M17x R2 Won't boot with two video cards installed.

As it says, I recently had some video card issues. I had dual 4870 in crossfire and was getting all kinds of video glitches and artifacts leading to lockups and shutdowns.

I bought a pair of 5870's and installed them and when I started up my system it would not even get to a place where I could do anything. Nothing on the screen at all.

I pulled the slave out and tried to boot and was successful, so I re-installed the slave with the same result, no boot.

I tried a different crossfire cable with the same result. I spoke with the person I got the cards from and he sent me a second slave. I tried it and same thing, no boot.

I put my old cards back in and it booted, but then locked up with video issues.

I put the master 5870 back in and it works just fine.

Any ideas? Do I have a bad mother board?

Let me know what you think.

thomas

M17xR2: | i7-920XM | 32GB RAM | (X-FIRE ATI HD 4870 x2) now (Single ATI HD 5870) | 1200p RGB LED DISPLAY | KILLER 1103 WIFI | USB 3.0 | NEBULA RED | WINDOWS 7

 

when you turn it on do you have any flashing light? it should post. even with a defective card in slave. maybe try resetting your cmos.

 

The key board and other lights come on, but none of them flash. I get nothing on the screen and the only way to shut off the computer is to remove the battery. Even holding down the power button for 10 sec does not work.

It is the strangest problem I have ever seen on a laptop. I am on the system right now, with only the Master in, so I know the system works, just not with a second 5870 in it.

thomas

 

when you were running the 4780 cf it would post with two cards in?

 

Did you try using a different primary GPU or using the same 5870M this whole time in the primary PCIe slot? If you only tried swapping out a couple of different secondary GPUs while leaving the same primary GPU in place, the GPU installed in the primary slot might be the source of the problem even though it works fine all by itself.

Have you checked the vBIOS on both GPUs to confirm it is the correct version? If the vBIOS is the older version or mismatched with the other cards it could be causing you a problem. Here is the one that both 5870M cards should have on it. AMD Broadway XT (HD5870) A01 Production VBIOS (13B96101.104) Win7 64b. You can check the version currently on the video card with GPU-Z.

 

I have been using the same 5870 GPU. If I try to install a second 5870 the system freezes on boot, no POST, nothing on the screen. Power button does not work, I have to pull the battery.

If I put in my old cards, they work, kind of. But if I try to run a game or video, the system locks up. I have a feeling it is either a bad crossfire cable or motherboard. The 5870's tested good in another M17x R2.

Oh well, there goes another $250. They laptop keeps getting more and more expensive.

thomas