***M18x - NVIDIA SLI (Driver Questions, Performance, Problems) Discussion Thread***

alohadood, welcome to NBR forums. We're glad you joined our community, and especially glad to have you in the Alienware sub-forums. Congrats on the M18x... what I consider to be the best laptop available anywhere.

Here is a thread covering your question: http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m18x/575323-m18x-multiple-monitors.html

As a new member of the forum, below are some links that will help you get up to speed quickly and make the most of your participation. Please click through them. In particular, please review the forum rules and how to search the forums effectively using Google (first two links). I located the thread on multiple monitors for you in about 10 seconds using the syntax site:forums.notebookreview.com site:forum.notebookreview.com M18x 3 monitors as a Google search.

Again, welcome to NBR.

Edit: Ha ha, brother Steve... looks like alohadood is getting help "in stereo" LOL.

USEFUL THREADS FOR FORUM MEMBERS

All members reading this post are encouraged to become familiar with the forum rules. The information on how to search the forum is especially useful, as it should help members find information quickly, avoid creating new threads to ask questions that have already been answered in another thread, as well locating appropriate threads to participate in an established discussion.

Forum Rules - *PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING* | Alienware General Information & HOW TO: Search the forum - *PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING*

Reputation Points/Power and User Titles | Forum Guide and "How-To" | Why can't I send private messages or create signatures?

How To Properly Insert an Image Into Your Post | NBR Marketplace[/FONT]

 

Does anyone know where I can find an SLI cable and a heatsink for a 580m/560m? (besides dell obviously)

 

Well, eBay is probably your best bet outside of Dell. Have you looked in our NBR Marketplace yet? I think you can post a "want to buy" in there.

Those parts are inexpensive from Dell. If you need them sooner than later, I would just buy them brand new from Dell. You will have all the right pads on the heat sinks that way.

Are you working on an M18x? I see your post in this sub-forum, but no M18x in your signature.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m18x/579752-m18x-part-number-list-reference.html

 

I have an M18x on the way, just wanted to have the parts on hand. Thanks for the parts reference list

 

Hi. I have a rather new issue with my SLI that popped up just today for no reason. When SLI is enabled my computer flickers a red tint that while only a little noticeable causes headaches rather rapidly. If my computer is unplugged (though this causes general slowness as usual) or SLI is disabled this does not occur. This only occurs in games, not on the desktop. This also appears to only occur when the game is in full screen. This problem was NOT caused by a recent change in settings, as none had been changed. I am using an M18x with two SLI enabled 580m.

Anyone have any ideas what could be causing this, and how to resolve it?

 

Sorry if I,m off topic guys,I,m typing from an IPad,in hospital.sorry Mr Fox all who know's me know I never break the rules an accident maybe.Thanks.

Pm me I have a local guy here that has all kinds of parts my brother owns 2 M18x's. He gave me a new good gtx580 tO test before I even called Dell support, which as long as you get an l2 or customer advocate your gold.As for the sli parts,there are two different heatsinks and cable for nvidia only.I see your in Jersey,I'm in Ny.

 

KarateF22... If you launch GPU-Z does it show that SLI is enabled or not?

 

Shows SLI enabled.



Also, after hours of googling i found a workaround, but the issue still occurs when not using the workaround.

The workaround is to go to screen resolution. Tell my CPU to detect additional monitors, even if one isnt hooked up. Go to the second monitor labeled "Available display output on: Nvidia GeForce GTX 580m", then where multiple displays is listed tell it to "try to connect anyways on: VGA". Then click apply. After this, on the real display, where it says multiple displays tell it to duplicate displays. Then apply. After doing this the flicker is gone, but i am unsure if there is a performance hit or not. I have no idea why this workaround works, but the guy who used it before had the same issue and it was at least temporarily resolved this way.

*EDIT: Nevermind, after booting today the workaround no longer works, instead of a red tint it just causes severe stuttering*

 

Wow, that's definitely not how your M18x should be working. There is not a lot of information about what you are experiencing anywhere that I could find on the web, so it does not appear to be a common known issue with a clear fix.

If you are still under warranty, please call 1-800-ALIENWARE and have Tech Support get it sorted for you. If you do not get appropriate resolution through normal channels, you can reach out to AW-FedericoH or DELLChrisM on this forum for assistance with escalation, or...

