m17x R3 w/ Clevo 6990M + Advice

WORKS PERFECTLY

Hey, what's up guys. I have a few questions;

Can anyone link me up to some good guides for replacing the GFX, the RAM and the HDDs - My m17x R3 is on the way and I plan to put a 6990M inside, alongside some beast HyperX RAM and an SSD. I have looked at YouTube vids but I need something concrete.

I will be using a Clevo 6990M - will I need to flash a Dell vbios?
Will be using ICD 7 also, will I need new thermal pads or can I reuse whatever I have inside?

Also I'm planning to install Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, so any tips for driver installation/order of installation and maybe a few links to latest drivers page or something.

Thank you

 

Can't help you with the Clevo GFX card as i have no experience with them.

However with regards to repasting:

I'd avoid using ICD-7 because it has a severe polishing affect that will permanently alter the soft copper surface of your heatsink. You can use this for a guide on what thermal paste to use. Click on moderate contact for what you might expect on a laptop:

2011 Thermal Compound Roundup – Results Compilation | Skinnee Labs

I've repasted my GPu 3 times now and i'm still using the stock pads and my temps are stellar. So you don't need to get new pads. The best paste I've used so far is Prolimatech PK-1

You can use this repasting guide:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/561599-m17x-r3-cpu-gpu-re-pasting-guide-w-pics.html

 

With regards to the SSD, you want to install it in slot 1. This is the harddrive caddy right in the middle of the laptop. All the parts are there and its easy to do. reinstall windows 7 straight on it and switch your boot order. I've circled the harddrive caddy in Yellow in the attached pic

 

well what card is the lappy coming with? and this might help you with the driver installation. One thing I recommend though is not formatting the computer the driver site comes back online. its been offline since Friday so who knows whens its coming back up.

all in all congrats on your new system

Edit: dang it slick beat me again

 

lol...Bigtony...lol

 

@SlickDude80 Ooooh, just ordered some Prolimatech PK-1 from eBay, and it's great that I don't need to get thermal pads as I can't ever find decent ones. Was also looking for the SSD tip, thanks.

@bigtonyman I found a really cracking deal with a 6870M + 1080p screen [basically I didn't care about internals because I knew it was going to be upgraded]. I am taking the upgrades I made to my old laptop into the m17x and then beefing up the other one with whatever the m17x has - it comes with no OS though, so rofl I can't be waiting! The HDD's have been wiped, and I have a new SSD waiting to shine.

The m17x comes with a 2630QM but once I sell my old laptop, settle down, etc, I will get probably invest in a 2960XM (probs QS when prices lower).

Thanks all, time to do some reading

 

Success & drivers installed.. Just required a restart. Um how I know its working fine? It's all really quiet lol

Man it was hard. The screws were almost impossible to take off

 

Stress it but running FurMark or something and check the the fan comes on. Also check if HDMI in/out works. You may need to flash a Dell vbios to get audio over HDMI working

 

Will do! The guy who had this laptop before (refurbished only a few scratches on bottom!) has benchmarks all over the desktop o.o

I kinda ed up my backplate cause I has to use the 6870s one and only could screw 3 heatsink screws on

HDMI will work, just no audio.

Man this laptop is a thing of beauty and my best purchase yet!!

 

Running 3D Mark 11 and I hear fan noise from the right

 

Nice! Have fun with it

 

CLICK PLEASE http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/5716/20008944.png

That's the temps I got after a 3D Mark 11 run, is that Okay for missing out 1 screw on heatsink (screw 3) and like 3 small thermal pads on the biggish transitors lol :S

I am wondering why it recognises my card as a Dell 6970 when it's a Clevo 6990M??? I think a vbios flash is in order.

Just waiting on my other parts like RAM and SSD atm, so far loving it!

Oh yeah, thanks for the paste reccommendation SlickDude80 it's so awesome and easy to work with!!

 

Lol. It's working great!

 

guys, I have one quick question and I think it will help this guy too, anyone experimented with hyperx 1866mhz? some people are complaining about their experience..

 

Yes there is a thread about it. It doesn't work too well with M17X R3 at all, as in not stable unless downclocked to 1600mhz

I've ordered HyperX 1600 because I read about this

 

Excellent ... don't worry about it reporting as 6970. you have a 6990 there (1120 shaders and 715/900 default clocks)

Glad you like the prolimatech PK-1! Its one of the best pastes on the market today.

Download Sapphire Trixx...it will be your friend

 

GeoCakeeee what are you doinnn, traitor I thought you were pretty happy with your gx660r which was quite a beast...What happened ?

Need to know the whole story !!!! Can't believe you are going for a AW, a little clevo p150hm would not have been bad !

 

thanks geo! a very nice way to name your new beast by the way dovahkin enjoy your 6990m!

 

For once, I am one step ahead. Trixx is slightly more than my friend, hehe, my gaming clocks are usually 820/1020, what do you like to use best?
And what do you think of my temps -I'm not sure what to expect from this laptop just yet. Can't wait to fire Skyrim up!!!!!!!!!!! Just gotta wait for my SSD drive and RAM.

I know man, feel like a proper traitor. It's just that, I saw this really good deal on eBay and I offered a best offer thing and wasn't really expecting to win and I won it so I thought f*ck it and I bought it =|. The GX660 gets way too hot with the XM and 6990M whilst gaming, and turbo fan just got really loud for me It's a great laptop, no doubt, I just wanted to see what Alienwares are really like. I'm a little strange on money spending, I don't buy anything for like a year and then suddenly go crazy, it's madness and I feel a bit crappy afterwards.. but it had to be done. I wish I could just have multiple laptops so I could choose which one I wanted to use for a partiular day, sometimes I hate a laptop and sometimes I love it
It's a bit of a status symbol too tbh, like Apple with their iPhones (macs blow), so I kinda feel good whilst using it in public. Even though I'd probably prefer using an MSI at home like now, just before I sell it xD

I'm enjoying the M17x very much! It's really sexy. Just need to wait patiently for my final bits and bobs.

