9800m GT going out already?

Hey everyone, as a few of yall know I own a lovely Alienware Area 51 m15x.

My problem has arisen just recently. After a random amount of time the screen looks like it goes into 256 colors. (Gives purple shades and dots on all the bright parts of the background, which I know is not 256 but just an example.) The computer freezes up and shuts down automatically. I restart it and all is fine for a little while. Then the process starts over... I would think it’s my 9800m gt. As it doesn’t do this on integrated mode... Also temps are fine they never go over 88C. In fact when it freezes it’s not even that hot... (One time it was 76C and another 65C)

To fix do I bake it? Didn’t think it would come to this so soon...

Solid, helpful advice is appreciated. Thanks.

 

I'm not going to be able to help you, but did notice something.

You say so soon... Isn't the 9800m GT almost 4 years old now?

I'm happy for you that it has lasted that long. Laptop cards tend to bite the dust after a few years.

 

Well this card was replaced by the previous owner back in Jan 2010. So thats why I was wondering...

 

If you can afford it swapping in a 3870m would probably be the option I would try.

 

Yeah, I thought about that I just dont have the $$ to get a new card. I mean a used 9800m GT is $180 and a used 3870m is $285. Thats a huge price difference and the 3870m isnt that great performance wise. (or at least its not as good as the 9800m gt.)

Do I need to bake it? If so, how do I do that? Or is there other ways to fix the card?

 

If you search ebay for "alienware 3870" there are several master cards for ~$150 w/ free shipping.

 

The 3850 can even sometimes be found for $80.

Contact this guy:
eBay Australia: Buy new & used fashion, electronics & home d?r

He may have more in stock soon.

Also for under $150 I bet you could get a 4870m, contact table21 (forum member) and see if he has any in stock.

 

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I would LOVE to have a 4870m in my alien but I read somewhere on here that it didnt work... If there is someone here that has one that is working I will gladly grab one.

 

I personally tested one of Table's 4870's in a m15x-R1 and it will NOT put any video on the screen. Most likely a BIOS issue.

 

Ok yeah, thats what I thought. Do you know if there is a bios update that will work?

 

Hey definitely try baking your card. I had similar issues with my m15x with 9800gt and baking solved any issues I had

 

Baked it 3 weeks ago. Accidentally let the temp get about 410F! (Old manual oven) but working well so far. Hope it lasts...

 

Ugg baked it again this past weekend as it went out on me during vaca.... Really thinking about getting a newer 9800m gt. MAYBE a 3870m but I really dont want to sacrifice that much power... as it looks (on paper) that its a lot slower than the 9800m gt... Any thoughts or suggestions on what I should do?

 

Try to find a red pcb HD4850 / HD4870 like I did. Read my thread about the HD4850 in my m5750 which is a cpl years older than your laptop.

The green pcb 4850 from the M17 did not work in my laptop but the red one I got on ebay did. Very possible it's an engineering sample but it works amazing!

 

Hahaha your talking to a guy who has no idea what the difference between red and green pcb is. lol I guess you mean the color of the board? ha sorry!

Hmm, you have 2 cards mentioned, the 4850 and the 4870. I know the 4870 is better, but you have not tried that, correct? Also you think the 4860 would work? Its in the same line up. Will I need a different power supply? I have the 130W OEM.

Also I would like to have my HDMI working when/if I drop in a 4850-70, will that work? Thanks!

 

I have no clue for most of your questions as I don't own a m15x. All you can do is buy and try like I did. The 4870 is of course better than the 4850. As far as I know there is no MXM 4860 that exists. Also I am pretty sure your OEM power supply is 150W which would handle the card fine. Check the amps and volts.

If you are technically inclined then get some cards and experiment, if most of this stuff is over your head (and I mean that in the nicest way) then perhaps it's best you just replace it with a card that you know works. I wouldn't want you to damage your laptop or the card in the process.

 

Ok well first, you say the green PCB didnt work but the red one did. Is there a physical difference that I will be able to recognize if I where to buy one? (I noticed the card you have in your pics is red... I thought thats what you ment by "red" pcb...) If thats not what you ment then obviously I need some help!

Also my power adapter is a 120W. Here is a link to what mine is. : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0044W7GDE...e=asn&creative=395129&creativeASIN=B0044W7GDE

haha well I enjoy tinkering with this kinda stuff. Just sorta new to this field. If I get a "red pcb" card then it looks like I would need a larger power supply. Any of them from this website look like they would suffice?

m9700: Alienware Aurora m9700- Hiport 150W AC Power Adapter- 0226A19150- Adapters- Alienware Laptop- Notebook Parts- Splus Direct

Area 51 M17x: Alienware Area-51 M17x- Laptop 240V Delta AC Power Adapter- SADP-230AB D- Adapters- Dell Laptop- Notebook Parts- Splus direct

M9750: Alienware Area-51 M9750 9750 Laptop Power Adapter - 0415B19180

they have the wattage but do these have the correct amp output?
Thanks again!

 

I can't see the link at the moment but is it an original OEM Alienware adapter? If so I was pretty sure they were 150W. If its a 3rd party adapter get rid of it and find an original OEM adapter on Ebay for your laptop.

When I say red or green I am referring to the color of the card. I can not promise that all "red" cards will work. The one I found just happened to have a VBIOS that was compatible with my laptop. Not sure if all red ones will or if I just got lucky. Keep in mind these cards are also VERY hard to track down. I usually searched ebay once a day until a card was listed.

 

Yes, the Amazon link is just like the one I have. They guy I bought it from said it was original. Ok I see, well what VBIOS was compatible? Yeah, Ill be keeping a lookout for one.

 

Then perhaps it is a 120W, not sure I don't personally own a m15x.

