M17x-R4 8 beeps after installing DHCG2

8 beeps meaning LCD failure. is a modded bios or anything needed for the 3D DHCG2 to work, or did I just get a dud? All aside from bios battery removal and power cycling which i've already done.

 

With my 3D screen it wouldnt beep, it just didn't display anything... maybe a 3rd experience will clear it up

 

Your screen has been bricked! You probably had Win10 installed in combination with EVGA Precision X?

Just go over here. There you have the solution to unbrick your screen:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/index.php?threads/798085/

 

what he said ^ I just updated the topic because I finally made it work

 

just win 10, no precision X or any OCing utility what so ever. I just got a second screen and the same problem.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/m17x-r4-2-dchg2-screens-in-a-row-and-beep-codes.798960/

it works jsut fine with LVDS 1080 screen but, no go with the 1080 eDP screens.

 

This screen bricking issue occurred only with LVDS. Then maybe the eDP connection or cable might ne faulty. Did you already tried to reseat the eDP cable?

 

Yes, in fact each screen came with a new eDP cable.

 

Maybe @t456 can kindly chime in here, as I am out of ideas....

 

The suggestion made by mariussx ought to work and is a necessity for 3D/120Hz anyway. Many of the Alienwares support switching iGPU/dGPU/Optimus in the bios, so if the R4 does too, then set it to dGPU from there and things should be peachy. If not; LVDS normally has priority over eDP due to the specific vbios's call (and VGA takes precedence over LVDS), so a modded vbios might work.

Also ... tried hooking up both at the same time? Their power supply is probably shared/switched, so it's unlikely they'll both run with the backlight on, but the image itself could be there on the LVDS and eDP display alike (lcd proper hardly needs any power). If so, then a dummy screen is possible; hooking up the four edid pins should be sufficient to trick the system.

 

IS there a video card i could upgrade to? I was gonna upgrade it any ways, maybe there is one meant for the 3D screen. Whats funny is don't see too many threads on upgrading the r4 to 3D. i'll try some more googling.

no bios option for dGPU vs iGPU. I wish. I also have the latest UEFI and the modded bios is a version or 2 behind.

I heard FN+F7 would allow me to disable the iGPU when using the LVDS screen. That's all I'm really after.
Does the iGPU disable by default when running an external screen? Or perhaps i could answer my own question.

 

But yes, it should. However, it all depends on how the motherboard manufacturer designed it; every option is possible, since anything can run an external screen. Commonly, with a dGPU system it means iGPU=off + dGPU=on, the idea being that you're running a docked setup, so no sense saving the battery by using the iGPU.

 

one of the other reason i like having dGPU only is no BS switching software, it's on all the time nice and simple. Don't need to save power since i got big ol 330watt adapter.


EDIT: wonder if i need an NV card.

https://www.techinferno.com/index.p...-m17x-r4-7970m-120hz-screen-upgrade-possible/

 

680m is the latest one to support 3D due to licensing. 980m is the best option available for R4, which will work with 120Hz screen, but not 3D. I don't think anybody upgraded to GTX 10xx on R4 yet, which might not even be possible.

As far as I remember connecting external screen does not disable Intel GPU.

 

Damn it sounds like i'd want a modded UEFI where i can just force disable the iGPU and call it a day. it looks like the 980M is $750 USD to $900 USD?

I currently have the HD 7970m

 

Well if you have the 7970M no wonder the screens dont work xD... Only nvidia gpus work with the edp (120hz), with amd and intel you got to stick to lvds as they dont support signal over 60hz

 

I'm looking at the GTX 980M, I wonder if i need a different heat sink. I ASSume it will work once plugged in, no bios mods or any of that non sense like the old Asus. Now i'm wondering what i can get out of my old G73Jh.

EDIT: also it would seem by the default the nvidia with the 120hz screen permanently disables the iGPU. (correct me if i'm wrong)

So it would it would appear, that it would by pass the iGPU and provide a performance bump and if all is good, it would have linux drivers as per usual with nvidia. Also possibly a certain OS made by "fruity inc" if i so wished to run it.

