M17x and Windows 7

Which drivers are you running now for chipset, video card and Broadcom?

 

I'm not using any drivers for chipset, 186.91 for video card (whql) and the latest braodcom drivers.

 

After installing the drivers I experienced blue screens, the wifi was unable to connect and booting was taking after the log in screen about 30 seconds, in the meanwhile all the usb devices like mouse and external hard disk, were not responding. I used CCleaner, Driver Cleaner and manual uninstall of the drivers, even system restore but the problem was not resolved. As it was Saturday night with nothing better to do, I did a nice format and installed a driver at a time to see if I could repeat the problem. I concluded that the drivers for the LAN card were causing the problem and by deactivating the card from Control Panel --> Device Manager --> Network Adapters --> right click and disable NVIDIA nforce Networking Controller fixed all the problems. I have to mention that I didn't install the drivers for the network card either. Now I have full wifi signal, no blue screens and normal booting time. The GPU drivers I use are 186.91

 

can anyone set the refresh rate of the screen (1900x1200) to 60hz on windows 7? i tried thousand of times in nvidia control panel, i pressed apply but then back to 59hz!

any solutions for this?

 

you can order the free upgrade win7 dvd right now as i did. i have expected delviery date in the beginning of November. i have it already though

this is where you order the upgrade dvd and you fill your delivery etc details

https://windows7upgradeoption.com/CouponRedemption.aspx

 

the refresh rate is the only this to fix for me .

 

Hi mates, I have also an Alienware M17x and I having the same issues with the nvidia chipset and graphic SLI cards with Cs:source, I have tested new and old drivers, even in Win7 and Vista and Im having the same issue as Khossin.

Khossin in your last post you told that you dont have any chipset drivers but you have the last graphic and broadcom drivers. With that configuration did you stille have the audio suttering?

Thank you guys for all your responses.

 

The Ethernet driver is probably the culprit here. I was just looking over the 'README' included with the driver and they indicate the Ethernet driver is v73.07

Whats interesting to this is the Release Notes included with the chipset driver state:

The last issue in the list above may have something to do with it. Granted, its pulling out of sleep/conserve power since it is working and the connect is live, but perhaps its still in a low power mode - think trickle effect. What's also interesting, is the above notes indicate these issues were fixed in v73.08 but this MCP79 chipset release includes 73.07. So, these issues would still be present. This is just an idea of course - I'm not stating this as fact.

I wonder if you can use the current Win7 chipset installer (from NVIDIA's site), download it and run the installer to extract but cancel out the install. Once done, check to see if the Ethernet driver is v73.08 or higher and if so, update it manually. Use the dell posted W7 installer for the rest of the chipset devices.

What about setting the Ethernet device to not allow the OS to adjust/shut off to conserve power (should be in the Ethernet properties of Device Manager)? See attached screenshots.

Just a thought. Leave it to the rest of you W7 owners to test or add to the thought process...

 

Interesting Aristotelhs - do you mean they already sent you the Win7 Upgrade Offer before GA and not November (which country/region out of interest)? Win 7 GA is 22nd Oct, so apart from MSDN/Technet, it shouldn't be out anywhere else yet..

ETA for Europe is early November I believe too, but this is mainly due to regional shipping postage lead times - and UK is just about to have 2 x 24hr postal strikes on 22nd Oct - not great timing!

Cheers

Trelawney

 

Really via Windows 7 Update Option Program, or Retail or MSDN/Technet (& which region)?

Cheers

Trelawney

 

Looks like Dell will be shipping the Upgrade kits 2 weeks after the GA date.

https://win7.dell.com/UpgradeDates.aspx

 

Yes, I've only ever eliminated audio stuttering in two situations:
1) No graphics drivers installed
2) Using the 9400

I suspect they're actually the same situation - when no graphics drivers are installed, it probably defaults to the 9400.

I'm happy to report that I didn't freeze at all in CS:Source today... but I made a few changes to my setup:
No chipset drivers
Turned off Anti-Aliasing (although I was getting >100 FPS with it on)
Disabled hybrid graphics and the 9400m
186.91
Did not run songbird (open source mozilla foundation media player that's somewhat like iTunes)

All my other tests had AA on and Songbird running at least. I'll try run songbird with CS:S later and see if I crash.