(1) on Twitter send a message to @DellCares, or

(2) use the Support link on the left side of the Dell Facebook page​

This could be something very simple, like one of the MXM (GPU) modules needing to be re-seated in its PCIe slot. It could also be a hardware defect. Please keep us posted and let us know if you can isolate the problem and the fix.

 

Basically screwed around for an hour to confirm what i had suspected originally, then got told "oh, get your stock memory instead of your 16gb or we can't help you".


:-|

 

How do I increase the voltage to .92 V? I would like to run a bit more of an OC (750/1500) but am already having stability problems with 725/1450 @ .87V. (freezing, a reversion to stock clocks via Nvidia Inspector, so far mostly only with Batman: Arkham City but have also had freezing in Cyrsis 2 and Skyrim).

My temps dont exceed 69 C while playing so I believe I still have a bit of headroom, what is considered hot for these cards?

I have search quite a bit through google and its my rudimentary understanding that I need a modified VBIOS?

Post Script Edit: I am on VBIOS A01.

 

You will need .92v to get above those clock speeds with stability. Here is a link to download a GTX580M vBIOS flash kit with the voltage mod and stock clocks. You still use the batch files with NVIDIA Inspector for overclocking.

STANDARD WARNING

Third party BIOS Modifications, VBIOS Modifications and other system level tweaks (including fan control) can potentially cause damage to your system. Be aware of this before blindly flashing/installing.

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.

-

 

Thanks Mr. Fox! It would be nice to change the voltage on the fly! I have a boot-able USB drive, is it possible to reflash the cards with the new VBIOS' using this method?

Actually I am having second thoughts, I installed The Witcher 2 last night and after an hour or so realized that my temps at .87 V are getting a bit warm, 70 and 74 C, GPU 0 and GPU 1 respectively. Today while playing Crysis 2, with warmer ambient temperature (~70 F) the temps were 64 and 74 C, which is another mystery, maybe GPU 0 is being under-utilized.

The freezing really only is a nuisance with Batman: Arkham City as now it freezes the whole system and I have to do a hard shutdown.

Is anyone else having problems with this game?

 

Hi,when I was using the furmark to test the temperature of my GTX 580M SLI, the screen will be just blurred at about 85 degree and I restarted the laptop ,everything is normal. I have tried test a few times and the screen will be blurred at nearly 85 degree every time. My question is that is this normal or any quality problem with my 580M video card? Thanks

 

I think I am going to change the thermal compound before upping the voltage, I have some Shin Etsu G571 on hand and will likely just use it on the GPU's and CPU, unless IC Diamond 24 is a considerably better paste. Anyone care to share their opinions on it?

Looking at M18 tear down now.

m18x - Teardown Guide (Quick and Dirty Edition)

Be careful, I have heard that Furmark has the potential to damage our Nvidia Hardware, I stopped using it a long time ago when I discovered the same potential risk with AMD's cards in the M17x R2. 85 C is piping hot. I wouldn't use it anymore.

 

IC Diamond will scratch your CPU and GPU. Note: Not CAN, it WILL. This is not only aesthetically upsetting, but micro-scratches will raise your temperatures slightly over time.

 

Never use Furmark, unless you want to risk destroying your video cards. It's a brutal test that can cause damage that will not be covered by your warranty.

 

Thanks, MR FOX, but when I was playing games, the temperature will easily get to over 80 degree, is this normal, or do I need call dell to repaste the CPU and GPU? Because I really have no idea about any components in this M18X. Thanks aging.

 

Looks like youre going to have to get your feet wet on this one, there are a few tear down guides in both picture and video format, my previous post here lists one of them. You gotta get in there and change the thermal compound yourself, Dell will only replace it with some new toothpaste they used initially.

And dont forget to prop up the back of your rig!

The "Book" Mod

You know this raises a good question, why doesn't dell just use some really good thermal paste to begin with? I mean, the temperature between factory thermal compound and some good quality stuff is dramatic, usually between 5-10 C, and usually closer to 10 C under full load.

I am trying to understand the rationale to use sub-par paste from an economics perspective but I mean how much money is saved here, $10-15? This issue should be added to the M18x R2 "wish list". I mean seriously.

Thanks for the info Brother Blink C, will just use Shin Etsu I have on hand.

 

It actually came to light during a conference call between NBR members & Dell/Alienware that the thermal compound used is actually very good stuff. Sure, it may not have a dramatic effect as some aftermarket compounds BUT, once you go that route, you will have to repeatedly reapply those aftermarket compounds on a regular basis to maintain lower temps.

