***M18x - AMD Crossfire (Driver Questions, Performance, Problems) Discussion Thread***

They are 6990's. My next step looks like as you suggested and to buy some nice thermal paste and breakdown the entire machine, paste, re-seat, and reassemble.

 

I'm guessing that the problem is still persisting?

Make sure you're Windows power plan is on high performance. In CCC, make sure your graphical settings under Gaming>3D Application Settings are set to default. Verify that you're actually running in CrossFire mode. I use GPU-Z for that. I would also install some sort of monitoring program, like HWInfo, to ensure you're hitting max 3D clocks, and to also see what your maximum temperature is getting up to. Are you using the 330 watt AC adapter?

 

Also, if you aren't already running it, you might want to update to system bios A05 which was released to help out with 6990m overheating issues.

 

Yes

It is

They are

I am

I just downloaded GPU-Z. It shows that on my first GPU the fan speed is between 0 and 10 RPM and 30% speed and on the other the fan is at ''--'' RPM and 30% speed, Is this normal?

Yes, I have the big 330W brick

 

Try this if you like:

In CCC enable overdrive if it's not already enabled. Then download sapphire trixx and under settings disable ULPS, reboot. Then overclock by a a few MHZ (like 5-6) and give it a try. Also PhysX will cause a huge decrease in performance. I only used PhysX on Batman Arkham city and framerates halved. Crysis (I am assuming Crysis 1) needs a bunch of updates before it actually works up to speed.

Hope it helps

 

There is no such option in CCC for me.

I'll try that.

EDIT: Disabling ULPS makes my screen shake randomly when there is any movement on the screen except the mouse.

I know, that why it is at low in BL2 (there is no off option)

 

Make sure powerplay is on on ATI CCC and set to max performance. I once disabled it thinking it would force it to be max performance, but it actually made my games unplayable.

 

It is on and set to max performance.

 

I would first try this: Disable xfire, reboot, re-nable xfire. If this doesn't work try running a clean install of your video drivers. When you updated video drivers did you install over the old ones or did you do a clean install (remove everything, driver sweeper in safemode etc,etc) ? Run a clean install if you didn't and you should have overdrive under the performance tab in the advanced settings of CCC.

Clean install drivers, if this doesn't fix the issue there might be something wrong with the xfire cable and you will need to check it. Also I would try to install the latest Alienware BIOS (I think it's A05) if that is not what you already have (just trying to eliminate alternative explanations for your issue so we can narrow it down).

In Trixx did you sync your GPUs? ULPS should not cause display interference which means that either xfire is not set up properly (might be fixed by disabling and re-enabling xfire) or the xfire cable is not connected properly. A bad video card might also cause this but let's see if it's something else first.

 

I'll try this

A05 is installed. How can I check the xfire cable? Am I better at this point to ship my computer back to Dell?

Yes, it did sync with my both GPUs. What is ULPS exactly?

 

ULPS is Ultra Low Power Setting which basically disables the secondary GPU when not utilized. Sometimes it causes issues and Trixx won't let you mess with the clocks while it's on. Once you sort out the drivers you can test the GPUs like this:

We will need GPU-Z. If you can, download the heaven benchmark as well (it's free and small). Then open two GPU-Z windows and chose one of your GPUs for each (so that each shows a different GPU). Then switch to the sensors tab and check the "log to file" box at the bottom, chose to log to a different file for each GPU (you get to name the log files separately for each GPU-Z window). Run heaven in FULL SCREEN mode (not windowed as xfire won't work properly) at whatever resolution you like, briefly. Then exit heaven and GPU-Z and check the log files. Were the clocks of the two GPUs the same while heaven was on (are they the normal clocks for your cards)? If they are, things are probably not so bad. Try to run heaven at it's max specs and see if you get it to replicate the issues you are getting with your games. Keep checking the clocks to see if both cards are working properly. You can run the following test with the games that run slow to see if both cards are utilized but heaven usually does utilized both cards equally so if both cards are not pushed in heaven you know something is going on.

I would say let's see what we can do first with software, tweaks. If nothing helps and if you don't feel comfortable opening up the system you can then send it back to Dell.

It has been a long time since I looked at the service manual of the R1 but if I remember correctly you can check the xfire cable by just lifting the keyboard. You will be looking if it is properly connected on both ends and only if everything else fails.

Here is a how to video.

 

You have problably already done this, but what is your 3d mark 11 score at the moment? That might tell us something as well.

 

Since I've installed catalyst 12.10, I can't replicate the issue, but I'm not sure it is solved.
The two cards stay at their normal clock when heaven runs and the cards seems to work properly.
And I see that the temperature of the two cards goes up to 90,5 degrees (at temp #2 and #3), is this too hot or it is a normal temperature for a graphic card?

