Will a (2GB or 4GB) 680M work in a M17x R2

I'm looking at buying a barebones M17x R2 and was wondering if I could install a 680M.. I know there have been problems even with the third generation installing the 680M but even still, I was wondering if the R2 would take it.

 

I to confirm that 680m 4gb works in my m17xr2 perfectly! With installation there were no problems, only guys from eurocom sent me the modified inf. file ,because the driver wasn't established! My radiator from 5870 approaches for 680! So can safely buy 680 4gb on ebay from upgradeyourlaptop!
Only there is one nuance - I at first had i7-840 and fans worked automatically, then I established 920xm and fans got stuck on 2500RPM and when you load game or any loading fans aren't accelerated!
I do not know because of what it, it can at me individually, Windows it can is necessary to establish anew, but while laziness. Fans I operate by means of the HWiNFO32 program.

 

im thinking to get a 7970m or 680m for my m17x r2 as well. got concerns about the fan issue though.

 

What about the HDMI & Display port? Does the 680M work with those and the R2?

 

HDMI & Display port works at M17XR2 together with 680m.

 

HDMI Audio too? That was the main problem with the AMD 7970m.

 

well dat sounds good
anyways, so the fan control seems to be the only problem,right?

 

HDMI Audio also works, though it me didn't interest, just now learned!

Yes, fans now unique problem and besides
in total 3 fans got stuck on 2500RPM.

I have still the second 680M, simply expect sli cable.
As I will establish I will let know about results!: D

 

advice: The keplers are being recalled by nvidia...so don't buy it yet. Wait till there is resolution to the issues first. 680m has already been pulled from the alienware website

Nvidia Recalling All Of GTX 670, GTX 680 & GTX 690 Graphics Cards

EDIT: Just realized that this was an article from end of may lol...hopefully the fact that the 680m has been pulled from the alienware website is strictly due to stock issues and nothing more

 

I'll keep my eyes peeled for any defect recall articles. But...WOW! The 680m working with the R2 with only one minor fan issue?! I'd be willing to give Nvidia a chance again after all the times they've crashed & burned on me.

One final though: if one were to buy the 4GB 680m, would there be a cooling issue since the card has RAM chips on both the top and bottom? Just an observation.

 

yes it does work PERFECT!!

 

How do you guys cool the 2GB GDDR5 located on the back side of the card? from what i see, the front side GDDR5 are cooled directly through thermal pad and heatsink, but the back side is just laid bare. dont GDDR5 memory get pretty hot when fully loaded, not to mention heavy overclocking?

@kingkong8, how's your fan control with a 920XM cpu? another user found fan control problems using GTX680M in combination with extreme i7 cpu. can you feedback on this matter?

 

I tried to put thermal pads on a back part of the card and the temperature from it in my opinion became higher on some degrees. Now the back part of the card is bared, temperature in idle time of 30-33 degrees, in games 60-75.
I think that simply fan enough, it blows precisely in memory.

 

About cooling the 2GB RAM on the backplate, i just put thermal pads on thos RAMS, In fan control, fan is automatic it kicks at full speed when needed. i am using 820qm not the XM one. So far so good! my idle is the same of what neklec said, 33 and maxed out 65-73. I have done lot of upgrades, from gtx 285m, 5870m, 6970m and this 680m is the BEST UPGRADE i have done, it terms of heat and power efficiency hands down to this kepler 680m!

 

@kingkong8, Thanks for your feedback. from your SIG i thought you were using an i7 920XM in your M17xR2. GTX 680M is indeed an awesome GPU, but the price is equally high.. how much did u guys paid for yours?

@neklec, yes, the back side of the card is directly beneath the fan, so i guess it's being cooled by the fan. Thanks for feedback.

 

@alexnvidia, sorry buddy my sig is not yet updated. I sold my 920xm due to throttling issues. In my case crossfire/sli with xm CPU brought throttling BUT not every laptop with xm CPU encounter same as my case, so you're good. You won't go wrong with this Kepler, it is much higher price than red team but WORTH every penny! All ports (hdmi with audio, dp, VGA) are perfectly working without issues!

I paid mine for 800usd whole upgrade kit that was a month ago. Don't know how much they are offering today. Just check on their eBay store for updated price.

 

Great to know it all works. What is the cooling issue with the fans & the extreme processors? Can it be resolved with setting a fan profile in HWInfo?

 

@kingkong8 True, true.. haha... hardware wise everything is working as expected. i think somebody mentioned that the driver is has to be modified in order to support M17xR2. If you download the latest driver from nvidia website (304.79 Beta), does it work on its own or do you still need to modify the INF?

i just checked ebay upgradeyourlaptop, they are charging $840 now + $69.99 shipping for the alienware compatible upgrade kit. this is the one you bought right? NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M; 4GB DDR5;1344 CUDA; MXM 3.0b ALIENWARE UPGRADE KIT | eBay

Have you tried overclocking it and if you have, what is the stable speed you are running now?

