M17x R3 replacement screen?

I've got 8 beeps which everyone on the internet says is the screen and to be honest the screen was playing up, It would randomly just go black as if the power had been cut off (But it hadn't) So i need a new screen or probably just a new cable to be honest, But either way i require a new one, Where would i go about acquiring one, That isn't off ebay, either 1600x900 or 1080p, Doesn't bother me, I must have my 6990m going again :<

 

First, this is the screen fault and-> get it from ebay, this one of the cheapest options about 70 USD or so.
secondly,
watch this
Alienware M17x R3 lcd screen replacement - YouTube

and then this
Alienware M17X R3 LCD screen replacement - YouTube

this vids are just for reference, of what to NOT to do, the screen replacement itself is easy.

Just put m17x r4 screen in ebay search, and you find plenty.....

 

I'm an australian and none of those are 70 USD, The only two on fleabay are a 1600x900 with no backboard (thats 163 usd and 63 usd postage) To australia wich is expensive, And the other one is a 1080p but its 300 bucks before postage.

 

152 views 1 reply, Ho hum, Anyone also happen to know what causes the screen to do this in the first place because if it's very simple like a bad cable that would be great, But i get the feeling that it is a bit more then just a bad cable.

 

Just be aware the 8 beeps is display sub-system POST failure and can easily be the video card that has failed, this being more likely (happened to me). If you do not have a 3D model just take out the GPU card, if it starts up you have identified the problem

And yes, check the cabling (reseat), just in case it's as simple as that.

HTH

 

It doesn't boot with either, I know it's def not the video card as everytime i'd move the screen back or forth the colours would change as if it were a faulty connection then it simply decided that nope.jpg it wouldn't have anymore of it.

 

OK then it IS related to the panel! Start with checking the ribbon cable, if it uses one (they do fail) and you should be able to source one from dell if after reseating it it still fails.

Search out a stripdown video, there are a few around

 

No such luck and it is the 60hz model, I miss my 6990m, I could run pretty much any game i wanted without toning down the details, But till i get this fixed im using a small APu system.

 

With what? Reseating the cable, finding a replacement, stripdown?

 

Reseating the cable did nothing.

 

Oh, then it sounds like it may have 'gone' . If it was the panel it's self then usually the fault is consistent and not related to moving it

 

I thought it was a one off at first so i didn't really think much of it, Moved the display slightly and all was right with the world then the next day it simply spat out error codes and that was that.

 

I'd really be inclined to get a new cable before spending on a panel. How bad would it be to get a new panel and still have it happen

 

So i decided to do a complete teardown instead of just focusing on the screen and what not, I completely toredown the laptop and its 500 bloody screws (And believe me theres always a screw left over) And put it back together after cleaning everything with a can of compressed air, Turned it on, Fans went on, then off, Then on then off, The screen lit up then turned off, The whole thing did this for a few seconds before complaining about bios date/time

HUZZAH ITS ALIVE


"It's Alive!!!" - YouTube

Unfortunatly my dGPU fan is cracked and i don't trust it so i'll need to hunt one of those down but IT'S ALIVE and the several hundred bucks i put aside to replace the screen (Which is fine now) Can be used for a fan and upgrades, I wonder if they still have 2920xm's lying around somewhere, Or if i can drop an ivy into it.

 

Great news!!! I assume you also removed the cmos battery which is why all the restarts and default BIOS date.

Any Ivy mobile is OK as far as I know and I'm sure they are available via ebay. What dGPU do you have in it? - better results from a GPU upgrade since you have the cash burning a hole

Edit: lol the clip, 'now I know how it feels to be God!' Classic

 

Turns out the screen cable also needs replacing, Moving the screen makes it go black, But the screen itself is fine, I'm sure a cable is just a five dollar part, And yes i removed hte cmos battery, But i've cleaned it all up and windows is sort of happy, It's got issues because of date/time but it can and will deal with it for now.