Basically, the Dell TIM is designed for longevity. If it is correctly applied, its great stuff (I dont have any issues running with high temps on anything and I am on stock Dell TIM) but if the heatsink/TIM/Die arent properly assembled at the production line, that probably accounts for some users experiencing higher than normal temps.

I guess its a case of production line error rather than the TIM being rubbish...unfortunately, Dell doesnt always get it right 100% of the time......there will always be a margin of human error and those that are victim of it should, quite rightly so, consider a repaste.

 

You know, I had considered this very possibility, that the aftermarket TIM's, although very high performing, might have a shortened lifespan as many who use them are constantly complaining of having to repaste every so often.

I am glad I revisited this thread, I have my M18x sitting on the table and I had just reviewed the tear down instructions and was ready to disassemble it when something told me to revisit this thread for additional opinions on this very matter

Thank you, you saved me a bit of time.

 

Just an update on my earlier problem with red-tint while using SLI: It was the SLI cable, as i suspected all along, and i finally got them to send me a new SLI cable. It got to me today and after replacing the cable my graphics are good as new.

tl;dr problem solved.

 

I thought that might be it. Glad to hear it was a simple fix. The symptoms you were experiencing were not what I have typically seen with a bad CrossFire or SLI bridge.

 

Just curious, as I have 580m's in sli and sometimes temps go up to 85C. So I was wondering if it was throttling at those temps. I believe I have the A05 bios version or something like that. Just got this M18x from Alienware about 2 weeks ago. Btw..the thing is a moster..love it. Sorry if this is in another thread and if it needs to be moved then so be it.

 

Have you checked here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...s-performance-problems-discussion-thread.html

Or here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...-throttle-fix-no-vbios-flashing-required.html

 

If your cards are throttling, performance will very notably decrease. You can watch what your cards are doing in-game. See this thread also... http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...mperatures-game-benchmark-screen-display.html

 

Hi, MR FOX, I just noticed when I was playing games, the cards seems to be never throttling, because core clock kept at 620 all the time even though the tem. is over 80....strange...

 

hert3163 - hello. That's great news. With the M18x you really should not experience any throttling if things are set up correctly. The M17x R3 is a different story.

Dell's current vBIOS did wonders to mitigate throttling on the M18x. During very heavy GPU power draw conditions (not necessarily temps) the cards can throttle. Benchmark programs like 3DMark11 and Vantage load the GPUs heavier than most games do. I think many users will not experience throttling while gaming with the M18x if they have the current Dell vBIOS and system BIOS A03 or newer.

For those that do encounter throttling, if you set P1 to the same speeds as P0, then there are no symptoms when the GPU power states flip-flop between P0 and P1. That is explained in this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...-throttle-fix-no-vbios-flashing-required.html.

 

Hi All,

This is my first post here so please go easy . Reading through the forum over the last couple of weeks has help me out bedding in my new M18x.

I now need some more of your help/advice concerning weird GPU fan speeds.

When in gaming mode for example playing Sins of a solar empire (low graphics use) the laptop happily gets on with business. but, after say 1 hour the main GPU fan kicks in to full speed non stop until the main GPU cools to around 32 degrees.

I have checked the temps/usage before and after the fan spike using MSI Afterburner (graph set to 30 mins) and the GPU temp is was only 52 degrees. I just can't understand why the GPU fan cycles at low/mid speeds during most of the the game with temps/usage static throughout only to then hit full speed for no good reason. I since found that I need to go back to the desktop just to get the fan to shut down.

It just seems very extreme!?!

Stats, Alienware M18X, I7 2860QM, NVIDIA 580GTX SLI, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSH HD. Every stock including drivers and bios.

 

I just got a pair of GTX 580m SLI for my M18x, is there a list of tweaks, vbios, drivers, things to check consolidated anywhere or do I just have to do things the old fashioned (hard) way?

 

Brother Scook - there is quite a bit posted in the threads already, including links for downloads. You should find everything you need in this thread (including a vBIOS flash kit with NVFLASH and ROM files). Let me know if you cannot find something you're looking for.

I'm looking forward to seeing your benchmarks, bro.

 

Not sure when I will get around to benching it. First thing I had in mind was replaying Crysis 2, this time maxed out

Played it last time with my 6970s and could not put everything max haha (or course it still looked great)

 

Welcome to our Community. We are glad you joined us. Congratulations on the awesome M18x.