Sorry for asking too many questions. thanks again for your updates.

 

Hey Alex,

I've had my eye on this one for a while.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M (Kepler); 4GB DDR5;1344 CUDA Cores; MXM 3.0b; VGA MODULE | eBay
I would also contact them directly to try and work out a deal for pads, backplate, and screws if you also need them.

You can also let them know exactly which notebook you will be installing the GPUs in.
For Alienware notebooks they normally apply a different VBIOS for you before sending it out. Hench the increased price they advertise on ebay with the link you posted. However if you contact them directly I'm sure you can work out a good deal with the link above as a price starting point.

Cheers.

 

Hey reborn! Looks like you've upgraded to M18x. If you are getting a 680M for your alienware, you might wanna take a look at the link in my previous post. That one has the complete kit required for alienware systems. I'm guessing the price increase is attributed to the addtional x-bracket, screws, thermal pad and thermal paste. As for the vbios, i believe it's only applicable to amd 7970M due to enduro gfx switching issues. not sure if 680M requires a special vbios too. i sure hope nvidia's stock driver will work directly with 680M in M17xR2 without any modifications.

 

Ah true that Alex,

Yup I couldn't resist lol. I've still got the M17x R2 though. It's too hard to let it go! Still going strong.
It's good to see your R2 still going strong as well. Any GPU upgrade you perform on it will definitely put a wide smile on your face. Compared to the 5870Ms you have in there now the GPUs now will blow them away with astounding performance improvement.

I missed that it was the complete Kit. Good spotting man.
Pretty good price then for the entire kit.
I've been in regular contact with them and am just waiting to strike when I feel the time is right.
You know I've actually been waiting to see a new driver release too, just to see how it goes with installation and compatibility.
I was going to strike a few weeks back but just couldn't bring my self to drop so much money on a couple of GPUs lol!

We shall see what the coming weeks bring in terms of driver improvement from both camps.
There should be a driver update I would say for both GPU companys in the next week or two.

I also want to see what all this 680M disappearing act on the Alienware Dell websites is all about. Most likely just parts shortage; Hopefully anyway.
For now, my new 7970Ms should be enough to keep me going It just needs more mature drivers and then I'll be golden.

Are you going to get the 680M SLi soon for your R2?

Cheers.

 

Yeah, price is definately the biggest hurdle here. the last time i took the plunge it cost me almost GBP3500 for the M17xR2. it's still running well, but obviously even the once mighty 5870M CF are now starting to show signs of aging being not able to keep up with the latest games. A single 680M would be the perfect replacement, both in terms of power requirement (240W power supply) and performance ratio. so im gonna have to scrap any SLI plans. even a 7970M will put a big smile on my face if it werent for the HDMI/DP output issues. you on the other hand having M18x with 330W power supply can definately venture into SLI territory. but with CF 7970M in your system now, why would you spend more money getting 680M SLI? 7970M CF are certainly extremely capable cards performing up to 95% 680M SLI depending on games. save that money and wait for the next generation gpu mate! haha!

 

@all

I bought the card from ebay upgradeyourlaptop(Eurocom). With regards to vbios, FYI there is no need for special VBIOS, i bought mine as Clevo Card first batch of upgradeyourlaptop, then when they tested in was plug and play in M17x R2, they come up to sell with UPGRADE KIT. As you can see it was much higher for 50$ because of thermal pads, backplate, thermal paste and CD driver.

With regards to driver, I am using latest 304.79 with modded inf. I have not yet overclock this card, there is more headroom for overclocking. This card runs very cool!! my temps never reach 73deg really amazing!!

 

That is really awesome KingKong man!

I love how these next Gen GPUs run so cool.

I gather the fan noise is minimal with the 680M? Hardly ever spins now or spins at low 2000 RPMs or below?

Cheers.

 

I was about to ask this same question... But good to know it works like a charm! ^_^

Now all I gotta do is find a way to get a hold of $750 and buy one. o_o

 

@reborn2003'

I saw in your sir you owned M18x,I thought An M17x R2? As you can see in my sig, My M18x R1 is equiped with SLI 4gb Clevo gtx 680m total of whooping 8gb for video RAM! At first I hesitate to buy 680m(definitely because of PRICE) but 7970m VRAM is not enough to run MAX PAYNE 3 at ULTRA SETTINGS AND FULL QUALITY DETAILS!. It needs 4096mb(4gb) VRAM tO run at full details. Dell 680m card has only 2gb and with SLI it is not enough for my gaming needs. To sum it up, Clevo 680m cards will last you for years and for every new pc game titles to come.

 

The backplate for ati 5870M is compatible with nvidia 680M? if that's the case then we dont need the upgrade kit for M17xR2, just the regular 680M card alone will do the job!

as for the driver, looks like we need to mod it first before installing. thanks for the feedback! i just noticed you own a total of 3 680M!!!

