MX17R3 Upgrading from AMD 6870 to AMD 7970M

Hi all, i looked at this installation guide http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...-mobility-7970-m17x-r3-illustrated-guide.html and i'm wondering is there anything else i should know?

Do i need to buy a new heatsink and thermal pads? What other tools/parts do i need?

 

You probably won't need new heatsinks between those 2. You'll need all tools listed on that previous thread you found. If you need pricing or extra info send us an e-mail to [email protected] and we'll get you the help needed.

 

Any specific thermal pads or paste? If anyone can provide a decently priced thermal pad and paste from ebay or amazon for me. I would greatly appreciate it and it would really help me.

 

I've also been reading.. and will i have to flash my bios to work with this new card?

 

You might want to consider this:
HD7970M Alienware M17x M18x VGA Upgrade Kit Dell HD7970M 2GB DDR5 CF Ready | eBay

The seller provides IC Diamond thermal paste with additonal bracket & thermal pads.No BIOS flashing is needed.
I use Arctic MX-4 though,which is easier to apply.

 

Ahh i wish i had saw yours earlier. I had actually bought Original Alienware AMD HD 7970M 2GB GDDR5 for M15X M17x and M18x Promotion | eBay. It had free shipping and i just bought the thermal paste and pads separately. It comes out cheaper not including the brackets.

I looked through the product link you provided and i think i'll have to flash my bios anyways. I've been playing around with my BIOS trying to find a stable one for my current card. As my card right now is extremely unstable and isn't working properly. I'm currently on A08 the link says that A10 is recommended for 7970m.

Which BIOS should i exactly flash to? And can i just use that video driver that is provdied in HD7970M Alienware M17x M18x VGA Upgrade Kit Dell HD7970M 2GB DDR5 CF Ready | eBay

 

You might need a new support plate (X-bracket), they use a very sticky glue that makes it hard to remove.

3PVGK - AMD 7970m Support plate
0MMPT - AMD 7970m Heatsink

 

Luis is right.The bracket attached to your original 6870 card will be very hard to remove,you will most likely bend it out of shape if you attempt it.
For my BIOS,I am currently using the modified A12 BIOS from Svl7 (thanks Svl7!),I did not flash my VBIOS or follow the recommended video driver from the ebay seller.
Instead,I use 13.3 mobility beta,works fine so far,very stable.
Here's the link to Svl7's modified A12 BIOS.
[M17x R3] - BIOS A12 'unlocked' & 'SATA tweak'

 

Okay so now i just need to buy a new support plate. I don't need a new heatsink right?

I can't seem to find a support plate on ebay. Maybe i'm looking up the wrong thing?

*edit

Okay i found one on ebay.. but its quite expensive. http://www.ebay.com/itm/GPU-Spreade...586?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item1e787f2dc2

You guys sure i will be bending the bracket? I know i have to rubbing alcohol and such to clean off the glue and such.

 

That sure looks a bit pricey,maybe Luis can help with a quote?
I previously had a replacement 6970m for my faulty card(also a 6970m),but it does not come with a bracket,so I had to remove it from my faulty card for my replacement.
Had to use considerable force to pry off the bracket,causing it to be slightly out of shape.
For the heatsink,my previous 6970m is compatible with 7970m,but for 6870m I am not sure,sorry.

 

How much would a bracket usually be? Is there anyway to avoid bending of the old bracket?

 

Might wanna try here,although the GPU spreader suggested is the same one as what you found on ebay,that or you can ask an Alienware rep for assistance:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/712282-my-7970m-came-without-bracket.html

Did you had a look at the bracket attached to your 6870m? I'm sure it looks quite thin,excessive force is likely to bend it.The one that came with my 7970m is quite sturdy,definitely stronger than my 6970m bracket.
Also,read carefully the 5th post by Radji: "...The spreader brackets are specific to the card model, not the vendor or which laptop they came from. AMD 69xx/79xx/89xx spreader brackets are specific to that model of MXM GPU. Like the spreader bracket for a 5870m won't fit correctly on the 7970m cause the "square" on it is a different perimeter than what's allowed on the 7970m..."
So I'm sure they are expensive for a reason.

 

I haven't opened up my laptop to see my own bracket yet. However, i'm in contact with someone to buy a new bracket. Hopefully it's cheap enough that i can buy it even if i don't need it. Still waiting on my 7970m from ebay. Should be coming in next week. Hopefully it all works out and my laptop works better.

 

Yep,waiting to welcome you to the 7970m owners club
Follow the guides that you have read so far,you will be fine.

 

Mhh.. So i've been reading about thermal pad layouts and paste. Anyone know a detailed guide on that? There are a couple i read and they all show different layouts and such regarding the front and back of the cards.

I'll be following this guide http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...-mobility-7970-m17x-r3-illustrated-guide.html. I read that i will be needing electrical tape as well as thermal pads on the back of the card. Is this correct? Also, how much thermal pad and what size do you think is a good amount? I accidentally bought a 1mm 120 x 15mm thermal pad. Thought it said 120mm x 120mm. I'll definitely be needing more..