 

Can someone please post a link to current 280GTX drivers with .inf file for windows 7 32bit? I can't seem to get anything better then the ines that came on the disk to install. Thanks.

 

I have an A M17x and im having the same suttering audio problem with Counter-strike source,

Did you solve that problem with that config?

 

I got my Win7 DVD today (they sent it to me because they promised I'd get it even though I ordered before the deadline started if I didn't cancel my order). I'm doing a clean install now and we'll see how it pans out and if I can get rid of the wireless issues I had with the RC.
I'll also play around with the Ethernet driver like BatBoy suggested, and see what's going on.

Wow, it seems that I've got the same connection issues with a fresh Win7 install as well, even before installing any drivers. Furthermore, sometimes the connection is good, but then whenever I install anything it drops down. I'm beginning to think it's some sort of problem with Windows 7 itself or a recent update of the OS that's already included in the final version causing the issue.

 

no no my friend! when i say i have it already i mean i downloaded leaked oem version of win7 ultimate x64 and installed. (oem version is the one that is provided to all manufacturers and then modified from each one). in my case i modified it myself with alienware oem info, wallpapers etc (there is also an alienware oem? theme out for win7 ).

all upgrade orders will begin to be shipped after 22 of this month when win7 will be officially released. but i guess the sooner you order it the sooner you get it. my delivery date is 5th of November. at least for the time being.


note: i never though and i still dont think that upgrade is the best method of install an os. clean install is always the recommended way. So i would like a clean win7 dvd than an upgrade one.


have a look at the oem alienware win7 theme. i can upload the wallpaper if someone wants it.

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/9933/awwin7theme.png

 

I installed retail Windows 7 Ultimate on my laptop last week and I have no issues currently. Games run better than they did on vista with no audio problems.

 

also an advice for people who still have problems with network or chipset controllers i recommend you to do a fresh format and install the new drivers of BatBoy from the beginning.

in my case i had no previous nvidia chipset drivers installed before i install the new version. this is because the previous nvidia driver caused blue screen when win7 was loading so i had to do a new format. so finally i installed all drivers but i had the win7 default drivers for the chipset etc before i installed the new nvidia chipset driver.

i hope this helps.

also the BatBoy guide to stop some services from startup has a big effect on stuttering too.

 

Koshinn, I'm suffering from the same exact issues: stuttering due to DCP Latency (Deferred Procedure Calls) and sometimes even hung ups.

I will start off with the description of my hardware:

Alienware M17x

Intel Core 2 Quad CPU
4 GB RAM
GeForce 9400
GeForce GTX 260M


I've been monitoring DCP latency with different setups (different OS's, while iddle, while gaming, etc) and this is what I got:


DRIVERLESS WIN XP IDDLE
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/722/dcplatwinxpiddle.png


WIN 7 IDDLE
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/7012/dcplatwin7iddle.png


WIN 7 WHILE GAMING WITH GEFORCE 9400
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/8536/dcplatwin7whilegamingwi.png


WIN 7 WHILE GAMING WITH GEFORCE GTX 260M
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/8536/dcplatwin7whilegamingwi.png


I have tried disabling every possible hardware in the machine and the latency is still the same. I have no screenshots while running on vista but I suffered from the same exact problem. I have tried many driver combinations as well. Some my reduce the highest spikes but still getting an average of over 4000µs, when a computer like this should be running under 50µs. I'm gonna call Dell today for a replacement or a solution. I might be wrong but I doubt this problem will be solved through drivers or BIOS updates.

Hopefully this benchmarking will help other users to determine their stuttering problems.

Cheers!

---------------

Just a few more notes:

- My desktop computer while running orthos doesn't even reach the 500µs mark and iddled not over 120µs. It's running under Win7 RC 64 using vista and beta drivers.

- You can download DPC Latency Checker from this site

 

Additional suggestion - also try exiting any Sidebar running - a known resource hog from Vista (some apps are worse than others).
Unfortunately Task Manager doesn't show which Services are using % processor, so TM may show system idle, but a lot can still be going on in the background...

