M17xR2 BIOS A06 Discussion Thread

Just seen this come through the RSS feeder.

Drivers & Downloads


The release notes on the site only had the below... guess I need to dload it.

Didnt see it posted elsewhere.


M17xR2 A06 System BIOS
BIOS Information:
BIOS Revision: A06
EC Revision: 15.29
Instructions and comments:
1. To install the BIOS, download the executable and run it in Windows and click on the Flash BIOS button in the WinPhlash utility.
A04 System BIOS Release Notes:
1. Enhanced the 920XE and Crossfire current draw on DC mode.
2. Enabled Intel® Turbo Boost feature for Arrandale CPUs.
3. Fixed automated RAID tool for system integration in factory.
4. Enabled support for new Intel® Core™ i7 740QM, 840QM, & 940XM CPUs.
BIOS history:
Please see previous BIOS release for their release notes.

 

Nice find, now we know the x40 series i7's are just around the corner. Now let's just hope it actually works and doesn't do the typical fix one thing screw up another!

 

LOL but it wouldn't be dell if that happened.. It cant just be perfect and not break anything.

 

Great, hope it fixes the errors

+ rep

 

Thanks
Yea I cant wait to see if it changes the fan behavior on bootup/wakeup

 

#2 is interesting... since afaik, no one has had problems with turbo boost and arrandale processors in the M17x

 

Negative

Just tried it, and had same problem as A05 bios, when power button is presses, system swithces on with lights and nothing on the screen.

No Good news.

 

i just got a system exchange (my previous system did this too)

and this one has already done it once. I got it yesterday.


also, when watching video, if i press the eject button, the entire system freezes up for half a second and the audio sounds all distorted.

 

Just loaded A06 and have no issues. My Vantage score on stock settings.

 

Just installed, no apparent problems...yet

 

Reset BIOS to default values and check again

 

Installed and working fine.

 

Joker can you confirm that the multiplier is by default set at 25 without using eleet/throttlestop?

 

Yup it shows as 25 now.

 

joker. do you hear a split second of distorted audio if you press the eject touch panel button while playing audio on your m17x?

the technical support agent i spoke to for an hour about this assured me that it's normal, and has to do with this:

IRQ conflict - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

That is because of the DPC latency

 

how can you fix it?

 

You can't, they can if they ever decide to release a firmware update
To avoid that, eject the disk using right click on the DVD icon and eject

 

Thanks man. I'm surprised more people don't complain about this. I mean, like I'm the only person who ever ejected a cd while playing audio? yeah right!

 

okay I installed the A06 bios and this happened when i restarted the laptop. my question is has anybody had this happened to them and what does it mean exactly? was my old bios partially corrupt? was it just a fix in the bios?

 

it doesn't mean anything. The device in question probably stopped responding during the flash and just started again when you restarted.

 

Has anyone with cf5870's tried installing the ati 10.6 drivers with the new bios? I wonder if it works without the cumbersome workaround solution???

 

For such a big problem I'd suspect they'd put it in the release notes... however I'm d/ling 10.6's (again) to find out.

edit: Negative.

 

Cool. Let us know what you come up with

 

3 mins to flash A06, everything looks fine. maybe only those guys with 740/840/920/940 could find the difference between A05 and A06. To me, looking for DELL's new driver for 5870CF

 

The differences are

1. Enhanced the 920XE and Crossfire current draw on DC mode.
2. Enabled Intel® Turbo Boost feature for Arrandale CPUs.
3. Fixed automated RAID tool for system integration in factory.
4. Enabled support for new Intel® Core™ i7 740QM, 840QM, & 940XM CPUs.

There's nothing else "hidden" everything different from A05 is right there.

 

Good question, you would hope so with a new bios

 

yes i understand，i mean for those 720/820 users there might be no noticeable difference between A05 and A06.

 

do the fans still go full speed when you turn the computer on/return from sleep ?

 

yes, they still do, also from cold start.

 

Taking a guess they might have fixed the invalid thermal readings on the PCH .If you run HWiNFO32 have a look to see what your reading is if its 59c i am wrong.Anyone who has flashed to A06 can you confirm on HWiNFO32 what its now reading on Intel PCH

 

Well, since the fan issue at startup has not been fixed apparently, there is no rush for me to update. Maybe over the weekend I will.

 

doesn't seem to fix much of anything, especially the fans

 

i want to see two things with this new bios

1) what kind of support this is for the 940xm
2) if cf 5870 works with this bios as for machines that came with 4870s. because till now only A02 does work.

 

I think joker said the multi is now 25 stock on the 940xm.On my 920xm it is 24.

 

Can anyone providre a link for the A06 Bios that is a bootable one.I don't want to download it using windows.

 

Uh..........ok, gotta ask why ? I dont think there is a bootable one, its a exe you run from within windows7

 

because it did't work with me, after I did the update, the system doesn't boot with, only lights of keyboard.
Then, after I removed second 5870 along with cross fire cable every thing loaded perfectly, so I reflashed back to A02.
Any solution to this?

 

Let me see if I can throw together a win7 boot CD for you with that on it, I will see if I have what I need here and ul the ISO somewhere

 

Would appreciate it, hope it will work this time.

Thanks

 

The windows flash software is for phoenix bios's, so all you *really* need to do is find and old DOS boot disc and the latest DOS phoenix BIOS flashing software.

 

I installed the A06
I have an upgraded with M17xR2 CF5870.
Is posible install the Ati driver 10.6 without problems
No flickering problems! (in A05 yes).
The performance seems to have improved.

 

if i got it right you upgraded from CF 4870 to CF 5870 and A06 bios works? did you use A02 before?

 

Joker, the bios update do anything for your flickering?

 

also can someone explain me what this is?

Enhanced the 920XE and Crossfire current draw on DC mode.

 

I suspect that they modified the BIOS in order for the system to draw more power from the battery. Probably for stability

 

guys,
I reinstalled the bios again, and had same problem of switching, keyboard lights on but nothing on screen. When I remove the second 5870 the laptop boots normally.

 

Tip, you need to call support buddy. Something is going on with that hardware...

 

Hi TipTip,

Not sure if relevant in this case, but my son had same problem when he tried to boot with crossfire disabled on dual 5870s (had to do a system restore to known working point then OK)

The new BIOS doesn't disable crossfire when it is flashed.... does it?

 

No it doesn't disable it (you can do it from the Catalyst Command Center from inside Windows), it even kept my BIOS settings so I didn't have to reconfigure anything