I'm using a 2630QM
16GB ddr3 1600mhz corsair vengance
OCZ agility 3 60GB + 750GB sata
AMD HD 6990M 2GB(the biggest and baddest card of the R3's era)

 

I was sure the cable was the issue, either poor connection or as it turned out, it just gave up with all the flexing

You don't have to stick with the cards dell sold (except 3D users) so the world is pretty much your oyster for choice. I don't know much about ATI these days, with an NV card a modified inf flie is all that is needed for the driver to install but they are easily available from: LaptopVideo2Go: Drivers

 

See unfortunatly i can't really use Nvidia, The price for what they do just isn't worth it, In australia you could get the m18x with 2 6990ms but for the same price you would only get 1 580m, And they were neck and neck for performance, And i'm not sure if it'll work with non dell cards, I went from the A10 unlocked bios to blind flashing to the A12 (Because it was part of the troubleshooting)

 

Yeah, bang-for-buck AMD always come out on top, although NV being more mainstream orientated (rather than enthusiast) they *seems* to have drivers easier to install and more up-to-date, as well as less buggy (excepting the latest disaster of a driver NV released!)

I'd ask over in the owners lounge (or the overclocking thread) about different OEM's cards for AMD, see if you get any advice. I know people are using Clevo NV cards with no problems (actually they are reported to be faster due to overclocking ability!)

 

While i'd love a 120hz sceen (I don't care for 3d, but 120hz is ery) I need an nvidia card to run those, And both of those aren't cheap, But i'm happy it works and playing quite a few cpu bound games, that 2920xm looks real good.

 

Dell Alienware M17X R3 LCD LED LVDS Flax Screen Webcam Cable GTDTJ 0GTDTJ Y | eBay

Is this the correct cable to replace for my screen?

 

I only got this model for the 120hz display. I'd tried the 3D out a few years ago, and although it looked pretty good, far too many games just looked bad. Mine came with a free copy of Portal so I fired it up in 3D - A true OMG moment! It is perfect, and superb for a 3D platformer. So then to a bunch of the latest titles. Max Payne 3 and Batman AC are also perfect with no shadowing or things at the wrong depth. Anything that uses the Unreal 3 engine is a no-no along with a couple of titles that just don't work, but more do than don't anymore. I couldn't go back now - Metro Last Light, in the dark, with all the keyboard (alienfx) effects, in 3D is a delight to behold

CPU bound games eh? Never heard of that on any i7 model but I do know AMD GPU's off-load physics to the CPU so it does make sense. My CPU never even breaks a sweat (and starts it's fan) playing games but it is one of the higher ones

It looks like the correct part to me but I'm by far no HW expert, and I haven't even stripped mine down to that level. Hopefully someone else will advise . I do know there are two connectors for video on the MB and they use a different plug type (one is for the 120hz model), so asking around before purchasing is a good idea.

 

World of warcraft and Sc2 are very cpu dependant, Wow tends to make good use of the 6990m as most days i sit at 90-95% usage But Sc2 on the other hand, That's a paddlin.


I wish i could run a 120hz display on an AMD mobile card but it looks like you can't which is a shame indeed.

 

Yeah, the AMD cards can work with a 120hz display just fine through the driver. The problem is with the on-board VGA microcode that is used during POST tests. Only NV have 120hz compatible code, It's why the iGPU is disabled on the 120hz models. If the panel was dual sync (native) then there would be no problem (like external 120hz monitors are). Guess they are not made?
I did a lot of research on this after I bricked my R3 attempting to activate the iGPU - maybe I should have done that before hacking the BIOS

 

Wonder if there are dualsync 120hz laptop displays then.

 

I'm guessing that either they are horrendously expensive or there is no demand so the manufactures do not make them? 120hz panel is a niche market after all. I was hoping that the new models would have one but the iGPU is still disabled so no (sob). Now if Intel and AMD put 120hz compatible VGA microcode on their mobile chips we would be fine - but the POST specs state 60hz in VGA compatibility mode so they are doing nothing wrong

 

Wonder if i can edit the microcode or atleast hack it.

 

That would be a neat trick. It is probably on an EEPROM somewhere but could be on-die, no idea I'm afraid

 

I think your the only person to look at this thread tbh, Well reply to it anyway.

 

Yeah, now you know what the problem is you might have to start a new thread about the cable. The owners lounge is usually a good place but that is very quiet ATM