M18x r2 wont boot with drivers

Hello everyone I have an issue with my laptop and I can't really figure it out.

Its an m18x r2 with dual 7970m video cards and i7-3740qm and 24 gb or ram running win7 64

For some reason it green screened on my wife and wouldn't boot. It got to the Windows logo screen and it just sits for as long as you'll let it.

So I boot into safe mode transfer all my files to my external backup and think. Green screen that's a video card thing so I uninstall the drivers. Boom boots up. Install video card drivers won't boot. Boot with last known configuration boots fine.

I've tried letting Windows detect drivers, Dell recomended drivers, the drivers I installed when I last formatted the pc. Even tried ati latest drivers.

On top of this the screen now has vertical lines viwable showing. So is one of my cards bad? Driver issue? Or should I do a fresh format and install and hope for the best?

I appologize for the length just wanted to give as much info as I could. And I appreciate any info, below in a picture of the screen I took with my phone.

 

It does sound like a GPU issue from what you are discribing.
First thing i would do is switch to the Intel HD 4000 intergrated graphics (IGPU) and see if you still get the same issue. If not then it will be a GPU problem
Next you want to try each 7970m on its own incase one is bad or both might be bad. If this is the case then you might want to replace the bad one or save up and upgrade to a better gpu if possible, I have a 980m in mine and works perfectly.

 

Is there any way I can disable 7970s in the bios and switch over to just the integrated graphics? Or do I manually have to remove them. I'd have to order in some new thermal pads and paste as I haven't done this sort of thing in a few years and I'm sure my old thermal compound is dried out (although I do have some tubes new in packages but unsure if they expire?) But for sure I don't have any thermal pads. So if love to try disabling them in the bios if possible or even in windows if there is a way to force use integrated graphics.

I have no issue upgrading, I've done desktop mods and custom water cooling rigs but never upgraded laptop gpus only ram and hdds are laptop Sli and crossfire setups 2 separate gpu chips or are they two gpus on a Single chip like the ati 3870x2 and 4870x2 (which I'm sure are acient news now a days)

 

It would be FN + F7 to enable the IGPU which tells you to restart, but i think you can also do it in BIOS (can't check at the moment sadly)
Thermal paste I don't think it expires, mine has no end date on it when i bought it so i would guess aslong as it comes out properly it should be fine.

 

If you have an unlocked BIOS you can switch the option to IGFX. That will disable the PCIe graphics and force it to use Intel HD Graphics only.

Only use the BIOS options for IGFX and PEG. If you see other options, avoid selecting them as they can brick the motherboard.

 

Yup boot up fine on integrated graphics thanks for the fn f7 tip!

It must be a graphics card. Works fine on that. Suppress one graphics card in the device manager and installed Windows suggested driver. Worked restarted fine. Attempted to update with ati drivers and boom won't boot.

So they even make new 980m card I'm assuming it's all used stuff. Can I upgrade to anything newer or is it pointless since my cpu isn't the best and this is an 8 year old laptop?

 

I do not have the unlocked bios I might try that later I have the newest from the dell website.

 

Don't bother with Dells website, you want the A11 Unlocked Bios made by swick1981 & svl7 dno if I can post the link or not if not please let me know and i will remove it.
https://www.techinferno.com/index.php?/files/file/93-a11-unlocked-bios-m18xr2-by-swick1981-svl7/

Best you can get is the 980m single or SLI and the cards are easy to get on Ebay for a decent price now. Just be sure they are not G-sync version (Learned the hard way) Should be a guide on here about the 980m about getting it up and running.

 

In a dual GPU set up (laptop) most of the time it's the master GPU going bad, as it's used the most of the time, which means the secondary should still be fully functional. You could swap it to the master slot and use it for the time being.

You should try both cards separately in the master slot!

Btw, the r2 can go up to 1070 on optimus, which makes it still powerful for most of today's tasks, combined with a 37xx qm or greater.

 

100% on this. It would be rare that both GPUs died at the same time. The slave is probably fine. You can run just one GPU, or buy a used replacement for the bad GPU on eBay for a small fraction of the cost of replacing both with newer/better video cards.

If you want to upgrade, you can. But, probably not a wise use of the money considering the cost versus the value of the machine.

 

I'm good with this option I'm going to try and find a schematic somewhere that shows me which side is master and which is slave. This confirms my thoughts that there are two individual cards.

