Aw m18x R2 Dual 980m SLI upgrade!!

lol M18x = m17x Basically, Alienware M18x R2 and Aw M17x R4 both got same chipset and configuration (except second card). Hence 18 R2 will work as 17 R4.

 

But we can use the powerful OC 3920xm in M18xR2 here is definitely an advantage
gtx980M one card works in M18xR2 ?
What's your score Graphics Score in 3dmark11?
I wonder if the card goes to full speed

 

Yup, one GTX 980M will pwen GTX 780M SLI... Well let's see how it goes..

 

for aw17 or m17x r5, how could I mod the nvidia driver for install it for gtx980m????

 

Honestely, it is easy part of 980m upgrade. If you buy upgrade from Eurocom then you will get Disc with drivers on it or you can edit by easily. Check below link for basic info.

Nvidia INF driver modding (Guide) - Guru3D.com Forums

 

no disk was include in the pack, i am trying to mod driver......

 

Now what what?

 

We have concluded that M18x boots up with unlocked BIOS using Clevo vbios with 1 card. Our goal here should be using 2 cards obviously. How do we do that? Whats the next step with trying to make it work?

 

Please replace original nv_dispi with attached one, Driver version 344.48.

link http://www.filedropper.com/nvdispi

 

Oh, I didn't know you had a M18XR2 with 2 980m's. When did you get this?

As to next step I'll get to that.

 

Side note:
R2 will not show all cards at the same time. I think this was only on the R1.
There are 5 settings. 3 for muxless and 2 without. Changing seems to do nothing there. And is only for systems running single gpu.


You can however disable igpu and then try to reboot with single card first. If that gets you back to the bios, then that might be a good start. Maybe. Then you can switch back to peg only. shut down and install second card and see if it will power back on. I just got home and going through the motions to see what happens.

 

I do not have M18x but if someone get it to work I'm most likely getting an AW18 and upgrading the GPUs as well. So I'm very hopeful and interested in getting this solved

 

I have M18xR2 but unfortunately I do not have gtx980M
Damn ordered a second card with a $ 447 SLI gtx780m
But it is no problem I sell twice gtx780m

 

Hummm, that was interesting. It actually finally booted in sg with both cards. And i was able to enable sli, but it ran flakey. Could be user error though. Then messed around and re enabled igpu and of course sg failed. So i removed one card and went to boot and black screen and 8 beeps. Even after 5 reboots. So I did a bios reset and all is back to normal......This would be really weird if the 980M's worked in reverse of doing this. Where as the 780 beeped out the 980's in turn ran. It's a bit more to this but that was the short version of the story.

I don't think this will go over well on the AW18. Unless you have an unlocked bios to make changes. Provided this even remotely does anything other than beep.

 

@johnksss

From my experience of testing 980m in m17x R4, m18x R2, AW17(non3D and 3D) and AW18 for many many hours, I have concluded these.

- 980m only works with iGPU enabled (=SG enabled, AKA=optimus) wherever it is installed. (in alienware)
- Thus, PEG only, 3D model (in which iGPU is disabled), SLI dont work with 980m. (in alienware)
- There are three vbios that I've tested, v10/v12 of clevo and v0A of MSI. All of these work the same in alienware.
- If iGPU is disabled (=PEG only), 8 beeps.

And to answer your question, yes it works with your suggestion in m18x R2 and the device manager shows two gpu (igpu and 980m) which basically is "optimus".

I dont know why this is happening. It may be vbios or bios or security problem. I really dont know the reason of these behavior.
I just hope some one can fix this.

 

No that's not quite the same you need to physically disable intergrated GPU.

All the things we try or just to see what's going to happen so until you trial and error it or until they come out with a Alienware version of the 980 Vbios, all we can do is test a bunch of theories whether they are good or bad or experimental. And hope you don't hard brick the machine.

 

Is ther ea way to physically disable intergrated GPU like CLEVO p375 p570 in alienware?
All we can do is change options in unlocked bios using MUX chip. What do you suggest for me to test. I just dont know what I can do from now.

 

Using the unlocked bios you can go into the igpu settings and disable it right there. Then you might be able to boot from that point. Try so first and see if you get a boot and are able to go into the bios. This is like your version of optimus, but without the igpu.

 

I've disabled the iGPU in the unlocked bios, And if I do this, 8 beeps when I put 980m.
If I just disable iGPU without installing any dGPU, I also get 8 beeps. But this is fixed automatically by turning on and off several times. (and of course the iGPU is enabled again)

 

So you clicked disabled. Set the sg mode and changed muxless settings?

