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    M17xR4 graphics card replacement

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by applecrate, Jun 19, 2018.

  1. applecrate

    applecrate Newbie

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    I've got a M17xR4 with a dead HD7970m & want to know if a AMD ATI RADEON R9 M290X 4GB HD 8970M will work in its place. Would they be a straight swap/plugnplay or are there any gotchas I need to be aware of?
     
    applecrate, Jun 19, 2018
    #1
  2. rjtnag

    rjtnag Notebook Evangelist

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    rjtnag, Jun 20, 2018
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    applecrate likes this.
  3. applecrate

    applecrate Newbie

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    applecrate, Jun 21, 2018
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  4. Reciever

    Reciever D! For Dragon!

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    As long as you're on the 60hz stock panel it shouldn't be any issues after installation. After all this laptop was also sold with the m290x

    You will have slight improvement with the m290x but you will have more vram at least.
     
    Reciever, Jun 22, 2018
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  5. applecrate

    applecrate Newbie

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    Update to my card hassles, got hold of a 8970m & threw it in, went to install drivers & then windows froze. Tried clean uninstall, install in safe (that didn't work, kept saying driver wasn't signed). Card not recognised in device manager. Tried again in safe, finally got device manager to see card, but everything I enable it, windows freezes again. So, upshot is that I have a shiny new (second hand) card sitting there, device manager sees it, drivers are installed, but cannot enable due to freeze each time. PC works with the Intel graphics, but that doesn't really allow games etc

    Anyone got any suggestions? I'm at the end of my very limited knowledge I'm afraid...
     
    applecrate, Jul 1, 2018
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  6. applecrate

    applecrate Newbie

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    Anyone?? :(
     
    applecrate, Jul 3, 2018
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  7. Reciever

    Reciever D! For Dragon!

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    M290x will work but I don't know if 8970m will. What 8970m is it anyways?
     
    Reciever, Jul 3, 2018
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  8. javers

    javers Notebook Guru

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    Hi applecrate,

    Check your fans - I bet the gpu one isnt running at all with the 8970m and its overheating? I believe theer's something different about the vbios on the 8970m that the ec cant read its temps and therefore control the fan. You can either disconnect the pwm wire on the fan (blue one) to make fan run at 100% rpm at all times or I did one once using an external fan controller chip like below soldered inline and probe stuck to back of heatsink.

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Smart-Sp...695924?hash=item25fb682334:g:g8sAAOSwivNbO799

    Javers
     
    javers, Jul 4, 2018
    #8