I just tried and I got P5678

 

If heaven runs without glitches and both cards are working close to full capacity (around 97% GPU load, which is logged in GPU-Z, per GPU) at their usual clocks then you probably don't have a hardware issue, which is good news.

Now, about the temperature, it does look a bit high but not that bad. I pushed my cards (the 6990s) to 815/1025Mhz, Core/Memory clocks, while running Heaven at max settings @1920x1080 to completion and at 97% load I got temps #2 & #3 to go up to 80 & 88 Celsius respectively at a room temperature of 22 Celsius. That's slightly high for me too as before the temperature wouldn't go over 75-80, but it's been a while, it might be time for both of us to re-paste or do a thorough cleaning. My GPU temperature though (which is logged separately) never exceeded 77 Celsius. Maybe you can ask some of the benchmarking dudes on the benchmarking thread or do a search there to see what kinds of temperatures are normal. As far as I remember up to the mid 80s was pretty normal.

 

I would say that those temps are to high and causing your cards to throttle, that is why you're frame rates will drop down on you. I would say it's time for a repaste.

 

** EDIT **
i was finally able to update amd catalyst to the lastest 12.11 beta 6.
the trick was as follows.
1. i started from the factory recovery. i rather like some of the goodies that came from the factory so i have
no desire to do the windows clean install.
2. when i simply downloaded catalyst and tried toinstall it, i got BSOD. don't do it.
3. use "add and remove software" feature of the windows and remove AMD control center, and select "remove everything" option.
4. when i tried to install the new driver after step 3, i got BSOD. don't do it.
5. perform windows update and check everything, especially the updates that relates to .NET 4 stuffs.
6. with previous version removed and .NET stuffs updated, i was able to install the lastest version without a hitch.

THANKS, AMD! (gritting my teeth)




BSOD !!!

so i have m18x r2 with 3610qm and 7970m crossfire. it came with the old version of AMD drivers. naturaly, I want to update it.
after some fumbling and few BSODs while trying to update the AMd drivers, I thought I'll start from scratch.
so I used Alien Resprawn to go back to the factory state, set up the windows, did nothing but setting up the wireless.

and then i downloaded AMD catalyst package from AMD website and ran the update.

STILL BSOD!!!

I read few postings that I should delete previous version and use driver wipe(or something) software
to clean up and all that. one posting I read even suggested some registry modification for the proper install.

But I'm not optimizing my system and I need a quick install just to see if it works or not. And I fully expected
that at least from the factory state, it should install without any problems.

do you guys also get the BSOD when you do a quick install and update of AMD catalyst? all the tricks and
techniques, are they in fact mandatory, rather than suggestion and optimization?

i was aware of AMD driver woes before I made the purchase but i didn't think it'd be this bad...

 

Try 12.8 Drivers. 12.11 cause me BSOD too.
Yes do a clean install.

 

ok. it seems that i'm lost.
my goal is to get the lastest driver from the factory recovery.
the first boot from the factory recovery gives me two 7970M entries in the device manager, which lead me to believe that
intel 4000 is not being used.
so i toggled fn-f7 to activate "amd enduro". i rebooted as prompted and i rebooted once again as prompted after
system installed intel 4000 drivers.
upon 3rd rebooting, i have only "intel 4000" entry in the device manager.

question: is it how "enduro" supposed to work, in a sense that you get either 7970M OR Intel 4000 but not both
in the device manager? I've used Nvidia Optimus before. when in Optimus, device manager shows BOTH
Nvidia and Intel graphics. and it automatically selects one or the other depoends on situations.
but as for the enduro, it used only one at a time and it requires "reboot" to toggle to the other?

question2: it seems that from the factory recovery, intel 4000 isn't even installed. would that mean that i only have to
uninstall "amd catalyst" before the catalyst update, since intel 4000 isn't even present in the factory recovery state?


question3: what exactly is enduro? is it something that automatically gets installed when you update catalyst, ie. to 12.11 beta?
or is there a separate software called enduro?


any help is appreciated! this is fun and frustrating at the same time, if you know what i mean.
Nvidia Optimus, on the other hand, is mostly transparent when comapred to this.

 

^^ no enduro on the m18x, you have either the discrete(7970m) or integrated gfx (hd4000)
you need a reboot each time you want to change from one to another (after pressing fn-f7)

Enduro allow the laptop to use both at the same time and you can optimize which app use which gpu.
Its mostly about saving power (better battery life)

 

Somebody saw such problems on 7970m?

