Alienware area51 M15x Video Card Upgrade Question

What video card slot does the Alienware area51 M15x have? Is the GTX 285M compatible with it?

Thanks.

 

We (Ive got a Area 51 M17x) have the MXM type 2.1 card. The 285 as far as I know is not being offered in the MXM Type 2.1 card, and if it did I dont think the M15x cooling could take it. Now the GTX 260/280 are offered in the MXM type 2.1 slot. Some guys are running the 280 here w some good results, some have that card melt. Id try the GTX 260m for some head room in the thermal department or even the 9800m GTX if you can actualy find one at a good price.

The ATI cards 3870 and 4850 will fit but they will require pain in the but drivers and different heat sinks and fans than what is on your 8800 gtx/9800m gt.

 

It uses an MXM 2.1 slot. I know that you can use the:

Nvidia: 8600m, 8700m, 8800m, 9800m, 260m, 280m.

ATi: HD 3870, 4850(if you can find one).

It will run VERY hot with the 260m and even hotter with the 280m. I wouldn't suggest a 285m, unless you plan to do no gaming at all.

 

Following on from the OP question:

I've heard that the HDMI-output is disabled with the 260m/280m installed. But is the HDMI-output also disabled for the 9800m GT?

I'm assuming it wouldn't be as the 8800m GTX and 9800 GT are basically the same card, but in all my searching on these forums and others I haven't found anything to suggest the condition of the HDMI-output either way.

I'm also making the assumption that the NVIDIA drivers will be 186.81/.91 which is the highest version compatible with our area-51 m15x laptops.

 

I know that the 285M has a MXM 3.0 Type B slot. This goes for the 280M also.

 

True, but the gtx 280m is also offered in MXM 2.1, but not SLI, this is a fact!

 

The HDMI is not disabled for the 8800gtx/9800m gt. I have the Area 51 M17x with 9800m gt in SLI and I have used the HDMI and digital out numerous times w/out issue.

The gtx260/280 will work in the m15x however due to a bios issue the HDMI will not work and you can not go past 186.xx as you stated w the drivers. Why??? Who knows. I am currently running the 260.xx drivers on my M17x with out issue and the HDMI still works.

Its realy a shame about the drivers, because they help eek out all the performance that a healthy 8800gtx/9800m gt can muster. Proof by how well my M17x playes the new MOH.

 

Is that the M17x (R2) or m17x (R1)?
[anyone else fell like this lack of renaming was an Alienware cover-up?]

If the latter, then it's interesting that the 260.x drivers work on the m17x and not the m15x...hmmm...

Any m15x (R1) owners out there with a 9800m GT that can comment on the HDMI availability?

 

Again I have the AREA 51 M17x, the original M17x with dual 9800m gt's. It is the 17in vesrion of yours running DUal 9800m gt's. There is not an issue with 8800gtx or 9800m gt's as far as HDMI that is why the lap top has a HDMI port.

The latter gtx 260/280m were not designed for the original area 51 m15x that you have. There fore the bios do not support those cards completely and the HDMI will not work. Otherwise those cards work fine if you can manage the heat succesfuly.

 

how about for the M15X R2, will the GTX 285 work with it?

 

Sorry I missed the 'Area-51' bit of your post.

However I am concerned there will be differences between an SLI enabled m17x R1 and a non-SLI able m15x R1 in terms of HDMI output. Can't see why there would be but this why I thought I'd check.

Especially as some BIOS editions, despite being modified, only work for the m17x and not the m15x:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-area-51-aurora-legacy-systems/443656-29-bios-alienware-machines.html

 

Unless you do something crazy with the software or bios anarea51 m15x with a 8800/9800 will work with its included hdmi.

 

Nice! Thanks for the feedback.

Further to what you're suggesting then, does this mean that the m17x modified BIOS I reference above could work with the m15x, and therefore allowing us overclocking capabilities etc. ?

 

should i go for the gtx m260 or the gtx m280

so that the alienware m15x with i5 processor/4gb ram can run almots all the games .. (crysis,gta4..etc)

or any other which would run all the games ..

 

i have a gtx285m for sale, i emailed you at this address: [email protected] because you are still not able to receive PM's.

 

Is that 285 mxm 2.1? If yes I am interested.

 

Id go for a 260, it wont run as hot, and will new close to 280m performance.

 

sorry it's not mxm 2.1.

 

I wouldnt try overclocking an area51 m15x. They dont manage heat that well, wouldnt want to fry a cpu too. Plus I dont think those bios work.

 

you know a 260m and a 9800m are pretty much identical in terms of performances.

 

260m GTX average 3dmark06 score: 10177

9800m GT average 3dmark06 score: 9416

 

Great information, thank you. So I am guessing that the GTX 260 that Im watching on ebay realy isnt worth my time and investment. Is the GTX 280 any better? I know that they were not configured in SLI with the MXM2.1 slot but I could run two and utilize the force rendering option in an Area 51 M17x.

 

Thanks for confirming that for me, also this needs to be said as well, If you switch to a 280 or a 260 You WILL LOSE out on your ability to use your HDMI port, now I realize some people don't ever use their HDMI port, but it should be noted, that with minimal gains, from a 9800, and losing out your HDMI ability that's pretty rough. Pending an Update the system's HDMI port would work, but my 8 ball tells me that an update is :

 

Hi All,
Sorry to resurrect an older thread...

If I was to source a ATI 4850 Mobility, does anyone have any ideas how I'd get a heatsink solution for an area-51 m15x? The 8800m GTX has died again and not sure how many oven bakes it has left in it...!

Also, is the HDMI port likely to work with one of the ATI cards?

Thanks in advance...
L

 

This is not an old thread, lol.

 

ah so it isn't ... for some reason I was reading the date in the US format and though it was 11th of May 2010...
Any info on the heatsinks is much appreciated.

Ta.

 

The heatsinks don't match up? Fist let me state that I want to help you, and I'll source over any information or knowledge I may have with this system, however I have no formal experience with the ATI series on this system, only the 9800, 8800, and 8600. But it is under my beliefs that the MXM 2.1 system that all cards for this system are under that MXM form factor so all cards share the same heatsink, and same form factor. Of crouse some cards produce more heat then others so some heatsinks are Beefier then others. (There are only 2 heatsinks that I know that exist for this system)

One being the tiny Heatsink for the 8600 (Triangular Looking):

And then the Beefy one for (8800,9800):

I along with most users on here would suggest you take the bigger of the two for your system, and I'm willing to say 9/10 odds that the 4850 will work fine, and that HDMI output should work as well. Hope this helps.

NOTE: And in short to try to DIRECTLY answer your question, RE-USE your 8800 Hestsink for the 4850, if that heatsink is missing or busted buy the same heatsink again off of ebay. Now if you had the smaller heatsink it's no wonder as to why your 8800 burnt out, lol.

 

the 280 is VERY HOT, in this system or at least in my m15x, according to JDELUNA, who has one in his system. He has suggested to me that the cost of a 2.1 280 is EXTREMELY high and expensive and not necessarily worth the investment, as you could use that money to be the starting point on a new system. Because he has told me this in a PM, I have never even considered getting it. And again HDMI output will be lost for at least the m15x system.