M17x R1 - Features we want in future BIOS's

There are obviously features we all want to see in the future BIOS that we do not have right now. Why dont we all post what we would like here and I will keep the OP updated and we can pester NagsHead and the like so they know what the customers want.

I will kick off the list with the stuff I want added (and will update with input from others):

-Memory Voltage The R2 gets this feature and there is no good argument for keeping it from the R1 people
-Higher FSB options (not that 1333 cap - maybe 1600 or 2000) Dell does not have to guarantee stability with the overclocks, so just please give us the ability to do it
-CPU Voltage Again, in the R2 but not here
-Turn off beep in BIOS
-Enable numlock on bootup
-Ability to lock graphics as dedicated or integrated regardless of power source
-Some method/amount of fan control Clevo laptops have long had this feature - meet the competition!
-Official support for the 5870m in single and dual card configurations We would be on our own to buy these anyways, why not give us the option?
-Removal of the horrific crippling of the CPU that occurs when the system draws alot of power More can be read here
-Fix the polling rate for the touchpad This has already been fixed now in A09 for the R2, where is the R1 love? GOT THIS IN A06
-Fix the broken memory bandwidth (it is much lower than should be)

And I notified the dell people floating around here and they have said they are watching this thread to look for what the customers (US!) want

UPDATE (2/11/2011): I currently have someone looking at editing the bios to unlock alot of overclocking features, no guarantees yet but if it works we will be a much happier crowd!

Once I have received the edited bios and tested it I will post a link here as well as a link to the individual who did the work for me so that you all can donate as you feel appropriate. I plan a generous donation myself.

So the guy helping me out is awesome, here is a taste of things to come!

 

Intel Virtualization Technology
Check your BIOS, its been available since BIOS A01 on the M17xR1.

 

I would like to see the CPU and Memory voltage features
The rest of them are more complicated than a BIOS update and I don't think we will have the chance to see them (I don't want to sound pessimistic)

 

Oh, so just the R2 people dont have that one then,

One Down!

 

Those other options are absolutely a BIOS feature

 

scook9

I can also confirm this i am running windows virtual pc through bios .Link below.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

 

An option to disable that stupidly annoying beep whenever you start up on battery power.

Also, an option to enable the numlock key on startup.

Yeah yeah, I know, not the most overclocking-oriented suggestions, but they are things that I'd like to have changed.

 

Scook I think you ignore the fact that the BIOS is based on the hardware and not vice versa. When you have a specific architecture you have certain limitations that you cannot exceed without risking the stability of the system. In order for you to have lets say a 2000 ΜΗz FSB you need a CPU and a RAM that can support those frequencies. When the options you have for the CPU don't exceed the base FSB frequency of 1066 MHz you can't expect to OC them that high without changing the voltage. The catch in this case is that the CPU has limitations also to the voltage that can handle so it is highly unlikely for a manufacturer to provide those kind of options that can literally fry the hardware.

 

An option to keep hybrid SLI or dedicated graphics enabled in the BIOS when starting on battery power would be nice.

 

You can already push the system into unstability as is....just boost the multi on an extreme cpu crazy high. They do not have to limit is though, of course if we break it we buy it. Look at the R2 though, they got a lot more overclocking flexibility than we do, all I am asking for is equal treatment - feel like the abandoned us to only support the new model

Overclocking always leads to instability.....Dell already knows that. They are not guaranteeing you a certain OC, just making the option available to do it yourself. I never had the illusion that 2000 MHz would be stable, but I would like the option to find that out. I do not expect my warranty to cover anything but stock speeds (is all Intel's warranty covers)

 

Scook, I understand your concern about being neglected for the new model but I am more than certain that they won't provide us with options that could harm the hardware with their blessings, even if we pay for the new one in case we brake it. R2 cannot change the CPU voltage like 1 Volt more (!!! imagine?), instead it has a very narrow frame. That's why I support the idea of having the option to change the voltage a little bit more but that's pretty much it.

 

I would take a narrow frame over the big fat nothing we get now....

 

Exactly, that's the point, one step at a time

 

they get like 100mV or something like that, I would LOVE to get that....if the M17x R2 had the same OC abilites the R1 did, they would not be beating me in 3DMark06 at all lol

 

Well that's a different story Scook and there is only one way to find out. I won't spam this thread anymore though, I would rather see other opinions here too

 

We are bumping it alot, that still helps haha

My main interests are in overclocking for benches, but I also really want RGB screen lol

 

the 730i desktop boards were getting 400-425 fsb with voltage tweaks

 

Yea, I want that too

 

+1 on choice of graphic card on boot no matter the power source
+1 on disable/enable bios entering sound

 

Just thought of a new one, unlocked fan control!

I want to have the option to run these things maxed out if I want and enjoy that leafblower cooling!