 

for everyday gaming, i run at 800/1100

For benching, 835/1250 ... I can do 843 max

 

What about temps? Check the pic link a few posts back!

I can't seem to push my card very well on the memory, it doesn't even like 1100 but that may very well be due to the Clevo vbios. Well even though the M17x sees it as a 6970M for reasons unknown to me, it performs like a 6990M and I'll stay away from a bios flash.

17.3" screen way better than I thought, so quiet too..

Anyways I still need to re-install Windows when SSD comes and all the drivers... *sigh* worst part.

 

you're hovering around 70c which is good.

If you really want to compare with mine, download Furmark and run a burnin test at stock clocks for 5 mins. I'm at 67c. The clocks will jump up slightly at first but then the fans kick in. I stay at 67c. This is repasted with PK-1

Here's mine:

 

The memory won't go past 1100 because of the different parts used in the GPU. Dell version 6990m's use Hynix memory chips. Clevo use Samsung ones. Hynix ones are rated better and can be clocked way higher.

 

WAAAAAAAAY higher

 

I didn't know this, thanks for pointing it out!

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/7685/16730413.png

75, seems Okay for one less heatsink screw. F*ck, I wish I wasn't so excited and was slightly more careful when I ripped the X plate off the old card. I thought the Clevo one would work but the screws just didn't fit, I swear it looked the exact same

Yeah and I know why now, lol. But apparently you don't gain as much benefit as OCing the core because of the already massive bandwidth.

 

you only have 3 screws?

It is true that the 6990 already has tons of bandwidth, but i just like the way 1250 ddr5 sounds lol

 

Yes it does sound nice.

Welllll I have 4 screws, I just have nowhere to place the number 3 screw because I broke the xplate somehow - the place where you screw it in fell off :/ I was really happy and stuff and kinda went overboard. I think I will live with it BUT I think I want to flash the vbios now.

Anyone kindly link me a Dell 6990M single GPU vbios that will work? Slick, I'm sure yours will work?


Also: are the drivers on the Dell site up to date? cause I want the latest.. that probably means I'll have to manually search? thanks

 

i can't help you with the vbios but i'm sure someone here can. You can try the Dell site and look it up, but i don't know what will happen if you flash a Clevo 6990m with a dell bios

The drivers on the dell site are old.

Here are the latest stable ones for me:

ATI CAT 11.11a

 

Just save your bios from GPU-Z. I've updated to 11.11a successfully as well as updated my motherboard Bios A08 I think.

Forgot to disable automatic updates -_- now I'm installing 99 facking updates grrrrrrrrrrr.

Got another question: to be able to switch graphics:

1. Install drivers from Dell site, then update

Or can I:

2. Install Intel Hd graphics drivers and then 11.11a

Which is better/would work better?

Sorry for so many questions. I'm just very interested.

 

a safe practice is to install the dell drivers first, then install over with the ones from AMD, but it doesn't matter. I only installed the ones from the ATI site onto my ssd.

if you're gonna update your A08 bios, i'd strongly suggest using the unlocked A08 bios...there are just so many more options available

ALIENWARE 17XR3 UNLOCKED A08 BIOS.rar

 

Hey guys I really need help... I think I've messed up. Put modded bios on, laptop restarted and I enter bios. Then I select something like enable integrated GPU, turn up some CPU settings to like 10015 or something and I hit save and restart.. Now all I see is a black screen and I hear tut... Tut... Tut... Tut very quietly from bottom left area as I look at screen. Just pitch black.. Help

 

ok, you need to do a hard reset of your bios.

Take your battery out
Remove back plate
Remove Cmos battery

You can refer to my CPU guide in my sig for pics on how to remove the back plate

 

I've taken out the battery and turned it on without that battery and it's the same...

The battery next to GPU fan.

The laptop comes on black screen and CPU fan goes fast slow fast slow fast slow and GPU fan starts then turns off instantly....

 

take out the Cmos battery...leave it out for 1 min to reset your bios

 

I'll take it out for 5 mins.. I'm really scared. Appreciate the help

 

Don't be scared dude...its under warranty

 

Yeah but I flashed the modded bios and.. Put my 6990M inside..

Wish I didn't mess with the bios settings

Though I noticed under the summary thing it found my ATI but did not detect any integrated graphics :/

 

bro, you think the dell techs are smart enough to figure out what happened to it? Chill...

 

No luck... At all..

 

ok, put your 460m back in

 

hmm could he still have the integrated GPU still turned off in the bios somehow?

 

I'm flashing bios from USB... How long do I keep holding END button?

 

you flashing the Computer bios or the card bios?

 

Normal bios. Apart from a black screen I see nothing. Slapped the bios on USB, held end and plugged power cable in... Both fans spinning, all black, power button changing colours

 

bro, take the vid card out of play, install the 460m

 

That's not the correct way to do the bios recovery. You have to take the PAR00MEC.fd ONLY and rename it to PAR00X64.fd. That should be the only file on your USB stick.

Stick it in the esata port. Pull out the battery. This is a MUST. And the plug. Hold end and stick the plug in. Hold until the system beeps for 33 times. Then let go.

 

the 6870M you meant

 

Will try Bios flash proper way & last resort old card. & thank you guys loads. Googling on my phone sucks

 

this might help you but note DON"T use the m18x bios its different. Directions for blind flashing should be about the same though

Edit: Took me to long to find the link

 

oh right! i thought he had a 460 before, my bad