 

After disabling iGPU, I've tried SG and PEG only.
Same results.

 

Next test. Put in your 780 ad master and 980 as slave

 

I've done it. I can boot that way.
Both sg and peg only.

And this was how I nvflashed.
From there, if I go to DOS, I can't nvflash using -i 1. It says there is no nvidia card.
But in windows, I can nvflash -i 1 without any problem.

 

You do know you could have flashed with the Intel graphics right?

 

Yes, I know.
I just tried several things. I've nvflashed with iGPU in m17x R4, m18x R2 and AW17.
Just to see if it didn't do nvflash "well".

 

What version of nvFlash are you using? And is it a modified version?

 

No I used simplified version for OEM only.
I think I've tested several other version but if I dont use simplified version of nvflash, it wont allow me to nvflash 980m.

 

But basically, I only have three vbios of 980m.
(EUROCOM confirmed me that they got three too)

And I have v12 card, my friend has v10 card.
Both the same results.

And both work great in clevo p375sm separately as single 980m and together (mixed vbios) as sli.

 

ok.
So you haven't tried modifying the vbios and then reflashing it?

 

I tried nvflash.exe that worked for 780m and 880m but these wont allow me to nvflash 980m.
That's why I had to use stock version. If you have any modified nvflash that you want me to test, I'd be more than happy.

But really, I dont think it is nvflash that is problem.
Moreovere, v10 and v12 cards that my friend and I have resulted the same.

 

You only need really one and how to figure out how to mod it and make it work, but you can not do that with a gen version of nvflash. Example, if you mod the clocks, it will not reflash. You will get a certificate error. Or at least that's what happens when flashing a desktop card. No one has even looked at these vbios files to see what is different. or what needs to be changed for compatibility. More than likely it's a bit that needs to be flipped off, but then that's a lot of test flashing. And since no one has even modded thier own and tried to flash im going with no one knows this yet.

 

trying with new win8.1 install and the nv_dispi provided by PETER, with nvidia 344.48 version.....

 

Cannot install 344.48 nvidia version, gives me error.... With file provided by peter

 

hm try this http://www.filedropper.com/nvdispi1

 

Another dude that upgraded his AW17 with GTX 980M.
M17r5上980m终于成功了_alienware吧_百度贴吧

I have a question, probably stupid but I`ll ask anyway:
Have anyone used the method johnksss suggested, download drivers (INF trick) and got the graphic cards identified as GTX 980M. Done this with both cards. Then reverted back to normal BIOS with both cards installed and tried to see if it boots up normally in SLI?

 

I think 980m workin in Aw17 and 17 R4 without any major problem.
Well it is not about drivers, basically driver loads after windows boot logo pass.

 

Yup, if you like optimus (which I do), then the 980M works perfectly in the 17x R4 and new 17... Its only the 18 which is the pain..

 

Peter, SVL might be able to help you!

http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware/8113-going-test-clevo-980m-alienware-m17x-r4-m18x-r2-aw17-28.html

 

Thanks for update Cloudfire, i just replied. im just worried if i brick my cards then i wont have more fund to get another one.

 

SVL probably knows what he's doing. Fingers crossed you guys work this out

 

is this for 344.48 version or newest???

 

yes!! 344.48!!!

 

PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_13D7&SUBSYS_05AA1028&REV_A1
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_13D7&SUBSYS_05AA1028
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_13D7&CC_030000
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_13D7&CC_0300

this is the id for my card

 

Would this cards work on the M17x R3 and M18x R1 as well?

 

if m17x r3 gots optimus yes, I dont think so same with m18r1.....

Now with my issue, finally i install 344.65 nvidia version, modded drivers, I will restart now.

 

SVL just replied at Techinferno, mate.

"Just tell me what the current status is, I don't have time to go all the posts of a random thread. Currently have to do some military service and I already need enough time to catch up on other things that have been going on during the past weeks."

 

No time to waste Peter.
Go Go Go

 

lol i just tried to summarize as best i can. Hope he figure out wht is wrong with it. Why it wont let boot 18 or R2 in SLI.

 

my laptop freezys when 3d mark is running, same problem, no works when 980m is used.... anybody can make benchmarks????

 

It may be throttling back to iGPU. did you try to run heaven benchmark? Monitor 980m core clock usin MSI afterburner or evga precision or HWinfo64.