Download and flash system BIOS A04 from Dell Support if you have A05. That should help your fans behave properly. A05 was intended to fix overheating and thermal shutdown issues some M18x 6990M CrossFire systems were experiencing.

 

Thanks for your reply Mr Fox.

I've tried both A04 AND A05 and I still have the problem.

1 hour on the phone to Dell tech was not much help. The best they could come up with was force the physX on to GPU 2, which has made a small improvement. Even so I still have the same issue of full left fan on low use games temp 55 degrees / usage 20%. It will only throttle down if I go back to the desktop and then wait around 3 min's until the temp reaches 34 degrees.

I was reading mhb1212 recent post and its same issue. http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m18x/643075-m18x-gpu-fan-question.htm

 

Oh boy, with all the edits I didn't even notice the WoT (Wall of Text).. sorry guys

Hey guys, I really need your help.
so I have Alienware M18x with GTX 580M SLI and I have a weird GPU fan problem.
the left GPU fan is fully working and monitor itself pretty well.
but the right one isn't working, I know it isn't defected because it is running for a few seconds on boot but after the boot it will never run again.
any sensor software won't even recognize the fan under this GPU (I have tried many).
I have tried flashing the following BIOSes:
A04
A05
A05 unlocked
and I am running the latest GPU BIOS (70.24.2B.00.06).

Something I've noticed, when I flashed the A04/A05 BIOS, all of the 3 fans started running on full speed (even if I canceled the flashing).
the left GPU fan and the CPU fan slowed down after like a minute or so while the right GPU fan kept on running on full speed.
so I know the fan itself is working.

I called Dell and all they said was "We're sending our guy to replace the fan".
the thing is, they don't have the fan in stock where I live right now so I have to wait like 2 weeks till it gets here.
and I am 100% positive it's a BIOS issue and a replacement wouldn't work (since it's working on full speed when starting a BIOS flash and working normally on boot).

P.S
Just some extra information - when I start a BIOS flash process the right GPU fan still can't be recognized by any sensor software.

If anyone ever experienced anything like this or heard of anything like this, please help me, I'm completely lost.
thanks!
Oriya.

Edit:
I forgot to add that one GPU reaches like a MAXIMUM of 64°C (usually 52-62°C) while the other one reaches 90°C (whilie playing games)..
which brings random serious FPS drops (it's really random, could be after 30 minutes of gaming or 3 hours of gaming).
the serious FPS drops usually keep on going for like 3 minutes and then I get normal FPS again.
I have also tried A03 a few hours ago, no help.
I also forgot to mention that I have made sure both connector cables (of the fans) are connected very well.

Another edit:
Ok, so I don't know which GPU is the left one and which is the right one.
but the one that has the fan available in all of the sensor softwares is GPU2, in one sensor software the GPU1 was called "the master".
which is odd, I have heard the left one is the main GPU and if it's true then it is really really odd since the left GPU's fan is running, the right one is the one that isn't running (at all, it wouldn't run at all after a startup, when you see "Starting Windows" the fan would stop and never run again).
I don't know what's going on, I don't even know what I should be looking at, I don't know what's the problem.. this one completely confused me.. left isn't working but GPU1 (which I assume is the right one) does not show its fan while its fan is working pretty well.
* when I say GPU1 and GPU2 I also mean GPU0 and GPU1 (some sensor softwares used 0/1 and some 1/2, basically first and second).
** In short: GPU1 (or GPU0 in somes sensor softwares) is the one without the recognized fan, this one reaches 90°C, the other one (GPU2) which has a recognized fan never reached anything above 64°C. that is what I don't understand since GPU1 supposed to be the left one as far as I understand and its fan is working.
*** Left & Right = my left and right when I sit in front of the monitor.

Yet another edit (sorry ):
So I've done some more reading and apparently it could be the fan.
someone said some of the wires in the fan connector cable are the ones to tell the motherboard the RPM and such. and it might be defected.
I just want a confirmation that it *could* really be the fan, I mean, can the fan run at boot or during a BIOS flash but not be recognized by the sensor and never run after a boot due to one damaged wire (or more) in the connector cable?

