M18xR2 - GPU Upgrade?

Someone told me I could simply purchase a 1060 /1070/ 1080 card and install it on my Ivy Bridge and everything should be ok...is this true?
Both my 680's are dead in the water and want to continue using this awesome laptop. Is there any advice as to what I could do with my M18xR2 to bringing it up to par? Is there life after death?

 

you can flash my improved BIOS and install 2 x 980M.

 

1060 require grinding the heatsink and require you to go to the BIOS (using @Raidriar BIOS) and turning video mode to SG. This will enable nVidia Optmius and you'll be limited to one card.

980M SLI works with the BIOS as well but there have been known issues with throttling.

Price wise 980M SLI can be had for $328 per card on eBay.

1060 can be found for $499 sometimes less depending on the listing.

There's also this new 1070 that has been listed:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Nvidia...h=item2cdd7c974f:g:VgYAAOSwNo9b0ulz:rk:1:pf:0

This card will fit right inside in place of your 680M card and also requires Optmius mode. This is probably the best route to go.

 

The GTX 1070 as you mentioned that would fit perfectly, can I go SLi or just one card? If I can only use one card, a new question came to mind, what do i do with the dead secondary 680 GPU? I can't just leave on the board, can I remove it and wouldn't that leave an open hole removing the heat sink

 

All newer cards (10-series+) require Optimus so you are limited to one card. The second 680m you just remove. So you'd be using one card in slot 1 and slot 2 will be empty.

 

What is Optimus mode? Is this something I have to install prior to changing out new hardware 1070 (GPU) for the card to work correctly on older Ivy bridge?

 

Because the Alienware 18 never shipped with a 120hz panel, it only supports LVDS screens. Pascal cards output eDP signals, which are entirely incompatible. But, with optimus, the iGPU can translate the eDP to LVDS
It is incompatible with SLI however
It is an option in the unlocked BIOS, or there should be a FN+F7 I/D GFX button that you could press to enable it
Your options are 980M SLI (300-250 per card) 1060 ($400-500) and a 1070 (500-600)
As well, you could opt for other cards, but they aren't really worth it.

 

Concluding, I will go the route with the GTX 1070, is there variables on the 1070 purchases like 1070m, 1070mxm or other prefixes at the end?
On a final note, I thought about upgrading my memory, what is the maximum MHz I can go with. I think I am currently at 1333 MHz or maybe 1600 MHz, could I push to 2133 MHz at 32 gigs?

Thanks all for your support on bringing back this laptop to life

 

1070 is the best option, as long as its standard size MXM module.
RAM Speed makes little to no difference, and 2133mhz DDR3 is very expensive atm. it should work though

 

Thanks again your support. Just to go over once more since this will be an investment to upgrade, I can install the GTX 1070 MXM without any modding besides installing the GPU driver?
Step would be to install card, paste gpu and heat sink, power up computer once everything is hooked up, and press and hold down FN key to cycle boot up, then install GPU driver?
Please confirm.
Thank you.

 

My laptop display is 18.4 inch (467.36 mm) WLED Wide FHD (1080p) display (1920 X 1 080)
38TR2
1
Module, Liquid Crystal Display, 18.4FHD, White Light Emitted Diode, M18XR2
HGT3J
1
LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY, 18.4FHD, WLED, TLF, SAMSUNG

Will the 1070 mxm be compatible with my display

 

No, like I said, you would need a eDP display to run a 1000 series card. But Optimus allows you to convert eDP to LVDS

 

Am sorry if I don't understand on the display, am not actually a wizard when it comes to this talk. Would this be an external monitor to run the 1000 series card or gutting out my monitor to replacing a new screen or to order this through Dell?

 

Sorry, let me rephrase what I meant to say, your screen will be able to work with 1000 series cards, but you have to use optimus, not native display output

 

You will have to flash unlocked bios to enable SG mode (optimus). Currently your laptop is running in PEG mode.

To install drivers you will need to modify inf file in drivers.

Might need some dremelling on heatsink too. Look for "Succesfully upgraded mxm laptops" thread here. There are few threads with upgraded m18 laptops. In alteast one of those thread it is explained step by step what to do.

 

Do not see the link as to your mentioning on "Succesfully upgraded mxm laptops". Can you please help direct me to this link

Thank you

 

Check this one for example: http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/success-alienware-18-gtx-1060.818239/

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/successful-mxm-gpu-upgraded-laptops.805136/

 

He’s running a M18xR2 not the AW18.

OP:

1) You need to first install @Raidriar unlocked BIOS. There is a thread about it somewhere here.

2) After installing you should switch to iGPU only mode (FN+F7 until only iGPU is visible or go to BIOS and look for the video configuration and change to iGPU).

3) Remove the 680M SLI and install the new GPU.

4) Go into the BIOS and go to video configuration and change the video mode to SG now.

5) In windows you will now need to modify the driver to install the new card.

 

Flashing my BIOS will default to iGPU upon flashing, so that it makes it easy to install a new GPU.

 

You mentioned to go to @Raidriar unlocked BIOS, I seem am having problems locating this, can someone provide me please with the link?

Again, thank you all for your support!

 

Enjoy

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

 

OK, I thought I was in the right place and followed the RAR extraction, but found there is 2 files missing from the image showing what is to be on the USB. What is missing from the extraction is files READMEFIRST and r2final.bin.
When I boot into DOS and prompt, FLASH.BAT, I get a bad command, can you please tell as to why there is 2 files missing from the RAR file.

Thanks a bunch

 

Just to clarify, I have these files in a folder on a USB, or do I need to have files ONLY showing and NOT in a folder?
Files I have extracted are as follows:
flash
fparts
fpt
M18R2.hdr
M18xR2.bin
prr2

 

Put all of those files on the ROOT of the usb device (no folders).

 

It worked!
Thank you for your support. That was the problem having those files in a folder is the reason the command prompt couldn't boot into FLASH.BAT.
Upon restarting and going into BIOS, I discovered it pushed me into iGFX ( Intel HD 4K), Went onto my desktop and pressed FN+F6, and now into my GTX 680.
It would appear I am ready to acquire a GTX 1070 in hopes there won't be any issues.
Just to go over again, install 1070 card, paste, boot up, go into BIOS, change setting to Optimus?, restart, install GPU driver, but with a modded .ini file? How do I go about this?
Or do I go to my desktop and press FN+F7 to change to Optimus?

 

Hmmm, screen froze and had to hard boot. Event Viewer is showing error and repeating.

The description for Event ID 14 from source nvlddmkm cannot be found. Either the component that raises this event is not installed on your local computer or the installation is corrupted. You can install or repair the component on the local computer.

If the event originated on another computer, the display information had to be saved with the event.

The following information was included with the event:

\Device\Video7
ffffffff(ffffffff) ffffffff ffffffff

the message resource is present but the message is not found in the string/message table.

After unlocking BIOS, was there something I had to do on my desktop?

 

Can't stress this enough but MAKE SURE you go back to iGPU only BEFORE you begin disassembling the laptop. Then once you're in iGPU mode, shut down, begin tear down.

I recommend always doing a "restore defaults" option after flashing then manually changing settings back to what they should be.

 

Understood, FN+F7 to put the laptop off the GPU into (iGPU) Intel HD 4000, then tear down