M17x R4 doesn't boot when nVIDIA GPU is switched on

So my friend had his Alienware M17x R4 dropped the other day, I changed his HDD then it booted fine, then he had a problem where his CPU was running at half the speed due to an error on boot up from BIOS saying the power adapted cannot supply enough current so today the DELL technician visited us and gave us a new power adapted then the system speed was normal again @ 3GHz

Now the problem is, if we switch to the nVIDIA GPU, you would see the BIOS POST screen, then you would see the Windows Splash screen for a few seconds then it would turn black and nothing happens. This only happens after we install the nVIDIA Driver though, if no driver is installed it would boot fine. The moment we install the driver and reboot, we get the black screen again......

So the way I did it was to switch to the integrated graphics by setting the system defaults options in BIOS and then it reboots in the Integrated GPU just fine.

I tried the DELL version of the nVIDIA Drivers and the latest nVIDIA 344.11 but both are the same.

Do you think the graphics card is bad due to the drop or anything else I could try?

 

Definitely sounds like the gpu is dying.

 

What's strange is that all video tests pass perfectly when I run the BIOS Diagnostics

 

Have you tried rolling back to the previous driver?

 

I did man, still no luck.......

Im on the 3rd format now.....let's see how this goes....

 

What graphics card does it have 675m I'm guessing? It does sound like it is failing, and they can do that and still pass hardware diags .

Edit: there is an older driver that gave a little more life to a failing 580m/675m: 314.22.

 

ohhh so passing the diagnostics doesn't necessarily mean it's ok!! Crap, I shouldn't have formatted again! I'll just wait for the DELL Technician to arrive then

 

Yeah, it just tests the basic vga functionality (all those flashing colours!), not under full load like a benchmark or game does .

Is it a 675m?

I thought on-site was a problem in Dubai? I've seen a couple of locals saying they HAD to purchase and get support from the US . Maybe just saving some money

Let us know how it goes

 

I did the 3rd format with the same result. The graphic card is bad. As you said those tests are for basic colors and stuff which explains why it passed.

I contacted the Regional Customer Operations Manager from DELL and he was VERY VERY helpful. He is sending me a new VGA Card tomorrow and a new battery free of charge since the battery is dead and DELL says they will not replace it since it only had a 1 year warranty for the battery. He is sending me a new battery as a good will gesture and restored my faith in DELL.

 

That's great news on Dell local. I hear so many reports of service decline but that is the sort of service I have always received .

Let us know how it goes, good luck .

 

Dell local is an absolute joke mate. The calls in Dubai get transferred to a call center in Egypt which has some of the rudest people who don't even go by any policy.

Example:

With my Alienware 18, I called ot ask for a Windows 8.1 replacement DVD and they sent it to me next day, no questions asked and free of charge.

With the Alienware M17x R4, I called asking them to send me a Windows 7 Professional SP1 DVD, the girl tells me I need to buy it after visiting a service center after she checked with her supervisor. "Shall I give you the service center addresses?" I'm like NO!! You have sent me a DVD earlier on my Alienware 18 for Windows 8.1 why do I have to buy it now? She says she doesn't know. So I ask for her supervisor's name, she's like I can't give you his name! (WTH), so she transfers me to him and he says yeah sure we'll send you one tomorrow!

So I go, why did I have to speak to you to get it? Why couldn't she just send it and had to make me angry? He said because I am a supervisor I have access to see what your system originally came with and I can see that it did come with that DVD! He was just trying to protect her instead of telling me she doesn't know how to perform her job or check properly!


Example 2: I have next business day on site support. The lady told me we'll send you a technician within 2 days! I'm like wait a second, I have next business day on site support not next 2 business days support! She says yeah next business day means within 1 or 2 days! I go like NOO!! Next business day in the English Language means NEXT BUSINESS DAY!

I told all of this to the regional customer operations manager and he is going to pay them a visit soon

 

Not trying to sound like an apologist since that is more like what I have heard about Dubai support . But I do know that there was quite a period after the R4 was supplied with win 8 before they supplied any media so maybe a records error 'could' be possible.

The next-business-day bit is hardly ever met in my experience anywhere. Only once, in Brazil, did I get an engineer next day with a replacement HD. But I was in the biggest metropolis in the world so you'd hope they had resources for business users!

Usually you get some delay tactic, 'it's after the cut off sir' or,' we have to wait for the part to be shipped to us sir'. The small print is 'Best Endeavours' so it's never guaranteed...