View attachment 87218 View attachment 87219

Happens also such.



At me 2 7970s, but separately each card shows these problems.
Cards original dell 7970m from upgradeyourlaptop.
Tried drivers 12.8 and 12.11beta4

 

I do not have the same cards but for additional input I have never had an issue upgrading CCC. When using a fresh install I deploy the AMD drivers after installing all chipset and network drivers. I used to manually chose my product at the AMD website however now I just let it auto detect. When I wish to install beta drivers I set my options in CCC accordingly and then choose the option to participate in beta drives at the website.

Sent from my Android using Tapatalk 2

 

Sorry if this has been covered but I what I found was conflicting information ... does a 7970m from a Clevo work in an M18x R2 ? I mean will HDMI work as it should ?

 

Nice to see you, buddy. Long time to see... welcome back.

 

So I've finally decided to buy an m18X, but I still have to decide between dual 7970m's or dual 680m's. So I've been reading the past few months worth of posts to the m18X nVidia SLI and m18X AMD crossfire threads. The AMD thread has all sorts of posts about problems with games running and drivers. The nVidia thread has pretty much no posts like that, instead people are posting about which vbios to use to increase their performance even more. Is it really this cut and dry? Are the 680m's that much more stable than the 7970m's? Also from what I've read it seems stock performance is somewhat the same?

Thanks for your help.

 

I have one of the newest m18s on the forum with dual 7970s. I have zero issues playing bf3, crysis 2, black ops2, and metal of honor maxed out. With vsync disabled all games avg around 125fps with SOME tearing once in a while. Vsync on 61 fps all day. Crossfire works with both cards at same percentages of use. Colors are vibrant and the detail is rediculous! Oh yeah Batman runs perfectly and is gorgeous to look at. I'm using the 12.11 beta 4 driver. I'm not a amd fan boy. Had dual nvidia in my last rig. I'm a husband and father that needs to spend his money wisely. I saw no reason to go 680 at the premium they demand.

 

Buddy, I had the same thinking. I got my dual 7970Ms for the cost of ONE 680M.

Initially I had no trouble, but the more games I tried, the more trouble I had seen.

I can now honestly say, that since the 12.11 Beta 7 driver, I have almost no issues again. My usual games are Need for Speed Shift 2, F1 2012, BO2, MW3, BF3 to name a few.

The exception here is F1 2012, when using X-Fire, between rounds, some of the menu graphics change colours randomly. This does not happen with V-sync enabled though.

I think they are 95% there with the drivers now (but should have been there from DAY ONE), but I wish the 12.11 Beta for Linux didn't give me a CONSTANT 'AMD Testing' Logo on my screen. I simply don't know how to remove it.

Oh, and when performing on the World Community Grid, these GPUs just tear it up....

 

These cards crush need for speed shift 2!

 

omg i have the exact same thing here,
i thought i was the only 1
only happend recently, after replacing ram with newer faster and more ram 8GB crosair vengeance(which crosair website said was supported)
laptop over 1 year old now

after that updated to A5, green screen still can happen.
and tried refitting ram in its modules, checking if they are properly placed.
and trying clean all dusts out the fans and heatsinks

temps are pretty hot +70*C gpu 1

found some more ppl with it
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m18x/697788-green-flickering-pixels.html
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m18x/659809-screen-problem-green-pink-pixels-all-over.html

 

i have the same spec as sjefferson and keep getting BSOD on 12.11 im back on 12.8 which is annoying as some of the games i play have fixes in later CCC far cry 3 and skyrim for example


*Installed 12.11 today worked fine werid FC3 runs great now*

 

Hey guys,

I haven't been using my M18x R1 for some time, and today I was playing with it and noticed that when in crossfire mode, both gpu's are only running at about 39% of utilization. If I turn off powerplay, first card goes to ~85% utilization and second card drops to 0%. I have search everywhere, and found a person or two complaining of similar issues, but no solutions. I first updated to 12.11 betas, then cleared drivers and went back to Dells. Same problem. Tried 12.6, same. I have played with trixx and radeon pro, and it is still the same. Anybody have any suggestions?

thanks for the help,
Mak

PS:
1) Running Win 7-64
2) Thermals are fine (never above 60c when at 30% - and not above 78c when 1 card at 85%)
3) Cards are at correct Mhz. Overclocking works fine. Its purely a utilization issue that is present in all games and utilities.