 

So you suggest to have a key combination like FN + something that will either change the fun speed on either adaptive or full speed

 

Or just have an option in the BIOS through which we can set it on quiet, standard, turbo, full out

Or something like that. Those are the options my Asus desktop motherboard has. Alienware could also encorporate software control over this into the CC maybe. I would totall ybe in favor of a f key as well, f8 is open

Clevo's have always had this, fn+f2 being fans full blast I believe

 

I like the idea of Fan Control

my Buddys m7700 has manual fan control.. Fn+F12 I believe it was set all the fans to max! ( I bet someone can make an app that makes the fans max out, or some sort of profile control with Fn+F8)

I agree that a little Voltage adjustment would be nice. To include undervolting. (just in case you decide you need more battery life)

not sure if its a bios thing but being able to switch Graphics on the fly like the m11 would be nice (my 17 requires a restart)


RGB LED would be awsome, but im not un happy with my screen the way it is.

 

The RGB LED is supported by R1, you just need to remove the BIOS battery for a few sec before booting with the new screen

Also would be great to make a Fn+P combination to auto connect (via Bluetooth ) to the local Pizza Hut and place a delivery order

 

redacted due to stupidity

 

Voltage is what I want more than anything else as well. I PM'd NagsHead and he said they are watching this thread to take these ideas into consideration

 

I would like more feature like the g73, r2...

I would like optimus to be slipped in the bios so the 9400m and the 4870 can be enabled at the same time.

I would also like the fsb to hit 1600 min...

I would like the multiplier to start at 6x-16x like the whitebook for people who won't better battery life.

I would like more voltage. Controlling it would be better then just adding it. Like the qx93*00 is at 1.163v and intel website is 1.2v. If we can add more (at least 1.4v) that would be good.

and alot more I have to think about it.

also ram need more control such as cas timing, voltage and more.

 

The QX9300 has been shown to hit 4 GHz in other machines, I want to be able to say that my M17x is the best by being able to do it too

 

yes very true. The w90 dell's competiter hit 4.0ghz and also the whitebook/m17 aka the m17x older brother also hit 4.0ghz with a crap cooler.

5870 support would be nice and also fantrol would be nice.

a nice feature on a side note is to let command center install on a separate partition for lights/etc for peiple like me with more then one os....

 

also people without extreme cpu should be able to control the multiplier not add cause we know they can't cause it's locked but to downclock the multiplier.

ex some desktops like a q9650 can hit 3.7ghz with just increasing fsb and 9.5x but it can hit overclock 4.0ghz with the the fsb increased and set the multiplier at 9x...

 

The QX9300 can hit 4GHz on only 1.425V and 3.9 at 1.375V

Those are not huge voltages.....we are capped at 1.163 for the time being

Evidence attached

 

Yeah, when Intel demos a 2.53 Ghz CPU at 3.7 it should be pretty safe.

 

Agreed. Being able to do 3.33 for benches is fun and all, but compared to what the desktop chips can do and the R2 owners pushing like 3.8 on all cores with their i7's kind of makes the relatively limited overclocking of the R1 emabrassing.

I just do not want to get the impression that Dell stopped caring about improving our experience since they have the fancy new R2 to support now

 

I'm with you on that one. If only they allow it - Scook will reclaim the titles back in the benchmarking thread
It should be possible and safe all the way up to 4GHz!

 

Bump

Don't want to see this thread get burried

It has SO much potential!

 

+1 No bios beep & locked graphics settings.

Hope they stick to their word & watch this thread....

With the R2 out, the focus/support for the R1 is going to decline further & further I'm afraid though.

 

Can Nagshead or anyone else at dell give us an update on if we can expect to see any of these implemented? (when or if at all)

 

Try team blackhawk on facebook.

 

having trouble finding them

edit: think I found it

 

I really need the voltage option... that's the least they should offer after all...

 

I agree, especially after giving it to the R2 crowd

 

Any news about those BIOS features?

 

Nothing I have heard, but I can still hope

I would love to get some more OC freedom on this thing, then I could throw up some benches!

We are not even getting the voltage that Intel says is ok for these processors. They say up to 1.175V, we only get 1.1625 at most

http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=36727

 

I am loosing faith here....

 

I agree, noticed that Bill or John or whoever is supposed to be helping in the DPC thread has vanished as well

Nothing warms you up like solid and present customer support......

 

What disappoints me more is that it's not an exotic feature or an innovation that we ask here... it's quite a simple thing

 

So simple that they have already done it actually, in the R2. Which seems to get all the attention now while thousands of people who bought the R1 are left in the dust. Sure, I would love to just trade up for an R2 but then I lose the battery life I enjoy on the 9400m. Maybe I will just throw in the towel and send it in....

I upgraded to an OEM QX9300 on my own, think I could convince them to take that and give me an i7 920xm?

lol

 

Same here with the CPU, I doubt they will offer the 920 though...
Except from the RGB LED, the performance gain doesn't justify the hustle in my opinion

 

That is why I made no effort to get an i7 model. The DPC stuff is not a huge bother for me and eating the cost of the QX9300 would suck a big one. Especially since I got it for $500 and a 920xm would be over twice that ($800 at the LEAST)

I just want the same sort of support they are getting.....they keep doing useless bandaids for the DPC problem and ignoring other features we actually want to see in the R1. They took the screen woes of the R1 and fixed it for the R2, but still left all the R1 users behind

If I can just get an RGBLED and proper BIOS features, I will be the happiest R1 owner around lol

 

It seems that the premium of the price doesn't always go along with support

The funny part is that they begin with the same price
http://img408.imageshack.us/i/32598947.png/