Aristotelhs - Ahh = was that the Lenovo OEM version that leaked out a month or so ago? I agree clean install always preferable. Cool desktop btw!

Cheers
Trelawney

 

no sorry it was my fault. it was pure win7 RTM (NOT OEM) release that was sent to manufacturers. no info for specific manufacturer. its so simple to add oem info to a win7 or vista dvd.

 

Nevermind, I'm still crashing in CS:S, just a lot less often.

 

Koshinn, have you read my last post? Could you try testing your computer with de DPC Latency Checker to see if we suffer from the same symptoms?

 

DPC is an issue on all of them - regardless of OS. I can run the latency checker and I am in the same boat as you in terms of displayed results.

I have no stuttering or crashing in-game.

I also seem to recall reading somewhere there was an issue with CSS and SLI or perhaps it was multi-core. TF2 has no issues with either (I mention this since its also a Source based game like CSS).

Koshinn, try disabling multi-core support in CSS and see if that helps.

 

Hm, looks like my Broadcom wireless works fine in Windows 7 as long as I don't have the Ricoh drivers installed. Both the ones from BatBoy's link as well as the ones from Windows Update installed cause me to loose the wireless connection on the Broadcom adapter (or hover around 11Mbps if I can get a connection). Uninstalling the driver gets me back to full speed without problems.

 

You updated the Touchpad driver as well, right? (just trying to rule things out)

 

Right now I'm running without the touchpad driver, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. Had it installed before (before a reformat) and also noticed my connection go awry after the Ricoh driver was installed (I wasn't sure then, but I'm sure now that the troubles always start after installing the Ricoh driver). Since I finally got a working system now, I'm not going to keep testing for the time being, as I don't use the Ricoh slots at the moment anyway.
Perhaps some other Win7 users could test it in the meantime and see if installing that Ricoh driver messes your Broadcom wireless connection up as well.

 

Very odd. Well, thanks for that info. As soon as I locate new drivers for W7, I'll post them here.

 

Well, as you can clearly see in my testing the latency is causing the stuttering and crashings so it is in fact A BIG problem. Anyway, having an average latency of 4000 is not acceptable in a high performance computer. God! Even low end computers have better results in DPC tests than this 2500$ machine. It's so ridiculous.

About the games... I get spikes even while listening to music, not just in games (like Quake 3, CSS or any other). I've read in other threads that many people have solved this issues just with BIOS and driver updates (with other models, of course). I expect the same thing to happen with this M17x nightmare.


-----------
EDIT

By the way, CS:S has no multi-core support (so nothing to disable hear).

 

Understood Kud0. I know where you are coming from. I guess what I should have added to my comment (I have posted this before in the other DPC latency thread), is that DPC latency has been an issue on many notebooks regardless of manufacturer for some time. I have found google hits dating back to 2005 on this. Dell, Apple and others are in the same boat. Its a known issue and nothing is done to correct it.

Just wanted to clarify.

 

Well, let me make a note on that:

"Nothing is done to correct it"

Well, as I just said, there are many people in this forum that have reduced their "inherent" latencies on previous models by tweaking their systems, updating drivers and/or BIOS. So yes, it can be corrected (and it will eventually, for the sake of this company...). Proof of it: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=291800&page=19#188

Anyway, if it was the case that it couldn't be corrected what am I supposed to do? I've just spent 2500€ in a gaming laptop that doesn't let me game at all and I have to deal with it? That is unacceptable.

And about Apple... I think they just sell pricey lies. And depending on how well or bad this thing ends I might start to feel the same for Alienware. The reputation of a company should be measured by how they deal with customer support, not by how well they sell flashy but worthless products.

 

Hey folks, don't know if this has been brought up yet, but for some reason Windows 7 seems to include the RAID drivers in it or my system was a fluke and came shipped with them because installing RAID took nothing more for me than the Win. 7 installation DVD I had burned of the RTM build of the beta. Just hope this helps some people as I know the current thread marked in the General Info section for the M17x details having to find the correct chipset and drivers.