 

It seems the 12.XX Catalyst drivers don't provide the best performance for many 69XXM CrossFire owners. Assuming you don't have a hardware problem, I would be trying an older driver, like Catalyst 11.9, to see the the cards behave exactly the same. While they are not optimized for good performance with 2012 games, especially where CrossFire is employed, it will at least let you confirm or rule out a driver issue if the older drivers cure the problem. Test the older drivers with an older game and see how it fares.

Although your temps "seem" ok, I would also take off the bottom cover, remove the GPU fans and blow out the fans and heat sink radiators if you have not recently done so. That 78°C temp is little warmer than they should be getting at only 85% utilization with no overclock.

Double-check to confirm you are using the "High performance" power profile as well. Now and then my system has mysteriously changed to "Balanced" or "Power saver" profiles without my intervention. Check to make sure all of your advanced settings options in the "High performance" profile avoid anything that remotely looks, smells or sounds like it might reduce power consumption.

 

Thanks Mr. Fox,

I believe the Dell provided drivers are in the 11s? I'll try 11.9 as you suggest and provide update. Power settings are indeed all High/Max.

 

just an update that AMD 12.11beta11 and 12.11 CAP 2 is released

 

AMD Catalyst 12.11 Beta11 Driver for Windows® 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista®

AMD Catalyst 12.11 Beta11 Driver for Windows® 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista® - with .NET 4 Support

AMD Catalyst 12.11 CAP2

 

Mr Fox,

I tried your suggestions without any luck. Got so frustrated I bought the win 8 upgrade and did a clean install. Installed the Dell drivers in Win 7 compatibility mode, then installed 12.11 (beta 11) win 8 drivers over them. Crossfire is working perfectly now.

 

Am I the only one getting BSOD with ALL drivers from 12.9 up to and including 12.11 beta11? The BSODs seems a bit erratic, sometimes I get them during the installation of said drivers, sometimes I get it after my first reboot when I enter windows again and a few times it can all hold firm for a few hours or even a day before I get my BSODs again. That said, all drivers before 12.9 works flawlessly, currently I'm running 12.8 without any hitches but it's sad because I too want to have all the juicy fixes that 12.11 brings.

 

Tried a full uninstall/Driver Cleaner/CCleaner/Reinstall ? Sounds like you have some corrupt files being left behind ?

 

I have indeed tried normal procedure uninstall, drivers sweeper as well as CCleaner and reinstall and also just updating drivers (install on top of old). None of aforementioned works. Also, if it was an issue with corrupt leftover files it would and should have given me problems not just with 12.9, 12.10 and 12.11 but also the earlier ones, which it doesnt. Any driver between 12.3 and 12.8 works excellent. THe issue has to be bad drivers in combination with 7970M crossfire.

 

If any driver between 12.3 and 12.8 works excellent, maybe the best plan is to use the newest one that works best and avoid the newer ones that don't work correctly. When it comes to video drivers, "the latest is not always the greatest" ...and, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" definitely applies here. I've been in your spot many times before, as have others here in the community. Maybe the next new driver will work well for you.

 

Well said Mr Fox, long time no see champ.
Yes sir-ee iv gone back to 12.8's yet again. I can get 12.11's working reasonably well but had 1 BSOD's too many.

 

I appriciate your input and I do agree with you to some extent. The worst part is seeing all those juicy updates that comes with 12.11 and knowing I wont be able to take part of them.

 

Is there enduro to switch to the IGP in a CF 7970M config?

What is the battery life like?

 

There is the manually choosable intel HD4000 but there is no automatic switching, you basically have to choose what to use at the moment then reboot. If you plan to use it on battery a few hours you better diactivate the dual 7970's and reboot. I havnt tested how long the battery lasts but I would immagine 2-3h tops, if that.

 

Thankfully, no Enduro on the M18x R1/R2. The manually switchable graphics offers better performance and battery life. The battery life running on integrated graphics is almost 5 hours if you turn off AlienFX lighting and dim the display.

 

So can anyone tell me they are using any of the 12.11 betas without any BSOD over a period longer than a few days.
Any tricks you want to share ?!

 

I've used all the 12.11 beta versions with no problem at all (beta 8 had a bug with profiles).
Now I'm on beta 11 and still no problem, no BSOD, good performance.

no tricks to share, they just work ...

 

I'm jealous! Are you on windows 8 by any chance?

 

I'm on win7

 

Retailer leaks next-gen AMD Radeon HD 8000 mobile graphics inside Asus Vivobook!

 

Brother Bumbo... There is already a thread in the main Alienware forum on this subject and it is also being discussed in the http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...ective-news-discussion-alienware-m18x-r3.html thread, too. Looks like a performance downgrade for AMD fans. The fastest one of the bunch is equivalent to only a GTX 650M according to AMD.