EDIT: so it would need the 3 heat pipe cooler.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-OEM-DEL...305656?hash=item1c6f3c4738:g:mh0AAOSwknJX0wO3

Guess i will have to compare to my current one. I wonder if it will need different fan though?

 

980m does need a 3 heat pipe heatsink, the fan from 680m is fine (not sure if fan bundled with 7970m is the same). That's 11.4CFM fan that comes with 680m, you can compare the part numbers with yours (0THPDJ ):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DELL-Alienw...619118?hash=item2821508dae:g:NUsAAOSwmrlUrkGW

Edit - info from TomJGX on the heatsink:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/posts/9974893/

 

That's correct

 

I think it's time to upgrade! I soon will have monster laptop like i always wanted but, without spending 8k USD at powernotebooks.com. MWAHAHAHAHAHA ...i'm sure something will be screwed up. All so i can play indie video games with the equivalent 2D graphics of SNES games.


EDIT: DAMN. I'll have to double check but, the cheaper 980s don't come with X bracket screws. That would mean the X brackets and screws are quite valuable. Though I may have screws.

 

well i dind't read too good. both the fan and heat sink will work fine! I just ordered a heatsink for no reason! should have waited till i got home to compare. I hope I just don't order the wrong 980m in the next few hours since it looks like there is a dell/clevo and an MSI with the MSi being way cheaper.

 

WTH!? no windows 10?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALIENWARE-M...447717?hash=item1c593ff3e5:g:BUAAAOSwHjNV8d-N

I am the only dude trying to run an nv with a non optimums setup (120hz) in windows 10?

 

Windows 10 is supported, I am running 980m with 120Hz and Windows 10 Pro

I hope you can still cancel the order of the heatsink if it's not required.

 

oh well it was only 14 bucks. I stumbled upon a a fellow NBR user Woodzstack on eBay he had one of the best prices and low and behold a fellow M17x user! I not only have a 980 on order but, whole kit and an addition cooling mod that allows the bottom case cover to double as a vram/vrm heatsink.

 

Well 1 GTX980 later and the LVDS screen works and on my second eDP screen (replacment for the first that beeped) still does not work. wtf? let me guess i managed to buy a unit with a deal eDP port? Or perhaps i managed to kill it? whats weird is i got one 2 quick flashes for of cursor in the upper left hand corner on the eDP screen, like a bios cursor at os boot.

EDIT: it made since with the first eDP screen since i had an AMD card. perhaps i should hook up both screens or even before that find a driver that installs. Tried the latest woodstack driver form his 980 thread. and it failed to install the driver, probably hardware ID issue or possibley it needs the eDP screen to see the video card.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...us-working-great.777145/page-55#post-10406091

 

nope needs to manually be done. Unless your on Auto and bios is updated then it should switch over after detecting the eDP connection. Inside the bios you have 3 options PEG/SG/ and AUTO.

If you ever had it to SG it will need to manually be switched. However - most people do not see this option and have it automatically set to Auto.

 

you did the usual work around, disabling DSE to install the driver ? Should work fine.. theres really only 4 possible hardware ID's the card can have, and they should all be included in the inf of the latest drivers.

 

Your Windows 10 has to be in pure UEFI, not legacy with UEFI. Load legacy rom disabled in BIOS. If you are on stock DELL BIOS, it will switch automatically as well as there will be no option to switch PEG/SG in BIOS, only moddified BIOS have those additional options. Windows should load even with no graphics drivers installed at all with 120Hz screen and 980m.

 

So am i screwed i have the latest and greatest stock locked dell UEFI. it does have a legacy option. Some of the information seems contradicting? Or perhaps my brains is melting these days. Man i sorta remember the modded laptop2go nvidia drivers in 7 days, idk if disabling the DSE is a new thing for 10 or not, i know i definitely didn't do it. Perhaps i need to try again the fn+f7 and reboot?