 

Yes this happened to XPS machines as well that made them unusable for professional use

Have you pinpointed which hardware or driver thats causing the spikes?

On a long shot, have you tried using a universal ASIO driver?

 

I spotted v14 of the Synaptics drivers at the weekend and installed them on my Win7.

One thing that has annoyed me is that I can no longer find the option within its control panel to set the touchpad to disable itself when another USB mouse is installed. I know you can do it using the touchstrip, but I liked that the driver allowed me to keep the touchpad illuminated. Maybe I'm not looking in the right place.

 

This is a function of AlienTouch, and I'm unsure if it will work if you overwrote the Alienware Touchpad Drivers with OEM Synaptics ones.

 

No it worked with the v13 ones, but maybe AlienTouch I should be looking in case it's just reset - thanks for the tip

 

Yes, I've tried that as well (with an m-audio firewire 410). Same thing. The problem is inside the computer so having an external card will not make any difference

 

Anyone happen to have a link?

 

v 186.82
http://forums.laptopvideo2go.com/topic/24998-v18682-windows-7vista-32bit-nvidia/

v 186.91
http://forums.laptopvideo2go.com/topic/25074-v18691-windows-7vista-32bit-nvidia/

 

Thank you sir!

 

does this stuttering happen to you even with intergrated graphics disabled? or at least is it reduced?


something i noticed is that the memory rating of win7 is reduced by 1.4 (from 7.3 to 5.9) points when intergrated graphics enabled if this means something to you because something tells me its a memory issue.

 

Hi I just posted in the DCP latency forum with my results that show a slightly lower latecy than yourself and no huge spikes to 1600.

I was messing around with the active state power management options, in the graphics section of the bios and the 3rd option seemed to reduce it a bit and cause my games like left 4 dead and Dawn of war to crash less.

The whole pc seems more stable now with the overclock and minimum fps in far cry 2 is higher.

It could be a coincidence but it may be worth exploring it further.

 

I disabled the Hybrid option in the bios and uninstalled all the Avermedia software and my shuttering problems all went away. I'm guessing now that only windows 7 is an option for the M17x that all the drivers will get upgraded.

Just my thoughts.

 

The memory rating is reduced because when the integrated 9400M will reserve 256MB of system memory for itself.
So instead of 4GB, your system will only be able to use 3,75GB of memory (or 5.75 if you have 6GB, 7.75GB if you have 8GB, etc.), the rest is reserved for the integrated graphics chip. If you disable integrated graphics in the BIOS, your system will be able to utilize the full amount of RAM installed (as long as you're running a 64 bit operating system).
The Windows Experience Index Rating also takes the amount of memory that's useable in the system into the account for it's score. It's isn't a reliable benchmarking utility by any means, so it can be pretty much ignored.

That being said, it's not surprising that the micro stutter can be there with the discrete video cards when it isn't there using the integrated one, or running Hybrid graphics vs. only integrated or only discrete. The different variants put a different strain on the system (energy consumption, heat, etc.) and bus (data throughput, etc.). Plus, it's different hardware. So it can very well be that problems arise with one configuration option and not the other.

 

i thought that the 9400m has its own memory. it doesnt? anyway even in this cause windows rating doesnt detect the memory speed than the size of it?

 

Dell just posted a patch for the MBR to restore the Alienware Respawn boot option.

Release Date: 10/20/2009
Version: V1.0, A00
Download Type: Patch/Upgrade
File Format: Hard Drive
File Size: 398 KB

Download link

 

Thanks for the link Batboy. Well. I went through the threads but couldn't find it. I remember it's been posted several times the order that we are suppose to install drivers for W7. Can you direct me or people who are looking for it maybe? I apprciate the help.

 

Until official documentation is released by Dell/AW, I would just stick with the order they provided for Vista64.

http://4help.alienware.com/cgi-bin/alienware.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=6066

 

^I wouldn't think W7 would be any different. Thanks for the link

 

guys i never understood what does the tv tuner driver stands for? M17X has an inbuilt tv tuner or something? i have an express card avermedia tv tuner instead