M17x R3 upgrade option

Now I am looking at getting my old M17x R3 a bit updated and am trying to verify what my options are before I start shopping for components.

System is a M17x R3 with a 460m and 120hz display. CPU is an i7-2630.

Primarily I am wanting to upgrade the video. So my questions are...

- What are my GPU options with the stock bios and Win 7?

- What are my options if I am willing to change the bios and move the machine to Win 10?

Also, I assuming that I will need a new 3 pipe HS for almost any GPU upgrade.

 

You have a R4 not a R3

1) You can get MSI GTX 1070 MXM since you have the required lcd screen.

2) a 330 Watts Power Supply ...

3) CPU 3820QM/3840QM or 3920XM/3940XM

 

4.) disable bd prochot via throttlestop after getting the bigger power supply for better performance

 

Interesting.

It was sold to me years ago as an R3 and Dell still shows my original configuration listing it as an R3.



.........Never mind..

I see the mistake. I put in the processor info for my R4, and not my R3 in the first post.

I'm sorry for the confusion. I am much more used to using my R4 (better system) and just mis-typed its processor info.

The machine I am wanting to upgrade is definitely an R3 (with a 2630QM).

 

A 2920XM and 680M will give you tons more performance than what you currently have

 

Has the W7170m ever been tested in the R3?

 

Is that as far as the R3 can go before needing BIOS mods and the like?

 

That’s pretty much as far as it can go period. 780M support is iffy, 880M is a bad card, 980M and beyond are not supported.

 

Hmm.

It might be time then to let go of the R3 then and to just focus on my R4 and m18 R2 then.

Either that, or pick up a graphics amplifier and turn it into a pseudo-desktop.

 

Not sure how you're going to do that with no AGA port on the m17x R3

 

Dell says it works with the M17x R3


Designed For
Alienware 13 R2, 13 R3, 15 R2, 15 R3, Alpha R2, M17xR2, M17xR3, X51 R3


Is that a mistake on their web site?

 

Works with the 17 R3, and as @TheReciever put it where would you plug it into?

 

kek

 

doubt

 

So.. Dell is wrong. Got it.

Hmm..

It seems that I have the optimal M17 combo but the parts are scattered across my R3 & R4..

The R3 has the 120hz display, The R4 has the terrible 1600x900 display (with a 7970m).

Seems like the best option would be to buy a 1070m, tear them both down, move the 120hz screen and 1070m to the R4 (I already have a 330w PS) and put all of the remaining parts back into the R3.

 

Almost any NV card works with the eDP 120HZ screen

 

Anything up from the 680m probably would work.

Also the wx7100 from AMD will work.

 

Yeah but if I am going to go to the trouble of tearing down two laptops to "frankenstein" one better machine then it would probably be best just to spend the extra $200-300 on a 1070m over a 680m or 780m and have a machine that won't need to be messed with again for a few years.

 

I wasnt really suggesting the 680m though.

That being said, dunno if it happens on the R4 at all but on the Ranger with the 1070 or pascal in general you lose access to the BIOS for some reason. Have to swap in another video card that supports edp in order to make changes (if you need to)

 

BIOS is accessible and changeable in my r4, with 1060 in, don't know bout 1070, but should be no difference.

 

Then no need for an old back up card.

 

There may a need though (just in case BIOS gets messed up smhow or a BIOS up- or downgrade is done) and the BIOS gets reset to defaults. As it defaults to legacy and then you get stuck with Pascal in the r4 with 120 Hz screen (8 beeps of horror).
That's why I kept a 675m.

 

For what it’s worth I always have a spare AMD and NVIDIA card in my possession just for testing purposes.