As far as the bios, I don't remember the exact version but its in my other thread I mentioned before. Look at the GPUZ screen.

Another option for you... these guys got a GTX280 in your laptop. Alienware m15x upgrade guide

 

Ok so if it is the 120W then I will probably need a larger one right?

About the GTX 280, the only think holding me back from that is the HDMI out doesnt work... I need that...

I will be keeping an eye out for a red HD4850. The hdmi out will work with that right?
Thanks for your help and congrats on getting a 4850 in your lappy!

 

There are plenty of companies out there offering a professional GPU reballing service fairly cheaply and providing a 6 month warranty. This is the true solution to your problem. If you buy another 9800m or any other affected model it will fail again.
My two cents would be to find one of these companies and get the card repaired properly.

 

Honestly I can't promise the HDMI will work. Its all trial and error. If you have the $$ go for it and try it out. If you do get the card, you will have to meter your power adapter to see if its maxing out like mine was. If so you will most likely have to find another adapter with the EXACT same voltage / polarity and splice. That is something that some people may not want to do.

 

So I found a card. I dont know if its the right one though. It says its a MXM 1.3. Will that work? I think I have a 2.0. Is it backwards compatible or not?
Here is the link: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4850M (M98) GDDR3 1Gb MXM 1.3 Type III

 

That site literally stole the pic from the ebay seller! Look at the pictures in my thread. Its the same card down to the yellow arrow sticker and some silver markings on the card's bottom gold connector. I wonder if the ebay seller I brought from runs the site or they just used his pictures. Also FYI I only paid $100 for my card so that site is asking 3 times as much, YIKES!

 

Whoa weird. I also was looking around for a Phenom x4 9950 and they had one. BUT it was the same pic as one I have seen on ebay. (down to the same background, markings on cpu everything...) but again, it was twice as much as the ebay sellers price. Im thinking they might be one and the same. Maybe they can lower there price...

 

Yea the site screams "SCAM"

 

In the end it comes down to whether or not you want the laptop (and video card) to actually work reliably for any length of time. I've been going through this process, reading reviews and user experiences, and watching tutorials on swapping video cards in the m15x, since I picked up a second hand one a year ago. The 8xxx/9xxx series of GeForce mobile cards run too hot and don't have the lifespan to make me comfortable. The gtx 2xx cards are still Fermi-based and g92 architecture (in the performance cards) so they're going to follow suit, and even then you have to do a fair bit of tinkering and finger-crossing to get them to work. I'm ordering an ATI 3870 and calling it a day on my own 8800gtx, because after sending it off twice now for professional baking, it just isn't going to cut it and I'd rather take a little performance hit and know that the machine won't fail anymore than keep messing around trying to get the laptop to do stuff it just isn't going to do.

What I learned from my first Alienware purchase years ago (a 5620DS model) is that yes they're machines, but if you're buying one to be your main gaming rig you're tossing money in the toilet. Using it for occasional gaming as well as whatever else you need to do on a laptop will bring you tons of joy in use, but constantly pushing it as you might a desktop will more often than not give you heartache.

Just so you know, when stuff blows out on these machines it's not always quiet. My 5620DS blew a series of circuits near the power jack on the board years ago, when wow was first out, and flames actually shot out of the side of it, which was a very traumatic experience for me at midnight on a friday night. In the long run it worked out as I upgraded the board to the DS from the original D which gave me a better video card and enabled hyperthreading, but cost about $600 back then to have Alienware do. I went through this 2 more times over the 5 years or so I used that laptop as my main rig.

I suppose what I'm trying to communicate here is the perspective I learned through the last 10 years of using Alienware laptops, and that's what I stated above. Smarter choices, rather than aggressive ones, will pay off in the long run as you get more life out of your machine.

 

Well first off I get what your saying but to sorta justify my doing this, its my secondary machine. I only use it on the weekends and during vacations. (not alot of those!) 70% of the time I use it its on the integrated intel graphics as well.
I enjoy tinkering with hardware and trying to get the most out of machines. (at the cost of hardware life.) But like I said, I dont game on it that much but when I do I like to have high performance for a decent price.
I have to have the HDMI out and if I find out that it doesn't work on the 4850m then I will just go back to the 9800m gt. (Would put a GTX280M in but the HDMI doesnt work and that card IS a little hot for my liking.)
As for power issues, I have a wide range of options for PS and I dont think the 4850m will draw that much (if any) more than my 9800m gt.

I know this one is a "green" pcb but does it have the same video bios? (seller says its stamped on the bottom of the card as shown in pics...)

ATI HD 4850m MXM 2.1 Video Card - RARE | eBay

 

I posted a GPU-Z pic of the VBIOS mine came with. Your gamble

 

yeah, just was wondering if you could tell by the picture... Still debating...

 

My bios version is 011.020.000.008.000000. I see nothing like that on the card. If the seller can install it and run GPU-Z that would be your best bet.

 

I would but I realized that its a 512mb version... (or at least thats whats advertised...) So not going to bother. Still on the lookout for a red one!

 

Hey guys, new here, first post, woop woop, just wondering proticakid if there is/was a difference between the two cards you tried apart from the color and one working and one not. Was the vbios different or anything else?

 

Yes the VBIOS of both cards was different. In my pics it shows the VBIOS version of the working card. I forget what the VBIOS version was of the non-working green card.

 

You wouldn't happen to have a copy of the vbios would you. You see I've aquired a green version of the 4850m from a guy who took over my local IT shop and didnt have a clue what it was (got it dirt cheap) but no video. So I thought I'd try a blind flash.

 

Sorry it took so long. Below is the link. Use it at your own risk.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/11672987/Forum/4850m bios/4850m red card bios.zip