Turn off Intel iGP in M17x R3 Bios mod?

So after long searching the net I've stumbled upon this site. Hopefully someone here can help me with my annoying problem.

I'd like to turn off my Intel GPU in my bios so only my NVIDIA GTX 580M will be available. This, because I'd like to use the d3d9.dll in Skyrim. At this moment it keeps switching to the Intel GPU whenever the d3d9.dll is in use. Thus giving me a fps of 8~10.

I have found someone on YouTube who has succeeded in doing this Link

I'm still waiting for his response. But maybe I can get a solution from here as well.

Qaiss

 

Well, a few things you should know. I'll just copy paste the generic message here.

*Standard Warning*
BIOS Modifications, VBIOS Modifications and other system level tweaks can potentially cause damage to your system. Be aware of this before blindly flashing. If you brick your system or cause damage, chances are very high that your warranty will be useless. Know what you are doing, you are responsible for your actions.

Now that that's out of the way...

First you need to download this.
ALIENWARE 17XR3 UNLOCKED A08 BIOS.rar

It's an unlocked A08 bios for the R3.

After this, you would go to bios, Video Configuration, and do 2 things.

Look for an option to disable the integrated chip. Then set the primary display adapter to "PEG."

I should point out this feature is only available with the unlocked bios.

 

Hello Qaiss and welcome to NBR, I hope you will enjoy your stay.
Please take a moment to review the forum rules and read the stickies in the Alienware section that interests you as they are filled with useful links and info.

@zoolian: thank you for posting the warning + rep.

 

Yesterday I've made this post Link

Followed instructions as stated.

But at first try my GTX was disabled too.

So I went bios again and chose the other, the PCI card, to disable.

Now my laptop can't do anything.

It's starting for 5 seconds, I hear the vents for a second spinning, then the ligts dim (Alienware head goes from blue to yellow), and this keeps going on.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/632120-uh-oh-m17x-r3-failing-post-2.html#post8158539

Do you hear a faint clicking from the speakers?

You might need to take the GPU out and do a blind flash of the bios - read the thread above

 

This doesn't sound good. Have you had any experience flashing bios's before trying this?

Eventhough what you've said is out of order for this to have occurred, the end symptoms sound like a corrupted main bios.

Try doing the blind flash - that's probably your only course of action atm.

 

try taking the coin cell battery out for 5 mins....and power up the laptop with battery and not AC power. I tried doing this a few times and my bios was back up.

 

I found the best method to be to go under IGP and switch the setting from auto to disabled. I've had those nasty clicks from the speaker and failed boots when messing with peg/pci/igp and just disabling the IGP has always worked 100% for me.

 

^^^ But, remove the battery and unplug the power cord. Then after removing the coin cell battery press and hold the power switch (Alienhead) for 25-30 seconds to reset the CMOS/BIOS. Then turn on and go back into the BIOS (F2). Ordinarily, but not always, all BIOS settings will be returned to default settings, so it will be necessary to reset any custom settings, i.e., it will probably reset to Raid mode, so change back to AHCI if used to format OS disk. The video settings should also be returned to default. To disable the IGP and yse the 580M exclusively, it works best to set the Primary Display to PEG (from SG) and then disable the integrated graphics, both via Second Advanced Menu>Video Configuration (from memory, might be slightly different). There's nothing wrong with the BIOS itself; you just got the video settings scrambled so that neither card was operable. Should be an easy fix.

 

Sorry for the late response. I only have 1 hour of free time each day this week due to work.

@ GeoCake

Yes it does now. Same problem as the thread you've linked. Alienhead stays blue.

@ aarpcard

Last year I've succeeded into creating a Hackintosh from my Hp Pavilion DV7. But that didn't require such advanced changes in my bios.

@ nayilalien & The Revelator

Is this is coin cell battery you're talking about? link

I will try the solutions you've posted this weekend, beginning from the safest first.

 

Yes, that's the coin cell battery. Located adjacent to the GPU fan, it is easily and immediately accessible after removing the bottom panel.

 

Guess what I'm writing from right now.

My M17X

Pulling out the GPU also did the trick for me.

But to get back to my main goal. I had to set iGP to disable, set the 'Primary Display' to PEG, 'PEG workaround' to enable, 'Always enable PEG' to enable before my system would only detect my 580M.

Nonetheless thank you all for the support. I'll have this site bookmarked forever.

I only wish I could do something in return. Is there a donate option available?

Really Appreciate.

 

Glad you fixed it, Qaiss and that you like it here.

No donate button around here but if you want you can add reputation to members that helped you by pressing the button under their usernames.

I'll start.

 

Hi !
I have the same problem. Switched to PCI in the PEG/Auto/PCI/iGP/SG menu in the A09 modified BIOS.
Now I'm stuck getting the 8beep-sequence.
I tried to unplug my graphics card, BLIND flash with A04, A09 genuine. No success.
Power drain with/without coin cell.

Do you have any idea ?

 

I unplugged my GPU and Blind flashed it with the A08, then I put the GPU back. Hope it helps.

 

With modded A08 or genuine A08 ?

Val'

 

This one

ALIENWARE 17XR3 UNLOCKED A08 BIOS.rar

 

Thanks, but it has no effect...
I have tried everything I could I think.
There is no way to reset this BIOS settings :/

 

Don't follow this instructions, if you will set it to PEG you won't boot at all...

 

Setting to PEG works fine, but you must also disable the IGP. Otherwise, you run into the problems described, requiring a BIOS reset. Many of us have used this precise combination to disable the IGP and use the 580M or 7970M or whatever as the exclusive graphics card. Tried and true, but if you don't do it right, problems ensue.

 

True, happened first time I tried. That's why I made this thread.

Got it fixed when I also enabled peg workaround and always enable peg.

These settings I'm using in BIOS to disable IGP and only use my 580m:

IGP -> ''Disable''
Primary Display -> ''PEG''
PEG Workaround -> ''Enable''
Always enable PEG -> ''Enable''

 

PEG Workaround and Always Enable PEG (under PCI Express) are both always set to Disabled in my BIOS under either scenario. There is no need to further complicate the process.