 

No, stock BIOS is fine, you don't need modded BIOS for 120Hz screen or 980m. It will have legacy option, which should be disabled, boot list option should be uefi, secure boot does not matter. With 120Hz screen Intel GPU is already disabled, Fn+F7 will not do anything. DSE is for Windows 8 and later if I remember correctly, you will need to do it before installing modded drivers. There is a great guide on Techinferno by J95 on how to install the modded drivers:
https://www.techinferno.com/index.p...ort-modded-inf/&do=findComment&comment=154727

 

he's on it exactly. Thank you.

 

Okay - stick your old gpu and old screen together go and make the boot UEFI - with legacy disabled. Then replaced the screen and try again what you were doing.

 

the 980 works with the with the old screen, it's in UEFI. I have both the old LVDS screen and DCHG2 eDP 120hz. the one 120hz doesn't even make it to bios or maybe it does, i could have swore i got a bios cursor for a frame or 3 and then the 8 beeps. perhaps i should try plugging an external monitor next time i try the 120hz again?


EDIT: well at least the intel iGPU works since when using a 60hz LVDS it doesn't make use of the of the video card. I'll try disabling the DSE and installing drivers with the 60hz, i guess i could at least test the card that way.

 

So i disabled DSE, installed the drivers and rebooted and of course mafia 2 bench mark tried the intel HD so i went in to the Nvidia software and told it to make Mafia 2 run with the dedicated card. No change. Pressed FN+F7 to run in dedicated mode and it beeped 8 times. pulled the 609hz scree and hooked up the 120hz and powered on, got a small white flash in the very upper hand left corner and then 8 beeps. pulled the 120hz screen and hooked up the 60hz and vga external and powered on and got 8 beeps, tried again pressed Fn+f6 real quick and got the external to flicker but,. still 8 beeps. Hooked up all 3 screens giving the power to the 120hz, still 8 beeps.

EDIT: with bios battery pulled, and no charger, i taped the power button once or twice and with the 60hz hooked up, powered on and still beeps, realized the 60hz was unplugged, hooked it up and tried all 3 again and got 5 beeps.

power cycled, tried 60hz with external again, 5 beeps. power cycled again tried 60hz alone, 5 beeps.

My frustration tells it's likely that's I've somehow thrown away about $2000.00 USD.

 

I was able to boot FN however the self diagnostic doesn't state what video card it is testing.



So far from what I know i have 3 possible failure modes, Mobo eDP connector, the eDP screen/cable it's self, the new video card.


EDIT: TS continued,



Then as suggest by woodzstack



which did boot up with the old screen.


It appears at the very least it can see the video card and it's device id since the driver installed.

EDIT: cont'd

tried a few benches and they used the HD400 form what i could tell if they didn't say expelcitley. shut down withOUT fn+f7, unplugged 60hz, plugged in 120hz, held down fn and pressed power, and i'm booted in to a windows with a picture!!!

Clearly it's something to do with the legacy option woodzstack had me try, idk what the heck since in THEORY it should have been in UEFI mode and to some degree was in UEFI mode due to the fact i didn't have to reinstall windows OR so one might think but, i always ASSUMED that if installed UEFI mode had to have a UEFI bios and if installed in BIOS mod can't boot in UEFI mode. the later of which we KNOW is true.

I should also note aside form the bios option and the fn key i also have the keyboard bezel plugged in this time.

EDIT: once booted i tried a game and simple 3d test both crashed, saw it was using generic windows drivers, rebooted with DSE off and am about to try to reinstall the drivers

EDIT: contd drivers installed successfully and it successfully rebooted.





so it appears the video card is working along with eDP port and screen, so i'm hoping this is a good sign there was no shipping or damage or static shock/damage during installation. It would be nice to find an app to monitor VRM and choke or PCB temps. I say that because the thermal pads are many the fitment many and tiresome. It may not be perfect.