Last edit (I hope):
So I have installed a clean install of Windows 7, installed all of the updated the drivers and flashed the newest BIOS (again, just in case).
took both fans out, cleaned everything and made sure the connector cable is connected well.
both fans are now working and I haven't had problems with games yet.
I have noticed the GPU2's fan is turning on when I reach ~56°C and stops around 42°C.
* both GPUs are at 32-34°C when browsing and such
GPU1 is the hotter one and it reaches 70°C in no-time and caps at ~80°C (previously 90+°C) when playing intense games, its fan always worked but I don't know if it's working well or not.
I still can't see GPU1's fan in any sensor software but it is working, I just don't know the speed, by the sound of it, it isn't even near 100% when needed (while GPU2's fan now reaches 100% when needed, really rare but it would if needed).
I haven't had problems with games now, I will keep on testing.. but I just want to know what should I do with Dell's support, should I cancel the current call? and tell them what?
I don't know if it is critical enough that I can't see the sensor of GPU1 and if it is critical, what do I need to tell them to replace? the fan? the card itself? that's my last worry as the GPU2's fan finally working well (I have no idea how, it started working after I re-connected the OTHER FAN, which I simply don't understand, and yeah, I'm sure I wasn't confused between the two hehe, been long 2 days to be sure about that).
waiting for an answer on that matter (I just hope it does not need a card replacement and a fan would be enough )

True last edit - good news (I'm really sorry xD):
Ok, so I have tested with more games (Unreal3 Engine games and BF3, everything on the maximum), both fans are working, left GPU fan would run at maximum speed when needed (big relief), right GPU would run but it has to be really intense graphics, it would never cross the 58°C even with BF3 on ULTRA (which is even better than before, cleaning the dust in GPU the area helped a lot) and the average is 50°C.
the left GPU never got higher than 82°C, the average is 75°C on really intense games (it only gets to 80°C when the graphics are really really intense and last for a few minutes only).

Even though I can't see the the fan of GPU1 in the sensor softwares, it is running pretty well and the right fan is now working.
so my only question is, do I need to worry about anything? I think GPU1 at 75°C and GPU2 at 50°C with really intense games (82°C/58°C at highest) and 32-34°C when idle without a cooler under the laptop is kind of reasonable, right? (I'm also getting a cooler that will sit under the laptop in about a week or so)
should I call Dell and cancel the NDB techie call?

 

Thnx guys, im with you on the Nvidia support, plus i used it my all life, never used an AMD before.

The question is, i have a Qosmio X775-107 that never throttles or have any other problem, EXCEPT only when i play Assassin's Creed games, it throttles at 75C or during gameplay, i had the same problem with Crysis 2, but the new bios ver. helped it.
should i keep this laptop, upgrade it to GTX 675M or should i do, or just kill the trouble with a M18x with Dual GTX 675M ? or install dual GTX 580M on it ? ....... HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

 

What GPU does the X775-107 have? Does it already have dual-GPU? If Toshiba has a throttle mechanism built into the BIOS and EC it may not be possible to fix it. It may have been designed that way if the cooling system is not effective enough. Alienware did that with the M17x R3 and the GTX 580M. I don't know if the X775-107 handles GPU changes as easily as an Alienware laptop, so I would be reluctant to give advice that might turn out to be wrong. You could have some limitations with power supply even if the system will accept different GPUs. My best advice would be to buy the M18x. It's a better system overall.

 

well Mr. Fox, is a single GPU, that is a MXM PCI 2.0... the problem is that Toshiba's support got it fixed last time with vBios 1.7 ( i think its the highest in all brand laptops ) that said will kill the EC & improve the throttling, BOOOM same old story, still throttles ... lol funny that it does on the assassin creed games, use to too with Crysis 2, but i DOWNCLOCKED it with MSI afterburn from 775 core speed to 675, lol doesnt make any sense, right ? GPUs suppose to be overclocked.
is there any way to re-encrypt the EC system in this ? might be a saver deal, or any ?
the thing is that this laptop is great with dealing with heat-cooling system in it, the fan is big enough to kill the heat to chill it out, thats why im trying to save it, i once read that some guy could actually read Bios systems that sneak through the EC & other stuff, dunno if the Qosmio have electricity problem or bios that lead it to throttle. Or any other system actually! right ?
other idea is that im thinking on getting a GTX 675M instead of the original GTX 560M here, dunno if it works ?
here is my system in pics here!

 

Team - the opening post of this thread has been updated with the following information:

 

Unfortunately, I don't have any useful information specific to your Toshiba laptop. The Alienware M17x-R3 has a throttling issue with the single GTX 580M GPU and that was built into the BIOS/EC. So far, none of the professional BIOS hackers have been able to isolate and modify that portion of the BIOS/EC to remove the throttling mechanism that was put in place by Dell/Alienware.

