had the whole computer without battery and removed cmos-battery lying for >8 hours...

 

I've changed the motherboard since and can confirm that the color-information is definitely not saved with the cmos battery or in the BIOS.

Also, changing the mainboard got me different alien-fx-colors, but not rid of the 8 beeps.
connecting an external monitor (with internal connected or not) does not help, the screen stays blank with internal as well as external graphics.
must be the lcd then?

 

my guess is 6990m got broken.

 

then the machine should start without the 6990m.

strange thing is - if the LCD is broken, I get from the information flying around there should be some kind of picture on an external screen connected via VGA. But there's nothing - the external monitor gets the connection, but shows just a black picture.

 

so you removed 6990m and still no luck? i got same 8 beep black screen on R3 with 6990m, when removing 6990m it can boot up. so i bought a 6870m and now it's ok.

 

Just an FYI about the AlienFX question. There is an EEPROM on the MB that controls access to colours and stores current settings. I believe this to be how it works as quite a while back a new version of Command Centre overwrote (flashed) this chip and caused it to stop working altogether on an older model - IIRC?

Good luck with the card issue - sorry nothing to add .

 

exactly. i had removed just about everything, tried with only 1 piece of ram, blindflashed the old motherboard with and without the 6990m, but never got a picture on either internal lcd or external screen (vga or hdmi).

does anybody know for sure whether a broken lcd should boot or show anything on an external monitor?

 

An extenal monitor is not going to help. The display and video sub-system has to pass POST (where you are getting the 8 beeps) before a signal is produced there.

Curious though as the original sequence points to a failing iGPU and just taking it out should have fixed it. I know you have reflashed but did you do a power drain by removing the coin cell? It might still be trying to start on the faulty GPU and failing at that point? Test without the AMD card and see if you can get it working like that. Otherwise I'm lost, BIOS trashed by a bad flash? Does happen .

Good luck

 

yes, power drain was done. Please note I'm on the 2nd motherboard now, having the same problems with or without GPU. Unless the mobo has the same error (unlikely, was sold as new), I think I'll believe the official Alienware-beepcode-interpretation-list and get a different lcd connected.

your information, that neither internal nor external signals are produced unless the video post is done points towards trying that as well.

 

I was wondering about te CPU? Since the intel video is on-board maybe that is the common component that has failed in this problem?

Edit: I can confirm for sure that 8 beeps is not only the panel as stated by the table. It's the whole sub system end-to-end test that is failing and can be any component in the video chain

 

cpu is a possibility, but it's hard to imagine the main cpu working (which should be checked in POST earlier, right?) and the integrated graphics-processor not. If I had another mobile socket 988 processor lying around I'd check this, but first I'll try the LCD.

 

I'm thinking the POST failure happens when it tests the on-die GPU. Any beep code is a POST failure. The CPU is just about (apart from the panel of course) component that has followed the fault?

Panels do fail for sure but usually the fault is graphical, not just stone dead?

Good luck and I hope you fix it - even if it does come to a new panel.

 

Got a new LCD today, just quickly connected it - Alienware is booting!!!

Changing adapter to PCI really fried the LCD screen.

Now I'll have to get the Bezel out (or a replacement) and exchange the screens.
BTW I went for this screen: N173HGE-L11 - it should have slightly better viewing angles and a better contrast ratio than the original LG Philips LP173WF1-TLB3.

Thanks everybody for the help, much appreciated!

 

Wow man, glad to hear you bottomed it out. Never heard of anyone frying a panel by just pointing it at the dGPU? Did you try the 'other' MB socket for the display at any point? This HAS fried at least one panel to my knowledge.

Is the machine operating OK now, switching to the dGPU using the hot-key sequence?

All the best

 

So everything is back together, old motherboard in again, did all sorts of tests yesterday evening and can happily report, the M17x R3 is 100% working again.

no, I never tried switching the LCD-ports.

The new screen is pretty good, too. Colors seem better balanced than on the old screen.

However, when changing the display in the display assembly it is night near-impossible to get the bezel off without breaking it. Interesting to see that the old main display is matte and all glossiness stems from the plastic in front - I actually much prefer the matte display. So even though the bezel-spares are affordable on ebay, I'll try and get a new border custom cut with a nice hole in the middle where the actual screen is.

 

That's great to hear - thanks for the update .

Another one for the brain KB to store!

The glossy screen was my pet hate at first until I realised that it is much more a gaming display that a general purpose one. The reflections are some of the worst I have seen but when low-light gaming - wow. The contrast is so much better than a matte and the colours seem to 'pop'. Maybe just get one of those removable screens for when needed?

Good job.