 

@alexnvidia ,

YES 3 x 680m!lol, I got it PRE-ORDER from upgradeyourlaptop before they offer 680m's in their ebay store. With regards to 5870m backplate, i am not sure if it has the same square size but with the picture of both cards I think it will fit. No need to mod driver, if you are getting just card only just ask upgradeyourlaptop to provide CD driver. Those driver has moded INF files(nvdm,nvcv...etc) just copy it from latest diver release from Nvidia and you're ready to battle!

Edit: I just noticed there is new GPU-Z that supports 680m, It now reads with full specification.

 

Anyone have any idea what the fan issue is between the 680m and the 920XM CPU's? And can it be worked around by setting a fan profile with HWInfo?

There is also a thread discussing the 680m (or lack thereof) and when will it be back in stock.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...dell-no-longer-offering-680m-any-laptops.html

 

kingkong8 you can give to me the reference to moded INF files for 304,79 for 680m?
Thanks

Yes, by means of HWiNFO fans work as it is required!

 

@neklec

Send me your email, I'll forward the moded INF for 304.79

 

Unfortunately, this is not the case, my friend. vRAM doesn't stack up in both SLi and CF configs.
Think of it as a RAID 1 HDD configuration

So, with two 4Gb GTX 680M in SLi you get 4Gb of vRAM.

 

In GPUZ, HWinfo, Nvidia INspector etc., it was stated only 4GB for SLI 4GB GTX 680m BUT in "real word application" Pc games, Best example is MAX PAYNE 3 and GTA IV you can see the "8GB available VRAM" installed in your system and you can configured with your desired settings.

How come system can read "8GB VRAM"??. Maybe only GPU cores works like RAID, I don't know if VRAM works like RAID too,I am noob to SLI machine since it was my first SLI setup.

 

That 8Gb is dedicated memory + shared. Dedicated memory is only 4096Mb and the way this works is that in SLI (or Crossfire), GPU 0 will render the top half of a frame and GPU 1 will render the bottom half of the screen or frame. Sometimes the setup will make it to where GPU 0 will render a whole frame and GPU 1 will render the next frame and so on.
This makes it where the first card memory fills and empties as the second card fills, but the two cards never share memory.

 

Thanks for the info, i have no knowledge about SLI system, just a little bit until now That is why "I LOVE THIS FORUM" you can earn knowledge in notebook stuff!

 

Hey kingkong, does sli work in your 680m sli setup?

Edit: never mind I see you have just one card in your r2

 

@ichime

I haven't tried yet SLI 680m in M17x r2 since I don't have time to disassemble again my M18x. It's really hard to access GPU in M18x, you will need to disassemble whole laptop even LCD panel and it take hours to put it back. I'll update you guys if SLI will work in R2 only if I have time.

 

just ordered a 4gb 680m card, cant wait to install it~

 

This question is a bit off topic but how much can I sell my 2 4870's cards from my R2 on eBay so I could get some money to upgrade to a 680m?

Also what is the best possible RAM upgrade for an R2?
Currently I only gave 4GB @1333 MHz...

 

Anyone running the 2GB version of the 680m in their R2 with an extreme CPU. If so, do you have the same fan control issues the 4GB 680m has with extreme CPUs?

 

Slightly off topic - thinking of getting a single 680m to replace my current 5870m CF. How much performance boost can I expect in terms of gaming? And is there still an issue with the fan control?
Much thanks

 

I was told there is an issue with fan control ONLY if you an an i7-920XM or i7-940XM CPU. The current work around is to set a fan control profile in HWinfo.

 

How's the performance in gaming? Is it very noticeable? I just got a quote for $850 from eurocom...

 

Yes, in comparison with 5870 crossfirex 680 it will be very appreciable!

 

Anyone know if the 670m will work just as easily? I'm seeing those on ebay for under $300. Considering the latest Alienware laptops don't even have the 680m, I don't think spending $800+ on a video card makes any sense when I could spend $999 on a whole new M14x laptop.

 

Uhh, the 680m is an option when you build your R4. It's my understanding that those cards are available, albeit in limited stock.

 

HIDevolution.com is selling the card for $750 excluding shipping

 

Bumping the thread...still trying to find out from any Clevo 680m users if they can update the drivers using the ones from Nvidia, or do they need to use custom modded drivers from Eurocom?

 

Hi peeps!

Just joined and its my first post here. Thinking of getting the 680m to replace my CF 5870m as it is getting a bit old. Got a quote for $700 excluding shipping fee. However, is it worth getting the 680m over 7970m which cost almost $200 less?
Is the HDMI/display port still a problem for 7970m?

Read some threads about upgrading M17x R2 with 7970m and some had problems with the vBIOS ended up frying the display. While the 680m is pretty much plug and play. So I am a bit concerned choosing between those two.
Suggestions?

Thanks!


Edit: nvm.. ordered the 4gb 680m...

 

i THINK u have to flash the vbios to match the ones coming from dell/alienware. it should work after that.

does anyone know if 680m sli will work on 320w psu on m17x r2?