I asked what GPU you had because you are posting in a thread that is specifically for AMD video cards in the M18x. There is a thread exactly like this one for NVIDIA cards in the M18x... http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...s-performance-problems-discussion-thread.html

Have you Google searched NBR for discussion specific to your model? Using the following search syntax: site:forum.notebookreview.com/toshiba Qosmio X775-107 throttling I found this post LINK and this post LINK with discussion about throttling problems. Both posts are in the same thread.

I think you will find the key may reside in cooling. Cooling is the root cause of the throttling intentionally implemented in the design of the M17x-R3 with the GTX 580M. Toshiba may have put that in place due to deficiencies in the engineering of the X775-107. Your GPU vBIOS may also contain code that triggers throttling based on power or temperature. If you can post your vBIOS ROM or BIN in a zip file, I can use NiBiTor or Svet's vBIOS tuner to see if any of that code is visible in the vBIOS.

 

here it is. Bios
Btw, how much serious is the CPU throttling ? i heard about it in the Alienware M17x R2/3 i guess ?

 

Here's a thread on the M17x-R3 throttling problem: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...x-580m-78c-throttling-see-post-191-later.html. It's serious enough to ruin the ownership experience if steps are not taken to correct it.

I will have a look at your vBIOS and let you know what I could see, if anything.

Edit: I don't see a vBIOS available for download using that link, only a system BIOS. I cannot do anything with that. You can extract your vBIOS using GPU-Z or NVFLASH.

 

Sorry, here it is in here.

Btw, as u can see, im '' downclocking '' it from original 775 to 675 ... what a disappointing thing.

 

That is disappointing to have to do that. Bummer.

So, that link is to a screen shot and not the actual vBIOS ROM/BIN file. If you click on the little icon to the right of the vBIOS info, you can save the file to your desktop.

I will check back this evening to see if you posted the file.

 

it says : BIOS reading is not supported on this device.
lol ?

 

OK, that's a new one on me. Maybe Toshiba did something to prevent that from happening somehow. (Proprietary stuff stinks, doesn't it?)

Try using NVFLASH instead of GPU-Z to extract the vBIOS.

Download NVFlash 5.118 for Windows | techPowerUp

Note: This version of NVFLASH only works within Windows using an Administrator CMD window. It will not work in DOS mode.

1. Download NVFLASH and extract it to a C:\NVFLASH folder. You should have nvflash.exe, nvflash32.sys and nvflash64.sys in this folder.
   
2. Open command prompt (Run > cmd) with admin rights
   
3. In the command prompt direct yourself to the C:\NVFLASH folder (cd.. cd.. then cd nvflash (cd c:\; cd nvflash) When you do a dir command you should see all your files there ready to go.
   
4. To extract the vBIOS using NVFLASH, from a cmd prompt type nvflash -b backup.rom to save a copy of the vBIOS named "backup.rom" and it would be in the %\NVFLASH folder after the backup is created. (If you have SLI, you will be prompted to select one of the display adapters. Simply select 0 (zero) for the first GPU, or 1 (one) for the second GPU.)

If you get the same message using NVFLASH, then I don't know what to suggest at this point.

 

LOL, why the crap isnt it showing ? see for yourself ! here

 

Looks like Toshiba really locked that thing down, my friend. That's very unfortunate. I'm not sure what advice I can offer at this point to try to help. This would make me wonder if you can even change out the GPU to put in something less proprietary... I am guessing probably not.

 

lol, oh well thnx for your help indeed
i guess M18x R1/2 will be my only getaway to, lol my only savior !
dont you think ?

Btw, have you heard of the new M18x with liquid cooling system ?
what do you think of it ?
which have a higher hand ... liquid or air cooling system ?

 

As far as I know, that Asetek liquid cooled M18x is only a prototype. I'd love to have that, but I have no idea if it will ever become available to end users.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/652499-alienware-liquid-cooled-laptop-asetek.html

Your Qosmio is a really nice laptop, but if you are into serious gaming or hardcore benching I would recommend the Alienware M18x, followed by the Clevo P270WM. Even the M17x R4 with the new 7970M GPU is going to be a real beast of sorts. I wish they would bring back the anodized aluminum chassis on the M17x line. It would be dynamite as a single-GPU system if they would.