No POST (5 and 8 beeps) after GPU change (2x 7970m)

Hi guys!

I've opened up my m18x R1 to add 2 7970m cards in it.

Unfortunately, I looks like something went wrong :

- When I start the computer, there is nothing on the screen (no POST) and I get 8 beeps.
- I did what Dell recommends doing = reset CMOS by inplugging the CMOS battery for 30 seconds => no change
- I did the FN power boot => gives me 5 beeps

So my question is : can this be related to the change of GPU? at no point do I get 4 beeps which according to the Dell beep table is the signal for a video card problem...

My primary card is a Clevo 7970m with big capacitators (might cause a slight temperature problem because of contact not being perfect on the 2nd row of capacitators but, AFAIK, that would not prevent the laptop from booting...) While the second is Dell I believe.

What do you guys think?

thank you

 

Pull out both and make sure it will still boot properly using Intel IGFX. If so, then try one GPU at a time in the primary slot and leave the secondary slot empty to see what happens. It might be one of them has a problem causing failure to POST. If one will boot and the other one will not, the one that will not obviously has a problem.

 

will try, just wondering if the 5 beeps is there specifically to tell you a video card is failing... so you don't have to repaste 10 times...

 

No need to repaste. Leave the heat sinks on both GPUs for testing. Take out the secondary GPU. See if it boots. Shut it down, take out the primary, put the secondary in the primary slot. Let the heat sink radiator rest on the chassis above the left side HDMI port. It will seat well enough for testing. See if it will boot. You don't want to run the system that way for a long time or do any kind of gaming or benching like that because there is no air being pushed through the radiator by the left GPU fan, but that is how I was flashing 980M SLI before we had a UEFI version of NVFLASH. It won't be a problem as far temps are concerned for simple testing purposes.

If it does not boot with either GPU solo in the primary PCIe slot, leave them both out and make sure it will boot on the Intel IGFX only. If it does not, you have a different problem and won't be able to verify the functionality of the GPUs until you get that resolved first.

For testing purposes, just take out the two screws on the palm rest for the power button switch. Remove the switch and plug it into the motherboard. Use a USB keyboard and mouse. Do all your testing this way and you don't have to repaste multiple times or take the machine apart multiple times.

Also, leave the two silver screws under the HDD caddy that attach the palm rest out. I don't ever install those. This will allow you to leave the HDD caddy and SATA ribbon cable in place and not have to worry about the fragile clip that attaches the ribbon cable to the motherboard. I have been running the M18xR1 and R2 without these two screws for several years now and they don't add any value to the fit of the palm rest or anything like that. The fit and feel is exactly the same on both of my machines without those screws and removing the palm rest is much less of a hassle. Nobody will know they are not there except for you.

 

Thanks brother!
Anyway, I went for the repaste just in case. Results:
- primary card didn't work
- switched the 2nd card in the primary slot + primary heatsink and the laptop boots allright
- added the second card (which failed as primary) in secondary slot without crossfire = not detected by system
- added the crossfire cable between both cards = 2nd card not detected again.

as I said before, this is a Clevo card, I need to check if it's 1.0, 1.1 or 1.2...

Anyway to check if it's dead or not?

Is the solution to get it working by using the Blind Flash method, as it is not detected by the system?

Thanks

 

If you can see both GPUs in the BIOS, a normal flash from DOS may work just fine. If you cannot see it in the BIOS, a blind flash probably will not work. A vBIOS chip flash out of the system might work, but I am not an expert or reliable information resource on AMD GPUs any more. I used to be, but I've been away from them for too long and haven't really paid much attention to the brand for a long time.

 

Ok, so there might be a chance it IS detected by the bios and not the system behind it?

 

Yes, go into the BIOS and look on the main screen where CPU, RAM, drives and GPUs are listed. You should be able to see both of them there and no Intel IGFX listed (unless you switch to IGFX, then the GPUs will be gone/invisible). If you can see both of your video cards there, you can most likely flash in DOS with no problem. If not, you will likely need to have the GPU vBIOS chip manually flashed with a programming tool.

 

It doesn't appear...
Tried sending SLV7 a mp here but no reply...
I don't have enought posts yet @Tech inferno.

 

He won't reply here, and he hasn't been online at T|I much either. He is busy with other things in life now... higher priority things, like earning a living, and this stuff was a hobby for him.

 

Ok I can understand that, who else knows how to fix the cards like SVL7? thank you

 

Maybe reach out to Khenglish @ T|I. I know he can pull the vBIOS chip, reprogam it and put it back. He lives in the Northeastern US.

This is definitely on my list of things to learn. I have to get the tools first.

 

4 beeps is a RAM issue.

 

i meant 5 I think

 

Difficult to tell anyway; remove cpu and it might just as well beep ' RAM faulty' (since cpu -> ram control report is awry).

Programming is the easy part, soldering is trickier. Think you can do that yourself? Otherwise take it to electronics repair shop and have them desolder it. Next thing's a shopping list:

• $1.50 new EEPROM (optional; just in case chip itself is defective). Need good eyesight or magnifying glass to pen down the markings on the IC.
• $6.30 SOP8 to DIP8 adapter (optional; might be included with programmer).
• $6.00 EEPROM programmer (needs to support specific IC model).
• $0.00 Dell vBIOS to write to chip, safest is to use same as the other 7970M.

Insert new EEPROM in DIP8 adapter, adapter in programmer, attach to USB port and write vBIOS. That's all. Resolder chip or take back to electronic shop and have them to that. Funny thing is that total cost is less than a preprogrammed vbios (~$25), which you'd still have to resolder to the board. Plus, you have some new tools.

Still no guarantee that it'll work; card itself might be defective. Would be reassuring to run it on a Clevo first ... actually, you could flash the vbios from the Clevo too; it'd save a lot of hassle.

 

might as well get the 7970m chip itself on ebay right?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DELL-Alienw...-Replacement-VBIOS-V-Bios-Chip-/181737252295?

 

Sure, though:

• it's $34, instead of ~$15
• still no guarantee it'll work
• still have to de- and resolder the chip
  
• still don't have tools, so no diy flashing in future either
• can only try one vBIOS

Mind that the regular bios is an EEPROM as well; with those tools you can recover bricked laptops as well as gpus. Main benefit is comfort; no more worries about a potential ' flash failed'. Easiest soldering is a heat gun, mine died recently though (very cheap model ... ). Think next time I'll just solder 8 wires+plugs straight to the chip and attach those to the programmer's pins.