Is it ok to just leave one card out? Also can I reuse thermal pads or should I get some new ones. If so what thickness?

 

Yes, using one GPU is fine. The master GPU is the one on the side without the eSATA port, to the left of the CPU with the front of the laptop facing you (with the chassis in the same position as if you were using it). You cannot use one GPU in the slave slot, it has to be moved to the master slot to work.

The M18xR2 was primarily sold as dual GPU configuration and that would be the common configuration, but it is possible that has already changed at some point. If you have two video cards you should see them both in the BIOS. And, Device Manager and GPU-Z would show them both. Of course, that is assuming you can light up the screen and read the menus in the BIOS or load Windows. And, it also assumes that a dead GPU isn't so dead that it is no longer visible to the BIOS or Windows.

If you have not replaced the thermal pads they are probably dried out and crumbling by now. They are generally good for 2 or 3 years.

Info on thermal pads is available here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...ness-placing-on-m18x-r2.787998/#post-10197204 and should be the same for AMD GPUs.

 

replace with 980Ms and enjoy more than double the performance. I have replacements cards for sale

 

Out of curiosity what's one or two go for? Location?

 

Thanks Mr fox. I'll give the one card a try when i get some new thermal pads in. I'm running another laptop right now so this isnt a huge priority but I would like to get this back to running soon as I miss it. Both cars do show up in bios, and device manager. Found a test tool in the bios says I have a memory error in one of the gpus (did not specify which one)
So for sure one of them is screwed, maybe overheated or just died.

 

A pair with the correct heat sinks and SLI cable, brackets for 525 shipped in the USA

You must flash my BIOS before installing the cards or else your system will not work.


http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/release-improved-m18x-r2-maxwell-legacy-bios.800447/

 

Can you run firestrike with SLI and SLI off so I can see where they perform in the M18xR2?

 

My M18X-R2 has one 980m so I can run firestrike with a single card ( won't be till tomorrow probably)

Also a little of topic but @Raidriar and @Mr. Fox wonder if either of you the answer to this because I can't find it. My 980m is running Prima Bios (came from Ebay with it on) for SLI do both cards need the Prema Bios on them or just the master ?
I'v tried many times messasing Prema about the Vbios but never get a reply so if I do need the Vbios on both cards I have no way of getting it in the first place

 

For SLI, ideally you want the vBIOS on both cards to match. SLI should still work if they do not, but they will perform differently and the weaker performing GPU will drag down the better performing GPU. Just use NVFLASH to backup your stock vBIOS on the second card. Backup the @Prema vBIOS on the existing card, then flash it to the second GPU with NVFLASH. Put a copy of both vBIOS in a safe place off of your computer so they never get accidentally deleted.

 

I can do 3dmark11, not a fan of fire strike and I don’t have it installed. Will run a bench when I get home from work. Here is an old bench with my IVB equipped M18x R2, running on the undervolt we 1.0V bios Prema made for me a long time ago:

https://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/12739553

 

I backed up the Vbios (just need to find another 980m that isn't G-sync

Seen a few on Ebay still for sale but no idea what model they are or if they even come with the X bracket or not -.-

 

You did not upload the Prema vBIOS to techpowerup, did you? If so, you should delete it and put it on your Google Driver or OneDrive without shared access to it.

 

No no don't even know how to do that, just wanted to link techpowerup since that is the details it has to my Vbios version (there site lists prema bios to)
My Vbios is on a USB drive now so when i get a second card.

 

13D7 is the one without GSync, that would be the one for you to go for.

 

Hey guys sorry for the lateness got caught up with work. I'm about to order new thermal pads but can only find 0.5mm 1mm and 2mm from my usual spot. Can I stack a 1mm and 2mm piece to get 3mm?

Also out of curiosity when it says adjust to get the right distance does this mean squishing harder or like using a Razer blade and skimming the surface? Thanks again! Hope to have my laptop back soon it's felt like forever!

 

Anyone know about adding 1mm and 2mm tape together? Or should I try and find 3mm tape elsewhere? Preferable north America

 

You can just stack em, so you get the right distance. Most important is contact of the core and the RAM chips to the heatsink, so there is no gap. And after that look at the parts on the top of the card, the VRMs.

You can squeeze the pads a bit, just look that there isn't a gap anywhere. It's merely a bit like trial and error.

I wouldn't work with a razor blade, as you won't get the surface even enough